Bank Of America, N.A. CASH DEPOSIT "LOST" - BoA truly does NOT care about the small guy. Tampa Florida
I had been a satisfied customer of BoA for over 6 years, until this last month. One Saturday in April, I went to deposit $380 in cash at an ATM that I frequently use. Got the deposit receipt, kept it as usual to make sure that the deposit is posted online, got my card back, waited until the ATM was completely done and left. Now, you may call me an idiot but I had been successfully depositing cash into ATM machines for at least 4 years now without a single problem. YES, that does NOT mean that something can ever go wrong, but my problem with BoA does not center around the actual deposit, so read on before you criticize (Ive read some posters on this website that jump on complainers throats, so Im just preemptively covering my own @$$ here). So, the deposit NEVER posted on the online banking website, which I check at least once a day. I immediately called and filed a claim with the Electronic Claims (EC) department. Simple machine malfunction, I understand, it happens. No ones 100% perfect all the time, and BoA is a huge company with thousands of ATMs to manage. They even gave me a temporary credit so that I could write my rent check that month, and in a month, I got a formal letter from the EC dept saying that they ruled in my favor and thus made the temporary credit permanent. I was honestly very pleased with their relatively quick service. However, fast forward a month, they reversed that permanent credit for $380 without any kind of notice. Fortunately I had enough money in my account, or I would have had to go through that whole NSF charges hell. However, little did I know that was pretty much the last time Id see that money. I called the EC dept to complain and they said that it is their ATM department that took out that money for reasons unknown to the EC dept? Okay, I kind of understand that. BoA is a HUGE company and different departments can sometimes have miscommunications. So I filed another formal claim with the EC dept, got a temporary credit, which obviously was reversed second time because this was a duplicate claim although the second claim pertains to the REVERSAL of credit without any kind of notice, NOT the ATM deposit. Their own investigators took a whole MONTH to investigate that ATM deposit and deemed it legitimate. Well, now, apparently the other department can only see that I was credited twice but NOT the fact that I was debited twice? I can put in $380.00 in the search window on my internet banking website and get that information in about 5 seconds, but okay, fine. Ive since talked to about 20 different EC dept agents and THIS is where my problem with BoA is. I have my phone records showing phone calls to the EC dept direct line lasting 20-30 minutes, placed almost every other day. Almost every agent I have talked to seemed understanding and although not very knowledgeable about whats going on, and EVERY SINGLE agent I have talked to have assured me that they are taking meticulous notes while I explain my case over and over again from start to end, and two of them even told me that they put this escalade status on my claim that makes the process go faster. Well, dont you know it, the case never got resolved and it never got ANYWHERE. THE THING IS, every time I talk to someone they have NO IDEA what I am talking about. They all claim that the agent who talked to me previously did not take notes or take proper actions (the agent I talked to today placed a service call whatever that means? Probably was lying, anyway). THAT MEANS, all that time I was talking to these agents explaining every single detail about my case over and over again, THINKING that they were listening and taking notes on it because they were going to help me, they were probably just yawning and zoning out. Or maybe laughing at me for fussing over just $380. ALSO, WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE ACTIONS THAT THEY ASSURED ME THAT THEY WERE TAKING? Every single one of those agents have promised me something - Oh, I just talked to someone over at that department and they are going to take care of it. Oh, this is just a simple misunderstanding. Were going to look into it right away. Yea right. Every single one of those agents have told me that this will be resolved in 10 days. that was over a month ago. Theyre obviously just telling me that to shut me up for 10 days, but obviously I keep calling back and what do you know, theyll make me explain the whole thing all over again because no action was taken that I would have to wait 10 days for. They are clearly just taking my calls and not doing anything about it, since when I talked to another EC dept agent today, there were no notes or actions taken on this and she doesnt know why. Same crap, different day. Sure, theoretically I could have put in an empty envelop for $380 as they told me that a lot of people do - I probably lost at least a year of life being frustrated over this, and countless wireless minutes.
Lastly, I apologize to anyone reading this who may be offended because I am, after all, sitting here writing about only $380. From reading some of the other stories posted on here, I really AM lucky, I guess - and I really feel sorry for anyone on this forum who were not as lucky. Everyone Ive talked has told me to consider this a $380 lesson and move on, and be thankful that it did not involve a bigger sum of money - and that is what I am planning on doing. I am opening a new bank account next week with another bank account next week, and moving all my money out of BoAs reach. I have simply lost my trust in BoA, and do NOT want them anywhere near my hard-earned money, no matter how little it may seem to other people.
The thing that kills me most is that if it were ME who owed them $380, heck even if it were only $0.01, whether it was a legitimate charge or not, they would be dragging my good credit through mud as soon as they can file a report, and doing everything they could to make my list as miserable as possible. Or maybe things would be different if I were a big business pulling in a lot of money for them - maybe then they would be more willing to help and actually give a hoot. What can the little guy do against the corporate America?
Helen
Brighton, Massachusetts
U.S.A.
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5 Updates & Rebuttals
kam1013
United States of Americascammed by b of a atm
#6General Comment
Tue, October 19, 2010
i put in a cash deposit of $600 into a BofA atm and the screen said you just deposited $500 instead of $600. i took the receipt and ran inside and they told me i had to call the 1-800. i did and they issued me a $100 credit but said it would take 6 weeks for them to check the atm and resolve the claim.
i just now got the letter in the mail and it said they never found any extra cash in the atm so they are taking the $100 back out of my account. i just did a few google searches and see a lot of cases like this. i really feel like they could be scamming with this and if no one posts or complains they will get away with it. i am going to post my story along with others on as many sites as i can find and also file a complaint with the BBB. i know i put in $600, but because it is my word against theirs i will never see that money again. such a terrible feeling and unless i speak out, this will continue to happen to others for a long time.
