Wachovia Bank steals from your bank accounts , while claiming they do this in the customers BEST interest. All lies!! Clementon New Jersey

I keep the stupid ledger or register...the bank actually sent it to me after the first time I went through a similar horror story like this. was doing fine for a while, no more overdrafts..but eventually it did happen again because I was running low on money due to hours being cut and forgot to factor in the "double" non wachovia ATM fee (you know you agree to pay the fee at the ATM..and then they zing you for another 2 dollars). In addition the machine asked if i would like to view my balance and i responded yes..I wanted to make sure I would not overdraft because i was cutting it pretty close. Well Wahovia charged me ANOTHER fee just to check my balance..uggh..yeah I know it is stated in my terms and condition scam list..but I completely forgot, I am human. Well the register didn't do squat because of the very reason this report is about..I got the "avalanche of fees" as i have come to call it..all because I made a small oversight about a ridiculous fee or two that almost seems designed to take advantage of those who are running a little low and needs to use a non wacovia atm and check their balance...it's actually quite brilliant..this bank is not stupid..just evil..there is a difference.

So what I did was go to the bank and tell them "I DO NOT WANT THE OVERDRAFT PROTECTION" "If my account can not cover a transaction..I want the merchant to hand me back the card and say it didn't go through." The bank agreed..and the same thing happened to me again...over something like a soda..caused the "avalanche of fees" to rain down on me again.

So they gave me a c**k and bull story and did not want to return the money they stole. But i was lucky because my parents have a large sum of money in the bank I had to out of desperateness have my Mom go to her branches manager in NYC..and ask him why they over drafted me when I do not want the protection. It took my mom a lot of time and fighting and crying..but the manager did arrange for me to get a full refund because even though he works for this merciless bunch of scammers, schemers and thieves, he had the common sense to realize what "canceling overdraft protection" means in English. This bank really sucks. I could go on but I have around 3 posts going on in this ripoff report all to do with the scams and errors this bank has made causing me so much undo hardship.

First of all, I'm sorry to hear that this happened to you. However, as the previous posters have indicated, if you keep an accurate register then you will not be charged fees.
For the reasons you noted, no bank can give you an exact up to minute online or ATM balance. We don't know how much you actually spent at the gas station, we only know about the dollar hold. We don't know about the $50 order with the store until they request approval upon shipping. We don't know about the automatic billpayment (or any check you write) until they are presented against you account.
However, the customer knows all this information. So if you keep that registerbalance accurate, subtract all debits as soon as you authorize them and add deposits when they are available in your account, and positive then you will not be accessed fees. The down side you already found out. If you change banks but don't change your financial management style then you will get accessed fees at your new bank.

Cheers wrote: "My significant other was charged close to $1000 in one month in fees by Wachovia Bank. We went online to look at the account to try and figure out what was going on, and could not figure it out. Finally, we spoke to a representative who told us 3 different procedures that Wachovia follows to charge us these fees and 'STEAL' our money"

Response: $1,000 in overdraft fees suggests that the account was overdrafted twenty to thirty times. This isn't a simple math error, this is neglecting to properly manage the account.


Cheers wrote: "First off, has to do with your balance. When you withdraw money from your Wachovia account from an ATM machine, the balance they print on your receipt is not your CORRECT BALANCE. In order to get your ACTUAL CORRECT BALANCE, you have call the 1-800 number and speak to a customer Service rep to find out because the account balances that you get on your ATM receipts or online are not accurate or up to date. So, say you tap the ATM machine for $100 and your balance says $200 - but you may have things that are either on hold, like when you put gas in and it holds $1 - then the actual comes out later."

Response: There's a better way than calling the bank rep. Just keep an accurate check register and you will know what your account balance is. Go to Google and do a search for "free check register" and you'll find several that you can print out and use.

By the way, what you describe applies to virtually every major bank that I can think of. And I have to ask - if you buy gas and the station only holds $1 against your account, how is that the bank's fault? How are they to know what the full amount is until the manager actually submits the entire charge?


Cheers wrote: "Or one company I use to order from online, for example, when I submit the order to the company online, and use my debit/Visa Card from Wachovia, the company then reports it to Wachovia. So if the order was $50 - it will show up on my online Wachovia account as $50 debited from that company and it is listed as a pending action but is not deducted right away. Then when the company shipped the order to me, it is once again listed on my Wachovia online account, and it actually looks like it is taken out twice. But using the earlier example where Wachovia says I have a $200 balance. Wachovia lists the $50 order from this company so it looks like it is already taken out of your balance, but the truth is that they do not actually deduct it from your account until the item shipped from the company."

