dvorak.org— Man Jailed by Bank of America for trying to verify a check. BOA apologizes but won't pay one cent of his $14,000 in Legal Fees.
Sep 22, 2006View in Crawl 4
pcbanker.com. They pay 3.5% APY on checking accounts (with balances averaging more than $1000). I've used them for years, and they've always been great.
I guess the big question is: why did they tell him the check was good, and then change their tune just moments later? You'd think if a guy had just asked you whether there were sufficient funds in the account to cash the check, and you had told him there were, but then you discovered it was a fake, you'd probably go back and talk to him first, since, you know, he asked.
Am I the only person thinking that the issue is not whether BofA was right or wrong, but whether there is a better way to handle cases like this?1.) Tellers should be trained so they can explain the check cashing process to people. 2.) Customers should be informed that the presence of sufficient funds means NOTHING.3.) If an individual has had an account in good standing for several years, it hardly seems likely they are party to some major fraud.I learned this the first point the hard way. I verified a check as written at the same bank as my account as having sufficient funds. The teller told me it was good, it bounced. Not fraud, but a lesson. Once again: the presence of sufficient funds means NOTHING if it's not a cashier's check. I'm not saying it makes sense, it just is what it is.
A crime had been committed. It's the responsibility of the police, not the bank, to determine who is guilty. It would be unwise for a bank to confront a suspected criminal. Not only do they lack the resources and training to investigate a crime, but a confrontation could lead to violence or allow a criminal to escape.
"1.) Tellers should be trained so they can explain the check cashing process to people. "The lines at my bank are already long enough. Please don't make them explain the check cashing process to each customer. "2.) Customers should be informed that the presence of sufficient funds means NOTHING."The man was attempting to CASH the check, so that's kind of irrelevant. "3.) If an individual has had an account in good standing for several years, it hardly seems likely they are party to some major fraud."Where does it say the man was a Bank of America account holder, much less a long-time customer in good standing?"Am I the only person thinking that the issue is not whether BofA was right or wrong, but whether there is a better way to handle cases like this?"So what is the better way to handle somebody trying to cash an illegal check?
I'm a little concerned about the Bank's action of calling the police to report... well, I don't know what they reported.Why would a bank, any bank, be calling the police if someone was to bring in a bad cheque? Would it not simply save time and money to deny the cheque and say to the person, dressing up the short speech in Bank Language, "This is bulls**t. Get the f**k out.", and security could escort him out if he refuses to leave.Four parties are at fault in this story.The first party is the unknown man who "bought" the bikes, and then claimed the cheque was fraudulent.The second party is Mr Shinnick. In this day and age you cannot rely on most people to be true to their word or deeds. He should have accepted only a bank cheque or cash (although I believe cash cannot legally be sent through the post so it would have been bank cheque only).The Bank of America wasted time and money by calling the police. If the cheque was fraudulent or denied by the account holder then they should have simply told Mr Shinnick that there was a "problem" with the cheque and that he should have contacted the buyer.The fourth party to this, the police, clearly over-reacted. In both stories linked from this site it is said that the police did not allow Mr Shinnick to talk, or read him his rights before or after placing him in handcuffs. Is this not a blatant violation of his rights?The old saying Caveat Emptor used to just mean "Buyer Beware", but now we need sellers to beware, or simply just be aware, as well.When you're buying or selling these days you're likely to be doing it on-line, never meeting or personally seeing who you're buying or selling from. The fact that people can be scammed with face-to-face contact should automatically put you on your guard when there is no face-to-face contact or even intermediate contact.Use an escrow system. There are several around and I doubt that anyone would be remaining quiet about intermediaries who acted fraudulently. If you're using Craig's List or other similar forums for buying or selling then you know at least a little bit about using the Internet. Use that knowledge to help protect yourself from fraud, and such possible consequences as have affected Mr Shinnick.Most people are basically nice, but a lot of people will try to rip you off if given the opportunity. The buyer in this case had two choices when called by the Bank. He could have said that the cheque was fine and Mr Shinnick could have the money, but he chose to instead say that the cheque was bogus.It could have been a split-second decision made on the spur of the moment.Your best defense against fraud and theft is don't let people have those split-second choices where they could feel that they could do the right thing but decide not to because it's advantageous to them."I'll feel guilty for a moment, but it's not like I killed anyone."
