February 6, 2008
This long time Bank of America customer learned a valuable lesson today. Here’s a rule I did not know. Be sure to complete any banking in 30 minutes or you may run the risk of having your car towed. I parked my car and, since it was Ash Wednesday, first I went to the nearby church service. Less than forty-five minutes later I emerged from church only to find my car in the process of being towed from the parking lot. I immediately asked the tow person to please give me back my car since it was already on the lift. He was on the phone, presumably talking with the bank, and so I waited. You can imagine how high my stress level was. Have you ever been there with your car on a lift and the truck about to drive away with your car in tow?
When the tow gentleman got off the phone he informed me that for a fee he would take my car off the tow lift and I could go on my way. I asked him if this was a bank policy and he told me he did not have to offer to free my car. Since I didn’t have enough cash I then went to the ATM machine. Seeing a bank employee I informed him that my car was being towed and I asked how they knew I was not in the bank. It seems they announced my car registration number in the bank and got no response. Undoubtedly right about that time I was making my way to my car after church. I asked the bank employee, “Is this the way Bank of America does business?” I was contemplating pulling all my accounts from the bank. It was then that the bank employee quickly made his way to the bank parking lot and arranged to have my car released from the tow truck.
Needless to say, I was most grateful. I thanked the gracious bank employee and the polite tow truck person. After a very harrowing experience I can certainly say,
"Lesson Learned!"
This long time Bank of America customer learned a valuable lesson today. Here’s a rule I did not know. Be sure to complete any banking in 30 minutes or you may run the risk of having your car towed. I parked my car and, since it was Ash Wednesday, first I went to the nearby church service. Less than forty-five minutes later I emerged from church only to find my car in the process of being towed from the parking lot. I immediately asked the tow person to please give me back my car since it was already on the lift. He was on the phone, presumably talking with the bank, and so I waited. You can imagine how high my stress level was. Have you ever been there with your car on a lift and the truck about to drive away with your car in tow?
When the tow gentleman got off the phone he informed me that for a fee he would take my car off the tow lift and I could go on my way. I asked him if this was a bank policy and he told me he did not have to offer to free my car. Since I didn’t have enough cash I then went to the ATM machine. Seeing a bank employee I informed him that my car was being towed and I asked how they knew I was not in the bank. It seems they announced my car registration number in the bank and got no response. Undoubtedly right about that time I was making my way to my car after church. I asked the bank employee, “Is this the way Bank of America does business?” I was contemplating pulling all my accounts from the bank. It was then that the bank employee quickly made his way to the bank parking lot and arranged to have my car released from the tow truck.
Needless to say, I was most grateful. I thanked the gracious bank employee and the polite tow truck person. After a very harrowing experience I can certainly say,
"Lesson Learned!"
2 comments:
Wow! Good for you that you got your car off the tow line without paying (I thought that was impossible once they had you hooked)! And it's nice to hear that BOA recognized what a valuable customer you are, so much so that they corrected their mistake (even if you were in church!).
BAC needs all the big depositors they can find with the subprime drowning them and the share price. Think you should have held out for a free car wash. You let them off too easy.
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