Complaint Review: Wachovia

I have an automobile loan through Wachovia Bank that I have been paying regular, ontime payments to for nearly four years. The payments are debited directly from my Wachovia checking account which was set up for the sole purpose of making car note payments. This loan was cosigned for by my father, Joseph Flynn.

My primary banking institution is Navy Federal Credit Union. Every month, a few days before my car note is due, I transfer at least the car note amount, but usually $300 from NFCU to my Wachovia checking account. For 3.5 years, this was a perfectly smooth process. All I had to do was transfer money from one account to another, and it was never an issue.

I got an email from my father last month stating that he had my car note deducted from HIS checking account. After 3.5 years with never a late payment, of course I was alarmed. I quickly checked my Wachovia accoun balance and there was two months worth of car note payments sitting in my account. Wachovia had failed to withdraw the money for both March '06 and April '06

Apparently, unbeknownst to me, Wachovia labeled my account "dormant" which effectively freezes my account. Clearly, it was able to receive deposits but unable to directly debit the money that had been sitting there for my car note payments. I found this out only when I called, already very upset that the wrong account had been debited for two months of payment.

When I called, they forwarded me to the collections agents where I was harrassed by three people. First they claimed that they didn't know what I was talking about. Then they said that it was MY fault that I didn't pay my loan on time. I patiently tried to explain to all of these people that I have not changed my method of payment for 3.5 years. It was Wachovia who changed something and failed to notify me.

I was on the phone, by the end with at least seven people, for a minimum of an hour and a half. I was treated like a thief and a scoundral, for something that I had no impact on. I finally coerced them to refund my father's money and to withdraw the money from the same account that they had been drawing from for almost four years. All the while, I didn't see how this situation had become so confusing.

What was so incredibly difficult to understand? Why didn't they just withdraw money like they always had? I didn't even get so much as an apology or an expression of empathy. They withdrew the money and eventually refunded my father's account. On the phone, I was assured several times that the status of my checking account had been changed and that I would no longer have any problems. Things would return to business as usual.

I then filed a complaint with the BBB on April 24th, 2006, completely outraged at the way I was treated. I demanded a refund of the "late fees" that I was charged because this mistake was not mine. I also, more importantly, demanded that a personalized apology be sent to myself as well as my father.

This morning I got an email from identityguard. This is a service that protects credit and notifies me if there are any changes to my credit reporting. I checked my credit and it seems that Wachovia just updated my tradeline, "no more then two late payments." This was WACHOVIA'S mistake and they are damaging my credit. Not only this, but once again they have refused to debit my account for my car note payments so once again my car note was not paid on time.

I do not, for the life of me, understand why I am being treated like this. I have always been a faithful and loyal customer. Even filing a complaint with the BBB has NOT changed their attitude or service with me. I am completely and utterly at a loss for words. I am paying them interest monthly on my car note and monthly I am paying fees for maintanence of my checking account. I implore you...please do not let Wachovia get away with this. I define this as harrassment. This has caused me inconvenience, embarressment, and frustration for the third month in a row and they refuse to get their act together.

Please. I am asking that someone please teach this company right from wrong. I will not be bullied by "walk all over ya."

Christianna
Norfolk, Virginia
U.S.A.

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STOP! ..before you think about using the Better Business Bureau (BBB)... CLICK HERE to see how other consumers were victimized by the BBB's false or misleading information. Don't be fooled! It has been reported, when there are thousands of complaints and other investigations underway by authorities, the BBB has no choice but to finally give an UNsatisfactory rating to a BBB member business that is paying the BBB big membership fees every year. When a business is reported that is NOT a BBB member, BBB files WILL more likely show an UNsatisfactory rating, then reportedly shake down that company to become a member of the BBB. One positive thing about the BBB is, either way, if a business has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB, you can be sure, the business is bad. But what about all those BBB member businesses that had complaints filed against them? Consumers never get to hear about them. What about the BBB advertising to the public? Is this a false and misleading perception they are giving about consumer confidence when dealing with a business? Click here to understand more of what consumers and business alike are saying about the BBB. You decide. ..Remember. The BBB membership is not earned, it's paid for!