Has Anybody Else Stopped Using a Bank?

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-13-2006
Has Anybody Else Stopped Using a Bank?
9
Tue, 08-05-2008 - 8:51am

I've posted here before about the astronomical fees banks are charging and I've had enough! We finally got back in the black in our checking account only to log in this morning to find that they've charged us another $350 in fees overnight on charges that had actually cleared my account last Tuesday. I swear Suntrust is mickey mousing with our debits and credits. How can my statement show 3 items that cleared last Wednesday are now being charged overdraft fees on last night? I don't get it. Is that legal? My account showed a balance of 153.00 last night at 8:30 and a -512.00 this morning? I feel like I'm going to lose my stomach. I'm so mad I can't concentrate. In reality I would've been overdrawn by about 70.00, but they've gone and backed out

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-05-2006
Tue, 08-05-2008 - 10:23am

I have no bank account at this time because Wachovia did the same thing to me.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-02-2008
Tue, 08-05-2008 - 11:00am

I am sorry. Don't have much experience to share w/you but wanted to let you know I am thinking of you.


I used to have a bank that gave me overdraft protection. But that was upwards of 10 years ago and I'm not sure if they offer that now. I've changed banks since then.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2007
Tue, 08-05-2008 - 11:20am

If I were you I would just close that account and start over. Maybe get a few dollars extra for a back up to a checking account before opening a new account.

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 08-05-2008 - 12:14pm

Do you have a local community credit union?

All my best,
Danni

Avatar for mahopac
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-1997
Tue, 08-05-2008 - 4:43pm

I agree, I love our credit union! I've had an account there since I was in college (I'm 45 now), and they are wonderful to deal with, even though they are now quite large.

I still use an old-fashioned handwritten check register, but I reconcile it weekly with my online statement from the credit union. The only times I've ever gotten into trouble were, frankly, my or DH's fault. We failed to note withdrawals in the checkbook, or I failed to give deposited checks enough time to clear, etc. And yes, we got slapped with $29 fees, sometimes several at a time if we forgot to record a withdrawal. That stopped when one major thing happened - I stopped my wishful thinking and adopted the mindset that deposited checks would take longer to clear than I wanted and that my own checks would clear faster than I wanted! More practically speaking, I allowed a cushion in the account of at least $100 and stopped trying to manage it down to the last $5, and I kept track of our account online, which meant I was aware of every withdrawal, even when DH or I forgot to save the receipt.

I have nothing but good things to say about our credit union.

Kelly

Avatar for earnhardt_jr_fan
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 08-05-2008 - 5:10pm

We stopped using our old bank for this exact reason. We'd have enough in there to cover everything and then suddenly we'd have OD fees added. When I called they said "Well, your debits overdrafted you". Wait. How can something that clears immediately overdraft me a week later? We got so ticked off we closed our account.


Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-21-2004
Tue, 08-05-2008 - 5:51pm

I don't have much advice to offer - I do use a bank and I don't have problems with alot of fees - I was paying $5.00 a month to be a member of some club they offer - where your checks are free and you could write as many checks a month as you wanted to.

Community Leader
Registered: 07-26-1999
Wed, 08-06-2008 - 10:20am
On the subject of money orders, I had gotten one as a payment for an ebay auction I had and I had sent it to my mom to deposit in my account in Michigan.
Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-21-2004
Wed, 08-06-2008 - 4:54pm

That is true..in fact just today I went through the drive thru at our credit union and there was a sign posted at the drive thru that if you had a money order you had to come inside.


And the reason they don't seem to want post office money orders is because they say there is some kind of fraud with them - I don't know what though.


Strangely enough - my husband had a vehicle fine he was having to pay - and the court system in the town he was sending it to - wouldn't accept cashier's check from a bank (now to get it from a bank - you would have to have cash money to pay for it) but they would accept a money order from a convenience store.