HOT! Bank of America - Free $25 for paying first Online Bill!!!

[Dragnov]

Right now, when you use Online Banking with Bill Pay, we'll give you $25 to pay your first bill. With free Online Banking*, you can check balances, review specific transactions, transfer funds, and receive and pay bills online from anywhere you have Internet access.

To qualify for your $25 direct deposit you must pay your first bill using Online Banking by December 31, 2002.

link

*Ripped from/Credit goes to marksocal from the FW*

Online Banking is free to all BoFA customers, as well as Bill Pay now. I'm a happy BoFA checking account holder, it's huge in California (I have 3 all within a mile from me. :Q). I've lost my ATM card twice and had it replace readily and free. Had a burglar steal some blank checks and take $330 from my checking, and I was credited it back instantly. They may not have "free" checking like Washington Mutual (unless you have direct deposit) but at least they didn't charge me for cancelling all my checks after the burglary (like how WM did to my freind. ).

 

[CSMOOTH]

All I have to say is about D@** time. Those people steal so much money from ATM 2$ fees and stuff like that . :disgust: I think that they owe me 25$ for each bill that I pay.
Oh..Thanks for the deal, free money is always hot...

 

[NetworkDad]

Originally posted by: CSMOOTH
All I have to say is about D@** time. Those people steal so much money from ATM 2$ fees and stuff like that . :disgust: I think that they owe me 25$ for each bill that I pay.
Oh..Thanks for the deal, free money is always hot...

Maybe you shouldn't use their ATM's if you're not their customer. Banks have a right to charge transaction fees for non-customers. ATM's are expensive to maintain and run.

 

[roncarter]

thanks dood!!

this



im a BofA customer and 25 bux for free is great!!!!!!

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: NetworkDad

Originally posted by: CSMOOTH
All I have to say is about D@** time. Those people steal so much money from ATM 2$ fees and stuff like that . :disgust: I think that they owe me 25$ for each bill that I pay.
Oh..Thanks for the deal, free money is always hot...

Maybe you shouldn't use their ATM's if you're not their customer. Banks have a right to charge transaction fees for non-customers. ATM's are expensive to maintain and run.

Exactly, banks loves to double dip on ATM fees if you don't use their network. So I circumvent this by using a POS (Point of Sale) terminal at my local Albertson's, Post Office or Walmart ... since I shop there regularly, I pay with my debit card and usually get $60 cash back and there are 0 fees

 

[CSMOOTH]

My family is all in Hawaii and BofA packed up and left the islands. When I go to visit them every year, I have no ATM's that are BofA. When I am there for the whole summer I always need an ATM once or twice....I am in CA so it is not so bad here.

 

[Snyder81]

I've had an account with Bank of America for several years now and I've learned one thing...they are THE SNEAKIEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTION ever. Any chance they get they'll tack on a fee, regardless of circumstance. You can always get the questionable fees reversed, but having to call them is a hassle. They don't pay jack for interest(But who does these days, right?), and don't offer any checking accounts with "free" perks. Even if you never use a teller, they will charge you $6.00/month just for having an account with an option to use a teller. The only accounts without monthly fees are "ATM Only" accounts, which require you to do ALL your banking via ATM. If you have the "free" ATM account and feel the need to speak with a teller, they will charge you $3.00. Bottom Line: Watch Bank of America like a HAWK!

 

[flocinocinihilipilification]

Originally posted by: Gr1mL0cK
Right now, when you use Online Banking with Bill Pay, we'll give you $25 to pay your first bill. With free Online Banking*, you can check balances, review specific transactions, transfer funds, and receive and pay bills online from anywhere you have Internet access.

To qualify for your $25 direct deposit you must pay your first bill using Online Banking by December 31, 2002.

link

*Ripped from/Credit goes to marksocal from the FW*

Online Banking is free to all BoFA customers, as well as Bill Pay now. I'm a happy BoFA checking account holder, it's huge in California (I have 3 all within a mile from me. :Q). I've lost my ATM card twice and had it replace readily and free. Had a burglar steal some blank checks and take $330 from my checking, and I was credited it back instantly. They may not have "free" checking like Washington Mutual (unless you have direct deposit) but at least they didn't charge me for cancelling all my checks after the burglary (like how WM did to my freind. ).

how and when will i know that my account has been credited with 25 bucks?

