So... I went into my branch of Bank Of America armed with 2 copies of the Proclamation Of Required Change - one signed and dated. It was a cold and rainy day here in Los Angeles - the perfect Hollywood effect for my "breakup scene" with the bank.
Upon entering, the greeter asked me if I needed any help, and I told her I wanted to see the branch manager. Sara, the branch manager, is a lovely person who had tried to help me resolve my fee issue with the bank back in December. As much as she worked to get matters overturned, the powers that be at the bank overrode her attempts and the matter was not (and still is not) resolved to my satisfaction. When I told her I was emptying out my account she understood, and she seemed genuinely saddened by the news.
Ideally, Sara is the kind of person the bank needs at its higher levels. She welcomes and assists every person who comes her way with equal attention and concern, with no regard for how much or little money that person has invested in the bank. And I think she feels a certain amount of responsibility when her employer screws over her customers. But Sara is on the ground floor as it were. She is part of the facade that BofA creates at the customer level to hide the ugliness that happens upstairs. And I know that this woman isn't making enough money considering that she has to walk that fine thread between doing what is right to keep the customer satisfied while at the same time having to satisfy the greed of her employer - which often runs counter to what is best for the customer. She has to take the brunt of all of the anger that her customers feel because of the bank's toxic practices. Some days it must be hell for her, knowing that despite her best efforts and the humanitarian concern she feels for everyone she encounters, she is nonetheless powerless to do what needs to be done to salvage a customer relationship after the bank has done everything in its power to destroy that relationship... like the almost-14-year relationship I have had with BofA.
Well, anyway, I presented Sara with both copies of the Proclamation - the one signed, sealed, and addressed to the regional manager, and one for her to read. She took a few minutes to look over the demands (the item about NSF fees especially intrigued her). After reading the Proclamation she asked if I would mind if she set up a meeting between me and her higher-ups. I agreed, but I also let her know that I would still be taking my money out of the bank that day and not re-depositing it unless and until the demands in the Proclamation were met by the deadline. She graciously understood and then checked my account to make sure I had no pending transactions. Satisfied that my account was free and clear of any such incomplete transactions, Sara then took me over to the teller window and had the teller return all but one dollar to me, per my instructions.
It was apparent that the request didn't fully register with the teller. But whether or not he understood was immaterial. He followed my instructions and gave me my money. Wow... talk about feeling a sense of accomplishment and freedom! It felt GOOD to take my money out of the bank - and to leave them with the Proclamation to chew over in their next meeting.
I am awaiting further information regarding the pending meeting with Sara's supervisor(s). It will be interesting to see what they bring to the table. And of course, I will keep you posted and report the results of the meeting back to you once it has occurred.
In the mean time, please go ahead and continue to pull your money out of Bank of America and give your teller or branch manager your signed copy of the Proclamation. Let's keep this movement going! Also, please feel free to relate your experiences here at this blog or on my Facebook page (John Quincy Adams) or join my Facebook group (Bank Of America, we demand change!) and make comments if you have any. Your feedback is most welcome!
Showing posts with label BofA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BofA. Show all posts
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
IT'S TIME TO TAKE CONTROL OF OUR MONEY
Bank of America customers, take charge of YOUR money. The time has come for action! Peaceable civil action. Congress is weak and its decisions are corrupted by corporate money. In order to achieve true bank reform it is time for the People of the United States to do what Congress cannot. We must revolt.
If you are tired of Bank of America's treatment of you as a customer - the abusive fees, the practices designed to generate those fees, the abuse from the customer service division, unwarranted credit card interest rate hikes, the redistribution of your income to generate enormous wealth for a select few bank executives, and the overall lack of gratitude shown you for depositing your money in their vaults, then NOW is the time to show Bank of America who's REALLY in charge. They ain't got nothin' if they ain't got our money.
Join the growing movement of BofA customers who are regaining control of their money. Throughout the month of February, we are withdrawing our money from BofA and replacing it with a Proclamation of conditions designed to direct the bank toward the practice of gratitude rather than greed. The 7 conditions are described below, and are written in a proclamation which you may copy and print and bring to the bank with you when you withdraw your money.