Response: I don't see the problem. When you buy the item, simply mark a debit of $50 on your check register. That way you will know that the money is spent even if the hold expires.


Cheers wrote: "So, sadly, you have to physically call into WACHOVIA BANK and SPEAK to an ACTUAL CUSTOMER SERVICE REP from WACHOVIA to know your actual balance."

Response: No, you don't. Just maintain your own ledger or check register and you won't have to call.


Cheers wrote: "2) Procedure #2... 'HIGHWAY ROBBERY'. THIS IS SO UNFAIR that it literally makes me sick every time I think about it. Now - if you think you're boggled just trying to figure out your balance - you'll really be thrown when you hear this. So, say your balance on the ATM receipt says $200, but that's not the actual, because as we said earlier- you now only have $150 - because you ordered $50 from THAT company ... and it wasn't listed yet- and you really only have $150.

So, for example- you're out shopping with your daughter for some odds and ends ... just little things. You start charging things or using your debit from Wachovia. You think you have $200 when you leave for the Mall. Then in a meantime- an automated bill for $150 for your cell phone comes out of your account (you forget about it and you don't know - unless you called into Wachovia for an updated ACTUAL BALANCE before you left) - so now your at a ZERO BALANCE!! (Because you didn't even know you were at $150- you thought you had $200) But you're at ZERO!!"

Response: All of that would have been solved with an accurate check register and remembering to record your automatic payments.


Cheers wrote: "You go to the mall and go to 6 different stores and charge, in order, say $25, $59, $69, $12, $9, $10 - totaling $184. And not one of these charges was declined. The next day, 24 hours later, you run up to the store and want to get milk and cigarettes , using your debit, figuring you have $16 left , the bill is $11, and it doesn't go through. You call into the automated system- and your OVERDRAWN on your ACCOUNT $184 and you are now freaking out trying to figure out where you went wrong because you had $200 before you went shopping the day before and you made sure you didn't go over your limit.

Well, something very similar happened to us, and when we called Wachovia Customer Service to figure it out ... we were told (now sit down for this one) that since Wachovia cares about their customers, they will allow you to go under in your checking account up to $200, when your out using your ATM/Credit CARD, IN ORDER TO AVOID EMBARASSMENT WHEN YOU ARE OUT SHOPPING OR EATING DINNER OR WHATEVER ...... and not only do they allow you to go under in your account $200 - but then they charge you a $35 NSF FEE for each transaction used when they ALLOWED you to go from 0 to NEGATIVE $200, so you would not be embarrassed.

Now you under $184 from what you spent when you DID NOT have the money in your account. PLUS 6 times $35 (NSF fee) = $210 in NSF FEES. So now add $184 (from 6 transactions) + $210 (NSF Fees) = -$394 (UNDER in your ACCOUNT). You're NOW $394 under in your checking account because WACHOVIA BANK was so concerned about YOU being EMBARRESSED when you were out shopping!!! Thank you WACHOVIA! You are sooo wonderful!!"

Response: You just articulated why it is extremely important to manage your finances and keep accurate records of your transactions. If you had, the $50 that went to the first company would have been listed and the $150 cell phone payment would not have been forgotten. You would have looked at your check register and known to go shopping from that account.

That applies to the checks scenario as well. Your significant other agreed to the terms and conditions when he or she opened the account and that included how transactions are processed.


Cheers wrote: "They are STEALING from us. Literally STEALING!!!!!!!"

Response: No, you and your significant other are choosing to give away large amounts of money in the form of unneccessary overdraft fees.


Cheers wrote: "I don't care if I have to take this personally to the President of the United States."

Response: Good luck with that. He doesn't need you until 2012.


Cheers wrote: "And if you have money - you're fine, but if you are living paycheck to paycheck - and you start this VISCIOUS CYCLE with the bank- it is ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to get out of!!! The Rich get RICHER and the POOR GET POORER!!!"

Response: Nonsense. I've brought my balances to under $1.50. I'm not rich or even particularly good at math. I have to use a calculator when filling out my ledger because I don't want to risk making a mistake with my numbers. It's simply a matter of not spending more than what you put in.

