Merrick Bank Poor Customer Service and Bad Policies!!! Old Beth Page, New York

I just got off the phone with Merrick Bank. My story isn't awful to a certain degree but I hate bad customer service and I feel like these companies feel like we have no where else to go so they think they can treat us like crap. I am just done taking it!

I have made a monthly payment to Merrick Bank every month for the year. Online banking set for every 4 weeks. It never changed. I get a letter saying I am in collections and am past-due. I just know that is a clerical error so I call immediately expecting resolution.

The first customer service rep was a real a**hole. She raised her voice, patronized me and basically called me too stupid to understand her explanation as to how I ended up in collections. She threatned with putting me on hold until I calmed down and then sheinvoluntarily put me on hold like I am some child in time-out.

I hung up and called back and demanded to speak with a supervisor.After being forwaed a few times, I got Jennifer Langston who claimed she was a Senior Director.

I spoke with Jennifer for about15 minutes. She explained that I ended up in collections because in Nov (2010)my payment was received and credited in the same billing cycle as Oct and so it shows that I missed Nov's payment. My December payment was credited in Dec however with a late fee ( from Nov's "missed" payment) and so Jan's payment was not enough to cover the minimum dueby $15 bucks so that is how I ended up in collections.

I basically asked them what were they going to do to correct the issue and fix my account (as good customer service for their loyal customers). Jennifertold me it wasmy fault that the Nov payment was not credited correctly to the right month because that may happen when you do online bill pay and set up a payment schedule- that sometimes you may be too early or too late past your billing cycle, and she refused to credit my account the late fee and get me out of collections. I asked her again, just to make sure that she would not honor the fact that I had not missed a payment and that it was (in my opinion) a clerical error that mis-credited my Nov payment and she (Merrick Bank) should do the right thing... but she stuck to her guns and refused to do what I felt a company should.

I am very dissppointed in Merrick Bank's treatment of its customers. I asked Jennifer for an address or telephone number of the main office.She said there is no telephone number she can give me. But she did give me an address P.O. Box 9201 Old Beth Page, NY 11804-9201. I asked about a customer relations or community relations dept and she said that the mail is sorted at the address above andit would be forwarded to them. I asked for a name and she said she could not give me one.

I am going to pay the little funky $15 dollars, and it isn't the money persay.... its the treatment I received, its the rudeness and its the principle that I believe I am not the one who made the mistake (and even if I am technically wrong) as a business, I would look at the facts of the case and see the merits and deleted the $35 late payment fee and credited that customers account. But that is just me.

I will follow-up with Merrick Bank and see what happens and I will continue to complain because I think they are wrong for treating customers this way.

Thanks!