Read the information below and if you agree with the terms, follow the simple directions and TAKE BACK YOUR POWER. And, forward the link to this page to all of your friends, family, work associates, etc. and share this page through Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and help make this thing go viral. The more people who pull their support from Bank of America this month the better our results will be.
Thank you so much for your grass-roots support!!! Together we CAN make a difference!
If you are tired of Bank of America's treatment of you as a customer - the abusive fees, the practices designed to generate those fees, the abuse from the customer service division, unwarranted credit card interest rate hikes, the redistribution of your income to generate enormous wealth for a select few bank executives, and the overall lack of gratitude shown you for depositing your money in their vaults, then NOW is the time to show Bank of America who's REALLY in charge. They ain't got nothin' if they ain't got our money.
Join the growing movement of BofA customers who are regaining control of their money. Throughout the month of February, we are withdrawing our money from BofA and replacing it with a Proclamation of conditions designed to direct the bank toward the practice of gratitude rather than greed. The 7 conditions are described below, and are written in a proclamation which you may copy and print and bring to the bank with you when you withdraw your money.
Read the information below and if you agree with the terms, follow the simple directions and TAKE BACK YOUR POWER. And, forward the link to this page to all of your friends, family, work associates, etc. and share this page through Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and help make this thing go viral. The more people who pull their support from Bank of America this month the better our results will be.
Thank you so much for your grass-roots support!!! Together we CAN make a difference!
The Proclamation Of Required Change
(If you agree with the following conditions, please copy, save and print the following Proclamation. This is what you will bring to the bank with you when you withdraw your money.
Please note: If you do not bank with Bank of America you will need to change the five references to "Bank of America" [shown in italics] to the name of your bank in the first paragraph and last 2 paragraphs of this Proclamation.)
____________________________________________________________________
PROCLAMATION OF REQUIRED CHANGE
WE, the Depositors of Bank of America, proclaim that, in order for us to continue allowing the Bank the enjoyment of the use of our money, certain changes to the Bank’s policies MUST be made. No longer will we permit the Bank to use our property in a manner that is injurious to our own financial health and which steals from our own quality of life while making a select group of individuals within the corporation exceedingly wealthy.
Be it understood that as Depositors we have chosen to invest in and support the Bank. Too often the Bank has abused the privilege of borrowing our money, and because of these heinous practices we are now withdrawing our investment and support. The following changes to Bank procedure MUST be made before we will return our funds to the Bank.
ITEM #1: MINIMUM BALANCES
No longer will the Bank charge Depositors a Minimum Balance Fee when Depositors choose, for whatever reason, to not keep as much money in their account as the Bank would like. To penalize Depositors for the kindness of lending the Bank our money is an abusive action toward the Depositor and we will not subject ourselves to this abuse any longer.
If the Bank should like to have its Depositors maintain a minimum balance, the Bank may offer premiums to its Depositors as an incentive. Such premiums may include, and are not limited to, free checking, higher interest rates paid, lower interest rates on credit card balances, free or discounted rates on safety deposit boxes, free tax software, free traveler’s cheques, etc. Incentives must REWARD the Depositor for permitting the Bank to have access to his money, not punish him for lending the Bank less money than the Bank might like.
Premiums and incentives may be tailored to the AMOUNT of minimum balance the Bank would like from its Depositors, and a tiered schedule is acceptable.
ITEM #2: NSF FEES
No longer will the Bank charge blanket $35.00 fees for overdrafts. Instead, the Bank will only charge an amount equal to or less than the amount overdrawn. In other words, if an item creates an overdraft of $5.00, the penalty may only be $5.00 or less. By the same token, if the amount overdrawn is $135.00, the NSF fee may also be $135.00 or less. The Bank’s current structure of overdraft fees hurts the very people who can least afford them. This policy must come to an end immediately.
Furthermore, the Bank will extend its late repayment penalty from its current 5 day limit to 15 days to accommodate the needs of its customers. This extension will allow Depositors the needed time to receive their paychecks so that they may repay the delinquent amount. If, after 15 days the delinquent amount is not repaid, the Bank may then assess a fee of no greater than $35.00 in amount.
