Ok, my head is still kinda spinning and it's been an hour since the agent finally hung up on me. I will try my best to describe the details correctly, but keep in mind I speak ordinary English and interpreted the agent's "Wachov-ese" as best I could.
I should probably say up front that I am the "One". I am him; the non-balancer, the fee-payer, the "funds unavailable" guy. I know this, I have embraced it. So quit with the pointing and hushed whispers of "see children, that's what non-sufficient looks like! Don't get too close, he's looking for a co-signer".
Anyway, I used my debit card for a 8 dollar purchase, it processed as a credit and I signed a receipt with a Visa transaction auth. code on 8-26. I saw the hold in my online account that evening. Fast forward to 9-2, the first day back from the long weekend. I goofed, and used my debit card for transactions totalling 3 bucks more than they say I had in the account. Even though a hold doesn't actually involve actual money, they still felt compelled to charge me 30 actual dollars for the 8 dollar hold on "unavailable" funds. Which, curiously enough, they didn't feel obligated to show in my account activity. Only when I asked why I saw 3 nsf items (which were posted) but 120 bucks in fees was I informed of the hidden fee. "Shouldn't a virtual hold on funds only cause a virtual fee?" I said. She didn't get it.
Wait, it gets better. They went on tell me that it seemed the merchant opted to submit the original transaction (from 8-26) just AFTER all this took place. And, since there were "nonsufficient" funds, they charged ANOTHER 30 bucks for nsf! On the same transaction!!! Swearing no sequential adjustments were made (poker face intact). Now, I may be balance-challenged but I am not blind. I know for a fact that when I checked my online account on Sunday night, the hold wasn't showing in the holds screen NOR was the transaction in my account activity. I know weekends don't count, but the fact that the hold vanished tells me something processed somewhere BEFORE the 2nd.
For what it's worth, I insisted (thank you to whoever it was who suggested this) that they no longer approve items on a zero or near zero balance, which is what started this nightmare. I'm thinking my credit union at work might not be so "creative" with their balance....er, I mean MY balance. Oy!
Michael
Ontario, California
U.S.A.