Secondly, do you know how much check fraud there is? The bank isn’t trying to make you feel like a criminal. They’re trying to cover their ass if the check turns out to be fraudulent. You don’t have a banking relationship with them, they need some way to protect themselves.

But in either case, the $6 fee isnn’t exactly kosher, but also sounds kinda fishy.  I had deposited one of their checks, when I didn’t want to go through my account, and though I had to go through the finger printing (much to some other bank’s surprise when I’ve told them), I never was assessed such a fee.  Hell, even places like Money Mart or the like don’t charge $6, at least when I’ve had to cash a Western Union check received at one.  I doubt Wal-Mart, which now says they cash checks charges quite that much either.

But in any case, I came searching, because I have the sorta reverse side to their check holding?  I wrote a check against a BoA account, and it cleared at the other side, all fine, but BoA isn’t taking the balance out of the account, and for my part I want the account activity to settle, so am not using it.  It’s been over a week, hell over 6 business days now, and they’re not clearing it from their end, as the money sits in their account.

Now here’s the wrinkle, and also really comes to the heart of the matter with them.  The statement cycle ends next week, and due to changes they made on the account, they could charge a $12 fee.  If that gets charged it would be overdrawn, but my intention is to close that particular account down.  If I put money in, they could drag their feet on processing that (they took 5 business days to clear a transfer of funds from one of their accounts, to this one).  They’re not new accounts, years old, and it’s like the last transaction to process, just isn’t going.  I wouldn’t put it past them to delay processing, just long enough to assess a $12 fee from me.  Can I say this is going on?  No, but at the same time, if they’re up to playing this way, just to get one last fee outa this account, before I move it, well I’m not pleased.  In any case, another bank is giving me better interest on savings, and has far better terms on checking, including no monthly maitenance fees, and a bunch of the other stuff  BoA has come to add, after they got themselves in trouble with the whole Countrywide purchase, all the lawsuites over all their toxic debt sales, etc.  Hell, a recent one, they actually provided bad documentation to federal regulators while trying to claim insurance against some of the sub-prime mortgages.  They got audited, provided bad numbers/documents during the audit, and one of the regulators who would be asked to insure those debts isn’t happy, and is even talking fraud…. For my part, and with things like the new $5 debit card purchase charge, perhaps I don’t want to keep my money with an institution who has this rep, at a time where they’re getting sued at every turn due to the Countrywide Financial disaster they chose to get themselves into.

I’m 63 and remember when i knew the people at my bank and they knew me, my money was safe with them and if there was any questions about a check going thru my accout,they would call me before cashing it. Not so today– anyone who has your account  number can get money from your account. I’m pretty sure that BOA has charged me fees for charging me fees! LOL but true.
Very Sad state of afaires in our banking system today!

Andy