ITEM #3: INTEREST ON DEPOSITS
The Bank will, from now on, award Depositors interest on all savings account deposits, no higher than the Prime Lending Rate but no less than 4%. If the Prime Lending Rate should drop below 4%, the Bank will still maintain the rate of 4% on interest paid to Depositors.
Money deposited into the Bank is money ON LOAN to the Bank. Therefore, the Bank will pay an appropriate amount of interest on the loan made it by the Depositor for as long as the Bank shall borrow, hold, and freely use the Depositor’s money.
ITEM #4: PROCESS ALL CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS IN REAL TIME
The practice of charging a late fee on credit card payments made on a weekend is an abusive practice. Because payments are logged electronically there is no justification for this. The bank does this so that it may have an excuse to charge a higher interest rate on a customer's card.
The bank will now make sure that all credit card transactions and payments are processed in real time, in the order the transactions are made.
ITEM #5: PROCESS ALL DEPOSITS, DEBITS, AND ATM TRANSACTIONS IN REAL TIME
Again, as most of these transactions are handled electronically there is no reason whatsoever that they cannot be processed in real time in the order that they occur. As the Bank rearranges the order of transactions to try and generate a greater number of NSF fees, this practice is also abusive. There is no reason that transactions cannot be processed in the order that they are time-stamped and that real-time balance information cannot be made available.
We demand that the Bank exercise due diligence in the proper and timely handling of all transactions. No exceptions.
ITEM #6: CAP EXECUTIVE PAY
This bank is using its fee structure to force its Depositors to part with their hard-earned money so that the bank may redistribute the wealth to a select few of its executives. This is an abusive policy designed to bite the hands that feed it. Furthermore, executives receive gigantic bonuses regardless of whether the company does well or not.
As a person whose income is used to create extreme wealth for someone else, I demand that this bank cap its executive pay to a percentage of the Bank’s income (max. 0.00125%) and that all executive bonuses are also calculated based on actual annual profits (max. 0.00015%).
ITEM #7: GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
Nothing says ‘thank you’ to the people like giving something back to us as a way of showing gratitude for our assistance in helping you earn a profit.
We insist that the Bank shall return 3.5 percent of its annual net profit back into the community to help those in need. Education, food, and shelter are three of the most needed services toward which the Bank can direct its new Relief Fund. An additional 0.5%, and/or any funds left over from the 3.5%, may be used to support sporting games, plant trees, sponsor cultural events, and other less-essential causes.
As of today I have withdrawn my money from Bank of America. I am requiring that these seven demands must be met if the Bank is to again enjoy the use of my money.
I, _____________________________________________, and my fellow Depositors at Bank of America present the above demands as necessary changes on the part of the Bank if I/we are to continue a relationship with the Bank. These are not suggestions. These are CONDITIONS OF DEPOSIT. Bank of America will change its practices of greed into a policy and demonstration of GRATITUDE if it is interested in maintaining me/us as a customer.
IF THE ABOVEMENTIONED CHANGES ARE NOT IMPLEMENTED BY MONDAY, MAY 2nd, 2010, I/WE SHALL CEASE OUR PRACTICE OF LENDING BANK OF AMERICA OUR MONEY.
_________________________________________________ ____________________________
(signed) (dated)
_________________________________________________
(account number)
More information is available at http://wedemandchangenow.blogspot.com/
Please note: If you do not bank with Bank of America you will need to change the five references to "Bank of America" [shown in italics] to the name of your bank in the first paragraph and last 2 paragraphs of this Proclamation.)
____________________________________________________________________
PROCLAMATION OF REQUIRED CHANGE
WE, the Depositors of Bank of America, proclaim that, in order for us to continue allowing the Bank the enjoyment of the use of our money, certain changes to the Bank’s policies MUST be made. No longer will we permit the Bank to use our property in a manner that is injurious to our own financial health and which steals from our own quality of life while making a select group of individuals within the corporation exceedingly wealthy.
