Why Bank of America Sucks--Reason 10254

[omahas]

I logged into my Bank of America credit card account a couple of days ago in order to pay my credit card. Upon doing so, I saw that there was no link anymore between my credit card and my checking account...and no ability to pay the cc.

Thinking that maybe this had something to do with my other credit card (which had to be shut down and restarted in a new account because someone stole the info and was trying to charge stuff to it), I called up Bank of America to get some help. After being shunted through several people (and having to repeat myself every time), I was thoroughly annoyed by the time I reached the person who I should talk to.

She was an idiot. At first she didn't even listen to me, and got the facts wrong. When I tried to tell her she was incorrect about things and I was trying to correct her, she wouldn't at first stop talking. Then when I got across to her that yes, there are indeed two cards, and only one of them was shut down, and the other one is the one that I wanted to make a payment on and couldn't for the reasons I was trying to give her, she finally went into the damn account and started looking.

And told me that I would have to link the credit card account and checking account all over again because they had done an upgrade to the online accounts and wiped all of the links up between people's accounts. And she didn't even say it apologetically, or caringly at all. She didn't sound as though she cared a bit. I was furious, actually. Not that the upgrade had been performed, but that they (1) had wiped the account links and (2) that if they had to do it, they couldn't be bothered to send out an alert through their existing system to folks to LET THEM KNOW!! As she said, "people will find out when they log in to make a payment."

I am getting more and more interested in the idea of ditching Bank of America and moving to another bank. Elf has been interested in BECU (Boeing Employees Credit Union). Thoughts?

Comments

[ocicat.livejournal.com]

BoA lost my business many years ago, by showing total disregard for their customers. Goodbye, you can't play with my money anymore.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I got thoughts. Google "Bank of America Clark Howard" and find the story of a dude who got thrown in JAIL for *trying to verify a check*.

There's a reason why I call'em B***h of Amerika. (They screwed us over too, and on a credit card.)

I don't like BECU, either; they're too much like a bank. Spending big bucks on ads and upscale locations. Too many bank-like restrictions on new accounts, too.

I ♥ ♥ ♥ FirstTech. They're one of the oldest CU's in these parts; their online banking is excellent, so is their customer service.... and when you go in to open an account, you walk out *right* *there* with your ATM card. Downsides: Branches are currently only Eastside. (Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland.) Upsides: CU-SWIRL, which means you can use *most* CUs' branches as your own, including BECU. Ditto ATM's. Worth It.

Whatever you do, get out of the banking biz and into a credit union. You will NOT regret it.

(We were also with what is now called Prevail for a while. They were.... OK. FirstTech? FTW.)

[kitsap_charles]

Obviously, riverheart and I are with Kitsap Credit Union, but while I was last living in King County I was a member of Watermark.

I believe they have a Burien branch on Ambaum and a branch in the Southcenter area, as well as a downtown branch on Stewart.

[slutdiary.livejournal.com]

I left BOA years and years ago. For many years now I've been at the Group Health Credit Union. I thoroughly encourage credit union banking and co-op shopping.

When my lovely and I were discussing stuff about a possible future move out of the immediate area I mentioned wanting to stay with a credit union for our banking needs and she immediately agreed, stating that "That's one of our core values."

[codeamazon.livejournal.com]

LSB moved from BofA to BECU recently, with prejudice for entirely too many stories entirely too much like yours. The most dramatic : he was informed he could not cancel an auto-pay to another party unless he had THEIR banking information. Uhm...

Anyhow, BECU -- so far so good I guess. They were a little confusing re. getting cards and PINs together when he opened the joint account, but we have no complaints so far.

Most of my banking is with an Oregon credit union I've been with for 15 years. Love them, and don't plan to leave any time soon.

+1 for BECU

[-pollox.livejournal.com]

I've been using them for a year+ now with no problems, though I'm not in a postion to see any of the specific issues mentioned against them here.