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pickledseal

cowboy
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
4,933
Location
Upminster
The Bank of America fired 23 year-old Jackie Ramos of Fairburn, Georgia for breaking with bank policy to help desperate customers find a way to pay back their debts and avoid penalty fines. Listening to her explanation for her actions, I want to say that I would join a bank employing people like her.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/07/jackie-ramos-bank-of-amer_n_381940.html

Bank of America fired Jackie Ramos after she took a stand against the bank's $15 "convenience" charges and $39 over-the-limit fees so she could sleep better at night.

"There was something inherently evil about my job," the 23-year-old said in a YouTube video she uploaded on Nov. 27, two days after her termination.

Ramos, of Fairburn, Ga., worked as a "customer advocate," which involved calling people who fall behind on credit card payments and either encouraging them to pay or modifying their accounts. But not all customers qualify for modification programs that will help them, and Ramos grew tired of saying no after six months on the job.

"So I stopped denying people," said Ramos. "I helped people get on programs that they didn't necessarily qualify for but who definitely needed the help."

Bank of America declined to comment on Ramos's video but confirmed her account of the firing.

"Ms. Ramos clearly violated some bank policies, particularly around misrepresenting customer information," said spokesman Tony Allen. "Perhaps more egregious, she encouraged customers to misrepresent their information."

Allen said that as of Oct. 31, Bank of America has modified over one million customer accounts totaling $10 billion in outstanding debt by lowering interest rates or modifying monthly payments. He said the bank expects to modify between 1.2 and 1.5 million consumer and small business credit card accounts in all of 2009.

In an interview with HuffPost, Ramos emphasized that she did not make the video out of any bitterness toward Bank of America, and she said that she does not consider her former employer any worse than other credit card companies -- she's angry about the whole system.

"I feel like there's a real credit problem in this country," she said. "Too many people are complacent... Slavery was also legal at one point in time. It was the law. Now we have 30 percent interest rates, $39 late fees and over-limit fees. I want the laws changed. I want the federal government to protect its people and do what it's supposed to do."

YouTube has been an effective venue for bank customers outraged that an industry kept afloat with taxpayer dollars is raising fees, interest rates and minimum monthly payments. Ann Minch of Red Bluff, Calif. won a reduced interest rate after she declared a "debtors' revolt" in September. Her video spawned imitators such as former Bank of America employee Ben Frasier of Douglas, Ore., who said "Bank of America will stop at nothing to turn an insane profit at your expense."

Personal finance guru Suze Orman hailed the "debtors' revolt" and said banks should take notice.

In her video, Ramos said she'd never forget one customer in particular -- a 24-year-old mother with cancer who'd recently lost her mom and husband but still wanted to pay off a $6,000 debt. The woman didn't qualify for any program that would help her.

"She sobbed on the phone telling me she couldn't afford the 30 percent interest... that we had her account on. She couldn't afford the $39 late fee, the $39 over-limit fee. She told me that we were her first credit card when she turned 18, we were her only credit card, and that she was a loyal customer. And given the time to be on this earth a little while longer she would have always remained a loyal customer.

"According to Bank of America, she doesn't have enough income to be put on a program, but she can however keep paying the high interest rates on the account, and fees, because at the end of the day, it is her account, she did rack up the debt, she was late, and she did deserve the 29.99 percent interest rate."

Ramos lives with her fiance and two-year-old son in Fairburn, Ga.
 
how is this different from an employee lying to get someone a mortgage? deserves being booted out of that office pretty sharpish in my opinion. As to whether her criteria that she had to work to was fair or not is a completely different matter of course...

and for once, i'm proud to say i wouldn't!!
 
From what I understand the more you have, the cheaper it is to have the debt. The poorer you are, the more it costs...

I think with the mortgage is a long term loan, and if you lie you may well be over committed and end up defaulting on payments. These people are already in debt, and being charged unfair fees for the banks services - the woman was finding them cheaper ways to pay off their debt.

As someone who ended up over committed on loans due the incompetence of Lloyds, and ending up needing the CCCS to sort out my debts as Lloyds didn't want to know, I get frustrated with the system that seem to exploit every last penny from those who are struggling!
 
From what I understand the more you have, the cheaper it is to have the debt. The poorer you are, the more it costs...

I think with the mortgage is a long term loan, and if you lie you may well be over committed and end up defaulting on payments. These people are already in debt, and being charged unfair fees for the banks services - the woman was finding them cheaper ways to pay off their debt.

As someone who ended up over committed on loans due the incompetence of Lloyds, and ending up needing the CCCS to sort out my debts as Lloyds didn't want to know, I get frustrated with the system that seem to exploit every last penny from those who are struggling!
With all respect, was it Lloyds's incompetence, or your financial incompetence? Did they accidentally lend you the money to spend, or did you apply for it?
 
With all respect, was it Lloyds's incompetence, or your financial incompetence? Did they accidentally lend you the money to spend, or did you apply for it?

I'm not going to go into all the details but the manager told me I was going to 'lose' my student overdraft facility and NEEDED to take out a loan, that was lie. As were some of the other things he told me. I'd also had Yes car insurance take over £800 out of my account 'by mistake' and told me it took at least 7 working days to put back and I had NO access to any funds (as it had put me £500 over my agreed overdraft limit) - just a week before I went to Ethiopia. It's an even longer story but CAB agreed with me, and I also started proceedings with the Financial Ombudsman who agreed I had a case and were willing to go ahead with the claim. Then out of the blue Lloyds offered me a cheap settlement offer on my loan - saving me over £4k. My 'rents had just come into a few quid and they helped me out.
 
