Tuesday, December 6, 2011 - 7:28 AMUnreasonable Check Holds / Bad Customer Service
Bank of Internet USA 
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1 stars)
I want to share a horrible experience I had with Bank of Internet (BOI). I lost my job and was out of work for a month. I got a new job but I had to wait a month for my first check. I thought it would be a good time to move to an internet only bank and save on fees. Having no money I paid the penalty to withdraw from my 401k to cover my rent at my apartments. I deposited a check from Fidelity on November 29th. I wrote a check to cover my rent on December 3d. On December 6th BOI still had a hold on my check. I contacted them and was told it would not be released until December 9th. This is their policy for check deposits. I called Fidelity and they informed me the check had cleared the bank on their end. Contacted BOI again but still they will not release my funds so my rent check will clear. Now my rent check has bounced, I have no money and the apartments informed me it will cost me 100 dollars late fees to pay on the 9th. So I already paid penalties for withdrawing from my 401k, now late fees with rent all because BOI does not care about people and their hard times, only their policy. The check has cleared the funds are there but BOI won’t give me access to my own money. I do not recommend Bank of the Internet and I give them a ZERO in customer service.
6
1. Tuesday, December 6, 2011 - 9:59 AMThis raises an issue that people need to be aware of. The first 30 days your account is open, banks are allowed to put a notably longer hold on checks, and most (maybe all, I haven't checked every bank out there) do so. That is a common practice all over, not especially unique at Bank of the Internet. You probably would have had the same issue at nearly any other bank where you opened an account.
So, never deposit all your money in a new account if you will need any in the next couple weeks. You could instead open the account with just a small amount of money and let it sit there the first 30 days until you come into the requirements for shorter check holds. Then deposit the rest of your money.
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me1004235 posts since
Jan 16, 2010
Rep Points: 1,430