Cheers wrote: "My significant other was charged close to $1000 in one month in fees by Wachovia Bank. We went online to look at the account to try and figure out what was going on, and could not figure it out. Finally, we spoke to a representative who told us 3 different procedures that Wachovia follows to charge us these fees and 'STEAL' our money"

Response: $1,000 in overdraft fees suggests that the account was overdrafted twenty to thirty times. This isn't a simple math error, this is neglecting to properly manage the account.


Cheers wrote: "First off, has to do with your balance. When you withdraw money from your Wachovia account from an ATM machine, the balance they print on your receipt is not your CORRECT BALANCE. In order to get your ACTUAL CORRECT BALANCE, you have call the 1-800 number and speak to a customer Service rep to find out because the account balances that you get on your ATM receipts or online are not accurate or up to date. So, say you tap the ATM machine for $100 and your balance says $200 - but you may have things that are either on hold, like when you put gas in and it holds $1 - then the actual comes out later."

Response: There's a better way than calling the bank rep. Just keep an accurate check register and you will know what your account balance is. Go to Google and do a search for "free check register" and you'll find several that you can print out and use.

By the way, what you describe applies to virtually every major bank that I can think of. And I have to ask - if you buy gas and the station only holds $1 against your account, how is that the bank's fault? How are they to know what the full amount is until the manager actually submits the entire charge?


Cheers wrote: "Or one company I use to order from online, for example, when I submit the order to the company online, and use my debit/Visa Card from Wachovia, the company then reports it to Wachovia. So if the order was $50 - it will show up on my online Wachovia account as $50 debited from that company and it is listed as a pending action but is not deducted right away. Then when the company shipped the order to me, it is once again listed on my Wachovia online account, and it actually looks like it is taken out twice. But using the earlier example where Wachovia says I have a $200 balance. Wachovia lists the $50 order from this company so it looks like it is already taken out of your balance, but the truth is that they do not actually deduct it from your account until the item shipped from the company."

Response: I don't see the problem. When you buy the item, simply mark a debit of $50 on your check register. That way you will know that the money is spent even if the hold expires.


Cheers wrote: "So, sadly, you have to physically call into WACHOVIA BANK and SPEAK to an ACTUAL CUSTOMER SERVICE REP from WACHOVIA to know your actual balance."

Response: No, you don't. Just maintain your own ledger or check register and you won't have to call.


Cheers wrote: "2) Procedure #2... 'HIGHWAY ROBBERY'. THIS IS SO UNFAIR that it literally makes me sick every time I think about it. Now - if you think you're boggled just trying to figure out your balance - you'll really be thrown when you hear this. So, say your balance on the ATM receipt says $200, but that's not the actual, because as we said earlier- you now only have $150 - because you ordered $50 from THAT company ... and it wasn't listed yet- and you really only have $150.

So, for example- you're out shopping with your daughter for some odds and ends ... just little things. You start charging things or using your debit from Wachovia. You think you have $200 when you leave for the Mall. Then in a meantime- an automated bill for $150 for your cell phone comes out of your account (you forget about it and you don't know - unless you called into Wachovia for an updated ACTUAL BALANCE before you left) - so now your at a ZERO BALANCE!! (Because you didn't even know you were at $150- you thought you had $200) But you're at ZERO!!"

Response: All of that would have been solved with an accurate check register and remembering to record your automatic payments.


Cheers wrote: "You go to the mall and go to 6 different stores and charge, in order, say $25, $59, $69, $12, $9, $10 - totaling $184. And not one of these charges was declined. The next day, 24 hours later, you run up to the store and want to get milk and cigarettes , using your debit, figuring you have $16 left , the bill is $11, and it doesn't go through. You call into the automated system- and your OVERDRAWN on your ACCOUNT $184 and you are now freaking out trying to figure out where you went wrong because you had $200 before you went shopping the day before and you made sure you didn't go over your limit.

Well, something very similar happened to us, and when we called Wachovia Customer Service to figure it out ... we were told (now sit down for this one) that since Wachovia cares about their customers, they will allow you to go under in your checking account up to $200, when your out using your ATM/Credit CARD, IN ORDER TO AVOID EMBARASSMENT WHEN YOU ARE OUT SHOPPING OR EATING DINNER OR WHATEVER ...... and not only do they allow you to go under in your account $200 - but then they charge you a $35 NSF FEE for each transaction used when they ALLOWED you to go from 0 to NEGATIVE $200, so you would not be embarrassed.