Be it understood that as Depositors we have chosen to invest in and support the Bank. Too often the Bank has abused the privilege of borrowing our money, and because of these heinous practices we are now withdrawing our investment and support. The following changes to Bank procedure MUST be made before we will return our funds to the Bank.
ITEM #1: MINIMUM BALANCES
No longer will the Bank charge Depositors a Minimum Balance Fee when Depositors choose, for whatever reason, to not keep as much money in their account as the Bank would like. To penalize Depositors for the kindness of lending the Bank our money is an abusive action toward the Depositor and we will not subject ourselves to this abuse any longer.
If the Bank should like to have its Depositors maintain a minimum balance, the Bank may offer premiums to its Depositors as an incentive. Such premiums may include, and are not limited to, free checking, higher interest rates paid, lower interest rates on credit card balances, free or discounted rates on safety deposit boxes, free tax software, free traveler’s cheques, etc. Incentives must REWARD the Depositor for permitting the Bank to have access to his money, not punish him for lending the Bank less money than the Bank might like.
Premiums and incentives may be tailored to the AMOUNT of minimum balance the Bank would like from its Depositors, and a tiered schedule is acceptable.
ITEM #2: NSF FEES
No longer will the Bank charge blanket $35.00 fees for overdrafts. Instead, the Bank will only charge an amount equal to or less than the amount overdrawn. In other words, if an item creates an overdraft of $5.00, the penalty may only be $5.00 or less. By the same token, if the amount overdrawn is $135.00, the NSF fee may also be $135.00 or less. The Bank’s current structure of overdraft fees hurts the very people who can least afford them. This policy must come to an end immediately.
Furthermore, the Bank will extend its late repayment penalty from its current 5 day limit to 15 days to accommodate the needs of its customers. This extension will allow Depositors the needed time to receive their paychecks so that they may repay the delinquent amount. If, after 15 days the delinquent amount is not repaid, the Bank may then assess a fee of no greater than $35.00 in amount.
ITEM #3: INTEREST ON DEPOSITS
The Bank will, from now on, award Depositors interest on all savings account deposits, no higher than the Prime Lending Rate but no less than 4%. If the Prime Lending Rate should drop below 4%, the Bank will still maintain the rate of 4% on interest paid to Depositors.
Money deposited into the Bank is money ON LOAN to the Bank. Therefore, the Bank will pay an appropriate amount of interest on the loan made it by the Depositor for as long as the Bank shall borrow, hold, and freely use the Depositor’s money.
ITEM #4: PROCESS ALL CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS IN REAL TIME
The practice of charging a late fee on credit card payments made on a weekend is an abusive practice. Because payments are logged electronically there is no justification for this. The bank does this so that it may have an excuse to charge a higher interest rate on a customer's card.
The bank will now make sure that all credit card transactions and payments are processed in real time, in the order the transactions are made.
ITEM #5: PROCESS ALL DEPOSITS, DEBITS, AND ATM TRANSACTIONS IN REAL TIME
Again, as most of these transactions are handled electronically there is no reason whatsoever that they cannot be processed in real time in the order that they occur. As the Bank rearranges the order of transactions to try and generate a greater number of NSF fees, this practice is also abusive. There is no reason that transactions cannot be processed in the order that they are time-stamped and that real-time balance information cannot be made available.
We demand that the Bank exercise due diligence in the proper and timely handling of all transactions. No exceptions.
ITEM #6: CAP EXECUTIVE PAY
This bank is using its fee structure to force its Depositors to part with their hard-earned money so that the bank may redistribute the wealth to a select few of its executives. This is an abusive policy designed to bite the hands that feed it. Furthermore, executives receive gigantic bonuses regardless of whether the company does well or not.
As a person whose income is used to create extreme wealth for someone else, I demand that this bank cap its executive pay to a percentage of the Bank’s income (max. 0.00125%) and that all executive bonuses are also calculated based on actual annual profits (max. 0.00015%).
ITEM #7: GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
Nothing says ‘thank you’ to the people like giving something back to us as a way of showing gratitude for our assistance in helping you earn a profit.
