Complaint Review: First National Bank Of Marin - Las Vegas Nevada

I didn't have problems with FNBM until near the end. I had both a Visa and a Mastercard with FNBM. I was reestablishing credit after a bankruptcy and reposession so I didn't figure I would be dealing with fine, upstanding companies.

I got both cards within about 6 months of each other. I never had a problem mailing in payments and having them posted. I always sent money orders as I had no checking account at the time. I had these cards for about 2 1/2 years without incident.

About the time I got a real, unsecured card from another bank I moved. I called FNBM about 3 weeks before I moved to give them my new address and phone number. When the statement for the month didn't show up I called them again, paid over the phone and was told the change had been made. Oddly, the statement never was forwarded from my old address even though a forward order was in and all my other mail was forwarded. Then it got interesting.

The next month the Visa bill showed up but not the Mastercard. Since it was paid off in full the month before and I didn't think I'd used it I didn't think too much about it. It was due on the 15th and on the 15th I get a call from someone in customer service telling me my payment is late. I tell him I never received a statement and besides that today is the 15th, it's not late yet. He tells me there is a payment due (apparently I'd used it at the bar and didn't remember) and the amount. So I tell him I'll do the check over the phone for the complete balance. Did I mention this guy BARELY spoke english?So we go through my giving him my bank account info which I had to repeat like 6 times and make the payment. Then he goes to verify my address and tells me he stil has the old one. I ask him if he's got the old address then how did he get my new phone number. He has no answer for that.

So a couple of weeks go by then they're calling me again saying I missed a payment. I relate my previous phone call. They then tell me that that payment was rejected by the bank. I ask why and they tell me it was an invalid account number. I explained the language problem I had and they agree to write off all the fees and rerun the payment. The I get a statement about a week later showing the payment but the late fees and returned check fees are still there. So I all again and tell them who I talked to on what day at what time and that these were supposed to be written off. They agree to do it again. I then tell them I want to cancel the card. No problem. This one gets closed out and done with no further problems.

I then tell them I want to cancel the other card. Once again they tell me no problem. Next month I get a statement with all sorts of administrative charges and fees so I call, inform them that the card was supposed to be cancelled. They apologize, agree to write off the fees and say we're done. 2 weeks later I get a call from some collection department about these fees and that he will write them off if I pay the balance on the card right then. I had miscalculated and owed them $4.34. I tell him that's fine but I have already spoken with someone about writing off these fees. So I get a FULL name (the one and only) and department and direct extension. The next statement comes and shows the account as closed and at zero. The next day I get a notice from a collection agency about this same card for the amount of the fees. I call FNBM who tells me they can't talk to me because it's been sent to collections. I ask how that can be when I have a statement showing the adjustments, my final payment and the due date on it isn't for another 3 weeks. No answer. So I call the collection agency. After speaking to an agent she gave me to a supervisor who I explained the issue to. She asks me to fax the statement to her. I do and she calls me right back and tells me that FNBM is wrong and they shouldn't have turned me over to collections. Then she dictated to me a letter to send both to her and them and the credit bureaus to cover my a$$ and I never heard another word from them.

My advice would KEEP RECORDS OF WHO YOU TALK TO, WHEN AND WHY. GET NAMES AND EXTENSION NUMBERS WHEN POSSIBLE. DON'T GET NASTY WITH THEM AND GET TO SUPERVISORS WHEN YOU CAN!

Jennifer

Roy, Utah
U.S.A.

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