Boom: they get angry and they sent many letters…
banks
Checks Stolen? Maybe Leave The Account Open, Otherwise The Bank Won't Help You With The Hot Checks
By 5.8.07
BoA Incompetence Helps Identity Thief Make Rachel Poor Broke
By 5.8.07
The Red Tape Chronicles has a story about an identity theft victim who allowed herself to be victimized over and over again. Rachel Poor (pictured) noticed some unauthorized spending on her account, reported it, but then continued to use the account and make deposits. Every time she put money end, the crook would overspend it. On top of that, she also got hit with 20 overdraft fees, and so forth. It got so bad that she had to beg her boss for a loan. The article’s author asks, “why a criminal was able to steal money from Poor’s account more than two weeks after she reported it as suspicious.”
When Your Bank Says You're Dead, But You're Demonstrably Alive
By 5.4.07
Poor Madeline Coburn. She’s not dead, but her credit is. A mix up at her bank and a mysterious phone call led to her being listed as dead.
Bank Of America Gets Verfication Data Wrong, Locks Customer's Account, Hangs Up On Him, Several Times
By 5.3.07
According to this reader complaint, to amass the personal information Bank of America uses to “verify your identity,” they employ a company that that trolls public records for your data. They look for things like employer, student loans held, what hotel you stayed in last year, etc.
What Is FDIC Insurance?
By 5.3.07
When checking out all these whippersnapper online banks with their crazy high interest rates, you gotta make sure they’re FDIC Insured so you’re protected if they go under. But what does FDIC Insured actually mean? My Money Blog probes.
Bank Midwest Let Someone Pilfer Our Safe Deposit Box For $92,000
By 5.2.07
Ken and Nina say that that $92,000 was stolen from their safe deposit box after Bank Midwest allowed someone else to access it.
Chase Puts Your Sensitive Documents On The Sidewalk
By 5.1.07
However, we never get an establishing shot of the trashcan, so it’s not totally clear whether they are actually discovering these bags on the sidewalk. After all, they are janitors and thus have access to the trash cans inside the bank, and being a union, they probably have an axe to grind (like applying pressure on Chase for higher wages and benefits for custodial staff).
Credit Cards To Feature Mutating Passcodes
By 5.1.07
A major bank will offer Credit cards with built-in, constantly shifting passwords starting in May.
7 Overdrafts Refunded After Reader Writes Bank of America CEO
By 4.30.07
Yet another reader confirms that if Bank of America is hitting you with overdraft fee after overdraft fee, you can get them waived by writing a complaint letter to CEO Kenneth D. Lewis.
How To File A Complaint Against A Bank
By 4.30.07
If you feel a bank has been “misleading, discriminated against you in lending, or violated a law or regulation,” you can file a complaint with the Federal Reserve Board.
Scrounged Up Bank's Fee Schedules
By 4.27.07
After more digging, we ferreted out some of those notoriously hard to find bank’s fee schedules. These list all the fees a bank can levy against a consumer’s personal checking or savings account. Most are buried to some extent, limiting consumer’s abilities to shop around.
Bank Of America Manager Escalation Line
By 4.27.07
If you have an intractable issue with Bank of America, and calls to regular customer service and attempts to escalate are unsuccessful, try the manager escalation line:
Bank Fees Schedules Are Hard To Find
By 4.27.07
It can be hard to figure out all the various fees, typically referred to as a “fee schedule”, that a bank can charge.
Credit Cards Fees Doubled Over Ten Years
By 4.26.07
Since 1994, credit card late and overlimit fees have more than doubled. We’re no economist, but that doesn’t seem to keep pace with inflation.
5 Bank Fees To Watch Out For
By 4.26.07
The nice thing about putting your money in a mattress is that it’s never going to charge you a “pillow fluffing fee” or a “paisley-colored sheet fee.” Your bed also won’t pay you interest and it’s not FDIC insured, so SmartMoney has five bank fees to watch out for and how to avoid them.
The Software Banks Use To Flag Ordinary Customers As Terrorists
By 4.24.07
The Electronic Payments Network, a private-sector automated clearing house, has an online demo showing how an institution can scan transactions for possible terrorists based on those free, public, and error-ridden text files.
Bank Of America Let Conwoman Steal My Dead Aunt's Identity And Rob Her Safe Deposit Box
By 4.23.07
Ariel’s wealthy aunt died. When his mom went to open her safe deposit box, which was supposed to hold $300k in bonds and jewels, it was empty. The bank clerk said that it had been emptied that morning, by the aunt…
