On Being a Sell-Out
This morning I did a terrible thing.
I walked into the Harvard Square Bank of America and opened a checking account. Ugh! I’ve always hated the idea of these big entities swallowing up the little ones. But as they say, they gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse:
For opening up a checking account, they gave me $100.
How could I turn that down? Besides, instead of having to write a check to Randy each month for “rent” and utilities, I figured I could just direct deposit a portion of my check into this account each month. Then, technically, Randy can do with it as he pleases (he already has a Bank of America account and this apparently will make it easy to transfer from my account to his account within seconds – versus having to wait 3-7 days for a transfer from my existing bank).
Yeah, it’s all kinda’ convoluted. In the end, I really only did it for the $100. It saddens me, though, that I am now one of the masses. For the past decade and a half I’ve prided myself on only having accounts with smaller institutions (currently a credit union). Yep, that’s me – rooting for the underdog. Holding out for the return of the milkman and the doctor making house calls.
Oh well, the times…they are a changin’.
On the plus side, the customer service representative revealed that my credit score is 800 (out of a possible 850). She said that in 18 years of banking she’s only seen 2 scores that high before. She said she’ll occasionally see scores in the 700’s, but most are in the 600’s or lower. That made me feel slightly better for selling out.
(Photo found on Flickr, from sandcastlematt’s gallery. Ironically, this photo was taken in Harvard Square).
3 Comments
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I will say that I’ve found Bank of America to be really great – very good customer service, even with piddly checking acocunts like mine – not just very helpful and went the extra mile at times, but extremely nice people, both at Harvard Sqaure branch (where my acount resides) and banks out in Central Mass that I’ve gone to. They may be big but from my perspective they still have the human touch. Harvard’s Credit Union, though, SUCKS ASS!
Yay, long live Bank of America. I’m a stockholder, but use a local credit union.
You could just close the account and make off with your millions.
Hundred.
Sorry.
I have no feeling or opinion about BoA but I don’t like Big Businesses swallowing up the little ones. It smacks of badness.
Go on, take the money and run.