Complaint Review: AmSOUTH Bank

the idea of finding a site like this one is the idea that others have been ripped-off the same as you. the reading of their comments and the addition of your own brings the actual story together.
fact: most people live from pay check to pay check.
fact: amsouth will charge you an nsf fee to rip you off if they can.
i go to the bank where my pay check is drawn from. i cash my check, then go to amsouth and deposit the cash. then go pay my bills. now here is the rub pay attention. since the cash deposit is pending it can't be used for anything, so when the bills i paid online hit the pending transations list i get charged for the nsf fee. my account is not insufficient i put the cash money in the bank. so in fact i have paid for someone to steal my money. $36.00 a wack. i am not able to verbalize the disgust i have for amsouth. may the earth open up and swallow the entire institution.

I've had much the same problem with AmSouth for several years now, but the sad case is, they aren't different than any other banks.

Since the advent of "free" checking, banks have had to up their fees to cover administration costs. Since the computer age, and the new banking laws on electronic checking, everything you do with your debit card shows up instantly on your account.

The problem is with the way the banks are processing the transactions now.

A) Anything after 2:00 today doesn't show up until midnight tomorrow. If it's a Friday, it won't show up until Tuesday morning.

When you get paid via direct deposit on Friday, and then pay your bills because the "available balance" is there, you may still get popped with fees. Depends on your branch.

B) They process largest dollar amounts first, wherein, in the past, they used to process items from smallest to largest dollar amount, alleviating multiple OD charges.

This (now) common practice amongst banks started with the advent of "free" checking.

I asked for two years that they NOT process any charges on my account that would result in an OD. I was told it could not be done.

Recently, I did a Quick Transfer online from one account to the other. The page CLEARLY STATED that the funds were available immediately. My husband stopped at a gas store, the grocery store and a beer store on the way home. He'd forgotten one item and made one more stop before he got home.

The next day, I was hit with a $144 OD fee. I had to travel 40 miles to my original branch to get this cleared up. I refused to speak with the Asst. Mgr. who is NOT a nice person and whom I had dealt with in the past. I went straight to the branch manager. I showed him a copy of the page I printed that clearly stated those funds were "IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE" for use. He'd never seen it before! (Like I BELIEVE that?!?!?!) LOL

Not only did I get my refund, I got the manager to do whatever it is they do to STOP PAYING OVER DRAFTS on my account. The Asst. Mgr. had lied to me and was appropriately called on the carpet for refusing MY request for how they handle MY money.

I don't make too many mistakes on my account, but this bank has made PLENTY. In the last year, I have had to go through several hassles, but I've had a total of over $1,200 refunded to my account over various MISTAKES that THEY have made.

So Mr. High and Mighty above needs to calm down about his 10 year account. Banks DO make mistakes, and you have to stay on them with their OWN rules and regulations these days to keep THEM straight.

There, I feel better now.

As it was explained to me they sometimes do charge over draft for pending transactions. I NEVER had a negative balance. And the funds have been returned to my account. So... you're wrong. I saved the web page where it shows I have a postive balance... there's money pending going out, money pending going in and there were two overdraft fees. I check my account EACH day a FEW times a day. I have the following two days online bank statements also saved.
I called the bank... and yes they admit there was a mistake and the funds will be returned. This isn't the first time something like this has happened. When the bank sees something pending and there's not enough currently in the account to cover it the computer sees that there WILL be a negative balance. Ofcourse the computer can't see into the future and didn't consider my pending electronic deposits or my actual deposits. The bank made a mistake. It does happen.
This will be the third time through a fault of the bank that I've had the hassle of going through this. One time a CASH deposit didn't go through (that was deposited at 10:30 a.m. on a weekday), and another time where electronic banking and pending transactions made the computer charge an overdraft. Each time my money was returned. Sooo... it happens and fortunately I have nice people in my local bank that go to bat for me.
In the larger community where my husband went to ask for help he was told some nonsense that all withdrawals go through before deposits! For goodness sake... she couldn't even explain why we were charged these fees.
I'm going to be moving to Community First Bank.

to blame the consumer. What ever happened to "customer service" ???