When will they learn that negative PR is more then reimbursement?Maybe when(if ever) that statement is true. When you pay out you admit liability. That gets very expensive very fast. There is nothing I read that proves the bank did anything wrong.
Bank of America behaviors like a robber.I openned an online account at BOA 4 months ago and online transfer 120 dollars into BOA account. After a whilk, a week or two, BOA sent me a lot of material to congratulate me with my new account with them. However, a few days later, I recieved a letter from BOA. It told me my accout was closed because my social security number is not correct and they charged my 60 dollars for account closing. I feel extremely angry about this, so I called them and told them my ssn is correct. They told me to get a proof from my local ssn department and faxed the proof to them. I faxed them my ssn proof twice and called them millions of times. guess what, those ladies and men who recieved my call all treat me like an enemy...I want to say, they have the worst attitude in the world.What I want is my 60 dollars back. What should I do
On Friday, June 20, 2008, I walked into the Parkland Branch Bank of America to make several deposits, cash a check and get my payroll out. The check that I was trying to cash was from a vendor who?d made the check out to my mother, who is a signer on my business account. She came into the back to sign the check and to show her identification.The check was over the teller?s limit so she asked the Assistant Branch Manager, Song Degarmo, to assist her. She was asked to verify the check.All I did was ask them to verify the check. The funds were good. The Assistant Branch Manager, Song Degarmo, explains to me that Bank of America no longer verifies funds over the phone. I ask to speak with the branch manager because I have been a customer of Bank of America for many years and they have always called to verify funds in situations such as this.When the Branch Manager, Linda Morley, storms out her office with my check in her hand, she states, ?It is obvious that we will not be able to provide you with the level of customer service that you would like. Your account is not entitled to any special treatment. I am closing your accounts.? And with that she storms over to the main doors, opens the doors and turns back to say, ?Please Leave!?Mind you, we are in the middle of the lobby and there are still customers all around. I still have yet to say anything to her. Quite frankly, I was confused on what prompted her to approach me in such a manner, and I was hugely embarrassed by her antics. The Assistant Branch Manager, Song Degarmo, places her hand on my shoulder and pushed me towards the door. I stopped at the door, turned to the Linda Morley and ask, ?Can you please explain to me what is going on? Why are you closing my account?? I was not hostile. I did NOT yell at her.She says, ?I don?t have to explain anything to you! I have the right to close an account for any reason. Please Leave. If you don?t leave I will call the police!?I was almost in tears at this point. My mother was still there. It appeared as though Ms Morley was unreasonably hostile towards her, but that had nothing to do with me or my accounts. I said, ?You have not even spoken to me and I am the primary signer on this account. I deserve an explanation as to why you are closing my account. I am not being hostile. I don?t deserve to be treated like this.??It is obvious that you are unaware as to how much we have bent over backwards to assist you. The bank is closed. Please leave.??I have been in line since 5:20. The bank closed before I got to the teller window. Are you saying to me that I am not entitled to the same customer service as everyone else simply because the bank closed while I was in line???That is not what I said! You are putting words in my mouth!?Again, Song Degarmo attempted to push me out the door. By this time, one of the other bankers was standing behind them as if she was going to forcibly remove me.And so we left. I called the customer service number to find out why this happened. What did I do wrong? Why did she treat me like that? They said that the branch manager can shut down an account for any reason and that what she did cannot be overridden by anyone.I have sat on the phone and poured my heart out to several customer service representatives, and spoken to supervisors of supervisors. The last one I spoke with, Tammy Wright said that she was sorry but the only thing she could offer me at this time was a sincere apology.I spent Friday night in the emergency room because I had an anxiety attack that was brought about by this entire situation. I have stuck with BOA through a lot of crappy. I had to close my accounts down previously because of fraud. (They allowed someone, a man, to walk into the bank and cash checks claiming that he was me). And yet I still stayed. I did nothing to warrant this. Frustrated Beyond Measure.
smatzkoSep 23, 2006
pcbanker.com. They pay 3.5% APY on checking accounts (with balances averaging more than $1000). I've used them for years, and they've always been great.
