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Report: #222613

Complaint Review: US Bank - Bettendorf Iowa

  • Submitted:
  • Updated:
  • Reported By: Walcott Iowa
  • Author Confirmed What's this?
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  • US Bank 858 Middle Road Bettendorf, Iowa U.S.A.
  • Phone: 612-303-4194
  • Web:
  • Category: Banks

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I opened a checking account at a US Bank location inside a Schnuck's Market. I opened my account at this location because it is across the street from my office. I assumed (never do this) that all of the local branches were managed out of the main location in the Quad Cities. This fact plays a role later.

I was told by the teller who opened my account that all checks deposited have a five day hold before the funds will be available. She then told me that I could request that my check be CASHED by the teller then deposited for instant availability. Sneaky.

I took my payroll paycheck on 10/24/06 to the branch to CASH, I asked for some cash back and then for the remainder of the funds to be deposited. I was handed $150 in cash so I assumed (again, never do this)that the teller had done what I asked her to do. Not so.

She deposited my payroll check, mind you, I still don't know how I ended up with cash back if my check was deposited. Here's why...remember that five day hold. My funds were made unavailable to me for five business days. The five business days began on 10/25/06, which meant that I had no access to my hard earned money until 11/01/06.

In the meantime, I wrote a total of five checks. Note, that I assumed my check had been cashed and that the funds were available. Not the case. My check was being held while the bank was processing the checks that I had written, overdrawing my account and accruing "service" fees. Four of the checks were process three times. One was processed twice. While the charges are accruing from the bank, the folks that I had written checks to were also charging me an additional $30 for each check which also hit my account charging me an additional $35 for overdraft fees.

I went to the Schnucks branch to speak to Pam Johnson,the branch manager, during the five day hold. At this point, the checks had only hit my account one time. Pam has been in banking for 15 years and knows that those checks were going to be processed two more times. The one time I spoke to her face to face, she made me feel like a complete idiot for overdrawing my account. I needed her help so I maintained my composure. She refunded $150, but did not release the hold on my paycheck. This caused a s****.> At this point, I have deposited over $2000 into this account. I have only asked for $1012 of this money. US Bank has assessed penalties in excess of $1142 for me to use the money that I deposited into their bank.

Please note that I went back to the branch three times to speak to Pam. She was out of the office in meetings each time. I asked for her to return my phone call. She said that she "tried to call." I have voice mail. If she tried to call, I at least should have gotten a voice mail.

Having been made to feel stupid once before, I decided to try to contact Pam's boss. I have moved up one notch on the ladder to Donovan Williams out of Minneapolis. Why Minneapolis? The in-store branches are not included in the local district. There is no one in the Bettendorf/Davenport area that has any authority over this branch. I was told that US Bank prides itself on a 24 hour call back time.

I began calling Donovan Williams SIX DAYS ago and still have gotten no resolution. I also emailed Donovan Williams with this issue and have gotten one call in return. He told me that this is my fault and that he is the ultimate decision maker. While Donovan Williams has been in his important meetings, charges continue to accrue on my account.

I have to believe that in this is not the Five Star Service that I was promised. I am not a wealthy person and I cannot afford over $1000 in service charges and penalties to use MY money. I did not write checks in excess of the amount deposited, but I am willing to cover some of the charges. I am willing to negotiate a reasonable and fair solution. Had my teller done what I asked her to do in the first place, I wouldn't be in this situation at all.

US Bank will steal your money without apology. They will charge you dollar for dollar on your money. When an issue arises, be prepared to be blown-off, ignored and treated like you are a piece of trash. Expect your phone calls and emails to go unanswered. Expect to feel that you are being robbed under the guise of policy. Individuals do not matter to US Bank. Policies matter to US Bank. I am nothing to them except an extra $1000 in unearned "service" fees.

Laura
Walcott, Iowa
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 11/28/2006 10:34 AM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/us-bank/bettendorf-iowa-52722/us-bank-what-five-star-service-really-meansstealing-your-money-bettendorf-iowa-222613. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
0Author
6Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#6 Consumer Comment

I feel your pain

AUTHOR: Stevestl1400 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, July 24, 2008

I too have had overdraft fee's wrongfully charged. I set up bill pay and US bank sent it out early and the company that they sent it too cashed it 5 days early. I called to contest the fines and they took it off. But other fines resulted in it without it being reversed. On top of that I went to my nearest branch and the branch manager couldn't do anything because I didn't open it up at their location. The location I opend it up was 200 miles a way. My wife used to work for them and Branch managers can transfer accounts to their branch. Instead all she gave me was the phone number and said there was nothing you can do.
They do treat you like your stupid and a little kid. All they care about is the bottom dollar. FYI if you have a negative balance and nothing went through yet get overdraft fees the next day. But if you have a positive balance and you do somthing that day and becomes negative. Even though your current is in the positive. Fee for every transation, which is 35 then 37.50 after five, not to mention 8 dollars a day after the 3rd business day negative balance charge. Be careful and know if you overdraft and put money in and its positive it may be negative because thier draft fees are a day late.
As for five star service when you call and complain or resolve a sitiation all they do is find a way to pass it off. Some five star service. I would stay clear of US bank and go for a local one. Except bank of america its the worse customer service and caring for their customers.
Steve.

