Complaint Review: Us Bank - Lynnwood Washington

I am just now starting to do hard-core research after being ripped-off by them for over 2 years. Why stay with them you ask; because just as they know it's hard to transfer everything to a new bank! I have (had) direct deposit, PayPal accounts and the like for my business and they have given me flimsy excuses ("We can send you a copy of our policies ma'am!"). The policies that are giving me the most problems are the *new* ones instituted last June and July. In response to Linda, I DID have money in the bank but their ridiculous policy on only allowing you to have $100 of your deposit ~ the only exception is cash or direct deposit which I didn't know until today. Until today I had no idea this was for ANY deposits made with a teller and was told previously that's how it was with *ATM deposits* and started making counter deposits instead, as inconvenient as that is, thinking (foolishly) that that would circumvent the issue. *gah* Honestly if I wanted to go track down the bank of the person who wrote me the check and then cash it, why would I need the bank????? My other issue, like you, is with them charging overdraft fees for *authorizations*. As an example: I have $100 in my account. Not quite sure of my account balance on Sunday I make a VISA transaction for $110. Upon realizing that I only have $100 available, I go make a deposit to my account on Monday morning knowing that the charge will not go through for at least 1 full day. The transaction clears my account, but I am charged $33 NSF fee because when the charge was *authorized* I only had $100 in there even though when the actual "paper" transaction came through I had plenty of money in my account. *GRRRRRRRR* Good luck Alejandro and Kelly, I am finally pissed off enough to take my business elsewhere, even though it's going to be a MAJOR inconvenience and hassle. Stick with Credit Unions people, you're less likely to get screwed!!! ps. I worked in Banking and Finance for 8 years as a Loan Officer and have NEVER seen such bad service and fee scamming as this.

I have a realtive that works at a local bank here in Missouri and she told me that the bank always sends through the biggest check first to increase the amount of profits from NSF charges. For example suppose you have 6 checks outstanding that total $160. One check is $80, and the other 5 checks are for $10 $60, $5, and $5. Your account only has a balance of $82. In theory the bank should pay the checks of $10, $60, $5, and $5 which would leave only 1 outstanding check for $80. However, most banks will process all checks that arrive at the bank in a given day at the same time. The computers pay the checks with the highest amounts first (the 80$ check). Instead of having only 1 overdraft at $30, you will have 5 overdrafts at $150. A great markup for the banks. I do not know if this is the same in all banks across the USA, however I know it is common in MO, because it has happened to me before and I asked my cousin about it. This is the way she explained it to me. It is not fair because the bank charges fees for everything from statements, to using our own ATM machines. You would think they would give people a break, but in this day of big profits, I expect the stacking of checks to continue so the profits of the banks will get bigger.

The banks are not doing you a favor, there only doing themselves a favor by helping themselves to more of YOUR money, anyway they can possibly devise. Someone had to actually sit and think up this scheme, and what he got paid for it is coming from the fees. BANKS WOULD NEVER "DO YOU A FAVOR"- if they "wanted to help" they would offer you a lower interest rate on your loan, or give you a higher one on your deposits...-THAT might help you make your mortgage payements... WOULDNT it be nice if they had someone sitting around thinking of POSITIVE things to do for the customer??? I know just a crazy thought... You guys are not alone, this is a common practice with many banks to help ripp people off. I use a local bank where I generally dont even have to show id, and if I am asked by a new person, they are usually "informed". Plus no long a*s lines and typical hassles of the "big boy banks". I wont apply for credit for this....

I am no longer with the bank. I love my new bank! No games!

To Terether, I am on this board because I have been where Alejandro and Kelli find themselves now. Did I ever say I worked for a bank, or even US Bank? No, I encouraged them to find another bank that would work with them and their special needs. The best defense and approach to fighting US Bank's horrible fee process is to discontinue doing business with them. Banks have merged and been bought out so often that there no longer is any humanity in them. Wouldn't it be nicer to do business with a bank where you could actually have a conversation with someone who might be in a position to help you, and a smaller bank is more likely to do that. Kellie and Alejandro, unfortunately, live in an area where their bank selection is very small, so either they have to find one of those more consumer friendly banks, or eat the fees. You, on the other hand, state that you are from Kansas City, where there will certainly be a larger choice of banks implied by the larger population. If you have suffered at the hands of US Bank, then shop around for another bank. Hit US Bank where it hurts and cancel your account and remove your funds and tell them exactly why you are doing so. With them holding your funds you are at their mercywhy put yourself through that? As I said before, I have been there. I wracked up hundreds of dollars of overdraft fees. I'd probably be doing the same thing, except that I learned to use the system to my advantage, and that was to take my business elsewhere, keep a very exacting record of debits and credits.. right down to the penny, and build up a good working relationship with a small-town-home-town type banker. You have lots of choices in banks. Alejandro and Kelli do not.

