Alert - Bank of America wants fingerprints to cash checks - action Friday Manch.

[Fluff and Stuff]

I'm going to be closing my account with Merrill Lynch very soon. They were bought by BofA. This is appalling. I knew about it but I think I'm finally just completely fed up with it now that they're really sticking to their guns about this.

Or, the government asked BoA to takeover Merrill Lynch because Merrill Lynch was about to go bankrupt and the government thought that would have been a bad thing.

[KBCraig]

When you go back, and present the check and your "reasonable identification", and the clerk/manager/VP says, "I'm sorry, Mr. Jaqeboy, but..."

"Who? How do you know I'm Jaqeboy? Do you acknowledge that I am who I say I am, and that the identification I've presented reasonably confirms my identity?"

Just a suggestion. I think you could have fun with that line of thought.

[AntonLee]

it's a shame too, BoA is coming up with the innovations in deposit and withdrawl that a lot of people want.  The money/check scan so you can deposit without envelopes. . .it's neat and convenient.

My girl has a BoA account and I'd have an easier time getting her to give herself a crew cut than cancelling her BoA account. . .she raves about it's features.

I don't really want to stop banks from being allowed to fingerprint/thumbscan. . . some people really do want that heir of security.  I'd hate to take away those features from people that do want and like them.  I won't personally thumbscan so I don't have a bank account.  I do cash my checks at TD Banknorth and they've never thumbscanned me. . . never even asked if I have an account (which I don't)

[Lloyd Danforth]

Given that you are well aware of their policy, and don't wish to abide by it, why did you accept the paper from your client?  It's not like other means of payment aren't available, especially when the amount is relatively small.

That is the ticket!
From time to time when I tried to cash a clients check at their bank and was given a ration of shit ("Do you have 2 other ids?, Thumbprint!), I would stop accepting checks from their bank.  I printed on my contract! I put it in my ad that no checks would be accepted from bank X. I sent copies of the ads to the banks.

[MaineShark]

Given that you are well aware of their policy, and don't wish to abide by it, why did you accept the paper from your client?  It's not like other means of payment aren't available, especially when the amount is relatively small.

That is the ticket!
From time to time when I tried to cash a clients check at their bank and was given a ration of shit ("Do you have 2 other ids?, Thumbprint!), I would stop accepting checks from their bank.  I printed on my contract! I put it in my ad that no checks would be accepted from bank X. I sent copies of the ads to the banks.

Ditto.

Or just ask that the customer write the check to "cash" if they are going to write a check from that bank.

Joe

[Fluff and Stuff]

I won't personally thumbscan so I don't have a bank account.  I do cash my checks at TD Banknorth and they've never thumbscanned me. . . never even asked if I have an account (which I don't)

BoA makes people without bank accounts thumbscan, not those with accounts.  Oh, and I love how you can deposit checks at BoA ATMs.  There is one in town and it is so wonderful.  Now I just need more checks...

[coffeeseven]

In the past I've used superglue on my finger. I've also drawn a line through my print while I was signing the back of the check and written the letters TDC through it for threat, duress and coercion.  Now I just refuse to deal with banks.

[doobie]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090220/ts_nm/us_banks_shares

Bank of America Corp and Citigroup Inc shares plummeted for a sixth straight day on Friday, hammered by fears that the U.S. government could nationalize the banks, wiping out shareholders.

Bank of America shares were down 19 percent to $3.20 in early trading, their lowest level since 1984, while Citigroup shares fell 20 percent to $2, their lowest price since the early 1990s.

Both stocks have lost more than 90 percent of their value in the last year.

"It's a clear sign that the markets are expecting a high probability of them being nationalized," said Mike Holland, founder of Holland & Co. "The clear expectation is that shareholders would effectively be wiped out."