P.S. My wife left because the tellers were nosey and mean. A couple of them would memorize customers accounts and say stuff bad about customers with low accounts. on top of that look at customer's accounts after they left. During training the lady who trained her would say How much money do you think he/she has?

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#5 Consumer Comment

Misunderstandings

AUTHOR: Ken - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, November 29, 2006

First of all, the poster did recieve notification of hold. He was notified at account opening that there would be a 5 day hold. This is pretty standard for new customers at any financial institution, and lasts for 30 days to 6 months depending on policy.

The teller was correct in telling you that if teh check is cashed, then deposited as cash, you will get immediate credit.

Where you went astray is assuming that because you got cash back it meant that the check was cashed. If you had available balance in the account, they will give cash back against that money. Even if you don't, tellers often have the latitude to make a portion available to you, without cashing out the entire amount of the check.

To do what you wanted, the teller has to understand that you want the entire amount of the check to reflect as a cash deposit. You also have to understand that they are under no obligation to do this. If they do it, it is being done as a courtesy.

The credit union where I bank, allows their tellers to make up to $999 of a check deposit immediately available. This is probably on the generous end of the spectrum.

If you storm the bank screaming that they stole your money, you aren't likely to have much success. If you calmly talk to a real person, and explain that the funds availability policy was not explained clearly to you, you may have better success.

Good luck

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#4 Consumer Comment

I believe what may have been told to you

AUTHOR: Chip - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, November 29, 2006

is to cash your paycheck at the bank the check was drawn on, then deposit the cash into your US Bank account. When a bank cashes a check for you that is from a different bank, they generally place a hold on your account in the amount of the check they cashed. Typically the hold is for 24 hours, but since your account was a new one, maybe longer.

When I got my new account a couple years ago, I stopped direct deposit from my old account (which I didn't close) and told payroll to direct deposit to the new one. Direct deposit, apparently, is the same as depositing cash, so no hold issue with a new account for direct deposit. Because it took some time to process, I deposited an actual check -- what would've been a direct deposit -- into my old account until the direct deposit went into the new one. So I guess I'm saying I countinued to use my old account until direct deposit went to my new one. No holds, no hassles.

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#3 Author of original report

Here's the catch....

AUTHOR: Laura - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Robert,
Thanks for the advice and I will be far more leary in the future. One thing I would like to mention is that this was not the first check that I had deposited. I had once before CASHED my check and deposited the cash requesting a small amount to take with me. From that experience, I knew that cash was available immediately, whereas a deposited check would have the hold.

This issue all started when the teller gave me cash (more than my beginning balance, which indicated to me, immediate availability).

I have finally gotten word from Donovan Williams. He has reversed some, but not all, of the charges to my account. At this point, I will never deposit/cash another check at US Bank again.

Although this experience has not been a total loss, it has been an incredibly long and stressful ordeal. It cost me a lot of money to learn a hard lesson.

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#2 Consumer Comment

First off, never listen to a teller.

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, November 29, 2006

When you open an account, you should be given a copy of the banks terms and conditions. Those are the only policies that govern your debits and credits regardless of what a teller tells you.

It sounds like the way you made your request indicated to the teller that a portion of the check would be deposited with you getting the remainder in cash. It sounds like the teller did do what you asked her to do.

All banks have a hold period for new accounts. It makes no sense that you could cash a check, then deposit the cash to get immediate access to the funds. Most banks, when cashing a check for an account holder will place a hold on an equal amount of funds in an account. So, if you were to cash the check, deposit the cash, there would still be a hold on the funds. There should be a section in your account terms and conditions covering funds availability that should better explain this.

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#1 Consumer Suggestion

transaction receipt? holds notice?

AUTHOR: Kevin - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Hello Laura,

I read your complaint and find it to be one that caught my attention. I am a bank employee, I don't work for US but rather I work for the "stagecoach."

Anyway to start with, you said that a teller opened your account? Typically, someone at banker level, or at the minimum, customer service representative, should be opening acconts, not tellers. But maybe US does it differently.

Every bank is required to give you a notice of the hold. Not just verbally, but it should have been printed on your receipt if there was a hold placed. If you were given a reciept of your transaction, and it doesn't say anything about the hold, or when it would be available, You are in the right!!!

Don't agree to pay any fees!

Please don't tell me you left the bank without a reciept of your transaction? If so, it will be very difficult to contest the fees.

Hope you saved your receipt, and I do hope that you win against US.

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