nothlitSep 23, 2006
I guess the big question is: why did they tell him the check was good, and then change their tune just moments later? You'd think if a guy had just asked you whether there were sufficient funds in the account to cash the check, and you had told him there were, but then you discovered it was a fake, you'd probably go back and talk to him first, since, you know, he asked.
charlietunaSep 23, 2006
Am I the only person thinking that the issue is not whether BofA was right or wrong, but whether there is a better way to handle cases like this?1.) Tellers should be trained so they can explain the check cashing process to people. 2.) Customers should be informed that the presence of sufficient funds means NOTHING.3.) If an individual has had an account in good standing for several years, it hardly seems likely they are party to some major fraud.I learned this the first point the hard way. I verified a check as written at the same bank as my account as having sufficient funds. The teller told me it was good, it bounced. Not fraud, but a lesson. Once again: the presence of sufficient funds means NOTHING if it's not a cashier's check. I'm not saying it makes sense, it just is what it is.
ethergnatSep 23, 2006
A crime had been committed. It's the responsibility of the police, not the bank, to determine who is guilty. It would be unwise for a bank to confront a suspected criminal. Not only do they lack the resources and training to investigate a crime, but a confrontation could lead to violence or allow a criminal to escape.
ethergnatSep 23, 2006
"1.) Tellers should be trained so they can explain the check cashing process to people. "The lines at my bank are already long enough. Please don't make them explain the check cashing process to each customer. "2.) Customers should be informed that the presence of sufficient funds means NOTHING."The man was attempting to CASH the check, so that's kind of irrelevant. "3.) If an individual has had an account in good standing for several years, it hardly seems likely they are party to some major fraud."Where does it say the man was a Bank of America account holder, much less a long-time customer in good standing?"Am I the only person thinking that the issue is not whether BofA was right or wrong, but whether there is a better way to handle cases like this?"So what is the better way to handle somebody trying to cash an illegal check?
endlessoulSep 23, 2006
Same with me. Honestly, I've seen nothing wrong with BoA, and after seeing all this negative feedback, I'm considering myself lucky. Knock on wood.
celotilSep 23, 2006
I'm a little concerned about the Bank's action of calling the police to report... well, I don't know what they reported.Why would a bank, any bank, be calling the police if someone was to bring in a bad cheque? Would it not simply save time and money to deny the cheque and say to the person, dressing up the short speech in Bank Language, "This is bulls**t. Get the f**k out.", and security could escort him out if he refuses to leave.Four parties are at fault in this story.The first party is the unknown man who "bought" the bikes, and then claimed the cheque was fraudulent.The second party is Mr Shinnick. In this day and age you cannot rely on most people to be true to their word or deeds. He should have accepted only a bank cheque or cash (although I believe cash cannot legally be sent through the post so it would have been bank cheque only).The Bank of America wasted time and money by calling the police. If the cheque was fraudulent or denied by the account holder then they should have simply told Mr Shinnick that there was a "problem" with the cheque and that he should have contacted the buyer.The fourth party to this, the police, clearly over-reacted. In both stories linked from this site it is said that the police did not allow Mr Shinnick to talk, or read him his rights before or after placing him in handcuffs. Is this not a blatant violation of his rights?The old saying Caveat Emptor used to just mean "Buyer Beware", but now we need sellers to beware, or simply just be aware, as well.When you're buying or selling these days you're likely to be doing it on-line, never meeting or personally seeing who you're buying or selling from. The fact that people can be scammed with face-to-face contact should automatically put you on your guard when there is no face-to-face contact or even intermediate contact.Use an escrow system. There are several around and I doubt that anyone would be remaining quiet about intermediaries who acted fraudulently. If you're using Craig's List or other similar forums for buying or selling then you know at least a little bit about using the Internet. Use that knowledge to help protect yourself from fraud, and such possible consequences as have affected Mr Shinnick.Most people are basically nice, but a lot of people will try to rip you off if given the opportunity. The buyer in this case had two choices when called by the Bank. He could have said that the cheque was fine and Mr Shinnick could have the money, but he chose to instead say that the cheque was bogus.It could have been a split-second decision made on the spur of the moment.Your best defense against fraud and theft is don't let people have those split-second choices where they could feel that they could do the right thing but decide not to because it's advantageous to them."I'll feel guilty for a moment, but it's not like I killed anyone."
