Bank Of America: Another Customer Gets Bank's Attention Via YouTube (VIDEO)

Darren Bryant of Pensacola, Fla. spent hours in what he calls Bank of America's "phone maze," getting bounced from person to person, never reaching somebody who could address his situation.

Finally, in one last desperate attempt to get someone's attention, he uploaded a five-minute video to YouTube in which he explains his predicament and gives his phone number and email address.

"The reason I'm making this video is to get in contact with somebody from Bank of America that can make a decision," Bryant says in the video, which he uploaded on Monday. He then emailed a link to over a dozen Bank of America email addresses he said he found online.

Within four hours of posting the rant, Bryant got a phone call. It was somebody from the office of David Darnell, president of Global Commercial Banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

"She says, 'We received your video and I'm calling you to see what the deal is and to go over the situation with you,'" Bryant said. The woman asked for his account number and said the bank would investigate.

"She said, 'We take this very seriously when somebody posts a video.'"

Bank of America has proven responsive to other videos from its customers. Ann Minch of Red Bluff, Calif., made a huge splash in September when she declared via YouTube that she wouldn't pay off her credit card debt unless the "evil, thieving bastards" at Bank of America lowered her interest rate. The video went viral, and within a week of its posting an executive got in touch with Minch and agreed to her demand.

Bank of America spokeswoman Jumana Bauwens confirmed to the Huffington Post that the bank got in touch with Bryant after he made his video. But even though Minch's one-woman "debtors' revolt" has become a fledgling movement, Bauwens said Bank of America would have responded to Bryant video or not.

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"If he sent that letter without the video he would have got the same response," Bauwens said.

Bryant, a 45-year-old real estate investor with three kids, said he's struggling to keep afloat with fewer tenants and lower rents in his 32 units; he wants Bank of America reduce his interest rate on a $750,000 loan by a point and a half. Otherwise, he said, he'll lose everything, including his own personal home, and Bank of America will lose hundreds of thousands in the foreclosure process.

"You have a $750,000 note. If you sold the property in these market conditions like they are now, you'd be lucky to get $500,000 for the property. Basically you're going to be forcing me into a foreclosure which will force me into bankruptcy. It's not going to be a win-win situation for Bank of America, nor myself."

He said he wasn't inspired to use YouTube to air his grievance by Minch -- he said it's entirely coincidental that he posted his plea in the midst of the "debtors' revolt."

"Basically, I'm forced to get on YouTube for my last resort and see if I can get any help," he said in his video. "The whole purpose of this video is not to make Bank of America look bad, but to inform Ken Lewis the CEO of Bank of America what is going on. It's hard to imagine that with me filling the properties back up, getting the properties back into a cash flow position, that Bank of America's not willing to work with me."

(Bank of America announced Wednesday that Lewis would be stepping down.)

Here's Bryant's first video:

Bryant uploaded a second video on Wednesday with an update. He said he heard from a Bank of America executive who explained that "right now there's no government assistance, there's no modifications, there's nothing for any investment properties as far as somebody that's in your situation."

Comments

[Dave Rathmann]

I have known Darren for quite a few years he does not go into things hap hazzardly. I can not believe the BOA will not work with him, He worked with his tennants and lowered the rent there by reducing his income. Now lets see the bank wont work with him, now he will loose everything ,then the 32 units will become vacant. 32 more familys worrying about a place to live.All over eleven thousand dollars. Now the bank will loose the income from these properties and have vacant buildings.Why not work with the people to reduce the amount of forecloureures is IT CALLED GREED (I think so). If the government, I believe really wanted to help the economy I think the money should have went to the tax payers so lets see they can catch up on their mortgage, car payment,student loan or whatever. The amazing thing is the banks would still get the money. Just like feeding a plant and wanting it to grow FEED THE ROOTS NOT THE TOPS.

Darren Good luck and God Bless

Dave R.

