Great Western Bank Great Western overdraws account with expired check AND a check written on another customer's account Lincoln, Nebraska
I've been banking for decades and have NEVER seen such shoddy banking practices as what I discovered last night. I used to be with TierOne, but when they were failing, I moved most of the money in my account to another bank but left about $180 in TierOne to keep the account open. When TierOne closed, I automatically became a Great Western Bank customer.
Last night I got a notice that my account was overdrawn. They didn't even bother to attach a copy of the check -- I had to go online to find it. The check was for $30, written back in March when it was still TierOne! When a check is over 6 months old, the bank has the right to refuse to accept it. But Great Western, knowing that this check would overdraw my account, still cashed it and charged me $33 in overdraft fees.
But this still didnt explain why I was overdrawn when I should have had enough money to cover this check. I went back through my statements and discovered that in October, Great Western had debited my account $150 for SOMEONE ELSES check! Their account number is just 1 digit off from mine.
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!! I wont be a Great Western customer much longer.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Hawkman
McCook,Nebraska,
United States of America
R U Serious
#3Consumer Comment
Thu, February 02, 2012
I myself do not like Great Western Bank but after reading your complaint I am wondering why anything was even written. I understand that you are frustrated with wha all that happened but I am sure that when the bank realized their error you got your money back and the OD fee reversed. It seems to me that this would not have happened if you would have watching your finances more closley.. You are just as much to blame for this situation as your bank is. Sure they made a mistake but who dosen't? You should pay more attention to your bank statements.. It is not the banks responsibility to keep track of your finances!!! I think you need to own up to your mistake as I am sure the bank did!!
Striderq
Columbia,South Carolina,
U.S.A.
A couple of questions...
#3General Comment
Thu, December 09, 2010
Why haven't you contacted the company/individual you wrote the $30 check to and asked them why they haven't processed it?
How in the world could you not notice an unexpected charge of $150 going through your account? When you get your statements do you do a reconciliation? You should have noticed this check in October or early November, whenever the statement with it posted got to you. If you use online banking you should have noticed it the next day.
If your bank had returned the check you still would have been hit with a returned check fee from your bank (probably the same amount as he OD fee) and also areturned check fee from the company/individual you wrote the check to. So you actually saved some money by your bank paying it. As you said, after 6 months the bank can refuse to honor the check but I've seen them cashed as long as 3 years after being written. When the checks are processed it's all automatic so unless something draws attention to it there's not a person that looks at the check and says "Oh this is from March". It's a matter of the machines findingou acount number still active and then the bank's policies deciding if it gets paid or returned.