exactly--the fess are valid. How the heck did BofA screw up? You're the one that provided your routing number and account number to PayPal and you're the one that provided the backup of a debit card or whatever. The money wasn't there, the bank pays or returns the items and charges the fees. How did the bank screw up?? You're the one that didn't change the accounts.

As for " BofA is supposed to decline" that is the case on DEBIT CARD TRANSACTIONS, not electronic items. Not paper checks or ACH and from your description this is either an ACH. If you want the bank to DECLINE Ach transactions, that is a setting you request and you are read a detailed disclosure--that later comes in the mail--that tells you that we will decline those transactions and not overdraw your account, however--HOWEVER, you will still incur a fee when we returned it, because YOU authorized it and YOU did not have the money there to cover it when it came in after YOU authorized it.

You don't get fees for everyday debit card transactions but you do on ACH debits and recurring transactions and paper checks. YOU did not change the account. YOU became over drawn and YOU incurred ONE and just ONE extended overdraft fee of $35 after 5 days of a continued overdrawn balance. Not every 5 days--just ONCE after the first 5 days. The fees are valid.

You know when you're overdrawn the voice system tells you, and the notice that comes in the mail tells you that you have until xx/xx/2012 to make a deposit BEFORE you incur an ADDITIONAL extended overdraft fee of $35 in addition to any other fees that apply. But if YOU are like the countless of clueless customers you will call and say "you told me I had 5 days before I got any other fee" or you make it up as you go along and say, "I thought I had until 2 pm the next day, .." or "I thought I had until sundown of the 3rd day.." or any other inventive combo that you come up with to get the fee back for your own lack of responsibility.

The fees are valid.

How come customers always think that when a bank associate tells the truth and tells it like it is, they're hostile. We have to be empathetic and apologetic and say "oh I'm sorry you incurred those fees, I understand how frustrating that can be.." and for me thats BS because you're not doing them any favors by sugar coating that they screwed up. I had one customer on Saturday that told me she didn't want to pay the $35 fee or the extended $35 fee because it's not her fault the mail got to her on the 6th day telling her she was overdrawn! I explained to her that all banks are required to mail via USPS a notice of OD at the address on file but that she can check her balance via TEXT or on the phone or with a live associate or at an ATM or online and see her activity, and she sits there and tells me she has no need to check her account because she always has money!!

Well she also lied and told me and told me she had just re-joined a gym and didn't expect them to charge her the $19.99 fee that made her OD, and when I told her I saw the charges going back all the way to September 2011 she told me well they are supposed to charge me on the 10th not the 16th!
Then when I told her, well thats one reason you should use ONLINE BANKING you would have noticed they didn't charge you on the 10th and left enough money to cover it. Thats when she called me a blonde b**ch! I didn't give her the fees back.

It doesn't cost that much to return an item, but banks are there to make money to provide all the services you expect day in and day out for free--ATMs, Online Banking, 24 hour security and on and on. We're not a charity, and we dont charge the least but we don't charge the most either.

I think if you tell the person how it is and do it with a friendly voice you're doing them a favor rather than letting them think they're right and the bank is wrong! How do you help them that way?

And BofA didn't ask for a bailout, it and 9 other banks were given the money to stimulate the economy and BofA paid it all bank in 9 months and added to it. Watch the movie TOO BIG TO FAIL, it's based on facts.