Dispute with Bankoh

[oceanpacific]

I sent a letter to my Bankoh branch in early January and explained that I was closing my business checking account with them, effective the close of the month (January 31). I thanked them for our years of association and asked for them to send me a closing statement. I then wrote a check to clean out my account, leaving $7.50 to cover the monthly service charge. I received my January statement showing a balance of $0.00 after the deduction of the service charge.

Imagine my surprise at receiving a February 28 closing statement in March showing a negative balance of $7.50. This was then followed a few days later by a letter indicating that my balance had grown to minus $27.50 because they now assessed a $10.00 per week charge for accounts with negative balances. Not withstanding the fact that the negative balance was caused by their assessment of the service fee on a closed account. I FAXED them a copy of their demand letter and a copy of my January letter to them. To their credit, my letter was answered by a bank employee who promised to call the branch on this matter.

The charges were reversed and the account finally closed last week, but not until another $10.00 fee was charged. My question is this: doesn't the person who opened the initial letter READ the correspondence? It never should have gotten this far. I shudder to think what might have happened if I hadn't kept a copy of my January letter. The lesson to be learned by everyone is to keep copies of your correspondence, e-mails included. The way these banks assess fees, you can't be too careful.

[anapuni808]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

I went to Bankoh about a year ago to open a new acct. I had closed my previous acct about 5 years ago. Well, the same thing happened to me - couldn't open a new acct until the OD charges were cleared! I yelled a bit and the charges were eventually cleared. This now seems to be a common ocurrence with them.

To add insult to injury, they then opened a new acct - USING SOME ONE ELSE'S ACCT NUMBER!!!! That person then proceeded the next day to withdraw MY DOLLARS from his acct. Thankfully, he had enough funds to cover my $$$ but I was furious! I went to the bank, spoke to a supervisor & did get a bank check for all my funds plus $10 for their error. Oh, and they gave me a lousy umbrella and it wasn't even one of their big ones. I told them that it would a cold day in H**l before i ever did business with them again.

Now, I need to open a new acct - guess i'm gonna have to go to ASB

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

To add insult to injury, they then opened a new acct - USING SOME ONE ELSE'S ACCT NUMBER!!!! That person then proceeded the next day to withdraw MY DOLLARS from his acct.

That's a pretty serious error on BOH's part. Man, if you had reported that to KHON's action line, that would have been a very embarrassing story for the bank.

[anapuni808]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

I might have, but they made good on my funds. and don't forget the lousy umbrella

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

That's a pretty serious error on BOH's part. Man, if you had reported that to KHON's action line, that would have been a very embarrassing story for the bank.

Unless they're a sponsor.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

That's a pretty serious error on BOH's part. Man, if you had reported that to KHON's action line, that would have been a very embarrassing story for the bank.

Unless they're a sponsor.

Oh boy, if ever I had a consumer complaint to lodge against a bank similar to Ana's and KHON squashed it because the bank is a sponsor,.... I would take that story to every other media outlet. And KHON will end up with egg on its face.

Keeping the operations of the newsroom autonomous from the sales/advertising dept. is something that needs to be maintained for any media organization to retain its credibility.

[salmoned]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

Media organization with credibility? Wow, that must have been before my time.

[anapuni808]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

I want to make this very clear so that this doesn't get blown way out of proportion:

THERE WAS NO COMPLAINT. BANKOH MADE GOOD ON MY ACCOUNT AND I WAS SATISFIED WITH THEIR RESOLUTION OF MY COMPLAINT.

ok, I'm out of the conversation now. Carry on......................

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

My Mom went to close my deceased Dad's bank account and instructed BoH to transfer all remaining funds to their joint trust account (at BoH). I should have gone down with her to finalize this transaction, but the teller insisted on depositing the monies into my Mom's account saying she'll have better access to those funds.

The reason why I instructed my Mom to deposit my Dad's monies into the joint trust account was to shelter it from Medicaid for which that trust was created.

