Complaint Review: SYNOVUS BANK - PORT RICHEY Florida

Hi, I have had several accounts with several banks in the past. If you read all of the fine print (usually the stuff you need a magnifying glass for) it will state that the bank may change the terms and conditions of the contract at any time, with or without notice, (depending upon state regulations). Considering the most banks are operating with NA at the end of their names, state regulations no longer apply to them, only Federal Regulations.

I know, that before I opened up my previous account, I had an attorney review the documentation (I am a member of the only open to the public legal events plan, in the world). I was able to have my attorney talk to the branch manager, who then sent the paperwork to the higher ups, and had some changes made to the contract, that benefited me. Now I am not saying that an attorney can or will do what mine did for me, but it would be worth a shot. If you want to know more about the program that I am involved in, do a google search, and don't believe the negative stuff said about the plan that I am in. I can tell you that it works.

The bottom line, however, is to always read the fine print, because if you don't you'll wind up paying for it in the end.

Not a ripoff since you haven't been charged any fees yet. The bank complied with fed requirements of telling you ahead of time that the terms were changing. If you don't like/can't accept the new terms, close your account and open an account at another financial institution. Just be aware that fewer financial institutions are offering "free" checking accounts, so don't be surprised if your new bank/credit union sends you a letter saying they're changing the terms of your account.

You refuse to post the full document because it states that the agreement is subject to change. You only posted the part you want everyone to view. So... when a woman gets a permanent (perm) hairstyle it's a rip off when her hair grows and no longer retains the style, right?

You failed to prove your case. Your claim is unsubstantiated.

Other posters have asked that you post the full terms, why haven't you?  I'll tell you why, you haven't and it probably relates to this statement.

its unethical to change the terms of an agreement after its entered into.  i cannot change the terms and neither should the other party
- UNLESS the terms of the agreement you agreed to allows them to change the terms.  Which if you read the full terms this is exactly what you agreed to.  Now, you talk about your credit union.  I would bet that somewhere in that agreement there is the same clause that lets them amend the terms as well.

Don't believe me?  Go look for yourself.  But before you do it may be a good idea to think about what you are going to do when you find that they have the same clauses.  Of course if your Credit Union can never change the terms of the agreement I suggest you post the name of it here.  There would be hundreds of people that would love to become a customer.
 

the only reason i havent been ripped off is because i wont allow it...not because the bank isint trying to rip me off ..its clear im not going to convince you  ..im sure you wont change my mind either..i feel better sharing the truth with the public ...im in the right
its unethical to change the terms of an agreement after its entered into .  i cannot change the terms and neither should the other party
im not bad mouthing anyone im just telling the ugly truth .
i obviously hit a nerve cause you are here staunchly defending them when there is no possible defense

Please post an image (in focus) of the entire agreement. To insure privacy you should conceal your personal info. Please, no more yelling.

No, you didn't HAVE to bash the bank, but you DID. And while you did not name a specific credit union, you did tout their benifits over those of banks, which is what I said you did. It is not legal to rip (and the word IS "rip", not "ripp", btw) people off, nor has anyone been ripped off here. Your opinion that giving you notice they are going to change the fee schedule of your account PRIOR to the actual change is ripping people off does not make it so.

Once again, typing in all capitals does not make you correct, nor does it make me incorrect. If, as you state, "...this pattern happened at every major bank ive (sic) done business with..." why continue to go to banks? Why not just stick with the credit unions, with which you seem so happy? Once again, most businesses reserve the right to change the terms of their agreements with you, provided they give you notice first. It is legal, it is a legitimate business practice, and you ARE unreasonable to insist that things never change. It makes no sense in the face of rising costs that a business has no right or recourse to recoup some losses because YOU insist they MUST stick with what you signed up for. Again, read the disclosure in its entirety. I would be VERY surprised if it does not say something similar.

As far as the so called "...terrible customer service..." to which you refer, I have not mentioned it for several reasons. Based on your posts to date, it seems clear to me that you will listen to nothing but your own rhetoric. If your call to the manager was more of the same, and she could not get through to you either, then she had no choice but to end your call. She DOES have a business to run, after all. How many times do you need to call to complain about the same thing? Three? Four? Twenty-seven? Obviously, the branch manager has no authority to change a bank policy. Harrassing her in the middle of the business day with your nonsense is unconscionable. I would not have let you get to call three personally. And this would also account for the, "...awful attitude..." you mention as well. And you claim I have no morals. I think someone needs a mirror.

Once again, grow up. If you don't like what a business is PROPOSING to do, leave them. If you have, as you state, then why come on here and bad mouth them? You are not going to change their policies by claiming they have ripped you off, when it has not cost you a dime. And no one with an ounce of sense is going to be swayed by your nonsense.

I reiterate...NO RIP OFF here.

i dont have to bash them they did great job on their own .. the reason that its legal to ripp people off is because of the unyeilding power they have buying the system   ..I didnt just decide one day to "bash the bank" ive been ripped off  with huge unwarranted fees, banks basically stealing money from people by way of unwarranted fees..changing the rules to suit them as revenge for the feds making them act ethicly...  this pattern happened  at every major bank ive done business with.. i was actually happy  with my account here till they decided not to honor their side of the contract..this pattern is repeated with all the banks ive had an account at.. i like how you make them out to be the victim (nice redirect) even if its legal(which i believe it is not) we have a contract the disclosure agreement  we have states account type as signature free checking not some other product..thats what i signed up for..thats what i want ..im not unreasonable to assume that ..