Now you under $184 from what you spent when you DID NOT have the money in your account. PLUS 6 times $35 (NSF fee) = $210 in NSF FEES. So now add $184 (from 6 transactions) + $210 (NSF Fees) = -$394 (UNDER in your ACCOUNT). You're NOW $394 under in your checking account because WACHOVIA BANK was so concerned about YOU being EMBARRESSED when you were out shopping!!! Thank you WACHOVIA! You are sooo wonderful!!"

Response: You just articulated why it is extremely important to manage your finances and keep accurate records of your transactions. If you had, the $50 that went to the first company would have been listed and the $150 cell phone payment would not have been forgotten. You would have looked at your check register and known to go shopping from that account.

That applies to the checks scenario as well. Your significant other agreed to the terms and conditions when he or she opened the account and that included how transactions are processed.


Cheers wrote: "They are STEALING from us. Literally STEALING!!!!!!!"

Response: No, you and your significant other are choosing to give away large amounts of money in the form of unneccessary overdraft fees.


Cheers wrote: "I don't care if I have to take this personally to the President of the United States."

Response: Good luck with that. He doesn't need you until 2012.


Cheers wrote: "And if you have money - you're fine, but if you are living paycheck to paycheck - and you start this VISCIOUS CYCLE with the bank- it is ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to get out of!!! The Rich get RICHER and the POOR GET POORER!!!"

Response: Nonsense. I've brought my balances to under $1.50. I'm not rich or even particularly good at math. I have to use a calculator when filling out my ledger because I don't want to risk making a mistake with my numbers. It's simply a matter of not spending more than what you put in.

Cheers wrote: "My significant other was charged close to $1000 in one month in fees by Wachovia Bank. We went online to look at the account to try and figure out what was going on, and could not figure it out. Finally, we spoke to a representative who told us 3 different procedures that Wachovia follows to charge us these fees and 'STEAL' our money"

Response: $1,000 in overdraft fees suggests that the account was overdrafted twenty to thirty times. This isn't a simple math error, this is neglecting to properly manage the account.


Cheers wrote: "First off, has to do with your balance. When you withdraw money from your Wachovia account from an ATM machine, the balance they print on your receipt is not your CORRECT BALANCE. In order to get your ACTUAL CORRECT BALANCE, you have call the 1-800 number and speak to a customer Service rep to find out because the account balances that you get on your ATM receipts or online are not accurate or up to date. So, say you tap the ATM machine for $100 and your balance says $200 - but you may have things that are either on hold, like when you put gas in and it holds $1 - then the actual comes out later."

Response: There's a better way than calling the bank rep. Just keep an accurate check register and you will know what your account balance is. Go to Google and do a search for "free check register" and you'll find several that you can print out and use.

By the way, what you describe applies to virtually every major bank that I can think of. And I have to ask - if you buy gas and the station only holds $1 against your account, how is that the bank's fault? How are they to know what the full amount is until the manager actually submits the entire charge?


Cheers wrote: "Or one company I use to order from online, for example, when I submit the order to the company online, and use my debit/Visa Card from Wachovia, the company then reports it to Wachovia. So if the order was $50 - it will show up on my online Wachovia account as $50 debited from that company and it is listed as a pending action but is not deducted right away. Then when the company shipped the order to me, it is once again listed on my Wachovia online account, and it actually looks like it is taken out twice. But using the earlier example where Wachovia says I have a $200 balance. Wachovia lists the $50 order from this company so it looks like it is already taken out of your balance, but the truth is that they do not actually deduct it from your account until the item shipped from the company."

Response: I don't see the problem. When you buy the item, simply mark a debit of $50 on your check register. That way you will know that the money is spent even if the hold expires.


Cheers wrote: "So, sadly, you have to physically call into WACHOVIA BANK and SPEAK to an ACTUAL CUSTOMER SERVICE REP from WACHOVIA to know your actual balance."

Response: No, you don't. Just maintain your own ledger or check register and you won't have to call.