The Bank of America fired 23 year-old Jackie Ramos of Fairburn, Georgia for breaking with bank policy to help desperate customers find a way to pay back their debts and avoid penalty fines. Listening to her explanation for her actions, I want to say that I would join a bank employing people like her.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/07/jackie-ramos-bank-of-amer_n_381940.html

Bank of America fired Jackie Ramos after she took a stand against the bank's $15 "convenience" charges and $39 over-the-limit fees so she could sleep better at night.

"There was something inherently evil about my job," the 23-year-old said in a YouTube video she uploaded on Nov. 27, two days after her termination.

Ramos, of Fairburn, Ga., worked as a "customer advocate," which involved calling people who fall behind on credit card payments and either encouraging them to pay or modifying their accounts. But not all customers qualify for modification programs that will help them, and Ramos grew tired of saying no after six months on the job.

"So I stopped denying people," said Ramos. "I helped people get on programs that they didn't necessarily qualify for but who definitely needed the help."

Bank of America declined to comment on Ramos's video but confirmed her account of the firing.

"Ms. Ramos clearly violated some bank policies, particularly around misrepresenting customer information," said spokesman Tony Allen. "Perhaps more egregious, she encouraged customers to misrepresent their information."

Allen said that as of Oct. 31, Bank of America has modified over one million customer accounts totaling $10 billion in outstanding debt by lowering interest rates or modifying monthly payments. He said the bank expects to modify between 1.2 and 1.5 million consumer and small business credit card accounts in all of 2009.

In an interview with HuffPost, Ramos emphasized that she did not make the video out of any bitterness toward Bank of America, and she said that she does not consider her former employer any worse than other credit card companies -- she's angry about the whole system.

"I feel like there's a real credit problem in this country," she said. "Too many people are complacent... Slavery was also legal at one point in time. It was the law. Now we have 30 percent interest rates, $39 late fees and over-limit fees. I want the laws changed. I want the federal government to protect its people and do what it's supposed to do."

YouTube has been an effective venue for bank customers outraged that an industry kept afloat with taxpayer dollars is raising fees, interest rates and minimum monthly payments. Ann Minch of Red Bluff, Calif. won a reduced interest rate after she declared a "debtors' revolt" in September. Her video spawned imitators such as former Bank of America employee Ben Frasier of Douglas, Ore., who said "Bank of America will stop at nothing to turn an insane profit at your expense."

Personal finance guru Suze Orman hailed the "debtors' revolt" and said banks should take notice.

In her video, Ramos said she'd never forget one customer in particular -- a 24-year-old mother with cancer who'd recently lost her mom and husband but still wanted to pay off a $6,000 debt. The woman didn't qualify for any program that would help her.

"She sobbed on the phone telling me she couldn't afford the 30 percent interest... that we had her account on. She couldn't afford the $39 late fee, the $39 over-limit fee. She told me that we were her first credit card when she turned 18, we were her only credit card, and that she was a loyal customer. And given the time to be on this earth a little while longer she would have always remained a loyal customer.

"According to Bank of America, she doesn't have enough income to be put on a program, but she can however keep paying the high interest rates on the account, and fees, because at the end of the day, it is her account, she did rack up the debt, she was late, and she did deserve the 29.99 percent interest rate."

Ramos lives with her fiance and two-year-old son in Fairburn, Ga.

More save the planet kill the banks lefty bull crap
 
Isn't that the opening 20mins to 'drag me to hell'? next she'll be cursed by a gypsy that she didn't help
 
I think the Bank are spot on.

These people took a loan they could not pay, they know the rules and then expect some sort of hand out/special attention when suprise suprise they cant pay the debt.
 
Banks aren't there to help the poor, they're there to help the shareholders. No-one forces you to stick your money there, so it's a bit rich to compare it to slavery. We all know the rules when we sign up.
 
If she wants to 'help the poor' then she should work for a charity, not a bank.

And why am I not surprised that pickledseal reads the scabrous left-wing nonsense spouted on 'HuffPo'? I wonder if he's aware that the whole wretched operation is financed by Arianna Huffington, a cynical social climber who made her vast fortune from marrying a homosexual billionaire. I love lectures on morality from people like that.
 
Banks aren't there to help the poor, they're there to help the shareholders. No-one forces you to stick your money there, so it's a bit rich to compare it to slavery. We all know the rules when we sign up.

I think banks still have a social responsibility... and I'm not alone, even the banks themsleves reluctantly admit that!
 
If she wants to 'help the poor' then she should work for a charity, not a bank.

And why am I not surprised that pickledseal reads the scabrous left-wing nonsense spouted on 'HuffPo'? I wonder if he's aware that the whole wretched operation is financed by Arianna Huffington, a cynical social climber who made her vast fortune from marrying a homosexual billionaire. I love lectures on morality from people like that.

Thanks for alerting me to that Rusty, I wasn't aware. I don't regularly read it, just every now and again pick up and article or two I like and agree with.
 
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