When my Dad's account was transferred to my Mom's account, her balance reflected higher allowable assets which made her ineligable for Medicaid by a few dollars. We waited the five year eligibility time period only to have it erased by this single transaction.

I was so furious at BoH for not doing as instructed what they were supposed to do and instead did what the bank teller thought was in my Mom's best interest. The teller basically screwed up my Mom's long term health care and now she has to wait another five years to be eligible again for Medicaid...another five years she may not have left in her life.

Thanks BoH!!! You're not My Bank!

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

I want to make this very clear so that this doesn't get blown way out of proportion:

THERE WAS NO COMPLAINT. BANKOH MADE GOOD ON MY ACCOUNT AND I WAS SATISFIED WITH THEIR RESOLUTION OF MY COMPLAINT.

And just to make myself clear.....I'm wasn't talking on behalf of anyone. I was just stating what I would do if I was the person making the complaint.

When it comes to any person/institution screwing with my finances, I'm not the most forgiving person in the world. I've actually taken a local bank here to litigation before.

I was so furious at BoH for not doing as instructed what they were supposed to do and instead did what the bank teller thought was in my Mom's best interest.

Which branch of BOH did this happen?

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

And just to make myself clear.....I'm wasn't talking on behalf of anyone. I was just stating what I would do if I was the person making the complaint.

When it comes to any person/institution screwing with my finances, I'm not the most forgiving person in the world. I've actually taken a local bank here to litigation before.



Which branch of BOH did this happen?

Hilo on the Big Island

[Nords]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

The reason why I instructed my Mom to deposit my Dad's monies into the joint trust account was to shelter it from Medicaid for which that trust was created.

I hear a lot about efforts to shield assets from Medicaid, and I'm surprised that the federal govt has left a loophole open like this.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

I hear a lot about efforts to shield assets from Medicaid, and I'm surprised that the federal govt has left a loophole open like this.

It used to be illegal to even mention Medicaid Planning in one sentence. Then a few years ago Medicaid planning became lawful allowing those to shelter assets for that purpose.

Medicaid planning became lawful simply because you had to have less than $5,000 in assets in order to qualify. Then you had to wait 5-years. In most cases that meant gifting your home to your children and losing control of your most cherished asset, the family home.

If there were medical problems Medicaid couldn't cover you wouldn't have any assets to fall back on to get treatment that would otherwise be denied under Medicaid.

These were some of the lawful reasons why Medicaid planning became legal. But as in any case there will be those who will find lucrative ways to cheat the system.

In most cases however loopholes are being plugged. One of the most eye-opening loopholes is how Medicaid looks at how a trust is set up. If the trust is set up as a revocable trust, meaning the Husband and Wife have control over the wording of the trust after it has been made, Medicaid will consider all assets of that trust as personal assets making both or either of them ineligible for Medicaid Benefits.

If however that trust is set up as irrovocable while both or either is still alive, Medicaid won't consider them in accepting a claim because you have no control over the wording, thus the control over assets.

Why has the federal government left loopholes allowing trusts to shield personal assets? Because a lot of our lawmakers need to shelter their assets as well. Bush like Obama and the Clintons are not poor people by a long shot and many of our congressmen and women are nearing retirement age as well.

There are always political implications as to why bills get passed or get shot down.

[anapuni808]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

And just to make myself clear.....I'm wasn't talking on behalf of anyone. I was just stating what I would do if I was the person making the complaint.

When it comes to any person/institution screwing with my finances, I'm not the most forgiving person in the world. I've actually taken a local bank here to litigation before.

The thought of litigation did enter my mind because I really was furious. But the amount of $$$ wasn't really worth it. If they had refused to make good on the account and my funds I would definitely have pursued it further. The final result is only that I would hesitate seriously before ever thinking of opening another account there.

[Kaonohi]

Re: Dispute with Bankoh

I had some minor interaction with Bankoh when I first came to Hawaii, and it soured me so that I would never do business with them.
I prefer First Hawaiian Bank (as a commercial bank) for LOTS of reasons, and also deal with American Savings and Territorial savings.
I would never give Bank of Hawaii so much as the time of day.