What about the terrible customer service and the awful attitude from the manager? her hanging up on me 3 times i notice you didnt mention that. also the if you dont like it just close your account..

and yes i will shout it from the rooftops the advantage of my credit union   ..i didnt mention them by name so its no commercial as you state.. the banks are out of control andthe american people are sick and tired of being ripped off by them  .. 10 dollars a month for SIGNATURE FREE CHECKING SOUNDS LIKE A RIP OFF TO ME.. ALSO WHEN YOU OFFER ONE PRODUCT AND  THEN WHEN THE CUSTOMER GETS USED TO IT YOU TRY TO UNETHICALLY SWITCH THEM TO ANOTHER PRODUCT WITH HIGHER FEES AGAINST THEIR WILL I CALL THAT A RIP OFF....  i guess you have no morals  EVERYONE KNOWS ITS WRONG TO CHANGE THE RULES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME....

So, the reality is that you just want to bash banks. You accused me of working for the banks and then did a commercial for the benefits of switching to credit unions. If you prefer credit unions, close your bank account and use the credit union you claim to have (btw, typing in all capital letters does not make you right).

You have continually whined about the change in fee structure, which you erroneously insist on claiming is illegal (and, as you have been told by several people now is NOT illegal, as long as the bank gives you notice (which, again, you admit they did)). Do you have cable television? Has the rate ever gone up? Is THAT illegal? After all, you have a contract with them, too. Landlord ever raise your rent? Have a lease? Sue the b*****d! Car insurance go up when you haven't had an accident? TREASON!

You were advised the bank intended to start charging your account, which they CAN do by law. If you don't like that, you can close the account BEFORE THEY CHARGE YOU A DIME. For the third time, your account TYPE is permanent, NOT the fee structure on it. I'm pretty sure if you could take a clear
picture to save your life, and included the ENTIRE agreement, it would state that the bank reserved the right to change the terms with notice to you. All of them do. The bank is a BUSINESS, which means they are there to make money. They make some off of the money they loan out, and give you some interest on the money they borrow from you.

If you were really interested in saving the fee, you would speak to the bank about how to avoid it. A lot of times there are different account types, or alternative ways to keep from getting charged (such as direct deposit and/or online bill payments from the account). But the truth is, you prefer credit unions and want people to switch. You are not going to convince people to do that with your misdirection and illegitimate complaints.

You were NOT ripped off. You have a choice. If you don't like what they are proposing to do, close the account and go to your precious credit union.  No one is forcing you to do otherwise. And no one has ripped you off.

well if you look it says the account type"signature "free" checking not access checking right'?  its not as you say. its very specific !it says this is your signature free checking  not access checking..so now that their fees have to be reasonable that meant its cart Blanche to take it from me? no this is just wrong way thinking to say its ok because i can just go elsewhere. of course i can go elsewhere but does that mean the bank dosent have to keep up their end of the bargain? what ever happened to the customer ?  it seems that the profit margin is more important than the customer?  so its like it or lump i just dont get that...i also dont understand the idea that because the feds limited the fees to reasonable level  means you can just charge me to make up the difference by charging customers more.. it sounds juvenile to me i cant rip you off anymore so ill just charge you for something you already enjoy for free...ive already taken my business elsewhere but that really isint relevant...what is relevant is the banks are acting like little children if i have to charge reasonable fees im just going to charge customers more.. its not ethical, its not right..   if i give a friend 100 dollars  am i doing him a favor? or is he doing me the favor?  EVERYONE KNOWS IT NOT RIGHT TO CHANGE THE RULES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME!!
 JUST BECAUSE YOU HAD TO REDUCE YOUR FEES TO REASONABLE LEVEL..  at best this is questionable way to do business.. ... this like it or lump it   attitude is crappy...  keep telling yourself its ok to cheat people in the interest of profit...who would pay to loan the bank money.?.. i dont know of any other business that could treat customers this badly and still be in business...if offering free checking isint making money you have to live with it. you already made that choice ..the fact that the law changed to protect the customer you respnod by charging more?
changing the offerings is fine  for all future sign ups ..but you cant change the past.
 you offered free checking ,not just that but it actually was in the account name "FREE"..how is it fair TOCHARGE FOR SOMETHING YOU OFFERED FOR FREE ? just because ive been notified? what if i did that DECIDED TO NOTIFY THE BANK THat now im charging them 10 dollars a month to use my money would the bank think its ok then? i bet not  ....sounds like buyers remorse  you offered free checking to bring cash flow into the bank thinking you could charge huge fees and get a windfall..t he feds say no you cant gouge people..so you respond by charging for something you already gave away.. now you want to tke it back and charge me if i want it back? they get to use everybodys money to make more money, thats the benefit for boith parties i get safe place to keepy money and the bank gets to use my money to profit..also with all the fees (which finally now are at reasonable level ) they make plenty..but its just not enough?   this is a reason its ok to cheat honest people....i just want what i was promised ...that is whats fair , the playing field needs leveling .. both parties need to be on equal footing and follow the same rules as the rest of us ...