We insist that the Bank shall return 3.5 percent of its annual net profit back into the community to help those in need. Education, food, and shelter are three of the most needed services toward which the Bank can direct its new Relief Fund. An additional 0.5%, and/or any funds left over from the 3.5%, may be used to support sporting games, plant trees, sponsor cultural events, and other less-essential causes.
As of today I have withdrawn my money from Bank of America. I am requiring that these seven demands must be met if the Bank is to again enjoy the use of my money.
I, _____________________________________________, and my fellow Depositors at Bank of America present the above demands as necessary changes on the part of the Bank if I/we are to continue a relationship with the Bank. These are not suggestions. These are CONDITIONS OF DEPOSIT. Bank of America will change its practices of greed into a policy and demonstration of GRATITUDE if it is interested in maintaining me/us as a customer.
IF THE ABOVEMENTIONED CHANGES ARE NOT IMPLEMENTED BY MONDAY, MAY 2nd, 2010, I/WE SHALL CEASE OUR PRACTICE OF LENDING BANK OF AMERICA OUR MONEY.
_________________________________________________ ____________________________
(signed) (dated)
_________________________________________________
(account number)
More information is available at http://wedemandchangenow.blogspot.com/
THE DEMANDS EXPLAINED: ITEM #1: NO MORE MINIMUM BALANCE FEES
When we open an account at the bank, we are choosing to lend our money to that bank. So what gives the bank the idea that it can charge us for not lending it as much money as it would like? It’s our money and WE are the ones who determine how much we are willing or able to lend the bank. That is not for the bank to decide. The bank believes that it rewards us for keeping a minimum balance by NOT charging us a penalty. Some reward... it's a slap across the face of the depositor. Where does the bank get off doing that? And where’s the gratitude?
Demand number 1 is to abolish minimum balance requirements and fees. If the bank wishes to have its depositors keep a certain amount of money in our accounts, they can demonstrate their gratitude for our generosity by offering us premiums. Such premiums could include:
Free checking
Higher interest rates on savings accounts
Reduced credit card fees
Free traveler’s checks and cashier’s checks
Free or discounted safety deposit boxes
Airline miles
and other similar "positive" incentives.
Because we are the source of the bank’s holdings and income, it is the bank’s responsibility to demonstrate its gratitude to us if it would like to continue enjoying the use of our money. Every one of us should be given the assurance that the bank appreciates our business and is grateful to have it, regardless of how much or how little money we have entrusted to the bank.
Remember – if your supermarket butcher said he’d have to charge you a fee each time you didn’t spend $40 at his counter you’d tell him "No deal" and take your business somewhere else. So why do you let your bank charge you for not "spending" enough in their bank?
Sorry Bank of America, we're not allowing that any more.
Demand number 1 is to abolish minimum balance requirements and fees. If the bank wishes to have its depositors keep a certain amount of money in our accounts, they can demonstrate their gratitude for our generosity by offering us premiums. Such premiums could include:
Free checking
Higher interest rates on savings accounts
Reduced credit card fees
Free traveler’s checks and cashier’s checks
Free or discounted safety deposit boxes
Airline miles
and other similar "positive" incentives.
Because we are the source of the bank’s holdings and income, it is the bank’s responsibility to demonstrate its gratitude to us if it would like to continue enjoying the use of our money. Every one of us should be given the assurance that the bank appreciates our business and is grateful to have it, regardless of how much or how little money we have entrusted to the bank.
Remember – if your supermarket butcher said he’d have to charge you a fee each time you didn’t spend $40 at his counter you’d tell him "No deal" and take your business somewhere else. So why do you let your bank charge you for not "spending" enough in their bank?
Sorry Bank of America, we're not allowing that any more.
WHY WE MUST DO THIS
You might be wondering why we should do something as drastic as pull our money out of the bank and leave a set of demands in its place when Congress has been putting together new rules for the banks to abide by. Well, here’s why. Congress is weak. It is corrupt and ineffective, and you can be guaranteed that nobody on Capitol Hill has the backbone to do what really has to be done to restore order to the failing and corrupt banking system. They threw money at the banks and now we’re back to the same old business as usual that brought this country to its knees.
