Petition to Bring Back Bank of the West Free Checking Accounts

Feb. 20, 2012 - PRLog -- Bank of the West quietly killed off its free checking checking accounts and erased every mention of these accounts off their website. BOTW now offers "Easy Checking" with a monthly fee. This customer-started petition hopes to reverse the policy.

Customer Gary Dotzler writes, "Let’s let BOTW know we’re not happy and that we can and will take our business elsewhere. With the concerted effort of customers all throughout the west, maybe we can make a difference the same way the Bank of America customers did. Personally, I’d love, I mean LOVE to not have to change banks. Keep in mind it only took Bank of America one month to drop its new debit card fee. That’s something to shoot for. With luck, this protest will catch on and we’ll make a difference and maybe we won’t even have to change banks. Maybe other banks will take notice and keep their free checking. Sometimes you have to take a stand."

Dotzler goes on to offer these 4 suggestions to encourage Bank of the West to bring back their free checking.

1) Tell Bank of the West you’re going to change banks unless they drop the new fee. Give them four weeks notice. (March 1st, 2012 is National “Flee The West Day”).

2) Sign the online petition

3) Forward this info to your friends and put the petition widget in your facebook or blogs (click the ¨spread the word¨ link in the petition)

4) If BOTW doesn’t drop the fee, change banks. My research suggests that checking is still free at more banks and credit unions than not.

Read Dotzler's open letter at http://freecheckinginformation.com/consumers/bank-of-the-... and sign the petition to keep free checking alive.

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