The box marked "permanent" shows that your account will be ongoing, not set up for temporary use such as an estate account. It does not guarantee you that the terms will never change. The notification you received is what is required before the bank changes any terms on their accounts. If you accept the terms, keep your account open and continue to use it but you will have the monthly service fee. Or find another bank/credit union that still has free checking (some do but it's getting harder to find). This is not a rip off, it's just the consequence of the Feds limiting the amount of fees that banks get from OD fees.

here is a clearer photo
  i have the document outlining the terms (for the life of the account) thats the purpose of the disclosure so the consumer knows exactly what he/ she is agreeing to(and the bank) so everyone plays by the rules...unlike the banks who like to make rules up as they go along.. this sort of thing is the reason for the reform so banks dont take advantage of people....

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really? you actually believe that? T ITS PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO ARE THE PROBLEM IN OUR COUNTRY.PASSIVELY ACCEPTING WHEN BANKS AND CORPERATIONS BUY THE LAWS THAT ALLOW THEM TO ROB THE POOREST OF US ..CHARGE ME TO BORROW MY  MONEY ??REMEMBER THEY USE MY CASH TO RISK IN THE STOCK MARKET CAUSING ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS .. I DONT HAVE A PROBLEM IF THEY STOP OFFERING ITTHE FREE CHECKING  ..BUT THEY HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE CONTRACT(OR DISCLOSURE ) THEY PROMISED ME  ...THE AGREEMENT LASTS THE LIFE OF THE ACCOUNT !! JUST LIKE A LOAN AGREEMENT ..IN GOOD STANDING...MY GUESS IS YOU WORK FOR THEM... i already have an account at a credit union LET ME EXLAIN WHAT I GET NOW.... i get FREE CHECKS ,FREE CHECKING , NO MINIMUM, NO MONTHLY SERVICE FEE, FREE DEBIT CARD, FREE ADVICE AND A SMILE  WHEN IM THERE AND MOST IMPORTANT RESPECT !!.. I ALSO GET LOW INTREST LOANS AND MORTAGES  CAR LOANS ...ANYONE DUMB ENOUGH TO PAY SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THEIR MONEY DESERVES TO BE ROBBED BY THE EVIL BANKS . I LOVE MY CREDIT UNION... BANKS ARE RUINING THIS COUNTRY ITS LEGALIZED THEVIERY...I DONT REALLY USE THIS ACCOUNT SO ITS NO BIG DEAL .. BUT IF I CAN GET JUST ONE PERSON TO CLOSE THEIR ACCOUNT  ILL SLEEP WELL...IT IS A RIPP OFF!! I GET BETTER SERVICE AT THE CREDIT UNION.. AND THEY DONT TRY TO ROB ME EVERY TIME I TURN AROUND ...BANKS CAN KISS MY KEISTER!!

As a previous author stated, banks are changing the account packages they offer to try to recoup fees that they can no longer charge in other areas. Your "free" checking account was NOT guaranteed to remain so forever. In the (very blurry) picture you provided as "proof", the account TYPE says it is permanent, NOT the fee structure. Ergo, you do not have a temporary account, but you were never promised a free account for life.

If you are not happy with the change, you are free to close your account with them and try a different bank. But be forewarned - you are likely to encounter the exact same thing. By the way, changing the terms of the account (after two years, btw) WITH NOTICE TO YOU (which you admit you got) is not illegal, nor is it a "bait and switch." A true bait and switch is offering something that they NEVER had at a low price only to sell you a higher priced item instead.

You're right - YOU can't change the terms of the account. But then again, you are not offering the account to the bank. They are offering it to you. Therefore, THEY can change the terms, you cannot. Check with the bank (when you are done sabre rattling) to see if the new terms allow for exceptions to the fee. For example, some banks offer no fee if you have a direct deposit and/or bill payments from the account. If not, they may offer different account types with lower (or no) fees to them.

Regardless, just because the account was free when you signed up for it, does not mean the bank has to continue to provide free service forever. Change is inevitable, and in this economy, everyone is trying to make a dollar any way they can.

my disclosure agreement says in no uncertian terms "signature free checking " AND THE TERMS ARE SPELLED OUT.... and nexT to it th box marked     SIGNATURE FREE CHECKING    AND THe BOX CHECKED X  PERMANENT !!            CANT GET CLEARER THAN THAT!!.. the disclosure agreement cannot be changed...says account type (permanent)  with the other option left unchecked   was (temporary)nex to that it says agreement type....so    the answer is yes forever or permanaNT IF YOU WILL!!

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  Most banks are doing away with free checking due to consumer protection legislation that went into effect a few years ago.   

"  I have my original agreement and it clearly states no minimum balance and no monthly fee "

    Does your original agreement guarantee those terms forever?   I've never seen one that did.  Review the agreement and see if there's a section that says the bank reserves the right to change the terms in the future.  It's a common clause in every account agreement I've ever seen.