When Congress fails the people – when it no longer serves the best interest of the citizens – it becomes the responsibility of the citizenry to take charge of the situation and do what needs to be done and which Congress cannot bring itself to do.
There is nothing wrong with taking your support away from a business that has shown you disrespect, has not earned your support, has treated you poorly, charges you excessively, or has engaged in risky and criminal activities involving your money. If it were any other business… your local butcher, your gym, your coffee shop… and you were treated with the same level of contempt, you would stop doing business with them, plain and simple. All we are doing is applying that same sensible principle to Bank of America, PLUS we are giving them a master list of things that they can (and must) do if we are to again do business with them.
WHY BANK OF AMERICA?
BofA is one of the largest banks in the US. And it is one of the most aggressive when it comes to fees and other collection practices. They have more than set themselves up for this sort of protest. If Bank of America is forced to make changes to its policy to keep from going under from a rapid lack of support, the other banks will have to follow suit. We do not mind if you bank elsewhere and join in our protest by withdrawing your money from your bank (and giving the teller the "envelope"). That would be awesome. The more people on board the better!
YOU'RE NOT A SMALL FISH IN A BIG POND!
An ocean doesn’t start out as an ocean. It grows by one drop of water at a time. You may feel that taking your money out of Bank of America won’t have much effect. And by yourself it won’t. But there are many thousands of BofA customers who are angry and dissatisfied with the bank, and plenty of other customers who would like to see these changes made not only at BofA but at the other giant corporate banks as well. If you agree with any or all of the demands outlined in the Proclamation and would like to see them implemented, go pull out your money and hand the teller the Proclamation. Also please contact everyone you know who is a BofA customer and inform them that there is a movement underway to turn the banking industry’s greed into gratitude and it needs their support. Send your friends links to this page. Make this thing go viral. And before you know it we’ll all be a part of an ocean of necessary change.
OK, SO HOW DO WE DO THIS?
Simple. Just go to the bank and withdraw your money. There are three suggested plans as to how to go about this.
Before you go, print out a copy of the Proclamation and put it in an envelope. Write "For the District Manager" on the envelope. When you withdraw your money, politely thank the teller or customer service agent and then hand them the envelope. Take your money and walk out of the bank. It’s THAT simple! If you’d like, you may also comment on this page and tell us how it went.
Please do not use any abusive language or engage in an argument while in the bank. If the teller or agent asks why you are withdrawing your money simply tell them that the answers are all inside the envelope.
Here are the three plans for withdrawing your money. Choose the one that you think works best for you:
1) Withdraw all but $1.00 over your minimum balance. For example, if you have $1536.00 in your account and your minimum balance is $1,000 you will withdraw $535.00 leaving $1,001 in the account. This will help you avoid any minimum balance fees in the coming month(s). If the bank complies with our demands your account will be intact and awaiting your re-deposit. If the bank does not comply in the time allotted, return to the bank and close your account.
2) Withdraw all but $5.00 from your account. This will ensure you have an account through which you can cash checks if needed. You may also be fined a minimum balance fee if your account requires a minimum balance. If that happens it will be up to you whether you pay the bank that money or close out your account altogether. If you keep your account active you won’t need to open a new one (and order new checks, etc.) when the bank complies. And you probably will be able to afford to lose $5 if you choose to stiff the bank.
3) Close your account, lock, stock and barrel (as they say). If the bank decides to comply you can always go back at your leisure to open a new account. Or, you don’t have to. You might find a better financial institution simply by looking around.
In all cases, we ask that you deliver the Proclamation to your bank teller when you withdraw your money.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONEY AFTER WITHDRAWING IT?
That’s up to you. You can deposit it into another bank. You can try banking with a Credit Union for a change. You can keep the money under your mattress or bury it in your back yard if that appeals to you… anyway, it’ll do you just as much good there as it currently does at BofA.
Once the bank complies, bring your money back to the bank as its reward for doing the right thing. Should the bank NOT comply with the 7 demands, kiss BofA goodbye and use your money to support a different bank or credit union.
Bank of America has already told you through its abusive actions that it does not REALLY want your business. So why is your money still there?
