Sun Trust Bank Sun Trust Bank Sun Trust refused to help me recover money taken from my checking account VIA debit card by Extended Stay America without my permission Pensacola Florida
When I moved to Pensacola in late 2009 I opened a checking account at SUN TRUST BANK located at 6700 N. Davis Hwy. Pensacola Fl. 32504. I stayed at the Extended Stay America just down the street on Bloodworth Lane. I stayed there for one month. The day I checked out I spilled some Hawian Punch and I used a towel that was in the Hotel room to clean it up. I told the Hotel personel about the spill and told them that I would wash the towel and return it ASAP. The person at the front desk told me to not even worry about it. However before I could wash the towel and return it the Hotel charged my debit card almost $100.00 for one single towel. They did this without my permission or without notifying me. This overdrew may checking account. I asked SUN TRUST BANK to help me get the money back and they refused to file an unatthorized ACH compliant. Sun Trust then charged me for the overdraft fee, then turned my account over to a collection agency who put this on my credit as a NEGATIVE item. They refused to remove it and none of the thre credit bureau's would help me at all. In the end SUN TRUST extorted $222.22 from me. As they caused this item to be put on my crediy and I could not open any new bank accounts untill this $222.22 extortion money was paid. I have paid this item as I had to in order to open a bank account.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Robert
Irvine,California,
USA
Opinion....
#6Consumer Comment
Thu, June 25, 2015
You stated....
"No One cares what you think".
That is YOUR opinion, because I can find many people who actually care what I think. Of course you know what they say about opinions...right?
By the way, this is a PUBLIC web site and as such the PUBLIC may respond...and surprise suprise not everyone may agree with you.
Jim
Florida,USA
Comments
#6Consumer Comment
Thu, June 25, 2015
What I'm understanding here is you are disputing the charge the Hotel placed on your card. Back when it happened, you had a federally mandated time period in which to dispute this charge with the bank. There is a procedure for you to do this and I'm assuming you followed that but even so, you lost that dispute with the bank. The bank's position was probably you agreed in advance to pay for damage, therefore the charge stands.
At that point, it would appear your complaint would be against the hotel and the amount of the alleged damage. I don't know what your time frame is on this other than the incident happened in 2009, but you could have or maybe still can take them to small claims court to dispute the charge. $100 for a towel? Yes that is excessive! If it was me, I could go either of two ways.
One, I could chalk it up as an expensive lesson and move on with my life or two, go after them based on principle. I'm not opposed to either of those alternatives. You do know you have the right to add a written statement to your credit bureau reports to add some explanation? If you do not have a history of overdraft fees, then that statement could carry some weight.
You may or may not agree with any of this but one thing positive you have done here is raise awareness of this sort of thing and this can serve as a reminder to all of us to be careful with taking care of hotel rooms we stay in. Oh yes, many people would not have come forward to them as you have. Huge amounts of people would have probably tried to hide it if possible or claim the stained towel or other damage was pre-existing.
No One cares what you think
#6Author of original report
Thu, June 25, 2015
this is intended for the two replies posted 06/24/15 You have no reason to involve yourself in other peoples affairs. You know what they say about opinions!
Robert
Irvine,California,
USA
Let it go...
#6Consumer Comment
Thu, June 25, 2015
Sun Trust did not rip you off. They are not your mommy, daddy, accountant, lawyer...they are a bank.
The charge was NOT invalid..you damaged the room and per the agreement you signed when you checked into the location you are responsible for damages. I have news for you a single towel is NOT going to clean up a fruit punch stain in carpet. Sure you offered to return the towel, but it is very likely that the floor needed to be steam cleaned. So $100 is probably more than fair.
In your "dispute" here is what happened. The bank asked for proof that you agreed to the charges. The hotel sent the bank the signed agreement that says you agree to be charged for any damages. The bank denies your dispute. Along with everything else they are not..they are not a judge or court of law. If you had issues with this you could have on your own free will filed a small claims case and not only sue for the actual $100 damages but the extra "overdraft" fees that it caused. Oh and since you believe you had such a solid case, you would also get your court fees back as well...all of that plus interest.
Oh and any issues you have had in the last 5 1/2 years is of your own doing.
Tyg
Pahrump,Nevada,
USA
Per usual....
#6General Comment
Wed, June 24, 2015
Per usual a American Consumer cries FOUL even after THEY did indeed give permission. Did you even READ what YOU were agreeing to?? Right in the paperwork YOU signed was where YOU agreed that THEY could charge the card YOU gave them for ANY incidentals. One would think that $100.00 for a spill and a towel is about FAIR. They COULD have charged YOU mkuch more if they liked. SUN BANK did NOTHING wrong! YOU don't keep enough money in your account to cover emergencies so WHOS fault is THAT?? Oh..THATS RIGHT. ITS YOURS. Get over yourself because YOU WERE NOT RIPPED OFF! This IS however the cost of spilling your hawaiian punch on the carpet. Don't YOU think YOU should have to pay for the mistakes YOU make?? No probably not. In the USUAL mouthbreather fashion, YOU are going to say ANYTHING you can to get back this money that YOU think YOU shouldn't have to pay. Get it through that thick skull of YOURS. NOTHING IS FREE. With only 2 exceptions. Sunlight and AIR. And if someone can find a way to profit off of those they will. The point is that YOU were charged a fair price to clean up YOUR mess. YOU are whining that YOUR BANK paid a lawful request for payment that YOU AGREED TO. So OTHER then YOU having to pay for the mistakes YOU have made, HOW is this a ripoff again? PLEASE tell the ENTIRE web how unfair it is that YOU have to pay for something.