[dalebert]

...we do not live in an idealistic free market, and BoA is not an idealistically private business in an idealistic free market. They are part of a criminal conspiratorial monopoly controlling the money and banking system (Federal Reserve System). They are charted under state and federal charters and they are regulated by a state banking commission. They are agents for the United States Depatment of Treasury and operate under their regulations. The power of the banksters is not to be underestimated and BoA's current usefulness as a biometric sweep agent should be revolting to any freedom lover.

QFT

[jaqeboy]

...we do not live in an idealistic free market, and BoA is not an idealistically private business in an idealistic free market. They are part of a criminal conspiratorial monopoly controlling the money and banking system (Federal Reserve System). They are charted under state and federal charters and they are regulated by a state banking commission. They are agents for the United States Depatment of Treasury and operate under their regulations. The power of the banksters is not to be underestimated and BoA's current usefulness as a biometric sweep agent should be revolting to any freedom lover.

QFT

Thanks, Dalebert!

Clarifications from research this AM (will correct the reference post):
per the Banking Department: BoA is nationally chartered and is not regulated by the New Hampshire Banking Department, but is rather regulated by the United States Treasury Department, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, tel: 800-613-6743.

per Lindsay Whitelaw of the Governor's Citizens Services office: I can put my concerns in writing and mention the corrective bill (HB299) to her lindsay.whitelaw@nh.gov or the governor governorlynch@nh.gov and they will refer it to their policy people and the governor will decide where he stands on that bill. They don't really take any action themselves, but merely point you to the right govt dept. or hear your bitch.
She suggested I contact the federal delegation with the complaint, since BoA is federally regulated.
Senator Gregg's Concord office: 225-7115, Senator Shaheen's Manchester office: 647-7400, figure out if my rep is Hodes or Shea-Porter and call them.

I think a YouTube video on Ridley or somewhere might be more effective than all of this.

[jaqeboy]

OK, the original plan was to meet at 2:30 today and go over process with witnesses to cash check at bank at 3PM. I'm going to delay that on recommendation from Neal Kurk that I get all the process steps correct if I want to pursue litigation. He suggests consultation with Human Rights Commission lawyers on this first.

So, I'm putting today's action on hold pending being able to consult with counsel. I'll keep updating this thread at the top and the reference post, should anyone else care to jump in - all the contact numbers and email addresses will be there.

[Roycerson]

I cash lots of checks at clients banks.  If you don't have an account there, they want a thumb print pretty much everywhere, doesn't bother me. 

Once they refused entirely til they called the customer and his wife came to personally identify me.  Customer said that was perfectly OK w/ him, there was several million in that account and taking precautions when there's a change in typical account behavior is exactly their job.

[jaqeboy]

Oooh, just thought of a suggestion for those who want to join in on this action. Join me at BoA in trying to cash a check drawn on BoA, all one after another. It might be good to have some co-plaintiffs if it goes to litigation.

[MaineShark]

This is no different from the smoking ban, or any other such attempts to forcibly regulate how businesses and their customers may interact.  I dislike smoking in restaurants, but I would never even consider support for attempts to force restaurant owners to prohibit smoking.  I dislike banks requiring fingerprints, but I'll not sit idly by when they are threatened by thugs, because they and their customers make the choice to do so.

Personally, I'll be writing a letter to BoA, telling them that, while I deplore their policies and will never do business with them as a result, I fully support their right to have whatever policies they and their customers agree upon.  I will offer reasonable help in defending them against this attempt to use aggressive government to force compliance with someone's personal preferences on how they do business.

I would encourage others who care about liberty to consider doing the same.

Joe

[Roycerson]

This is no different from the smoking ban, or any other such attempts to forcibly regulate how businesses and their customers may interact.

If there's a bank that doesn't do this than it must not be forcibly regulated.  I was under the impression the government now 'allows' them to do but doesn't mandate it.  Far as I can tell this is done by every bank out there because they want to cuz it's good security against check fraud.

If I had a problem with it I'd take it up with the guy who wrote me the check and tell him I'd need cash in the future because it's preferable to complying with the security demanded by the people he pays to keep his money safe.  I think it's terrible that the legislature is "all over this".