Maybe this is a dumb or too personal of a question then, but why not close the account and move to a more competent bank?
I don't understand why people continue to keep their money in an institution that they don't even seem to trust. There are far better choices out there.
US bank accounts are hard to get if you don't live there (and don't have a several-month history of living there currently), but they're really handy to have. So until we can get a new account set up for my wife with a better bank, we're sorta stuck with them.
It's painful, but even if they didn't refund the annoying $20/month fees they keep tacking on, it'd still be worth it just to keep the toehold.
For me, the switching cost of changing my gas bill, electricity bill, mortgage, credit card, Home phone, Cell phone, dentist, AWS account, heroku, mysafari, spotify, napster, hulu, engine yard, ... I know I'm just hitting a few here... to a new bank/card is a big enough disincentive to have me locked in. I AM however looking at better alternatives because i'm tired of BOA.
It seems worse than it is. I've had to switch every recurring bill I have to different banks/cards multiple times, and it always ends up taking less than an hour, probably less than half. Just pull up one month's statement and you have a list of every business you pay on a monthly basis. Go to each website (or call) and fill in the new payment info.
Yes, switching is not as arduous as it seems, especially if you pay bills online.
I switched from Wells Fargo to a regional credit union last year. I recommend keeping your old bank account open for a few months just in case you forgot to switch some bills or have trouble with your new accounts. Better safe than sorry.
I don't understand why people continue to keep their money in an institution that they don't even seem to trust. There are far better choices out there.