Cheers wrote: "2) Procedure #2... 'HIGHWAY ROBBERY'. THIS IS SO UNFAIR that it literally makes me sick every time I think about it. Now - if you think you're boggled just trying to figure out your balance - you'll really be thrown when you hear this. So, say your balance on the ATM receipt says $200, but that's not the actual, because as we said earlier- you now only have $150 - because you ordered $50 from THAT company ... and it wasn't listed yet- and you really only have $150.

So, for example- you're out shopping with your daughter for some odds and ends ... just little things. You start charging things or using your debit from Wachovia. You think you have $200 when you leave for the Mall. Then in a meantime- an automated bill for $150 for your cell phone comes out of your account (you forget about it and you don't know - unless you called into Wachovia for an updated ACTUAL BALANCE before you left) - so now your at a ZERO BALANCE!! (Because you didn't even know you were at $150- you thought you had $200) But you're at ZERO!!"

Response: All of that would have been solved with an accurate check register and remembering to record your automatic payments.


Cheers wrote: "You go to the mall and go to 6 different stores and charge, in order, say $25, $59, $69, $12, $9, $10 - totaling $184. And not one of these charges was declined. The next day, 24 hours later, you run up to the store and want to get milk and cigarettes , using your debit, figuring you have $16 left , the bill is $11, and it doesn't go through. You call into the automated system- and your OVERDRAWN on your ACCOUNT $184 and you are now freaking out trying to figure out where you went wrong because you had $200 before you went shopping the day before and you made sure you didn't go over your limit.

Well, something very similar happened to us, and when we called Wachovia Customer Service to figure it out ... we were told (now sit down for this one) that since Wachovia cares about their customers, they will allow you to go under in your checking account up to $200, when your out using your ATM/Credit CARD, IN ORDER TO AVOID EMBARASSMENT WHEN YOU ARE OUT SHOPPING OR EATING DINNER OR WHATEVER ...... and not only do they allow you to go under in your account $200 - but then they charge you a $35 NSF FEE for each transaction used when they ALLOWED you to go from 0 to NEGATIVE $200, so you would not be embarrassed.

Now you under $184 from what you spent when you DID NOT have the money in your account. PLUS 6 times $35 (NSF fee) = $210 in NSF FEES. So now add $184 (from 6 transactions) + $210 (NSF Fees) = -$394 (UNDER in your ACCOUNT). You're NOW $394 under in your checking account because WACHOVIA BANK was so concerned about YOU being EMBARRESSED when you were out shopping!!! Thank you WACHOVIA! You are sooo wonderful!!"

Response: You just articulated why it is extremely important to manage your finances and keep accurate records of your transactions. If you had, the $50 that went to the first company would have been listed and the $150 cell phone payment would not have been forgotten. You would have looked at your check register and known to go shopping from that account.

That applies to the checks scenario as well. Your significant other agreed to the terms and conditions when he or she opened the account and that included how transactions are processed.


Cheers wrote: "They are STEALING from us. Literally STEALING!!!!!!!"

Response: No, you and your significant other are choosing to give away large amounts of money in the form of unneccessary overdraft fees.


Cheers wrote: "I don't care if I have to take this personally to the President of the United States."

Response: Good luck with that. He doesn't need you until 2012.


Cheers wrote: "And if you have money - you're fine, but if you are living paycheck to paycheck - and you start this VISCIOUS CYCLE with the bank- it is ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to get out of!!! The Rich get RICHER and the POOR GET POORER!!!"

Response: Nonsense. I've brought my balances to under $1.50. I'm not rich or even particularly good at math. I have to use a calculator when filling out my ledger because I don't want to risk making a mistake with my numbers. It's simply a matter of not spending more than what you put in.

Cheers wrote: "My significant other was charged close to $1000 in one month in fees by Wachovia Bank. We went online to look at the account to try and figure out what was going on, and could not figure it out. Finally, we spoke to a representative who told us 3 different procedures that Wachovia follows to charge us these fees and 'STEAL' our money"

Response: $1,000 in overdraft fees suggests that the account was overdrafted twenty to thirty times. This isn't a simple math error, this is neglecting to properly manage the account.


Cheers wrote: "First off, has to do with your balance. When you withdraw money from your Wachovia account from an ATM machine, the balance they print on your receipt is not your CORRECT BALANCE. In order to get your ACTUAL CORRECT BALANCE, you have call the 1-800 number and speak to a customer Service rep to find out because the account balances that you get on your ATM receipts or online are not accurate or up to date. So, say you tap the ATM machine for $100 and your balance says $200 - but you may have things that are either on hold, like when you put gas in and it holds $1 - then the actual comes out later."

