At least 40,000 Bank of America customers will have no access to ATMs and online banking for a full five weeks in the summer due to problems relating to the integration of computer systems with FleetBoston.
The electronic lock-out will affect customers with multiple accounts across the old Fleet network in the US northeast. A two stage conversion process stretching from June to July means that customers with linked accounts between phase one and phase two states will have no access to automated systems for the duration of the changeover.
"It will affect around 40,000 customers," BofA spokeswoman Alex Liftman told the Boston Herald. "To set the context, that is out of five million customers in total. It's a small percentage, less than one per cent."
Affected customers will have to use the branch network or speak to a human agent by phone if they want to make deposits, withdrawals, payments and transfer funds.