Wachovia Bank Finally got around to scamming me with NSF fees Las Vegas Nevada Nationwide

After 5 1/2 years of being a customer without any problems I guess it was only a matter of time before I was targeted for having a free checking account with a low balance.

The first blow came about a month ago when they purposely held a cash deposit for an extra day causing a check to bounce. When pressured for an explanation I got 4 different ones, each of which I was able to refute using their own disclosure statements. After the branch manager made a few calls I was then told it was because my account was originally opened in Florida and that I didn't use a "personalized" deposit slip. I asked the manager to show me where in the disclosures this is mentioned, and he couldn't. But he stuck to his guns regardless. So even though my deposit was cash, made before 3 PM, and my receipt as well as the online site showed the money was available for withdrawal, it actually wasn't. Because I didn't use a personalized deposit slip. Um... sure...

Now they were kind enough to reverse the $22.50 fee, but weren't going to pay the $30 I was charged by my rental agent for bouncing my rent check.

I was then talked into opening a new checking account so that this problem wouldn't happen again. I should have known better.

So I proceed to have all my auto-debits, monthly credit card billings, my truck payment and insurance, and my direct deposit all changed over to the new checking account. I also go into Wachovia's online billpay service and change all my recurring payments to the new account as well.

Well lo and behold, when all those auto payments go out a few weeks later they all try to come out of the old account that had no money in it (I was leaving it open just in case my direct deposit came thru to that account). Cha-ching, $210 in NSF fees. A few days later, Cha-ching again as they "double dipped" for each payment charging me another $210 in fees.

Adding insult to injury they then reversed all the payments they made, which in turn resulted in hundreds of dollars worth of late fees, returned check fees, and in some cases overlimit fees on all my credit cards. All in all I'm in the hole for almost $800.

I spent 2 hours on the phone with Wachovia billpay today, and of course, they have no record at all of me changing those auto payments from the old account to the new one. You mean I remembered to change over everything else, but somehow forgot the credit cards? She then tells me she can see that on 9/22 I updated the amount and date of each one of those payments, but not the account. Ok, so I remembered to do that, but still forgot to change the account.

Sorry, I don't think so. I very clearly remember changing each and every recurring bill payment from FREE CHK to FREE CHK 02. It's very plain and easy to see on the page -- you'd have to be a total moron not to notice it. And I am far from a total moron. In the 5 1/2 years I've had a Wachovia account I overdrew *ONCE*. Living on less than $800 a month on Social Security Disability I can't afford to make mistakes with my money. For them to have the balls to tell me they have no record of such an update, when I clearly without a doubt did indeed change them, simply reinforces I'm getting scammed. I mean think about it, do you really expect the guy that's framing you to give you proof that he's framing you? So it really was no surprise any evidence of updating my bill payments was wiped from their system. And since I can't otherwise prove I made the changes they're not going to do a damned thing.

So as far as I'm concerned they can take their $420 and shove it. I'm not going to pay it. I'm going to have a hard enough time getting caught up on my credit cards (credit counseling here I come...) Let them try to get money out of me. I dare them. Com'n Wachovia, give it your best shot.

The most heinous part of all this is that I'm clearly not alone. And despite untold number of people complaining here, and to the BBB, and their state banking regulators (I've done them all) we will never see any justice. It's just business as usual in the banking industry. And it's not like any of our government officials give a d**n about us.

It seriously makes me want to give up banking altogether. I'm trying to figure out how detached I can get. I have now opened up an account with another bank, but how long is it going to be before they start doing the same thing to me? I mean is this where we've come to in this country, that people are afraid to have bank accounts out of fear of being ripped off by the banks themselves? I swear I am so utterly disgusted right now I can't even describe it.

Amvegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.

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