Capital City Bank bounce protection is a scam, Internet

If Capital City Bank is "Allowing" me to overdraw, why then did they opt me in without my permission? And when I called to opt out, why did they tell me I had to show up at the bank in person (turned out to be a lie) with hopes to make it just inconvienient enough I wouldn't opt out? Sounds to me like they are not "allowing" but instead, are "forcing" or "sneaking" the service in on me and others because very few would otherwise use such a thing.

On the "$25.00 for a returned check", just pay the fee, you'll be much better off. That far from justifies staying opted into a trap that will eventually and often enough, catch some in several ways other than returned check fees. It's not realistic to defend this with rubber check fees. Besides that, if I know my math like I think I do, a $25 check fee is less than the $35 OD fee...right? Just more fast talk/scare tactics.

Funny how one often feels the need to resort to picking/choosing worse case scenarios like tax bills, rent or whatever (problems that aren't the norm are always useful scare tactics, but are only that in the end) in order to defend their unethical cause, when in most cases it isn't those things, but could be and often is, a much more "normal" $35 fee for buying a pack of chewing gum and the like, or did you forget to mention that probability? This is a ripoff, plain and simple, folks, that is, by design, a trap that is pushed on the customer because no one in ther right mind is going to approve or ask that a trap be set for themselves. What's even more bizzarre is those trying to convince clients, this is all ok or even good for us.

If a Capital City Bank employee who is making desperate attempts at damage control here on Ripoff Reports, came to me in a personal setting where I was complaining about the overdrafts scam and told me it was all as simple as I should check my check book/keep better records, and that there was something wrong with ME (blame the victim stragety) because I didn't do so, I would have to answer the following:

I never had to worry so much about that before the overdraft thing was forced on me, as when I would try to buy something prior to Overdraw Protection, I simply wouldn't have the money and would be denied, no overdraft fee, no problem. So yes, the solution "really is that simple". Now would come the question "Well, what about writing checks, they won't be denied until it's too late?" to that I'd say, read the first paragrapgh of my post.

As far as not being "stupid or lazy" I agree with the "stupid" part. I write very few checks so it's simple to maintain without keeping an accurate checkbook record  (though I still do, just don't need to use it and even that won't save us in all cases), people do this all the time....Simply call to see what my balance is and if I used a recent check/debit purchase, I'll consider that too when I want to know if or not I have enough money to do what I want to do.

So again, I agree, don't be stupid, there are other ways that work. Again, we'll always have the out of the opdinary or just human error situations that your record keeping way won't stop, but Capital City Bank depends on that to make a lot of the money they do make from this scam so, if you work for them, I wouldn't knock human error. :)

"Don't overspend" you say? "Here it the way to avoid oversopending"?

To that I say, don't shove something in my face I didn't ask for, or make it harder with CCB lies to opt out of. As for the human error of overspending, NEWSFLASH! human error is going to happen, by stupid or understandable mistake. CCB knows that and that's precicely what they are preying on here. Then they come here trying to blam the vicitim for the very human error they depend on for their scam to work and for what THEY alone are responsible for........

Once again, as someone here so eloquently put it, don't be stupid...If CCB doesn't create a situation where we have to pay overdraw fees there won't be any overdraw fees. Get it?

Sure there will be a few normal problems that have always been there but in the end, Overdraft protection will cost the customer much more than it will save them from, no matter how much Capital City Banks fast talk might try to convince us otherwise.

 The overdraft protection is agood thing.  However the problem is not with the overdraft protection, it is the posting policies in place that post all debits from highest to lowest resulting in excessive overdraft fees.  Most of the major banks have already been sued for this and several have already settled and or changed this policy.

Big surprise I know, but he once again has no idea what he is talking about. The protection that the bank is giving you is that they are ALLOWING you to overdraw your account to pay people that you need to pay. Most places you shop charge $25.00 for a returned check, or if the bank refused to pay that you would be in the bank whining that they DIDN'T pay it and that you now have to pay a fee to the store you shopped at. I've had people that had checks overdraw their account that were paying a tax bill, their rent, or even a loan, that were grateful that we paid it and charged them a fee, rather than bouncing it and causing them a late fee on their loan (which on a house can be hundreds of dollars), their landlord requiring cashier's checks from now on (that's $5-10 depending on where you bank) and the list goes on.

Then why did the bank charge you overdraft fees?

I like to put feces in night deposit boxes.

I've been in banking since I got out of college and have had my fair share of people coming in and saying they had overdraft fees. Initially I tried to help them, now I just ask to see their checkbook (since I KNOW they don't have one). When they inevitably say they don't keep one, I ask them how they keep their balance, and shrug and ask what they want me to do; they get the message then.

A common complaint is this "restructuring" that is going on and that is NOT what is happening to you. Even if we beleive that, you STILL are KNOWLINGLY overdrawing your account, hoping that you will get the small transactions through and just get a fee on the big one. You gambled, you lost, and here is why. When you use your debit card it may not come out of the account for a couple days even though the funds are spoken for (available vs. ledger balance). This means if you had a large check come through, when all the small stuff is finally taken out of the account you will overdraw a bunch of times. It is no different than the person who writes a check to someone else KNOWING they don't have funds in the bank, hoping that their direct deposit goes in before that check gets cashed.

The solution is real simple, and is the same thing I tell people that come in whining about overdraft fees : either keep a register, or get a savings account with an ATM-only card so you MUST pull out cash from the ATM and therefore cannot overdraw in anyway.

There is NO SUBSTITUTE for an ACCURATE checkbook register.



You MUST manage your own account to avoid fees.



Why do so many people think they can have a checking account and not maintain it with an accurate checkbook reister?



A checkbook register is NOT "optional" unless you like paying NSF fees.



Don't be so stupid and/or lazy.

Maintain your own account.



It's not the bank's job to manage your account.

It is your responsibility.

"bounce protection is a scam"

You mentioned this scam but never expanded on it.

Do not use Capital city bank!

- Don't overdraft your account.  Instead manage your account and don't rely on ATM balances.  Those only know what has been submited to the bank.  The only person who knows what you have truly spent is YOU.  Keeping a written register and not spending more than you show available is a way to make sure you never overspend.