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Bank of America is Scamming Me? [SOLVED]
Cognisseur
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
What. The. Hell.
I guess I should've been reading my bank statements every month but I never saw much point to it since I never had any huge strange charges pop up and I generally had a good idea of what I'd been buying each month. I mean, I'd be checking in my recent purchases throughout the month but I never really went through previous statements with a fine-tooth comb because I had no reason to.
Well, now that I started graduate school I've been keeping an Excel sheet of all my expenses, so I actually had to look at my previous statements, and what do I find? A day before each billing cycle ends, Bank of America charges me a few dollars for "Credit Protection Plus", and has been since January.
I'm immediately annoyed because I know I've never signed up for such a service. I've never replied to anything they've sent in the mail. I've never picked up any of their automated calls. I've always pressed "Kthxbye" when it tries to sell me something when I log in online.
So I google "bank of america credit protection plus" to figure out what the hell it is. The first link does describe it as some pointless service I don't want but it's the later links that caught my eye.
An entire gaggle of people complaining that they've been signed up for the service without their consent. A class action lawsuit is being considered against BoA over this. Many of these people have $1000+ charges racked up over this.
So... what steps should I take, and in what order? I've only been charged $25-30 for the service so far but I'm more angry than anything else. I don't owe them much of any money so I can easily threaten/switch banks.
One person says they wrote a letter directly to the high-ups at BoA and it got resolved that way. Do I want to contact local news stations to make some noise? (I'm in NYC so plenty of news to contact). Should I write to _____?
-EDIT-
So I went to my bank today and they told me they couldn't do anything because the Credit Security Plus company is an affiliate but not part of BoA or something or other. I had to call them directly anyway. So I did:
The guy explained that I'd signed up by phone a year ago and blah blah blah he could cancel the service but he can't refund me any money because I started the service more than 35 days ago.
Well, not quite says I. I spoke with my bank manager who said that you could do that.
Oh uh, well, no, we can't do that.
Well see, I looked it up online and apparently a lot of people are having this problem where they get signed up despite not consenting to it. And they explained how your department can be quite difficult but some of them eventually got refunds.
Oh uh, well, I can give you this month's refund back but not the whole thing.
Well that would be very nice of you, but I still insist on a full refund so when you're done with that can you connect me to a supervisor? See, apparently they mentioned on the Internet that if you just go through the supervisor to supervisor chain high enough, eventually you get someone willing to do the right thing and refund you.
Oh uh, well, actually I think I can just give you a full refund right now and cancel the service.
Why thank you. Have a nice day.
Easy peasy, provided you don't take any of their bullshit. I recommend anyone with a BoA account check and make sure they haven't been signed up either. Thanks for the advice folks.
I guess I should've been reading my bank statements every month but I never saw much point to it since I never had any huge strange charges pop up and I generally had a good idea of what I'd been buying each month. I mean, I'd be checking in my recent purchases throughout the month but I never really went through previous statements with a fine-tooth comb because I had no reason to.
Well, now that I started graduate school I've been keeping an Excel sheet of all my expenses, so I actually had to look at my previous statements, and what do I find? A day before each billing cycle ends, Bank of America charges me a few dollars for "Credit Protection Plus", and has been since January.
I'm immediately annoyed because I know I've never signed up for such a service. I've never replied to anything they've sent in the mail. I've never picked up any of their automated calls. I've always pressed "Kthxbye" when it tries to sell me something when I log in online.
So I google "bank of america credit protection plus" to figure out what the hell it is. The first link does describe it as some pointless service I don't want but it's the later links that caught my eye.
An entire gaggle of people complaining that they've been signed up for the service without their consent. A class action lawsuit is being considered against BoA over this. Many of these people have $1000+ charges racked up over this.
So... what steps should I take, and in what order? I've only been charged $25-30 for the service so far but I'm more angry than anything else. I don't owe them much of any money so I can easily threaten/switch banks.
One person says they wrote a letter directly to the high-ups at BoA and it got resolved that way. Do I want to contact local news stations to make some noise? (I'm in NYC so plenty of news to contact). Should I write to _____?
-EDIT-
So I went to my bank today and they told me they couldn't do anything because the Credit Security Plus company is an affiliate but not part of BoA or something or other. I had to call them directly anyway. So I did:
The guy explained that I'd signed up by phone a year ago and blah blah blah he could cancel the service but he can't refund me any money because I started the service more than 35 days ago.
Well, not quite says I. I spoke with my bank manager who said that you could do that.
Oh uh, well, no, we can't do that.
Well see, I looked it up online and apparently a lot of people are having this problem where they get signed up despite not consenting to it. And they explained how your department can be quite difficult but some of them eventually got refunds.
