Ohhh... I am livid. This is long - SORRY!! I could use some advice on how to handle this on Monday.
I bank at Bank of America. EVERY SINGLE FRIDAY (payday) for the last 8-12 weeks, when I go to the bank to deposit my check, the teller says, "Oh, I see you're preapproved for a $XXXXX limit Rewards Visa! Would you like to open the account?" I say, "No, I don't need another card, I'm on a PLAN!" To which they always reply, "There's no annual fee, you don't have to use it, 0% interest for 12 months, you get a credit on your statement for $50, blah blah blah." I say, "Nope. There's no sense in having more credit if I'm not going to use it and I CERTAINLY don't need it." They reply, "Ok, should I flag your account not to be asked again?" I say, "Yes, please." Same thing EVERY week. Two weeks ago, I got a little hostile and said, "NO, I don't want the stupid card! Can you make SURE that my account is flagged that I do NOT want it?" "Oh sure, Monica." GRRR.
Thursday I went into the bank to make a deposit. Same thing. STILL said no. STILL said I didn't want it after she'd given me the little card about the statement credit. STILL said I didn't want to be asked again.
Friday, went to depo my paycheck and TAAA DAAAA, the teller didn't ask! I was thrilled. UNTIL. UGH! I got online to pay bills last night and under my accounts, it says, "Checking, Savings, and Rewards Visa". HUH? I click on the Visa tab just to see if it's an offer or what, because it's listed in my account summary. NO, the stupid HEIFER at the bank opened it!! IN MY NAME WITHOUT my authorization! Knowing I'd never reach anyone over the weekend, I emailed customer service and said I didn't want the account, hadn't authorized the card, and was tired of being accosted every Friday.
I get a response tonight that says, "Gee, we're sorry to lose your business, we've closed the account." THAT'S IT?! NO apologies, no "I don't know how this happened! Wow, are we stupid or what!?" I am furious! I am in the process of paying off my credit cards so I can be debt free by October. I'm buying a new car at the end of the year and want to raise my credit score to qualify for a kick ass interest rate. So, now, I've got ANOTHER credit inquiry (lowers the score), ANOTHER card (LOTS more available credit - which can lower the score if they think I might be irresponsible with it), and ANOTHER closed card (opened for 2 days, that can't be good!). Can you tell I've been doing some research on maximizing credit scores for low interest loans?!
I'm calling the president of the branch on Monday. Doesn't it seem unbelievably scary that I didn't sign anything to open the card? This teller didn't know me from Adam (she's new) but she gave me over $10K in credit?! I've banked there for 13 years and up to now, I've been really happy... Anyone have any experience with things like this?! What should I say to the prez once I get him on the phone? Should I find the teller and make her wear her ass for a hat?! I'm just shocked at her carelessness.
Monica
My yesterdays are all boxed up - and neatly put away.
Absolutely sit down with the pres if necessary. Explain in detail as if you had been a mystery shopper and are doing an employee report.
Then pull a credit report. If there is a 'ding' for applying for a card you never authorized and/or a 'ding' for closing, take it up with the bank in an agressive manner.
Make them responsible all credit repair.
Keep everything in writing. Make copies. Give copies to the pres.
If there is inaccurate information in your credit report you can contact the Federal Trade Commission - Consumer Response Center 877-382-4357. The agency must take steps to investigate.
Monica, one suggestion. Don't take it out of the poor teller's hide. Their pay structure is often built around a fairly low hourly rate with quotas, bonuses and incentives for referral to higher-margin products (loans and credit cards). The branch manager is the right person to talk to first, and I wouldn't leave the meeting without knowing his/her supervisor's name.
If you keep the meeting professional and low key, you can always tell him/her that you appreciate the way they've handled it and want to make sure his/her boss knows. This is especially important if you get something that sounds like "that's above my pay grade" when you want any credit flaws repaired...just like with the teller, if it's above the supervisor's pay grade, you don't want to piss that person off. You want 'em on your side, and being reasonable and professional is the way to get that.
When I'm the person in line behind someone who's going off on the customer service person or manager, I try to offer a smile and a warm comment to let the person calm down some. Grandma was right: it really is easier to attract flies with sugar than with vinegar.
I am also a BofA customer, I have been at that bank and it's predescessors since I was in college (25+ years). I have direct deposit so rarely go into the bank. The last time I was asked if I wanted a Visa was when I got a new ATM card many years ago. I have all the credit cards I need and did not want any more.
Imagine my surprise when I actually got a statement for a BofA Visa card in the mail last year. I had never signed anything to get the account or been notified of the terms, etc., and here is this statement, luckily no charges on it.
I called and they cancelled it right away, but I thought it was pretty sleazy.
I think what I'm aggravated by the most is that the card was either opened because the teller was careless or she simply didn't care that I said, "NO" to the card. That leaves a general bad taste in my mouth about the bank on the whole! PLUS, I'm just stunned that cards can be opened without any true authorization or verification from a consumer.
