Competitive??? Are you serious? Do you even know how much of a fee this was, per item sold, to retailers? If, and that is a really big freaking if, a single retailer reduces prices to reflect the savings from this fee no one would notice at all. We are talking pennies per item or a few dimes a transaction for the most part. Home Depot has already stated that its profits will increase $35M a year due to the law (note they did not say that consumers would save $35M a year).
OTOH, we are seeing tons of banks implement fees for what used to be free checking accounts. The majority of the ones who are not are exempt from the policy we are discussing.
So basically the prices remain the same (retailers keeping the extra) and now the average joe gets charged an extra fee, leaving them with just a bit less in their pockets.
Don't be foolish, BoA doesn't think these fees are inevitably going to be charged by all banks, just those that fall under the new regulation. The rest continue with their existing business model.
PS Again, I have absolutely zero love for the big banks, matter of fact you will be hard pressed to find a person here who has spoken out against them more than I. If you want to regulate them clean out of the market I am good with that but lets be honest about what is happening and why.