Helen
Brighton,Massachusetts,
U.S.A.
update
#6Author of original report
Wed, July 02, 2008
Hello, thank you everyone for reading!
I already gathered all the documentation I had and went to talk to someone in person at a branch near my work. No luck, they said that I had to go through the formal channel of the claims department. However I did NOT talk to the bank manager, because I hadn't read your comment and honestly it didn't even cross my mind to talk to a manager. I think I will try to talk to the bank manager and if that doesn't work, then at another branch.
Jim - you wrote that my story had no relevance because it was a cash deposit that I can never prove. You're totally right, the as far as the bank goes, the problem centers around the cash deposit that I supposedly never made. I can sit here all day and try to convince everyone that I'm not a thief, but that's useless - honestly, I don't know if I would blindly believe someone with my story, either. You are 100% correct that there is nothing I can do and no one can help me. I DO have the deposit receipt from the ATM, which you seemed to have missed in my story, but again, that's also irrelevant because the bank has no way knowing if I put in a totally empty envelope or actually put money in it.
However I'd like to to clarify that my dissatisfaction with BoA is mainly with the way the claims department has treated me. We've already established that at this point that no one can help me and obviously the bank has made its decision. It probably HAD made the decision when they took away the credit. So let me ask all of you - why did they feel that it was necessary to string me along, pretending to listen and take action while I was wasting HOURS AND HOURS of my valuable time on the phone in vain, explaining the same thing over and over again - getting my hopes up because almost everyone seemed sympathetic and EVERY ONE OF THEM assured me that they are taking some sort of action on it to correct or at least look into this. MY TIME IS MONEY, TOO. They tell me I should wait "10 more days." BUT when I call back, they have no idea what I am talking about and the person that I talked to before apparently did not leave notes or actually take any action. So isn't that simply being lied to and being ignored, time and time again? Am I unreasonable for being upset with this kind of customer service?
IF they DO think that I am a thief, which they most likely do by the way they've treated me, ALL THEY HAVE TO DO is to say "we looked into it again - we are reversing our initial decision, you never made that initial cash deposit and are NOT getting your money back." Yet that is NOT the case. The claims department supposedly "cannot figure out why the Adjustment department took out the money." Who knows what they know, but that's what they keep telling ME. I have yet to hear from ANYONE at BoA that this is because they went back on the result of their investigation and they determined that I lied about the deposit. Instead, it's a "miscommunication" that needs 10 more days, 10 more days, and then 10 more days to be resolved. I am just incredibly disgruntled that they pretended as if they were working on it, when they NEVER have been. Why let me go through all that trouble for nothing, for over a month? It doesn't make any sense to me.
I really appreciate your taking time to read my story. I hope I clarified my situation a little bit - you don't have to agree with me, but BoA claims department has completely ignored and thus thoroughly insulted me as a customer.
Nancy
Steilacoom,Washington,
U.S.A.
go to the bank in person
#6Consumer Suggestion
Tue, July 01, 2008
Before you sue try this. Gather up all your papeprwork including youor ATM receipt adn go into the bank and talk to the bank manager. It is harder to blow you off in person. Tell the manager that IF you do not get som satisfatcion, youa re going to take your money elsewhere and you are going to sue. See what happens.
Jim
Anaheim,California,
U.S.A.
Your CYA is Irrelevant
#6Consumer Comment
Tue, July 01, 2008
Listing an excuse that says, "YES, that does NOT mean that something can ever go wrong, but my problem with BoA does not center around the actual deposit, so read on before you criticize. I deposit cash in an ATM all of the time and I never had a problem before...." is irrelevant. The problem obviously centers around your deposit - it is that simple - and that is how the bank looks at it.
The bank reversed the deposit because they have no proof you made... the deposit. All of the calls you've made center around...the deposit. Your complaining centers around their inability to handle the investigation related to....the deposit.... Truth is...they investigated and escalated the issue up and nothing was found in your favor. You keep finding another person to try and help you and the truth is - there is nothing you can do. The bank probably balanced that day, meaning there was not $380.00 lying around that belonged to nobody. Now, if you can prove you made the deposit, you can try court. But if you have no receipt from the ATM, you are out of luck.
If you want to stick it to corporate America (as you put it), next time take the cash deposit in person to your bank and don't rely on an ATM. There you will take up the time of a teller who will have to help you and the bank must pay the teller for performing the service.
Sonny
Riverside,California,
U.S.A.
bank of america
#6Consumer Comment
Mon, June 30, 2008
Sorry to hear about you loss......if you noticed, BOA and Wash. Mutual have the greatest number of complaints on this site.....anyway, dont waste your time dealing with these scumbags...your best bet is, SUE THE BASTARDS IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT.......there is a good possibility that they will settle with you prior to the court date, if they dont, secondly the manager who will come to the court will not put a good defense because he/she is not a lawyer, , you have to get organized, get all the rule books, all the notes on who you talked to, etc.....i have done this before and in every case, I WON......you will get back your court costs and if i were you, i would claims a few hundreds bucks as punitive damages.....good luck and dont let these scumbags get away with it.