Oh uh, well, I can give you this month's refund back but not the whole thing.
Well that would be very nice of you, but I still insist on a full refund so when you're done with that can you connect me to a supervisor? See, apparently they mentioned on the Internet that if you just go through the supervisor to supervisor chain high enough, eventually you get someone willing to do the right thing and refund you.
Oh uh, well, actually I think I can just give you a full refund right now and cancel the service.
Why thank you. Have a nice day.
Easy peasy, provided you don't take any of their bullshit. I recommend anyone with a BoA account check and make sure they haven't been signed up either. Thanks for the advice folks.
Cognisseur on
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Before dragging out the nuclear options, Why not go down to your bank and have a chat with the representative there before deciding on what further action, if any, should be taken.
Also, let this be a lesson to check your statement every month [more often if online if you care to] because you never know what kind of wacky shit your bank will decide to do.
I've read a "confession" from a BoA telemarketer where she confesses all the rotten ways they misrepresent the truth to try to get you to sign up for the service but I never even had that conversation. This was the first time I have ever heard of the service. I really can't figure out how the hell it could've originated.
also: what does "credit protection plus" even do??
Ahoy there! Banker man-cow here.
That "service" basically sounds like a stripped down credit monitoring service that banks that offer credit cards often try to offer customers as a way of notifying you if something funky happens with your credit card/credit profile (which honestly they should already be doing to a certain degree but that's neither here nor there).
Anyhow, as people have already said, go down to your local branch and ask to speak to a supervisor or someone in new accounts. They're most likely going to have to call their "back office" or card services as this is most likely some kind of credit card/credit profile/identity theft protection service so 99% of the time, the branch can't even deal with it at the branch level. They can, and should however, assist you in calling said back office and get this sorted out. If they can't show any proof that you signed up, they should be able to refund you the fees back to your account.
Keep in mind that unless the manager of that branch authorizes it directly, the fee refunds are probably going to come from back office, meaning it might take a couple of weeks to process. Just keep an eye on your accounts and note everything they say about when and how the refunds will be credited, they should be able to just credit your checking account since it's being debited directly from it, but I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled a "rebate check" style refund and cut you a check and send it snail-mail to you. In either case, just keep note of everything and anything they promise.
Wud yoo laek to lern aboot meatz? Look here!
Of course Bank of America is screwing you. That's (really!) how they make their money.
I would definitely go into your local branch and have a sit with the manager, and stress that not only are you not very pleased, but you never agreed to said service nor to a trial of said service. Usually sleazy companies have employees who are slightly uncomfortable with said sleaziness, and when face-to-faced will set you on the right track more often than not.
My advice is to look around for a good credit union.
You're all fucking nuts. JP morgan chase, Citigroup, and BOA are possibly the best banks to go to for the simple reason that they exist nearly everywhere. There is an ATM within 500 feet of you at all times (save rural areas). Credit unions fuck you over because there are 2 banks within a 10 mile radius and NO ATMs.
Clear up the problem you are having with bank of america online, and do what you wish but a credit union is incredibly inconvenient.
Convenience is one thing. Blatant disregard for individual rights, wishes and needs in the name of profit is a shade above evil.
Believe me, I deal with BoA every day as an advocate for people getting screwed. BoA is at the absolute top of my asshole list. They are consistently ruining lives, and making a goddamn fortune off of it.
Of course better financial literacy will solve the issue.
The issue is that BoA penalizes you for a lack of education (which isn't most people's fault, entirely) and then makes money off the very people who it will hurt the most.
EDIT: You, Durandal, are part of the problem.
Cause nobody lives in big cities like DC, Boston, or New York where credit unions are incredibly common. I can name 4 locations off the top of my head and I don't even use them.
At some point people have to stop being lazy and start paying attention to what they are supporting in this country. I'm going to keep pretending that it matters - that's my full advice to the OP in hopes that I don't garner yet more infractions.
It's all about how you talk to CSRs. If you act like a prick or get all pissy right away, they're going to dismiss you immediately. Just go to the bank and talk to them, and yea, be prepared to be super polite and mature about it if you want this to go your way. Also, if you start throwing the 'I'll close my account!' around right away you're probably not going to get crap. You're account isn't worth the headache of them listening to you have a fit in the lobby, in fact, you're account probably isn't worth crap to them to begin with, so yea, be super nice.
Yeah man, as a member of a credit union in Oklahoma, I have three branches within a five minute drive of my apartment, and two in the city where I go to school over 35 minutes away. Also, there are two branches in the city I work, which is 25 minutes in the opposite direction. Credit unions are not as bad as you make them out to be.
[EDIT] Also, in the cities nearby where I don't have a branch, I can visit a credit union service center and take care of whatever needs I have there...