 

[Dragnov]

I hav eno idea when you will be creditied but it is supposed to be a direct deposit into your checking.

I don't find anythign sneaky about BoFA. All the fees are explained in whatever type of bank account you. Pretty much all banks will charge for using an outside ATM, but BoFA has places all over California that it's only happened to me like twice out of 6+ years.

And CSMOOTH, you can always just buy something at a grocery market and ask for cashback.

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

Originally posted by: Snyder81
I've had an account with Bank of America for several years now and I've learned one thing...they are THE SNEAKIEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTION ever. Any chance they get they'll tack on a fee, regardless of circumstance. You can always get the questionable fees reversed, but having to call them is a hassle. They don't pay jack for interest(But who does these days, right?), and don't offer any checking accounts with "free" perks. Even if you never use a teller, they will charge you $6.00/month just for having an account with an option to use a teller. The only accounts without monthly fees are "ATM Only" accounts, which require you to do ALL your banking via ATM. If you have the "free" ATM account and feel the need to speak with a teller, they will charge you $3.00. Bottom Line: Watch Bank of America like a HAWK!

Umm, for everything you said about Bank Of America...same goes for BankOne...so I guess its not all that bad if multiple banks do it. Its the pattern.

 

[mdetz]

So I circumvent this by using a POS (Point of Sale) terminal at my local Albertson's, Post Office or Walmart

Little known fact : Most debit machines at registers have the capability of giving you money back without actually having to buy anything. You just have to ask them nice-like.

 

[Optical]

What about exsiting customers that have already used Online bill?

I agree, BofA is one greedy MF! Many years back I was with Wells Fargo then had to leave to Hong kong for work. Knowing there was a BofA there, I closed my WF acct then opened one in BofA thinking I can save ATM fees with BofA. Surprise, surprise, got hit with double dipping atm charges by f*cking BofA. Why? they said BofA in HK has no affliation with the one in the states even it's the same name. What Bull Crap! Nothing but an excuse to make money.

If there's better alternative I would not stay with them.

 

[fastz28]

I did this a while back and got $25 deposited directly into my account.

FWIW, I like BoA. They didn't even charge me for using ATM in Taiwan, yes, it wasn't even a BoA ATM. Of course I have one of those perferred account where you have to keep at least $5k balance.

I get free travelers' checks, safety deposit box, plus others I can't remember.

 

[icer]

Originally posted by: Optical
What about exsiting customers that have already used Online bill?

I agree, BofA is one greedy MF! Many years back I was with Wells Fargo then had to leave to Hong kong for work. Knowing there was a BofA there, I closed my WF acct then opened one in BofA thinking I can save ATM fees with BofA. Surprise, surprise, got hit with double dipping atm charges by f*cking BofA. Why? they said BofA in HK has no affliation with the one in the states even it's the same name. What Bull Crap! Nothing but an excuse to make money.

If there's better alternative I would not stay with them.

U gotta use citi in HK.

 

[pxc]

BofA isn't that bad. You just have to read the limitations of your account. I was changed from a Security Pacific account to a BofA account when BofA bought SP out a while ago.

For free checking, *my* monthly limitations are: 10 checks (I only write about 3-4 anyways), 2 service phone calls (only use 0-1), 2 in bank visits (rarely go in the bank). The only fee I get is $1 for one through however many electronic transactions I make in a month. I save more than that on stamps that I would have used to pay bills if I didn't do it electronically. No direct deposit is necessary, either.

I don't have those silly wait periods to access to funds after deposit and they cover checks linked to my CC so I don't get overdrafts. In my case, I doubt I could get get anything more than I need at any other bank for any cheaper or with any fewer hassles than what I currently have.

 

[gsethi]

how about i send a billpay check to myself

 

[p0ntif]

thanks for the heads up!

 

[ander]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

 

[kt]

Someone in the thread ask this once before.. but I don't think his question got answered. What if you are already an existing customer using Bill Pay? I've used it for a while now since it's free with their premium checking account.. will we get the $25 too?

