A top senator crashed after Bank of America company, one of the biggest
recipients of taxpayer bailouts in the U.S., announced that they charge
their customers a new fee of $ 5 per month for the use of cards Debit -
if only to buy a coffee for $ 2.
Although the bank has no plans
to charge customers to use the ATM, the fee would be triggered once a
month, if buyers use their
debit cards to make any purchase.
"Clearly, unfair, and I hope that their customers have the last word," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.,.
An industry representative said that these rates may be more common as
banks try to compensate for the loss of income from other fee that is
capped with a new set of financial regulations.
However, the
decision of Bank of America drew the anger for several reasons. The
company is the largest U.S. bank deposits. And reaped $ 45 billion in
federal bailout money - they get the first piece in 2008 and the rest in
2009 to cope with the loss of Merrill Lynch.
Durbin excoriated the company for "sticking" to their customers.
"It seems that old habits are hard to Bank of America. After years of
raking in excessive profits of a trading system unfair and
anticompetitive, Bank of America is trying to find new ways to pad their
profits by sticking customers, "Durbin said in a statement.
While banks may be trying to compensate for lost benefits under the old
system, Durbin said the system was unfair. Before, banks were collecting
billions of dollars in fees from merchants when customers swiped their
debit cards. As of October 1 regulation is the culmination of those
fees.
"Banks are trying to offset their excess profits at the
expense of their customers will eventually learn how a competitive
market," said Durbin.
Bank of America to return all the ransom
money he received in late 2009 - the federal government for more than 4
billion out of the organization.
The new rate applies to basic accounts and will add to the current monthly service charges.
