Desert Schools Federal Credit Uniion NSF fees seem similar to Compass Bank Scheme Phoenix Arizona

Oh, and I checked, their membership is up every month so far this year (and last year).  So, most people don't seem to have a problem with them. Maybe it's you???

Ok, so, there are a lot of problems that you seem to have with this particular institution.  Having worked in the banking industry in the past, I understand how these things work.  First of all, the "live" banking system that you were so fond of, is a great way to have a financial institution run, it is just, unfortunately, behind the times.  Desert Schools underwent a system upgrade due to the fact that merchants were beginning to be unable to work and integrate with Desert School's old system.  It was stopping them from being able to work with the merchants that they already had relationships with and was limiting any sort of growth that they may want to do in the future. 

As far as the fees for the small transactions that were done on your account.  The original response to your story was correct, that "pending" transactions on your account are viewed as transactions that will post to the account but have not yet completed their full processing time and process.  Therefore, if your balance (including those "pending" transactions) is below zero, you will be charged a fee.  If a merchant accepts your debit card as payment, it is fully within their rights to not send through that payment for full credit right away.  Therefore, your account may be in the positive when the card is approved, then some other transactions may clear, then the merchant sends their transaction through for payment to Desert Schools.  Once they receive that transaction from the merchant, they HAVE to pay it (as the merchant has already provided you with whatever was purchased).  Desert Schools is not responsible for balancing your checking account.  I don't understand how you can take no responsibility for balancing your own checking account and expect Desert Schools to monitor your account as if they had a special person assigned to you. 

I have banked with Desert Schools (still do) as well with Bank of America and Chase.  Desert Schools is always the best when it comes to timely service and helpfulness.  I have experienced a situation with both Desert Schools and Bank of America when it has come to (at my own fault) overdrafting my checking account and had a couple of fees assessed to it (BofA fee: $35, DSFCU: $30; also, BofA has fees if you keep your balance negative for more than a few days, DSFCU does not).  I called Desert Schools when this happened there, explained it was a mistake I made and that I have never in the past and they reviewed my account and said that they could meet me half way and reverse one of the two fees I had gotten.  Very nice.  I called BofA for the same purpose, explaining I made a mistake, and I had always had a good relationship with them, I was immediately shot down of any hope to have any sort of fees reversed.  Now, while I don't expect them to reverse any fees for me, as this was of my own fault, and I take responsibility for not balancing my checking account and keeping a close enough eye on it for that time, it was nice to have an institution that would work with me and understand that mistakes happen. 

I like Desert Schools, and understand how the banking systems and industry works.  Bottom line is, you need to take responsibility for your own account.  If you had a register of all your transactions and balances, none of this would have ever happened, and there is no way to refute that.  And if these small transactions were not anything that you authorized, you can always dispute these transactions with Desert Schools and they will work to get your funds back (as well as reverse any fees associated with them).  If you hold no responsibility for your balances, you will find issues at whatever banking institution you work with, big or small.

Yes..your banks "systems upgrade" is a ripoff..apparently they found out that the big boys (BofA, Wachovia etc) have been bilking and fleecing the consumers out of BILLIONS of dollars in fees..and they want a piece. Unfortunately for them they will lose customers..and if things go as they should..will be paying it back in class action lawsuit "settlements".. the banks tend to settle these issues. It sucks that it needs to come down to lawsuits..but until the laws are changed..or it is determined that laws are currently being violated..this is all we have. Well this and to stop using banks that practice this greedy deception that the banks call a "courtesy"..more like an un authorized loan at 3000% interest if you ask me. If you can't find a bank that does not use this deception..look for a credit union ..I have found most do not do this..have one OD fee per month forgiveness..and in the event of a fee..it is much less..a reasonable fee. As well you will find some do not "hold" anything..which is a great way they get you to overdraft...blaming the merchant is bunk..no other credit cards or debit cards i use even hold anything. Electronics work at about the speed of light..the banks know this. The only way they have to tack on MORE additional fees besides hiding and shifting our available balance..is with holds.

I am not allowed to give out websites or phone numbers here but if you google "Finkelstein Thompson LLP" you can find out how to contact them to help with an "investigation" if you have been a victim of this "re-sequencing" scam which directly caused the ADDITIONAL fees on top of the actual legitimate overdraft(s). Actually instead of "victim" it should be "Plaintiff".

It is alleged that some banks, are in violation of 12 U.S.C. 4303(b)(1) for their failure to disclose that the condition precedent of a pre-existing overdraft could cause the assessment of additional overdraft fees.  Instead, the banks have been lying to consumers that the condition precedent was insufficient funds.

[The true reason why you were assessed the additional overdraft fees that you did NOT cause is because you actually had a pre-existing overdraft in your account that the bank used to manipulate your account to create additional overdraft fees by a creative accounting practice].

[The bank then falsely accused you of being at fault for the additional overdrafts you didnt cause by lying to you about having insufficient funds in your account.  In fact, without the pre-existing overdraft(s) in your account (condition precedent), it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for the banks creative accounting practice to have assessed additional overdraft fees against you that you did not create].

