Complaint Review: Circuit City - First North American National Bank - Internet

My husband and I have separate accounts with Circuit City, financed through First North American National Bank (FNANB). We highly regard Circuit City, but we must close our accounts because of the bad-faith business practices of the bank they use. Let this be a warning to all who even contemplate opening an account with Circuit City, unless the store implements a change by literally dumping FNANB.

My credit account was opened in 1999. My husband opened his a few years later. We purchase new computers from Circuit City almost yearly, and related computer items on a regular basis. However, this past September, I received a notice from FNANB that my account was past due; they were "unable to locate" my checking account for my August payment. They charged my Circuit City account instead, along with added service and late fees. Obviously, a mistake had been made. My husband's Circuit City account is paid from the same joint checking account. If they located his checking account, there's absolutely no reason not to "locate" mine.

I telephoned to question their sudden inability to locate my bank account. They were quite adamant at first, insisting that my bank account was nonexistent "according to their records." FNANB was unaware that another member of my family had a separate line of credit with payments being made from the same source, until I finally reached a "supervisor," and proved they were "locating" my husband's bank account. Problem solved. I was to "ignore" the notice.

Now, the fun begins. In October, the same thing happened. FNANB again was "unable to locate" my bank account, again charged a payment to my Circuit City account, again added fees, and again failed to notify me until the end of the month. I decided to employ some "quality control recording" of my own. I traveled to Circuit City and had them place a call to FNANB. This time FNANB discovered the "error" was with their "financial processing department," and all I had to do was confirm my bank account number. Simple...here it is. No, not so fast, we need your bank to confirm it. Okay, no problem. I travel to my bank.

My bank thoroughly investigated, discovering that FNANB never attempted to access my account during the months claimed. They further learned that the last four digits of my bank account number had been dropped by FNANB. Aah, there's the error! My bank in turn not only faxes confirmation of my account to FNANB financial processing department, but points out the mistake. Problem solved, right?

Of course it wasn't...what was I thinking? I was dealing with a bureaucracy, with individuals who slack off on the job, who pass the buck and refuse to take responsibility for their blunders. They had my husband's bank account number; they had my history since 1999 showing the identical account number in its entirety, and they knew the funds were being drawn from the same source. This meant, they knew where the error laid all along but chose not to reveal or correct it. Then it gets worse... they refuse to correct it.

In early November, I get my first "you need to submit a payment immediately" phone call. You know the kind... "no excuses just do it" type? Fortunately for me, the young lady was on a speaker phone. No expectation of privacy. I reach for my hand-held digital video recorder. I go through the whole routine again, explaining the missing numbers, etc., etc.. This time though, I'm feeling badly for the women who had the unfortunate task of calling me. Conservatively speaking, this was my sixth or seventh contact with FNANB regarding the same problem, and I'm not at all amused by their ineptness. Now they're messing with my credit...my rice and beans, so do your job and back off. Beth, bless her heart, transfers me to another "supervisor" after realizing I'm upset. I promptly continue my rant, having to go through all the previously posed questions and arguments for the umpteenth time. Once the supervisor is backed into a corner, made fully aware of what the difficulty is, where the error lies, and that I can prove it, I'm told they will take care of it... for sure this time.

Stupid me, again. Early December I receive another letter from FNANB, dated late November. My Circuit City account was suddenly four months past due, nearly two-hundred dollars deeper in debt with applied late fees and service charges, and it included a demand for payment in full. Now, I'm the one adamant: They are going to fix this error, reimburse my Circuit City account, so help me God! (Visions of Scarlet shaking her fist in the air came to mind.)

I march myself down to Circuit City again, have them place another phone call to FNANB, their friendly bank, to resolve this matter, immediately. They get another "supervisor" on the phone, no smarter than the last four or five, and there's no one higher in rank available. Circuit City personnel try, I try, we all try, to get FNANB to understand they need to add the last four missing numbers from my bank account to their records. But, we're ultimately told, after three months of this hassle, FNANB can't do that. Huh? I have to "input" the numbers myself. Okay, how? I need to access my account on line and re-enter the correct bank account numbers. Aah huh, got cha! That was done in September when doubt first arose; the numbers are correct. Now what? Have your bank confirm the account. Aah huh, got cha again! That too was done, and the Circuit City Customer Service Rep is standing here reading the fax. Well, according to our records the information is insufficient. Okay, what do you need? Your bank account number.

Scam? You bet. No doubt about it. Am I going to fight? You bet. No doubt about it. This bank needs a lesson in a different type of principle. I'm a woman with an Hispanic last name, but they targeted the wrong mark this time. I learned too late there are far too many complaints on the Internet about First North American National Bank. Stay away from it. If that means closing your account with Circuit City, do it, and don't walk, run.

Elaine

Summerfield, Florida
U.S.A.

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