Response: There's a better way than calling the bank rep. Just keep an accurate check register and you will know what your account balance is. Go to Google and do a search for "free check register" and you'll find several that you can print out and use.

By the way, what you describe applies to virtually every major bank that I can think of. And I have to ask - if you buy gas and the station only holds $1 against your account, how is that the bank's fault? How are they to know what the full amount is until the manager actually submits the entire charge?


Cheers wrote: "Or one company I use to order from online, for example, when I submit the order to the company online, and use my debit/Visa Card from Wachovia, the company then reports it to Wachovia. So if the order was $50 - it will show up on my online Wachovia account as $50 debited from that company and it is listed as a pending action but is not deducted right away. Then when the company shipped the order to me, it is once again listed on my Wachovia online account, and it actually looks like it is taken out twice. But using the earlier example where Wachovia says I have a $200 balance. Wachovia lists the $50 order from this company so it looks like it is already taken out of your balance, but the truth is that they do not actually deduct it from your account until the item shipped from the company."

Response: I don't see the problem. When you buy the item, simply mark a debit of $50 on your check register. That way you will know that the money is spent even if the hold expires.


Cheers wrote: "So, sadly, you have to physically call into WACHOVIA BANK and SPEAK to an ACTUAL CUSTOMER SERVICE REP from WACHOVIA to know your actual balance."

Response: No, you don't. Just maintain your own ledger or check register and you won't have to call.


Cheers wrote: "2) Procedure #2... 'HIGHWAY ROBBERY'. THIS IS SO UNFAIR that it literally makes me sick every time I think about it. Now - if you think you're boggled just trying to figure out your balance - you'll really be thrown when you hear this. So, say your balance on the ATM receipt says $200, but that's not the actual, because as we said earlier- you now only have $150 - because you ordered $50 from THAT company ... and it wasn't listed yet- and you really only have $150.

So, for example- you're out shopping with your daughter for some odds and ends ... just little things. You start charging things or using your debit from Wachovia. You think you have $200 when you leave for the Mall. Then in a meantime- an automated bill for $150 for your cell phone comes out of your account (you forget about it and you don't know - unless you called into Wachovia for an updated ACTUAL BALANCE before you left) - so now your at a ZERO BALANCE!! (Because you didn't even know you were at $150- you thought you had $200) But you're at ZERO!!"

Response: All of that would have been solved with an accurate check register and remembering to record your automatic payments.


Cheers wrote: "You go to the mall and go to 6 different stores and charge, in order, say $25, $59, $69, $12, $9, $10 - totaling $184. And not one of these charges was declined. The next day, 24 hours later, you run up to the store and want to get milk and cigarettes , using your debit, figuring you have $16 left , the bill is $11, and it doesn't go through. You call into the automated system- and your OVERDRAWN on your ACCOUNT $184 and you are now freaking out trying to figure out where you went wrong because you had $200 before you went shopping the day before and you made sure you didn't go over your limit.

Well, something very similar happened to us, and when we called Wachovia Customer Service to figure it out ... we were told (now sit down for this one) that since Wachovia cares about their customers, they will allow you to go under in your checking account up to $200, when your out using your ATM/Credit CARD, IN ORDER TO AVOID EMBARASSMENT WHEN YOU ARE OUT SHOPPING OR EATING DINNER OR WHATEVER ...... and not only do they allow you to go under in your account $200 - but then they charge you a $35 NSF FEE for each transaction used when they ALLOWED you to go from 0 to NEGATIVE $200, so you would not be embarrassed.

Now you under $184 from what you spent when you DID NOT have the money in your account. PLUS 6 times $35 (NSF fee) = $210 in NSF FEES. So now add $184 (from 6 transactions) + $210 (NSF Fees) = -$394 (UNDER in your ACCOUNT). You're NOW $394 under in your checking account because WACHOVIA BANK was so concerned about YOU being EMBARRESSED when you were out shopping!!! Thank you WACHOVIA! You are sooo wonderful!!"

Response: You just articulated why it is extremely important to manage your finances and keep accurate records of your transactions. If you had, the $50 that went to the first company would have been listed and the $150 cell phone payment would not have been forgotten. You would have looked at your check register and known to go shopping from that account.

