Complaint Review: Net Bank

Submitted: 9/10/01
Modified: 9/10/01

I was looking for a decent interest rate and saw that Net Bank, an 'on line bank' at 11475, Alpharetta, Ga 30022, was paying a bit over 4% which is better than almost all 'walk in' type banks.

I had $98K wired in to open a savings and a seperate checking account. I also applied for a Net Bank Visa card but was declined. I told them that if they expected me to keep $98k on deposit in their bank I wanted a visa or mastercard.

They gave me some BS about how they farmed out their Visa business and could not be of assistance in that regard. I faxed account manager to close the money market account as this was NOT an acceptable response. They acknowledged later having gotten the fax on 9/5/01.

I checked with their internet site repeatedly but the balances did not change (ie: account not closed), I also phoned 3 times to their 888 256 6932 customer service number where I was given various stories (never the same twice), that the account 'was closed', 'would be closed', 'the check will go out tomorrow' and finally today I phoned this number and was told it was not closed (which I all along suspected) and that the request had been received 9/5 and it should have been done the past Friday and they didn't know why it had not been done.

By this time I had enough of this bunch and wanted my money immediately. This operation sounds like something that Charles Ponzi tried around 1910 and at this point I didn't want any more Net Bank BS. I told 'Kinshia' the 2nd CS person I had talked to this afternoon that I didn't want them to bother to mail it to me (heard that one before!) and that I would be pleased to come pick it up in person.

I was told this would be acceptable and that the check would be waiting with the receptionist! You don't need to be a rocket scientist to see where this one is going. NO CHECK! I waited in the lobby for a few minutes under 2 hours and spoke to:
Eric Newton, Vendor Relations Manager, Dan Morrison, Sr. Security Analyst and finally Sonya Kennedy, V.P. Operations.

I left with NO CHECK but had to provide them my drivers license, ssn card, incoming mail to me at my address, all of this they photo copied PLUS I had to furnish a notarized "Affidavit of Identification". All this I was told was required by their bank policy and if NOT furnished my account could be 'frozen'. I gave them all the requested information and still they would NOT give me my money back.

This bunch likes to take your money but they sure as Hell don't want to give it back. If you look up 'crook' in the dictionary it probably says: see also- Net Bank!

If after reading this your stupid enough to do business with Net Bank then you deserve what you get. If your already dealing with them good luck in getting your money back!

C. Harris
Still without my own $98,000!

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