[darren63]

Darren 2nd vedio
Man go's YouTube @ President Obama & Bank of America over 750K loan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHJLcsMgGrI

[darren63]

Darren secound video
Man go's YouTube @ President Obama & Bank of America over 750K loan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHJLcsMgGrI

[nopilikia]

Unbelievable how BOA treats their customers. Perhaps the CUs are were to go. Maybe not correct place to ask but does anyone know if a CU has failed, or taken money from the gov in form of bailout?

[Rule Of Law]

I am a credit union member, for over 30 years. Not only does our CU have higher reserves than require by law, they also never speculated in the market as their non-profit status place heavy controls on what they can and can't do. As for bailout money, I've never heard of a CU needing it much less getting it!

You are not a "customer" if you bank at BofA, Wells, Citi, or any other major bank. You are an aphid, being milked for every cent that allows them to continue gambling in the derivatives markets that have destroyed the world's economy. Take your money out now before the next phase of this Depression hits and the FDIC admits that it can't provide insurance for your deposits.

Remember, if we all took our money out of the above banks, they would have to change their business model. We are complicit as long as we do business with them.

[anothervoice]

Support your local Credit Union. In 20+ years, I have never been disappointed with mine.

[AlsoSarah]

I had the same trouble with my mortgage company, Countrywide. I refinanced with them and supplied them all the documents they required including proof of insurance. Shortly after the refinancing, they contacted me requestiong the same documentation which I once again supplied, even though it had been necessary for them to have in order to refinance me. Shortly thereafter, I recieved notice that they had obtained insurance for me thorugh some company. Call after call got me no where. I finally just gave up.

[SILVANUS]

"Bank of America CEO scores $53M retirement" --CNN

How fat is that?

[batmancw]

The banks know that the "game" is almost over. All it's gonna' take is for Japan or China to stop buying our debt, OR when all the mortgages adjust over the next 2 years and re-crash our economy. They've ALWAYS been greedy, but they're trying to suck as much money in as possible before the dollar is dead.

[Rule Of Law]

Seconded. That is the plan. Take the money, buy tangibles with it and wait out the storm they've created while the rest of us starve.

[A true patriot]

Take your money out of banks! Use credit Unions! Here is why:

BANKS:
1. Banks are for profit!
2. As a for profit organization, their overriding concern is to use their resources as efficiently as possible to maximize earnings. This means that consumers are a means to that end.
3. Banks have become so efficient at this process that the banking industry has repeatedly set record profits year over year for the better part of the past decade.

CREDIT UNIONS:
1.Credit Unions are not-for-profit organizations!
2. If you have an account with a credit union, you are a member and an owner.
3. As a member/owner, you have the right to both vote and run for the Board of Directors. You get only one vote regardless of how much money you have at the credit union and all of the directors are volunteers and receive no compensation for their service.
4. This process guarantees that your credit union is looking out for your financial interests and not that of a small group of stockholders.
5. Credit Unions are also regulated by the government!
6. Credit Unions are also federally insured by National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF). This fund is arguably stronger than the banks insurance fund!!!

Take your MONEY out of the banks and you remove the wind from their sails! You can't bitch about the banks when you support them by depositing your money into them!

[anothervoice]

Second!

[MrsJackson]

Member instead of "meal ticket" is SO mujch nicer...

[tjirish44]

I am pretty upset about my own personal financial situation. I have debt on a credit card. With recession cash flow went lower. As it is I have several thousand dollars on a credit card that was my debt. Rate was at 7.9%. Well unfortunately through my mismanagement (which I admit). A charge went over limit on credit card by about $75. As soon as I saw this I immediately made a call and paid off the over balance charge. So next statement comes and state Farm bank card which is the card charges me 24% interest as penalty for over limit mistake. I called bank rep and girl just doing her job blah blah's to me that the 24% penalty will stay on my card for at least 6 months and then I can apply for a credit review to try and get 7.9% rate back. Now I know I should never have let this happen. BUT I pay my bill's. I am not defaulting and these bank's are lowering peopl'e credit killing their score's. The banks who in general got gov't assistance in bailout loans are now sticking it to people who are in good standing credit wise and paying their bills. So I am trying figure out a solution as of now. I made a $50 over credit mistake. Now have pay 24% interest for 6 months??? Or try and pay bill off. Hard transfer balances right now.

