Complaint Review: Texas Trust Credit Union

So let me just sum up a few things.

The "You must work for them" is pretty much SOP when people are told things they don't want to hear.  But if you actually looked around this site you would realize how silly that makes your comment.  Not to mention that I even told you what to do when you go to the next bank. 

You seem to think that because other people have complained about the "exact same thing" that there is some major consipiracy that proves you right.   Nice try but NO, it is let's just say "human nature" to only make a fuss when it affects us in a negative way.  That is people are many times more likely to complain about something they don't like, than to make a compliment on something they do like.   After all just take you for example.  In your 20 years with the other bank did you ever make a special trip out of your way to compliment a teller?  Did you ever make it a point to go into a branch and compliment them on their statements?  How many times have you called a manager of a store to compliment a store employee?  Then compare all of those situations with the level of effort you are doing to "complain" about the overdrafts.

The fact is that contrary to what you may think you do NOT understand how banking works, or you would not have gotten to the point of $1400 in overdraft fees.  YOU would have stopped it back at the first few.  YOU would have taken the responsibility to figure out why.  YOU would have not gone into the "me good..bank evil" mode, and you would NOT have had $1400 in overdraft fees.

Now, of course if you still feel you are 100% right then take this proof you say  you have and go to the local news media.  Better yet take it to an Attorney.  If you have the "smoking gun" the attorney will probably take your case on contingency just for the publicity to have proof of this big evil bank manipulating their accounts to create overdraft fees.  Of course on the flip side is that if you take it to the media and attorney and they basically tell you the same thing people here are saying are you going to accuse them of working for the bank as well?

So I still truly hope that when you do go to your next bank that you actually re-read what I posted and be sure to ask those very important questions and understand how that bank works.  Because if just keep it in your mind that you don't need to because you "know" how banking works...the odds are that you will be back writing the same report on your new bank. 

Good Luck...it appears you are going to need it.

From your post :  I have visual proof that Texas Trust charged OD fees prior to the actual transactions

This indicates that you're being charged OD fees for a negative available balance. Posting at a bank works like this: They take the ledger balance (money physically in the account at the end of he previous business day; Some banks now post deposits to the account (some post them after the debits); they subtract the total amount on debit card hold (items approved but not yet received the payment request from the store) to get the available balance (the amount available to pay items without having a fee. If this goes negative, you get a fee for each negative transaction.), then they subtract the debits (card transactions, checks, ACHs, etc. Any that post to a negative get a fee.) and then if not done before the deposits are added.

Example: Balance at end of yesterday is $175.00

Card holds.......................................   $100.00

Available balance.............................   $75.00

Subtract debits...............................   If they total $75.00 or less there's no fees.

                                                         If they total $75.01 or more there's a fee for each negative item.

Add deposits..................................  Any deposit crediting for that business day. If deposited after cut off, it credits the next business day.

The banks that poat deposits first will add them to to yesterday's balance.

So if you had a total of $100 in holds, you would get OD fees for each item posting, even though these holds have no posted. When these items post, if the balance is still negative you'll get a fee for each item.

Three of the biggest questions to ask when opening an account: What's your funds availability rules on deposits? What is the cut off time for same day credit for all methods (teller, drive through, ATM, etc.) Do you post deposits before or after debits?  Banks are free to establish their own standards for these things as long as they tell you what they are. It's usually found in the Terms & Conditions but I ask these three at any bank I'm considering opening an account at. If I don't like their answers I go elsewhere.

Yes, I used to do Customer Service for another bank but have no affiliation with this bank.

I knew that someone with $1400 in overdraft penalties would be unable to supply proof that the bank is to blame. I knew that because you wrote, "The mobile app does not ever reflect an accurate balance (or available balance)." That is a clear indication of someone that floats checks or does not maintain a current check register. The bank has no knowledge of outstanding transactions so the balance in a properly maintained check register will ALWAYS be more accurate than the online banking info. You may want to consider reading about outstanding transactions to obtain better knowledge of how to properly make effective use of your checking account.

I am among the population that enjoys the liberty of free banking because the over-drafters pay the banking fees for the rest of us. Thank-you.

