Complaint Review: Charter One Bank

I have spent 2+ hours on the phone with Charter One "Recovery, Collections, et al... Have expended 45 minutes at the local branch (OHB551-Kimberly Frasher) trying to get my pension check released from hold. I was in the same Branch Office two weeks ago to determine how I can fix my Checking Account so that I am not paying $6738.00 in Overdrafts over the past two years. We supposedly corrected this at the face to face meeting with three of their Managers at the Parma location. My pension came in (Direct Deposit) today and was placed on hold to pay off the first checking account that was overdrawn. My wife and I are senior citizens on a fixed income.

My wife called the Bank's "Recovery Division" last week to set up a payment schedule. They told her " that they couldn't do anything until "Collections" was involved and then a payment schedule could be set up. I spoke with the divisions mentioned above and the "bottom line" being that none of them knew why my pension was on hold. They told me go to my local branch to find out why? I did so and the Assistant Manager made a few phone calls and told me that in speaking with my wife she was to call back to set up a payment schedule. My wife claims that the person she talked with in the "Recovery" Department, did not state anything about her calling back until it was processed by the "Collections"Department. My wife is not a liar! I am looking to have the "hold" taken off my checking so that we can pay some bills, eat something other than soup and chicken and pasta. We had to have a garage sale last Fri/Sat just to get a minimum dollars for groceries and fuel for my car.

The e-mail, of course, is in writing, and can be used for the Bank's purposes. I tried calling Kevin Selva (Regional Manager) 1.5+ hours ago and got voice mail both times - this is disgusting because of no call back. My plans are to submit this event to State and Federal Government Officials and to post it to as many Social websites, including Facebook and AARP to give my opinion of Citizen's and Charter One Banks. Too bad that the Government bailed out the banks - it would have been nice to see how the Attorney's fight the American taxpayer.

Being on fixed income - I was downsized two years ago at age 67 and couldn't break the "glass ceiling" so being unemployed. I suffered triple by-pass heart Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. My wife is and has been ill for many years. In addition, to the Medicare and Part D premiums, we paid $18,000 out of pocket for doctors and meds. The Golden Years are not all the fun they claim it to be.