Ok.. You had a direct deposit post on Friday, it probably was "pending" all weekend to go through on Monday night. I know with BOA if a deposit is pending, you can withdraw up to $100 on it each day until it goes through the next business day (midnight).

According to BOA's agreement, pending deposits will be deposited into accounts the next business day at midnight (in this case, monday night at midnight) before any debits made after the deposit.

IF the deposit was shown on friday (pending or not) and he paid his bills on MONDAY night, these fees should NOT have happened! The deposit should have gone through monday night at midnight. That is how EVERY bank that I have ever been with has worked.

Keep on them and find out what happened!! Ignore these jerks that always have negatives to say regardless of the situation. Believe it or not (sarcasm) banks DO make mistakes!!

I don't believe you could be charged for a transaction which has never posted, how could the bank even know it exists until it comes in for payment. What I believe is happening is that the item came in to be paid against insufficient funds, was returned as NSF, and since it was not paid the funds returned to your account. (Less the OD fee)

In all of these cases of 'bank abuse' it never seems to go beyond the fact that the customer does not keep track of their balance, and does not balance the account when the monthly statement arrives.

I appreciate how frustrating it is to be hit with these large fees, but the truth of the matter is that you shouldn't ever have to pay a fee if you make a little effort.

to respond to Dave in AL. I have had USAA for the last two months and do the same things. I haven't had any problems with my money or anything.
Oh BTW I had amsouth since I was in high school(had them for almost 10 years) also never had a problem with them until about a year ago. Makes you wonder... So before you start downing people you might want to know the "whole story"
I suggest you find another bank before it starts happening to you. Didn't they join up with another bank not too long ago?

to respond to Dave in AL. I have had USAA for the last two months and do the same things. I haven't had any problems with my money or anything.
Oh BTW I had amsouth since I was in high school(had them for almost 10 years) also never had a problem with them until about a year ago. Makes you wonder... So before you start downing people you might want to know the "whole story"
I suggest you find another bank before it starts happening to you. Didn't they join up with another bank not too long ago?

I have a positive $130 balance in my account. A pending deposit of $250 and a pending withdrawal of $133. I have been charged an overdraft fee for this pending transaction. It has not been posted, essentially the money is still in my account. And more than enough is there to cover it since cash was deposited today. I called my local branch and asked how this could happen. My local branch was very helpful and told me a hold had been put on the pending debit transaction... even though the money was essentially there the computer is set up to see that it will not be there. The computer however is not set up to see the pending deposit which will negate any impact of the withdrawal. She assured me these funds will be returned to me.
Try asking for help... keep your cool. Keep asking to talk to someone... someone will help you. Go to a few different braches. These fees can and will be returned.

To the individual who made negative comments and assumed everyone who has difficulty has made a computing error. You are mistaken. I use nothing but electronic banking and debit. Amsouth needs to recognize more of their customers will be using this type of banking and not take acvantage of these individuals. When a check is written the bank does not deduct the check from your account and charge you an overdraft charge when the check has not cleared.
Thanks!

Has anyone here considered the fact of why your charged over draft fees ? ? if your account goes into a negative balance then that meeans you just used money that WASNT yours.

Every bank in america charges od fees , that is a simple fact of life.. deal with it and move on .. if your too irresponsible to manage your own account then you should hire someone to do it for you... and then end up paying hundreds of dollars for someone to use you .

I have banked with amsouth ever since high school ... and now i have a degreee in accounting and finance..Not once have i ever found a descrepency in my account other than any mistake i have made .. or that of which a MERCHANT has mistakenly done.


So i ask if you would stop harrasing a company for your own mathmatical errors....If you dont work for a bank yourself then how dare you say they are doing you wrong.... they dont tell you how to do your job do they ?