Bank Of America Faces Off Against BP's British Invasion in Consumerist.com's "Worst Company in America" Championship Battle

Former Grand Champion Bank of America Takes on Dark Horse BP

NEW YORK, April 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since March 14 over 213,000 votes have been cast in Consumerist.com's 2011 "Worst Company in America" tournament. Consumers have spoken and the final championship match-up, kicking off today at noon, will pit Britain's BP and its invasion of U.S. shorelines against America's Bank of America and its mishandling of foreclosures.

"This year's competition has been heated throughout all rounds of the tournament. We have seen companies like 2010 Grand Champion, Comcast, rally their employees to stand up for them, while other first time participants like Johnson & Johnson drop out early on," said Meghann Marco, Executive Editor of Consumerist.com. "The final round match-up is truly a first for this tournament with an American-based company facing-off against our neighbor across the seas. By Monday, consumers will crown Bank of America or BP the "Worst Company in America."

Both companies have had strong showings throughout this year's "Worst Company in America" competition. To date, Bank of America has managed to mangle Citi, dismantle DirecTV and wipe the floor with Walmart. The beastly bank's toughest match-up came in the Final Four against Ticketmaster, a rematch from last year's Final Four bout where Ticketmaster emerged victorious by less than 1 percent of the vote. This year, Bank of America held its ground, earning more than 63 percent of the vote and advancing to the final round.

Making its first appearance in the tournament, BP has proven itself a worthy adversary against other, more seasoned "Worst Company in America" contenders. In the competition, BP put the brakes on Toyota, cut the cord on Time Warner Cable and denied WellPoint's claim to a championship spot. In its Final Four bout, BP faced returning 2010 Grand Champion, Comcast in a battle many thought would end with BP finally being washed away.  However, BP emerged the winner and will now fight for its first championship title.

The single elimination tournament has been taking place since March and is a parody of the NCAA basketball tournament. Each week, companies have been going head-to-head in a battle of the best of the worst companies in the eyes of consumers.  On Monday, April 18, the Grand Champion will be announced and named the "Worst Company in America."  The winner will receive the prestigious Golden Poo Award, a golden statuette modeled after a pile of poo.

Click here for direct link to the final bracket.  

About Consumerist.com

The Consumerist's parent company, Consumer Media LLC, is a subsidiary of Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, and ConsumerReports.org, and the nation's leading not-for-profit consumer advocacy organization. Since its founding in 1936, Consumers Union has fought for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To maintain independence and impartiality, CU accepts neither outside advertising nor free samples. It employs a staff of "mystery shoppers" who buy products in retail stores around the country, just as any other buyer would, and then ship them to the Consumers Union labs, where technical experts test some 3,000 products yearly. 

SOURCE Consumerist.com