vorsichtSep 23, 2006
When will they learn that negative PR is more then reimbursement?Maybe when(if ever) that statement is true. When you pay out you admit liability. That gets very expensive very fast. There is nothing I read that proves the bank did anything wrong.
ethergnatSep 23, 2006
All charges were dropped the next day. What doesn't add up?
manhammerOct 5, 2006
Pull your money from BOA now...these guys are assh**es
ihateboaNov 6, 2006
Bank of America behaviors like a robber.I openned an online account at BOA 4 months ago and online transfer 120 dollars into BOA account. After a whilk, a week or two, BOA sent me a lot of material to congratulate me with my new account with them. However, a few days later, I recieved a letter from BOA. It told me my accout was closed because my social security number is not correct and they charged my 60 dollars for account closing. I feel extremely angry about this, so I called them and told them my ssn is correct. They told me to get a proof from my local ssn department and faxed the proof to them. I faxed them my ssn proof twice and called them millions of times. guess what, those ladies and men who recieved my call all treat me like an enemy...I want to say, they have the worst attitude in the world.What I want is my 60 dollars back. What should I do
jmosley1901Jun 21, 2008
On Friday, June 20, 2008, I walked into the Parkland Branch Bank of America to make several deposits, cash a check and get my payroll out. The check that I was trying to cash was from a vendor who?d made the check out to my mother, who is a signer on my business account. She came into the back to sign the check and to show her identification.The check was over the teller?s limit so she asked the Assistant Branch Manager, Song Degarmo, to assist her. She was asked to verify the check.All I did was ask them to verify the check. The funds were good. The Assistant Branch Manager, Song Degarmo, explains to me that Bank of America no longer verifies funds over the phone. I ask to speak with the branch manager because I have been a customer of Bank of America for many years and they have always called to verify funds in situations such as this.When the Branch Manager, Linda Morley, storms out her office with my check in her hand, she states, ?It is obvious that we will not be able to provide you with the level of customer service that you would like. Your account is not entitled to any special treatment. I am closing your accounts.? And with that she storms over to the main doors, opens the doors and turns back to say, ?Please Leave!?Mind you, we are in the middle of the lobby and there are still customers all around. I still have yet to say anything to her. Quite frankly, I was confused on what prompted her to approach me in such a manner, and I was hugely embarrassed by her antics. The Assistant Branch Manager, Song Degarmo, places her hand on my shoulder and pushed me towards the door. I stopped at the door, turned to the Linda Morley and ask, ?Can you please explain to me what is going on? Why are you closing my account?? I was not hostile. I did NOT yell at her.She says, ?I don?t have to explain anything to you! I have the right to close an account for any reason. Please Leave. If you don?t leave I will call the police!?I was almost in tears at this point. My mother was still there. It appeared as though Ms Morley was unreasonably hostile towards her, but that had nothing to do with me or my accounts. I said, ?You have not even spoken to me and I am the primary signer on this account. I deserve an explanation as to why you are closing my account. I am not being hostile. I don?t deserve to be treated like this.??It is obvious that you are unaware as to how much we have bent over backwards to assist you. The bank is closed. Please leave.??I have been in line since 5:20. The bank closed before I got to the teller window. Are you saying to me that I am not entitled to the same customer service as everyone else simply because the bank closed while I was in line???That is not what I said! You are putting words in my mouth!?Again, Song Degarmo attempted to push me out the door. By this time, one of the other bankers was standing behind them as if she was going to forcibly remove me.And so we left. I called the customer service number to find out why this happened. What did I do wrong? Why did she treat me like that? They said that the branch manager can shut down an account for any reason and that what she did cannot be overridden by anyone.I have sat on the phone and poured my heart out to several customer service representatives, and spoken to supervisors of supervisors. The last one I spoke with, Tammy Wright said that she was sorry but the only thing she could offer me at this time was a sincere apology.I spent Friday night in the emergency room because I had an anxiety attack that was brought about by this entire situation. I have stuck with BOA through a lot of crappy. I had to close my accounts down previously because of fraud. (They allowed someone, a man, to walk into the bank and cash checks claiming that he was me). And yet I still stayed. I did nothing to warrant this. Frustrated Beyond Measure.