Fleet Bank Customers Report Big Problems Resulting from Merger.

Publication: The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News)

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COPYRIGHT 2000 The Boston Globe

Byline: Anthony Flint

May 16--Banking in Massachusetts remained confusing yesterday, as BankBoston customers whose accounts were converted to Fleet over the weekend reported problems, and Sovereign Bank launched an advertising campaign to woo disgruntled depositors.

The conversion of 1.2 million BankBoston accounts and 80,000 small business accounts was completed over the weekend, said FleetBoston Financial Corp. spokesman Jim Schepker. As of yesterday morning, 187 branches and 858 ATM machines had been converted from BankBoston to Fleet, as the two former banking giants combine their operations after last year's $13 billion merger. A similar number of remaining branches and ATMs will be converted starting July 7.

Scores of former BankBoston customers reported long lines at branches, long waits on the...

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