Another Bank of America customer is warning against using the bank after it allegedly closed her accounts without consent. She says she’s ineligible to open accounts with them “ever again.”
Earlier this week, TikTok user @lilanxiety1999 posted a stitch from user @teeso, who says that she was recently told she would have to start paying a fee if she didn’t maintain $10,000 in her checking account. It turns out @teeso isn’t the only person having problems with Bank of America lately.
When the video cuts to @lilanxiety1999, she reveals that she’s also in conflict with the bank. She says she’s been a Bank of America customer since she was 17, her oldest credit card is with the bank, and she currently works a salaried job that pays well. Therefore, she says she’s never overdrafted the account or missed a credit card payment. “I would say that I’m a pretty good customer,” she says.
Unfortunately, @lilanxiety1999 says she was recently the victim of a financial scam and contacted Bank of America to let the company know. “Luckily, the scammer didn’t get any money,” she says. “I was able to cancel everything that was happening before it happened. I went into my bank, I explained the situation, I got my account back open, and they told me everything was good to go.”
Except, @lilanxiety1999 says she could only see her credit card—and not her checking and savings accounts. She says she asked the banker she spoke to and was told she would have to speak with another department to access them. “So I get on the phone with another kind lady, and I explain the situation all over again to her,” she says. “She looks into my account and says, ‘Oh, I see the problem here.'”
@lilanxiety1999 continues, “She said, ‘You cannot open up your checking or savings account anymore. You will no longer be eligible ever again to have a checking or a savings account with Bank of America anywhere. Bank of America has decided that you’re just no longer eligible.'”
That’s when @lilanxiety1999 became concerned about the future of her credit card. She says she recounted the events to her fiance, who suggested that she make a branch appointment to speak to somebody in person. She says she did just that and met with a banker in person.
“And so I said to her, ‘I kind of want in writing that you guys are just not going to cancel my credit card just because you feel like it,'” @lilanxiety1999 says. “She looked at me, and she was like, ‘I cannot put on a piece of paper that Bank of America won’t do that because I can’t speak for Bank of America; I just work for Bank of America.'”
@lilanxiety1999 says she even escalated the issue to the branch manager, who told her essentially the same thing. “‘When you sign the terms and agreements, you agree that Bank of America just gets to decide what to do with your accounts,'” she reports the manager saying. “That didn’t make a lot of sense to me because it’s not like I’m going to you, Bank of America, for money. I’m going to Bank of America with my money and asking Bank of America to hold my money. Isn’t it me that has the power here?”
She says that when she again asked what she should do about her credit card situation, the branch manager leveled with her: “He said, ‘OK, human to human … I would honestly tell you just to get another credit card and start building your credit on that. Not saying that they’re going to cancel your credit card, but I can’t help you in this situation, and there’s nothing I can do to give you the reassurance that you need.'”
In conclusion, @lilanxiety1999 says people should avoid Bank of America whenever possible. “You can literally find so many better places that literally have not been found guilty of fraud and insider trading,” she says.
@lilanxiety1999 #stitch with @Tenille Sokolow screw BOA. #bankofamerica #scam #screwyou #fyp ♬ original sound – LilAnxiety00
Can Bank of America do that?
Bank of America’s purported decision in @lilanxiety1999’s case might have to do with the scam that started the whole ordeal. According to Experian, banks can generally close your account whenever they like, and they don’t need to notify you in advance. “Of course, the bank must return any remaining funds in your account but may hold on to them to cover any negative balance or fees. In some cases, the bank may hold the funds if your account is flagged for suspicious activities, which is increasingly common,” the article states.
It continues, “If your bank suspects fraudulent transactions on your account, they may close it to prevent further illegal activity. For instance, your bank may suspect you’re a victim of identity theft or that your account is engaging in money laundering or wire fraud.”
Why are Bank of America customers growing distrustful?
As @lilanxiety1999 mentioned, Bank of America did indeed agree to a historic $16.65 billion settlement with the United States Department of Justice for financial fraud in 2014. Last year, the Consumer Protection Bureau ordered the bank to pay more than $100 million to consumers for “systematically double-dipping on fees imposed on customers with insufficient funds in their account, withholding reward bonuses explicitly promised to credit card customers, and misappropriating sensitive personal information to open accounts without customer knowledge or authorization.”
@lilanxiety1999’s video has amassed 1.2 million views as of publication, and viewers in the comments section backed up her warning against Bank of America.
One wrote, “Worked at Bank of America for YEARS, I’ll never bank there. Ever. Credit unions all the way…”
A second viewer wrote, “This is like the 5th BofA video I’ve seen this week about random issues. Big banks seem really sketch these days.”
“They were my first bank and cc too,” a third viewer said. “They kept finding ways to overdraft me and a worker stole all my money in my savings. I was part of the class action lawsuit against them. I only got $3.11 lol.”
@teeso and @lilanxiety1999’s videos are not the only viral TikToks where customers are expressing Bank of America trust issues. Another TikToker recently warned against the bank after $1,000 of her money disappeared due to a technical glitch and what she viewed as Bank of America’s lackluster response.
The Daily Dot reached out to @lilanxiety1999 via TikTok direct message and Bank of America via press email for comment.
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