I'm going to work on a "script" today for my conversation with the branch president... I don't want to be screaming and yelling (and tuned out!) so he blows the conversation off.
Monica
My yesterdays are all boxed up - and neatly put away.
Keep in mind, Monica, that the bank works for YOU... something that large industries forget along the way !
Voice your concerns to the branch manager, and give a time limited window to have them answered - and like Chris mentioned get the name of the next person up the food chain, and have the explanation in WRITTING
Document, document, document. Be firm, professional and give him/her HELL !! after all it is your life "they" are playing havoc with !! Get everything resolved to your satisfaction and change bank
I USED to bank with Bank of America. My family's business in Ca. has been with them for over 50 yrs.
After many screw-ups and loss of some $ from my acct. I said bye, bye.
My new solvent local bank offers better rates on a CD, they know me by name, they give away 1/4 lb. bags of freshly ground coffee and cookies on Friday and they have great customer service too. And they have a CFP who has made me some $ with his advice.
There are options if you "can't get no satisfaction."
TLMM
This message has been edited by taigalucy on Jan 21, 2007 10:28 AM
Take some hide off the tellers ass too. If they are under a quota or not, they are the ones that still hit the "yes" button. I have banked with Union Planters/Regions since moving back to IL. I received a credit card last week, that I was neither asked about, nor authorized. I spent an hour waiting for a customer service rep, before I finally gave up and hung up. I destroyed the card without activating it. Only thing I can say is worse, wife added me to a credit card she had and they sent it to me in the mail, and it was already friggin activated!!!! I should have taken it and bought a crap load of stuff.
I highly recommend running a credit report yearly to ensure the accounts listed are accurate. Should you have any discrepancies you can write to the credit bureau with your backup and get them straightened out. I would suggest in this case that you run a report and if there is any indication it has lowered your score or if it shows on your credit report I would write back and have it removed.
The reason I recommend running a credit report yearly is to protect yourself from identity theft. Just like your investments, your credit score is worth something. Use it wisely and keep track of where it is at.
Banks in Canada don't vary their interest rates all that much as long as your credit score is okay. Meaning it doesn't have to be the highest in order to get good credit, you just need to prove you pay your bills and don't overextend yourself. Plus all the banks will negotiate rates with you.
I would be pissed if a credit card was opened in my name without any sort of signature or authorization.
I do not blame you for being furious. First off, no one has the RIGHT to open a credit card in your name without your written authorization, no matter how that person gets paid. It is wrong , PERIOD! And they should be fired for what they did because they commited fraud and are a dishonest employee, and that is unaccpetable. I agree that taking it out on the teller will not change anything, talk to the branch manager because them getting fired will certainly send them a message that fraud and dishonsety doesnt pay without you saying a word to them! This is actually a crime we're talking about here, not some little indiscretion. And with credit card fraud so rampant these days, there is no telling what could have happen to your credit had you not noticed this. Some people do not pay very much attention to their accounts and this could have become a big problem. I would be writing letters left and right and sending them not only to the branch manager, but also the corp. headquarters and last but not least the BBB (Better Business Burough), and possibly to the Attorney General's Office if no one else will listen. This is a serious breech of trust as well.
Best Wishes ....Carol~
This message has been edited by pizzalady on Jan 21, 2007 5:47 PM
No, my brothers would be no help - they're the laid back ones... My little brother has a fuse a mile long - but when he blows WATCH OUT! My older brother... well, I'm not sure he even HAS a fuse! I got all the temper in our family, straight from my Grandpa!
SOOOOOOOO.., this afternoon, I called and spoke to the teller manager. Wrong thing to do... She said she was "aware" of what had happened because the teller told her supervisor on Friday that "she hit the wrong button, which is a really easy thing to do but they didn't think it would show up on my online banking so soon." THEN, she proceeded to tell me that I must have really good credit or the offer wouldn't have kept popping up so the few points that the inquiry dinged my credit shouldn't hurt. ?!?!?!?!?!?!!!! #$^&*#!! Curse word, curse word!!
Oh
My
Gosh
After that, she STILL TRIED TO SELL ME ON THE CARD! "Oh, it's a great card, one of our tellers got back almost $200 last year." I said, "Well, bully for her. I don't want the card. I never wanted it!"
So, I'm writing a letter to the bank prez tonight. They knew on FRIDAY!! They've got my home phone number on the account - I would have expected to be called, just as a heads up. I might not have been so livid, had someone called and said, "Hey, here's what happened, it was an honest mistake, we just wanted to let you know..." GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Monica
My yesterdays are all boxed up - and neatly put away.
OK...if it was an "honest" mistake, why didnt they call? A call would have been all it took. I have a feeling that if you do contact the BBB, they will have other compliants along these lines. Check it out!
