BMO has been so difficult to work with, I'm not even sure they *like* having customers…read more
My grandpa has been a BMO customer for decades; he needs help with his accounts these days, and I honestly cannot believe that BMO has treated us like this.
Three months ago, I needed to set up a guardianship bank account for my granddad's bank accounts. Guardianship is more unusual than having POA (power of attorney), but not unheard of. I can't just be added to grandpa's checking & savings accounts; a new guardianship account needs to be set up. Ok, no problem.
Here's what it took to set up that account:
- BMO's legal department took three business days to tell me I didn't have the right paperwork. Ok, no problem.
- After I submitted the correct paperwork, it took them another three days to review it.
- No one even tried calling me; just like the first time, I called BMO after 3 business days to see if their 24-48 hour process was done.
- I had to make an appointment to open the new account; no one had time to help me for another two business days.
- Despite having an appointment & showing up on time, I waited 30 minutes.
- It took 4.5 hours to set up the account. Between that & drive time, I missed a full day of work.
- I specifically asked what paperwork I'd need to set up the account. BMO had all my paperwork for over a week, but no one could be bothered to tell me about a vital piece of paperwork they required. I had to go home & come back with that before they could finish.
After the account was set up, it didn't even work! The only way to access my granddad's funds is to write a check:
- BMO does not provide free checks. Free checks aren't a common feature, but there's no other way to access his money.
- BMO's banker lied and said she ordered a debit card.
- After three weeks, I had no debit card; when I called customer service, BMO said they do not allow a debit card for this type of account; no debit card means no ATM use.
- BMO does not allow Zelle, online billpay, or mobile check deposit for this type of account.
- BMO Mortgage holds my grandpa's mortgage. I signed paperwork *twice* to autopay grandpa's mortgage from the new account. The autopay didn't happen, and BMO even charged a $50 "late fee"!
- I disputed the mortgage late fee, and have heard nothing back from BMO.
Opened a 2nd checking account:
- I tried setting up a normal checking account, in my name, to try to get around the above usage issues & stay a BMO customer.
- Despite understanding the problems with the first BMO account, grandpa's attorney says that grandpa's name *must* be on the account holding his money. Ok, fair.
- I asked BMO to add grandpa's name to the account- a last ditch, desperate effort to stay a BMO customer. The banker told me that the only thing they could do was... change this account to a guardianship account. With ALL the same issues above.
So what should I do after all this hassle? By hassle, I mean:
- 12-14 hours of my time sucked away- which doesn't include drive time;
- BMO bankers' lies, misrepresentations, and different workers telling me different info & requirements;
- BMO bankers' refusal to be helpful and try to solve problems, but often telling me to call other departments and talk to other workers;
- BMO workers' condescension & poor attitudes;
- And most of all, that their accounts don't work.
Well, naturally I withdrew all of grandpa's money and walked into Bank of America 2 weeks ago. 2.5 hours after walking in, I had a guardianship account. I was not a BoA customer before that day.
The customer service differences between BMO, and BoA & my own bank are STARK. If, like my bank, BMO had just politely said "We don't specialize in guardianship accounts, you might have better luck elsewhere", then no harm, no foul! I'd still have a good opinion of BMO.
But no... as my furious husband said this week- when we left BMO after I tried & failed to get grandpa's latest mortgage statement- "If I treated a customer the way you were just treated, my boss would FIRE ME- and he's known & respected my work for over fifteen years."