[anothervoice]

I had a WaMu credit card that carried no balance after they jerked me around with a rate hike. They later canceled the card because I wasn't using it.

Relationship Banking? Don't be deluded. Banks are parasites. Hie thee to your Credit Union.

[susang]

"Bank of America CEO scores $53M retirement" --CNN

How does that taste, B of A customers?

[atomic]

Basically the banks who played casino royal with our money screwed up and went bankrupt .. they made the phone calls to our government and we bailed them out so they got off .... now when the same people who they screwed in the first place go looking to contact the banks for assistance they blow them off ... by making the process cumbersome and difficult, stalling and obstructing, lying and cheating until the home owner is still left hanging with bad debt plummeting credit scores and eviction just up the road. Pretty soon these videos will be so common they won't have to take them seriously ... they can just ignore people until the middle class is broken and the working class is reduced to poverty.

[batmancw]

Bryant uploaded a second video on Wednesday with an update. He said he heard from a Bank of America executive who explained that "right now there's no government assistance, there's no modifications, there's nothing for any investment properties as far as somebody that's in your situation."

How many billions of taxpayer cash did these SOB's get, and that's their response?

[noradunn]

Unfortunately my mortgage is with Citiibank which is almost as bad as Bank of America. They make money on our loans, but when it comes time for real service, they are awol. Officers in the bank used to be able to make decisions and help you with your finances. Now, they are as powerless as tellers. The bank would rather dump you, take back the property, and wait for their second bail-out. The Chairman of B of A quit today, because he was tired of taking criticism, and will leave with $53 million in compensation, and millions more in stocks and options. Welcome to Pottersville.

[GirlUsingBrain]

Good post.

[bluevase]

That's true. Banks don't have to make any deals with customers. If your house goes into foreclosure -- sure, they lose a bit -- but then the government bails them out. With our money.

[Rule Of Law]

Not about BofA per se, but quite a picture of what occurred to homeowners during the First Great Depression and how neighbors rallied to protect one another from the banks.

http://antieviction.org.za/2009/01/23/solidarity-resistance-to-housing-foreclosures-spread-across-the-land/

By Barbara Ehrenreich, The Nation
Posted on January 23, 2009, Printed on January 23, 2009
Source: Alternet (USA)

“This is a crowd that won’t scatter,” James Steele wrote in the pages of The Nation some seventy-five years ago. Early one morning in July 1933, the police had evicted John Sparanga and his family from a home on Cleveland’s east side. Sparanga had lost his job and fallen behind on mortgage payments. The bank had foreclosed. A grassroots “home defense” organization, which had managed to forestall the eviction on three occasions, put out the call, and 10,000 people — mainly working-class immigrants from Southern and Central Europe — soon gathered, withstanding wave after wave of police tear gas, clubbings and bullets, “vowing not to leave until John Sparanga [was] back in his home.”

[GirlUsingBrain]

Gives me goosebumps!

Power to the people!

[Rule Of Law]

Same here. Folks were tough back in the day.

[cloudmaker]

All these banks are scumballs, notably Citibank and Bank of America. Are we supposed to forgive them for finally calling this man who had to reach they by YouTube? We have to got to put the brakes on companies that whose only motive is greed. Really sad with Bank of American when you consider their admitable beginnings.

[Rule Of Law]

Why do you think BofA bought Countrywide? Their portfolio of properties just waiting for foreclosure. This same land grab ( or to borrow the Latin American term, Land Re-distribution ) scam went on during the Great Depression when families were forced off their farms so that the new age of Corporate Farming--with the help of General Foods, General Mills, DuPont, Cargill etc--could roll over the land and the control of our food supply could begin in earnest.

Same thing this time. Watch for it...