...and I do so hope that everyone that reads this recognizes the level of customer care they will get from Texas Trust. You have proved my point.

Keep doing exactly what you are doing. Discerning customers won't put up with this nonsense. I have been told by every representative that "other customers have complained of the same exact thing", so I'm not the only one. There comes a point that people will suspect that it is intentionally deceptive and misleading and they are gonna get fed up.

Thank you.

Absolutely not. I am not going to get into a spitting match with you nor anyone else. I have expressed my personal experience and consumers can form their own opinion and compare to their own situation. I have gone back and forth for the better part of a year with Texas Trust. I'm done. Your post(s) shows the lack of professionalism and customer service I have come to expect from Texas Trust. Don't tell consumers that read this, "Don't bother wasting the effort to type it...I'll tell you right now I don't work for them" or "Oh and NO before you ask, I do not now or have I ever worked for this or any bank". Methinks thou doth protest too much. I think the average Joe consumer can see right through this. 

“I have visual proof that Texas Trust charged OD fees prior to the actual transactions”

That’s a serious allegation. Please post that proof using the ‘Upload an Image’ feature of this site. That would verify your claim.

First, let me just say that I banked with SOFCU FOR 20 years, NOT 20 years ago. This is not my only bank account I currently have or have had. Just the only one I have had continual problems and the run around with. Yes, I do keep a register and yes, I have visual proof that Texas Trust charged OD fees prior to the actual transactions creating a domino effect of negative balance and OD fees. If you do not work for this outfit, why do you care? If you do work for this outfit, which I believe you do, why don't you just research what I have tried repeatedly to convey and correct the problem? If other customers are experiencing the same issue, it seems like there just might be something that needs to be addressed don't you think? 

You gave yourself all these overdraft fees because you were using money you didn't have.  Why?  You don't keep written records with an on going running balance which you update each and everytime you use the card.  You also don't know or understand the funds availabilty policy.  Sorry to burst your bubble but you truly don't know how banking works otherwise you wouldn't have overdrafted you own account.  There's no scam here, no tricky accounting and the big bad bank is not out to get little you.  Its just another case of someone who is too lazy to keep written records and only checks the balance on line which any banker will tell you is NOT as accurate as you keeping written records of each and every use of the card.  

Don't bother wasting the effort to type it...I'll tell you right now I don't work for them.

Based on everything you wrote, and more importantly what you did NOT write.  The bank is most likely right in that you do not understand how banking works.  Oh you may have understood it 20 years ago...but things are very much different now.

20 Years ago the "debit" card, and Online banking was just in it's infancy, mobile banking didn't exist at all.  In fact I would bet that most of your bills were paid by checks.  Where today, I would also guess that you can't even remember when the last check you wrote was.  Where even just a few years ago checks could still take a few days to "clear", but today with Electronic Processing, having them clear the same day is very common.  Thus eliminating any "float" that many..many people relied on.

You appear to be relying on Online/Mobile balances of your account.  This is most likely a primary reason for your issues.  As those systems ONLY know what you have spent by what has been actually received by the bank.  And yes there are dozens of reasons why you may have spent the money, but the bank doesn't know right away...and many of those are NOT the fault of the bank.

Not once in this post did you mention you use a "written register", that is a register where you write down EVERY transaction you make when you make it.  As of you do this you know how much you have spent and it does not matter if it takes 1 day or 1 week for the bank to post it, and you don't have to rely on any other method.

One other thing is you need to know how the bank posts transactions.  That is do they do debits or credits first.  If they do debits first, that means that if you have $200 your bank account, but an $800 deposit.  If you have $201 in transactions you WILL overdraft because those debits are posted before the deposit.

When you open your next account, be sure to read EVERYTHING you are signing.  If you don't understand what you are signing ask them to explain it to you, if you still don't...ask again.  Specific things to also look out for is how do they post their transactions.  Do they post credits or debits first.  What is their "Funds Availiability Policy".  Make sure you don't "opt-in" to their standard overdraft protection.

Oh and NO before you ask, I do not now or have I ever worked for this or any bank.  I would tell you the exact same thing regardless of the bank you mentioned.

Do you actively maintain a current check register?