TCF BANK PULL YOU IN 'FREE CASH' - BEWARE THEY ARE FEE FOCUSED, NEVER CUSTOMER FOCUSED Minneapolis, Minnesota

This bank offers more FREE cash incentives than other banks do. They approach you in Jewel grocery stores. Their offerings border on harassment. They don't remember faces. They repeatedly approach you about the same thing. It's like they won't take "no" for an answer!

I was out of work with no source of income. I was ready to loose my Indiana home. I had actually left my home (couldn't pay the winter utilities) and went home to mom's home in Chicago where I paid no rent. I was doing her grocery shopping. I had $25 of my own money to my name and several bills to deal with.This was at the Jewel at 79th and Cicero, Chicago, IL.

The bank representative came saying "you don't need much to open an account. You'll get $50 FREE cash just for opening an account. It yours to keep. It will only take a few minutes and you'll be on your way. How can you lose?"

I finally conceded and met with a bank sign-up agent. I produced my Indiana drivers license with zip code 47374 (rural Indiana). I had asked a girl for a listing of their bank locations. I told her I was only temporarily staying at mom's Chicago home however I lived in Indiana. I wanted to know what was available by my Indiana home which I had hopes of getting back to. She said she'd get back to that when she finished her computer entries. She never produced that list! I forgot about it. Much later I found out they have no banks anywhere remotely near zip code 47374! I asked that my checks not be mailed out but rather that I pick them up at the store. She said that would be no problem at all.

Two to three weeks later I went back to the store to pick up my checks. They were not there. They sent them to my Indiana home address. No one was there. The home was vacant. They agreed it was their error and they would have another box of checks sent to the store for pickup. I would not be charged for them. They would also waive the delivery fee. I thought 'OK, I've been inconvenienced however at least your not charging me for your error'. WRONG!!

Not only was my account charged for the 2nd box of checks but I was also charged for the shipping charges. I was unaware as I hadn't received a bank statement as yet nor had I gone online. I wrote a check off of my initial $25 deposit. Then I gave a creditor phone permission to debit my account $10 (against their $50). That debit did not go through due to the account being hit with fees for the 2nd box of checks, shipping and monthly maintenance fees. Then they hit me up for overdraft and more fees. Meanwhile my home was being listed as a short sale so my attention was consumed by that. My bank statements were going to rural Indiana (250 miles away). The only thing I knew was this: my $10 debit did not go through, I was losing my home, not getting my bank statements, I'd been lied to and trapped. Their sign up rep had listened to nothing and just put me into their system.

Why are they so anxious to give away money? Because they know they have entrapment going on! In today's mail came a flyer from TCF Bank. ***Redeem This Coupon And Get $100 Free Cash.***

Prospective Customers Please Beware The Fine Print! Note: TCF standard account fees will apply. These include non-sufficient funds, overdrafts, monthly maintenance AND OTHER FEES'. They are fee focused but NEVER customer focused. Don't do business with this bank. I was warned in the distant past by someone. I wish their words had echoed with me that day.

Since then I have gone to one of their branches. They said they could not help. I have called the collection agency. They said to call the bank. The bank said to return to the Jewel branch where it all began. The Collection Agency will not reduce the almost $100 debt caused by this horrendous offer of a FREE $50. The bank agreed that my closed account confirms this reported charge history however they cannot do or offer anything. I have no recourse but to pay this additional $100 for their $50 that went to fees.

PROSPECT: You are not a customer, YET JUST AN ACCOUNT TO RACK UP FEES!!!! DON'T GET SUCKED IN!! There is NO 'FREE' WITH TCF BANK!!!!! There is no 'Free' just DECEPTION.