No fingerprints? No cash!

By Miss Cellania in Money & Finance on Sep 3, 2009 at 10:55 am

Steve Valdez of Tampa, Florida had a check written to him from his wife. He took a check to her bank to cash it. Bank of America requires a thumbprint to cash a check from anyone who does not hold an account there. The problem is that Valdez was born without arms. The bank refused to cash the check.

According to Valdez, when he gave the teller the check, she said “Obviously you can’t give a thumbprint.” But Valdez says the manager refused to cash the check unless he did.

When Valdez told the manager giving a thumbprint would be impossible, she suggested he either bring in his wife or open an account. Valdez says that’s not the way the bank would treat someone without prosthetic arms, and he refused.

A spokesman for Bank of America said that the bank should have made accommodations for Valdez. Link -via J-Walk Blog


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  1. matt
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 11:18 am

    Sounds like he was stumped on what to do.

  2. Gauldar
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 11:18 am

    Are you hard set on rules and regulations, and offer inflexible customer relations? Then you are eligible for an occupational position in the field of banking administration!

  3. SlappyMcDoodle
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 12:15 pm

    Which now sets the president that anyone with no arms can get their(or someone elses) checks cashed un-molested. Kudos Band of America.

  4. SlappyMcDoodle
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 12:15 pm

    Bank*

  5. ~April
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 12:42 pm

    I think it’s a mute point to set the president.

  6. Christophe
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 1:00 pm

    “Pas de bras, pas de chocolat”

  7. CE
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 3:08 pm

    So what? Blind people can’t drive cars. Wah, wah, wah. Everybody’s got stuff they have to deal with. He should have brought his wife in with him or go to his own bank. This is a non-issue.

  8. Alice
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 3:55 pm

    CE, this is quite different that a blind person driving. How would it be dangerous for this man to cash a check? Shouldn’t he be able to live an independent life? Besides, this is just BOA policy, not a law. They should have allowed him to offer another ID or print. Perhaps a toe print.

  9. Kalel
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 5:08 pm

    I’m sure he was tempted to leave a large forehead print on the desk.

  10. Kalel
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 5:09 pm

    But I’m sure he’d give them the finger if he could.

  11. lordjam
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 6:07 pm

    ironic considering that BOA was getting a handout just a few months ago… but now they won’t serve a person without arms

  12. Johnny Cat
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 6:46 pm

    B of A sucks. Between this and a string of bad customer service episodes, I’m pulling my funds out and switching to Wells Fargo.

  13. abstractpsyche
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 8:14 pm

    Note to self: Downtown,Tampa,Florida.. Avoid the BOA there.

  14. WebWeasel
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 8:32 pm

    It’s always Florida isn’t it?

  15. Chakolate
    Sep 3rd, 2009 at 10:17 pm

    He should have asked them to certify the check. Then he could have cashed it anywhere. (They have to certify it for free.)

  16. ted
    Sep 4th, 2009 at 11:14 pm

    We forget that not all bank thieves are armed robbers.

  17. amay
    Sep 6th, 2009 at 10:23 pm

    They are a bunch of dimwits! I have had so much trouble with this bank…money missing, late deposits, ignorant tellers…get rid of them.

  18. Scooter
    Sep 8th, 2009 at 1:12 pm

    no thumbs, but he has toes.


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