That applies to the checks scenario as well. Your significant other agreed to the terms and conditions when he or she opened the account and that included how transactions are processed.


Cheers wrote: "They are STEALING from us. Literally STEALING!!!!!!!"

Response: No, you and your significant other are choosing to give away large amounts of money in the form of unneccessary overdraft fees.


Cheers wrote: "I don't care if I have to take this personally to the President of the United States."

Response: Good luck with that. He doesn't need you until 2012.


Cheers wrote: "And if you have money - you're fine, but if you are living paycheck to paycheck - and you start this VISCIOUS CYCLE with the bank- it is ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to get out of!!! The Rich get RICHER and the POOR GET POORER!!!"

Response: Nonsense. I've brought my balances to under $1.50. I'm not rich or even particularly good at math. I have to use a calculator when filling out my ledger because I don't want to risk making a mistake with my numbers. It's simply a matter of not spending more than what you put in.

How about keeping an accurate check register? This way you will not spend more then you have in your account and the bank will stop charging you fees that YOU OWE them! If you do not know how to keep a check register, you can go into the bank for help. I have a relative that works for a major bank and she is always getting customers who need help in setting up and maintaining their check registers.

Face it, you and your 'significant other' overdrew your accounts and you were charged legitimate overdraft fees. So, stop complaining you caused the fees you have to pay the fees. This is not a rip-off, just stupidity.

Using an account register and reconciling that register with a monthly account statement from the bank will prevent any account holder from causing any NSF/OD fees.

The majority (if not all) of the reports I've read about NSF/OD fees have common behaviors of the account holders:

using atm cards for everyday purchases.
using more than ONE card attached to the account (husband and wife)
using atm cards for online purchases.
using atm cards for 'auto-bill pay' (autodebits)
relying upon telephone or online account balances to determine what money is available for that shopping trip to Walmart.
*NOT using an account register.
*not reconciling an account register with the scheduled monthly account statement generated by the bank.

Ways to avoid these NSF/OD fees:

1. Use an account register and reconcile the account register with a monthly written statement generated by the bank. If the bank is not mailing statements, contact customer service to have monthly statements MAILED to you.

1a. Be aware of ATM fees, such as the 'non-bank ATM fee' that most banks charge when you use an ATM that is not owned by your bank to make a withdrawal and post that fee in your account register immediately.

1b. Also be aware of any monthly 'account service fee' charged by your bank and post that to your register on the appropriate date.

2. Do NOT GIVE bank account information (or ATM card info) to any merchant, service provider, utility, online service to pay for services and goods. Use a REAL credit card for this purpose (either secured cc or unsecured cc.) Do not setup any automatic deposit to an account that is attached to said cc-NO auto payments to CC company-mail a check each month. If the entity demanding payment makes a mistake, you're gonna have a host of problems and risk OD/NSF fees.

3. Do NOT use an ATM card for everyday expenses-USE CASH. Establish a monthly budget and withdrawal a weekly 'allowance' for every day expenses such as 'milk and bread' from the corner store, Burger King, etc. This will reduce the amount of transactions on the bank account which in turn makes RECONCILING the account and detecting ERRORS easier to accomplish. Again, if the entity demanding payment makes a mistake, you're gonna risk NSF/OD fees.

4. Do not shop with the ATM card-use a real credit card. A real credit card offers protections that you don't have with an ATM card. If the merchant/service makes a mistake, you can dispute it with the CC company WITHOUT getting any OD/NSF. Not true if you use an ATM card-if the merchant makes a mistake, your money is gone until you can convince your bank to give it back, as well as OD/NSF fees.

5. ONLY ONE ATM CARD to one account. Do NOT have 2 or more atm cards for one bank account. Having 'his and hers' ATM cards attached to the same account is the same as in the old days when some folks would have 2 checkbooks for writing checks. It was an invitation to disaster then, and it is today.

6. Verify that deposits to the account have actually cleared. Deposits can take anywhere between 1 and 5 BUSINESS days to clear depending on the type and/or source of the deposit.

Follow ALL of these suggestions and you will NEVER pay an OD/NSF fee again unless it is a LEGITIMATE bank error, and then the bank will gladly and quickly rectify the situation and credit any fees generated as well as contact payees and cover any fees the payees assess to you.

This is a tried and true method to avoid these fees. It works EVERY TIME it's tried.