When Congress fails the people – when it no longer serves the best interest of the citizens – it becomes the responsibility of the citizenry to take charge of the situation and do what needs to be done and which Congress cannot bring itself to do.
There is nothing wrong with taking your support away from a business that has shown you disrespect, has not earned your support, has treated you poorly, charges you excessively, or has engaged in risky and criminal activities involving your money. If it were any other business… your local butcher, your gym, your coffee shop… and you were treated with the same level of contempt, you would stop doing business with them, plain and simple. All we are doing is applying that same sensible principle to Bank of America, PLUS we are giving them a master list of things that they can (and must) do if we are to again do business with them.
WHY BANK OF AMERICA?
BofA is one of the largest banks in the US. And it is one of the most aggressive when it comes to fees and other collection practices. They have more than set themselves up for this sort of protest. If Bank of America is forced to make changes to its policy to keep from going under from a rapid lack of support, the other banks will have to follow suit. We do not mind if you bank elsewhere and join in our protest by withdrawing your money from your bank (and giving the teller the "envelope"). That would be awesome. The more people on board the better!
YOU'RE NOT A SMALL FISH IN A BIG POND!
An ocean doesn’t start out as an ocean. It grows by one drop of water at a time. You may feel that taking your money out of Bank of America won’t have much effect. And by yourself it won’t. But there are many thousands of BofA customers who are angry and dissatisfied with the bank, and plenty of other customers who would like to see these changes made not only at BofA but at the other giant corporate banks as well. If you agree with any or all of the demands outlined in the Proclamation and would like to see them implemented, go pull out your money and hand the teller the Proclamation. Also please contact everyone you know who is a BofA customer and inform them that there is a movement underway to turn the banking industry’s greed into gratitude and it needs their support. Send your friends links to this page. Make this thing go viral. And before you know it we’ll all be a part of an ocean of necessary change.
OK, SO HOW DO WE DO THIS?
Simple. Just go to the bank and withdraw your money. There are three suggested plans as to how to go about this.
Before you go, print out a copy of the Proclamation and put it in an envelope. Write "For the District Manager" on the envelope. When you withdraw your money, politely thank the teller or customer service agent and then hand them the envelope. Take your money and walk out of the bank. It’s THAT simple! If you’d like, you may also comment on this page and tell us how it went.
Please do not use any abusive language or engage in an argument while in the bank. If the teller or agent asks why you are withdrawing your money simply tell them that the answers are all inside the envelope.
Here are the three plans for withdrawing your money. Choose the one that you think works best for you:
1) Withdraw all but $1.00 over your minimum balance. For example, if you have $1536.00 in your account and your minimum balance is $1,000 you will withdraw $535.00 leaving $1,001 in the account. This will help you avoid any minimum balance fees in the coming month(s). If the bank complies with our demands your account will be intact and awaiting your re-deposit. If the bank does not comply in the time allotted, return to the bank and close your account.
2) Withdraw all but $5.00 from your account. This will ensure you have an account through which you can cash checks if needed. You may also be fined a minimum balance fee if your account requires a minimum balance. If that happens it will be up to you whether you pay the bank that money or close out your account altogether. If you keep your account active you won’t need to open a new one (and order new checks, etc.) when the bank complies. And you probably will be able to afford to lose $5 if you choose to stiff the bank.
3) Close your account, lock, stock and barrel (as they say). If the bank decides to comply you can always go back at your leisure to open a new account. Or, you don’t have to. You might find a better financial institution simply by looking around.
In all cases, we ask that you deliver the Proclamation to your bank teller when you withdraw your money.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONEY AFTER WITHDRAWING IT?
That’s up to you. You can deposit it into another bank. You can try banking with a Credit Union for a change. You can keep the money under your mattress or bury it in your back yard if that appeals to you… anyway, it’ll do you just as much good there as it currently does at BofA.
Once the bank complies, bring your money back to the bank as its reward for doing the right thing. Should the bank NOT comply with the 7 demands, kiss BofA goodbye and use your money to support a different bank or credit union.
Bank of America has already told you through its abusive actions that it does not REALLY want your business. So why is your money still there?
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