Consumer’s Nightmare!!
Hi, My name is Elysium. I am unemployed and quite possibly might be getting evicted from my apartment sometime this week for inability to pay rent. This is not why I am writing this to you however. I would like the general public to be made aware of an issue I have had with US Bank. I opened a checking and savings account through US Bank; they were emergency accounts and I kept a zero balance in both of them. I moved around Thanksgiving of 2009. I called US Banks Customer Service line and updated my new address and phone number at that time. Last Friday, 1/29/10, I received a letter from my other bank Credit Union and was notified that they had to close both my accounts there because I had been placed on Check Systems. I found out over the weekend that US Bank did not get my address or phone number updated in November of last year, and since then they had had four of my bank statements returned to them. On 11/25/2009 they actually charged me a $5.00 fee for the returned statements. Because I had a zero balance in my account, this made me $5.00 negative in my account. From then on they continued to charge me DAILY OVERDRAFT FEES between $8.00 and $32.00 a day. On 1/12/2010, they finally charged me a $30.00 FORCED ACCT CLOSURE FEE which left me with a negative balance totaling $331.00. They made no other attempt to contact me regarding my account since November of 2009 and reported me to Check Systems which will not only stay on my credit record for five years, but it also will make it difficult to open up any other accounts elsewhere.<br><br>Once I became aware of this issue last Friday, I made several attempts to speak with Tellers and Managers at this bank. I was told by the Assistant Manager on Monday, February 1st that she discussed this issue with her Branch Manager Danielle Taylor, and that the Branch Manager and the District Manager Greg (James) Altman had decided that they WOULD NOT remove me from Check Systems because supposedly I am a “liability”. She also stated that US Bank would be happy to carry an account for me and that they would reverse ALL the fees if I chose to bank with them, but if I chose to bank somewhere else they would not reverse any of the fees. I became angry at this point and told her I felt the bank was holding me hostage and forcing me to bank with them and only them, as I wouldn’t be able to get an account anywhere else because they placed me on Check Systems, and if I didn’t stay with them, I’d have to pay ALL the fees. She denied that this was what they were doing. I told her I wanted to speak with her Manager and was told she would be in today, February 2nd. Today I called and made an appointment with the Branch Manager. When I showed up to meet with her she was at first pleasant, but quickly became condescending and again stated that “they” would not remove me from Check Systems. I asked her why not and she refused to answer. I asked her how people got placed on Check Systems and she stated “When their accounts go sour.” I then asked her how accounts “go sour.”, and she again refused to comment. She then said that now, because I couldn’t prove that not updating my information was a bank error that they would only pay 1/2 of the fees and that I would have to pay $150.00 dollars. She then stated that they would only reverse 1/2 the fees if I stayed with US Bank. I told her I wanted to speak with her Manager and she at first declined and stated that she didn’t have his business card/information. I requested his name, phone number, and email address. I also requested a letter on business letterhead noting why they would not remove me from Check Systems and why they would not reverse the fees. She agreed to this yet kept telling me that the District Manager was going to tell me the same thing. I then told her I may exercise my right to take this to the media which she then stated that I did not have her permission to take this to the media. I told her that I did not need her permission. At this point she refused to write the letter or give me the District Manager’s information. She told me I had to leave the bank because I was trespassing and she threatened to have me “physically removed” from the premises. She made a phone call to who I presume must have been Security and stated that I was being threatening. At this point I called for Police assistance. The Police came to the branch to assist me but ultimately gave me the District Managers card and told me I had to leave. He also stated that I was no longer allowed to go to any US Bank branch…that I was banned from their banks.<br><br>So this is what it has come to? I am a Registered Nurse, a professional. I am, as everyone else is, struggling to stay afloat in this economy. I am unemployed and my unemployment does not even cover my rent and car payment and utilities. And here is this bank charging me $326.00 worth of overdraft fees off of a $5.00 fee that they initially charged me in the first place. Not only that but they’re keeping me from opening another account elsewhere. This is a bunch of bunk and shouldn’t be allowed. This needs to be stopped!! The people need to stand up and fight against these banks and their heinous fees. How much do they really expect people to take? I would like to say that I went and spoke with the folks at Credit Union and although they can not get me off of Check Systems themselves, they have been very understanding and accommodating during this situation. I have not only filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, but I have also filed a complaint with the Attorney General. I would be more than happy to provide you with more information, if you would like it. And I hope that you would. No bank should be allowed to abuse their power in this way and it happens every day. It’s time for people to stand up and say NO MORE!!! PASS IT ON!! Just say “NO!!” to U Suck Bank!!! Thank you again, Elysium