[That is why the bank engages in tactics to make you overdraft your account. For example, the bank will not immediately post your correct available balance or the bank will drop a hold on your account to only apply it later to make you believe you have more available funds in your account then you do. The bank will also split two pre-existing overdrafts created on the same date so it can create additional overdraft fees on two different posting dates instead of one].

"Yes- when your account reaches 0.00 the card declines and you don't get NSF fees. "

  If you're relying on that method, I'm quite positive you still don't understand what Robert was trying to explain to you.  There is a difference between a transaction that shows up on your account as "pending" and when that transaction is actually posted to your account (usually days later).

   Here's a common example.  You have $50 in your account.   You go buy some gasoline and the station sends a $1 transaction to the pending column of your account.  You actually buy $35 in gas (which won't show up for several days).   After the gas station you go to a store and buy $40 worth of stuff.   Your card is accepted because as far as the bank knows, you've only charged $1 so far.  In reality you've actually charge $75 and are now overdrawn.   Additionally, what if you'd written a check on the account?  The bank doesn't know about that until the check shows up. In the meantime, the debit card will allow you to merrily overdraft away.

   The only one who know (in real time) how much money you've spent is you.   If you don't keep an accurate register for the account, this will continue to happen.  It doesn't matter where you bank.  If you use a debit card, the system works the same way for all of them. 

This is for the "You Don't Understand" guy. We do understand- NOW. Since DSFCU did their "upgrade", they have changed the way they do business. Don't give me this babysitting crap. I went to DSFCU years ago BECAUSE they did business that way. Yes- when your account reaches 0.00 the card declines and you don't get NSF fees. What a great concept. Desert Schools, a not-for-profit community organization is now operating like the big banks and their "upgrade" changes them into a money sucking machine that employs practices designed to be confusing and loaded with a minefield of ways to trigger huge fees exactly like the big boys. I realized this when I went to the counter and asked for a money order. They said there is a $3.00 fee for this. Covenience stores only charge a dollar. The check-cashing place down the street gives them to people for FREE. This "organization" has turned into the type of bank I hate. Why should I use them now when I can get the same crap from a big bank, yet have an ATM on every corner. This is a big mistake on their part and I guaranTEE they are losing members by the droves. I wonder if "You Don't Understand" is somehow affiliated with Desert Schools? I'm gonna say...yeah. SJ

This is a very good example why it should be required that some people take a "Basic Banking" Class.

First of all you may or may not "see" the transaction on-line or if you call in, but the transaction is still "pending". It does not POST immediately. Banks(and CU's) post transactions in batches overnight and they DO NOT post on weekends or banking holidays. This posting process has not changed in decades and is the same with EVERY bank or CU. The way Debit Card transactions are processed from the merchants it can take 1-3 days for them to actually POST, and is beyond the control of the bank. As much as people want to believe banks do not hold transactions for days in the hope that you will overdraft your account at a later time.

As for the transactions showing up. It sounds as if they "may" no longer be showing the "pending" transactions(or they moved them to another location on the screen). This confusion you have with "posting" may be the reason. Since they post in batches, if you OD but see transactions on the screen you may think you should only be assessed x number of fees, but because the ones were not truly posted you are assessed x+n number of fees. Where the x+n is correct in terms of the account, but confuses some customers. So they may be doing this to make it clearer.

This is just a guess as to what is going on, but regardless you should not be relying on on-line banking for managing your account. On-line banking is only as accurate as the merchants that submit the debits. As the bank does not know you have spent the money until they receive the transaction. You need to maintain a register to write down all of your transactions.

"They let a 62 cent transaction go through so they could charge me $30, and not once, 7 times!!! "
- If you maintain low balances, have multiple people using the account, and use your debit card for these small purchases you are playing with fire. But the bank is not your babysitter, they did not hold a gun to your head forcing you to use your debit card. That was your choice and your responsibility to make sure you had enough in the account to cover it.

In your case with 2 people using the account, you need to each keep a register and reconcile the transactions. It is a bit more complicated with 2 people, but still managable. So if you maintain low balances then the best thing you can do is cut up your debit cards and go back to using cash for those small purchases. If each of you take out a set amount of money it will be a lot easier to keep track of your spending.

I have been a customer off Desert Schools for 4 years now. I joined because my husband had been with them for 20 years. My favorite feature wa the live online banking. You could make a debit, immediately call their phoneline or go online and it would have already posted. This comes in handy when two people are using the same account.
Recently, they went through a "systems upgrade" and now there is a 2 day hold on all transactions and no transactions will post over the weekends. However, this week, we did not use our debit cards during or after the wekend. It is now Friday, and I look at my account to find several transactions for under a dollar, a few transactions for 2 dollars... and attached to each one of them is a $30 NSF fee totaling $270 in NSF fees. How is this considered a systems upgrade?
Normally if you overdraw then DSFCU will deny any transactions. However, they let all of these transactions for less than a dollar go through not once, but 7 times? How can I get this money back?
My husband has a separate account. He cashed a birthday check this weekend, did not overdraw on his account and they charged him an NSF fee as well. All of this happens in the same week?