Comments For: $100 Checking Account Bonus and an Online Savings Account at Bank of the West

larkin - #1, Friday, August 14, 2009 - 11:44 AM CT

I opened their free checking account June 8. Pushed $250 from my Ally account on June 11. Did another one on July 7. Finished up 10 bill pays on July 9. The bonus posted right after the first statement posted on July 17. Not sure if the Ally pushes or the 10 billpays triggered the bonus but definitely one of the easier ones.

Data Is Gold - #2, Friday, August 14, 2009 - 12:31 PM CT

Anyone know if they do a hard/soft pull?

Anonymous - #3, Friday, August 14, 2009 - 5:39 PM CT

I do not live in a state where there is a branch. I applied online and the application was approved. An account number was generated. If you choose to fund the account by mail, like I am, mail the check along with the signature card to the address indicated for the signature card. Don't mail the check to a branch (unless you live in a state where there is a branch.) I called and verified this with a CSR.

Anonymous - #4, Saturday, August 22, 2009 - 2:17 PM CT

i signed up for this account bonus online - VERY, VERY TRICKY.

when the application first loads, at the top, there is a checkbox for checking and another for savings. if you have a slow connection, both boxes are blank. you check checking and then fill out the application. then, if you scroll up again, you see the savings box has been checked for you. (I am a tech programmer and it is possible for the savings box to be automatically checked for you at a time, pre-set by the html page programmer, after the page loads. so you will load the application page, fill out the blanks, and when you are through, unless you scroll up, you will not see the savings box has been automatically checked, but not by you.)

why does this matter? my first application was automatcally approved via email, however i had no idea i had signed up for a savings account ($500 min/mo or else monthly fee charges) until i tried to fund it. it will not let you fund the checking account without also funding the savings simultaneously. i called the 800 number and they said i had to reapply and make sure the savings account box was not checked. i did. my account was immediately declined (via an email) after i finished the application. supposedly because I declined the savings account.

if you can afford to deposit the $500 to the savings, you can successfully apply online. in fact, when i downloaded the customer agreement pdf, it had a whole new section for accounts labelled ONLINE that was effective beginning 9/1/2009 (in the near future). so this bank is in the direct banking business as of Sept 1, 2009.

i am tempted to go back and open the savings to get the automatic approval via email and then close the savings account the following month just to beat their tightwad auto email approval system. it just broadcasts NO POOR BONUS RECIPIENTS to the max and that kind of discrimination is just too
f--ked for me.

i hope this post helps some people, explicitly, those suffering in this economy.

Anonymous - #5, Saturday, August 29, 2009 - 1:40 AM CT

I opened an a/c online without a branch visit. I live in a state with a branch but not near my place. Hopefully they will honor the bonus.

Anonymous - #6, Wednesday, September 2, 2009 - 10:38 PM CT

I opened the accout in person today.....It's like that the saving and checking accounts bind...I double checked with the CSR who said that even the saving account has no monthly fee and no minimum balance requirements...

Diane - #7, Monday, January 18, 2010 - 11:11 AM CT

I opened a BofW account in a local branch back in June 2009.  Bouns was credited in August 2009 after requirements were satisfied.  I closed the account 12/31/09 with no problems.  I'm ready to open another account for this calendar year... I hope it works!!