When I opened up a Bank of America checking account I also opened up a credit card for the express purpose of using that as overdraft protection (a service offered by Bank of America). This was clearly communicated to the account rep on the phone.
A few months later I double-paid a credit card bill (my mistake) and my checking account entered overdraft. Every swipe of the ATM card after that resulted in $20, then $30 charges. The final total was $260 before I realized that I was in trouble. When I called the bank, the replied that those were legitimate charges, that my credit card was not linked to my checking account, and that all they would do is link the two accounts. The charges were on me. Needless to say, I closed my account.
Also, as a footnote, be aware that Bank of America charges $2 for you to use an ATM that does not belong to the bank. (This charge is not clearly stated) This $2 fee includes balance inquiries as well as cash withdrawals. (So, if you check your account balance and make a withdrawal, that is $4 plus whatever the usual ATM fees for that machine are) This is their way of making sure that you only use Bank of America ATMs. If you do this, there are no charges at all.
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