 

[Praxis]

BoA has some of the highest fees in the industry. Banks are like ISPs. The big ones charge the most and provide some of the worst service. BoA keeps goobling up little institutions & closing the branches, while raising customers fees. In the meantime, I see the poor schlemiels paying to line up 20-25 deep at the single BoA window in my local Albertson's supermarket (BoA closed the local branch), while I can generally waltz right up to a teller (without being charged) in my small community bank, which has low fees and free checking with no minimum balance (and no limits to the number of checks that I can write). You are much better off dealing with a smaller community bank.

Also, I remember a few years ago when BoA was making unprecedented profits Bank of America converted something like 17,000 full-time tellers to part-time so it could avoid paying them benefits. That may have seemed to make financial sense to them in the short run, but it probably hurt them immeasurably through poor employee morale, increased turnover, increased absenteeism, and lower productivity.

A real hot deal would have been to close your BoA account and open a fee-free Union Bank account (they were offering $75 for that last month).

 

[randypj]

Like fastz28, I haven't found BofA to be evil.....at least in my situation.

I started with them a little over a year ago, when I refinanced my home mortgage/home equity loan, into a single home equity loan. The officer specifically told me that as long as I had that account with them, there would never be a charge to my checking account. I spose it depends on the type of account/amount of $$$'s you are into them for.

I started the $25 credit, online bill pay ~9 months ago. My account was credited within 3 weeks. I remember it was alot sooner than I expected it to be credited.

The online bill pay is really nice. Besides sending all my normal bills, I can also pay anyone (my Dad, a friend, etc.) and they cut the draft, send it, and I pay no postage. Heck, it'd be worth a few $$'s a month just for not having to bother with stamps and the post office.

I have only had one problem, and that was a couple weeks ago. I paid for an ebay auction with online billpay. I knew there would be a lengthy wait for the check to clear, as the seller stated. No problem, I wasn't in a hurry for it. After a month, I contacted the seller, and she had never received the check.

So, I sent BofA an email from the online site, explaining that the check had not been received, and I would like payment stopped, without any charge to me. No problem...they stopped it within a day, without a charge. I paid for the auction via PPal. Actually, the worst thing was that there could have been more communication between the seller and myself.

I also like the fact that I now have proof of when a payment is sent to my credit card company.

Anyway, no, BofA isn't the most evil. Bank United/Washington Mutual is.
--Randy

 

[akill29]

Thanks for the info! I've been trying to find out how to get online banking cause i heard somewhere about the free 25 bux!

 

[T2T III]

I'm a BofA customer - but, not by choice. I was originally with Sovran Bank, which changed to NationsBank which merged with Bank of America. I've only remained a customer with them because I was getting free check blanks from them because they were located in the office I used to work in. Now, that I don't work there anymore, I guess I should explore some other options.

For those of you that have chimed in regarding Bank of America's service, high fees and sneaky behavior, you haven't seen anything until you've dealt with their "back-office" IT personnel. I used to support applications that interfaced with their systems on a nightly basis. The BofA IT support group was horrible to deal with. Actually, I dealt with them before our bank was changed over to a BofA branch, so I was a little nervous in the beginning. However, my wife takes care of the bills, so I don't really see or hear much of BofA.

 

[kendogg]

All in all I suppose bofa is a great service to me. I may pay 3-5 bux each month in checking account fees but honestly I think its worth it. One because they are literally everywhere! It makes it so convenient to to deposit and withdrawl. There have been a couple times where I over withdrew money from my checking account and got charged 15 bux, all I had to do was call in and say sorry I didnt know I had such little funds... I wont let it happen again. The rep would reply.. Okay you should have whatever amount credit back in your account. Painless.. they are great.

 

[RossMAN]

All major corporate banks suck (even the one I work for) ... you'll receive the BEST service and BEST rates and NO FEES if you open an account with your local Credit Union.

My Credit Union doesn't charge any monthly fees, no fees for cashier's checks/money orders, no direct deposit requirements, I don't have to pay to talk to a teller or use their ATM, at least 2.0% on savings accounts with a minimum $25 balance (not $10,000), car rates as low as 4.9%

However CU's aren't perfect, mine only has ONE BRANCH vs BOFA's thousands scattered across the country, their internet banking is nice but pale's in comparison to the industry leaders and they only have phone CSR's during regular business hours not 24/7.