I know that everyone has the freedom to do what they want. But I have a question for Linda. Why are you on this board. Is it because you have nothing else to do. Do you work for US Bank? You are so busy taking up for the banks, is this all you have to do with your spare time. You have not said anything to help him or anyone else deal with the fact that US Bank is a horrible bank with horrible policies. If you need help plese read my posts that was giving on 3/11/04. I hope everything works out. Linda, with your "holier than thou" attitude, I hope one day you will never have to be in the situation that his bank has put us in.

One of the reasons we got our computer is so we can do on-line banking and keep better track of our account. Since I have been online I have found four mistakes on two differtent credit cards. This has nothing to do with US Bank. These problems were taken care of immediatly. I also have been training to do home dialysis for the last two weeks, I will be getting my machine here this week! I am so excited I will not have to leave my house and children for hours and hours every week. I will feel better and have better control over my life. We have one bank here in this small town, I have not checked with them yet but I am going to. Thanks again for your advice. I am curious though, what do you think about all of the overdraft charges (over $600.00) when we still had money in the bank, they only charged us these nsf's because the computer had been pre-approved. The money was not taken out until the 24th, they started charging us on the 18th. My husbands check was deposited on the 21st. At no point was there insufficiant funds, only pre-approved items. Thanks again for your thoughts. Kelli.(Alejandros Wife) Duh!

Alejandro, I feel badly for the circumstances in which you find your family, but the fact still remains that if you don't have the money in the account for all the transactions, you will incur fees. Since the banks probably aren't going to change their policies, maybe you can alter your way of doing business. Certainly being able to transfer funds on-line or over the phone would benefit your family. Can you find a bank nearby that allows you to do that? You spoke about the branch being 15 miles away. Maybe a local bank would be more helpful if you actually went in and explained your circumstances. No one who has just undergone dialysis should have to travel 15 miles to transfer money at a bank. I don't think you are using your wife's illness as an excuse, but it is a reason, and you need to find a banker that will work with that reason, and locally owned banks are more inclined to do just that. I haven't set foot inside my bank for years, because we have direct deposit and the ability to transfer from one account to the other online. This would benefit you and your wife. There must be one in your area, but you might have to do some "shopping" for a bank that will meet your needs. I wish you good luck and hope your wife's condition improves.

Do you have a job that you start before the banks open and don't finish until the banks close? Do you have Three children? Do you have a wife that has kidney failure that depends on a machine to stay alive, and almost never feels well? I understand that people need to be responsible for their accounts but sometimes circumstances make it hard. I will give you an example. The other day my wife told me that I needed to transfer some money into my account. I told her I would try to make the time during the day but I was really busy. I called her in plenty of time before the banks closed and asked if she could do it because I was not going to have the time. Since we moved recently the closest branch is about 15 miles away. She had dialysis that day and her blood pressure was really low, and could cause her to faint. She went anyway and made it to the bank two minutes before they closed. We were lucky that day. Please try to understand people have circumstances that make things really difficult sometimes. I know some people will think that I am using my wifes illness as an excuse but until you have lived in our shoes don't judge.

It shouldn't matter in what order the bank processes transactions that came in during the business day. Either you have the money in the account for ALL the transations you conducted, or you don't. I am not excusing the bank for fees charged, because they do tend to be excessive, but keeping accurate records of one's own account is the only way to totally avoid these charges.

Having been in a simular situation once before,I too, have wondered why the large checks are put through, allowing all the "little" ones to incure charges. I was told that the banks put through the largest one because this is normally a more important check, such as mortgage or rent (as if they were doing you a favor!). But I'm not buying it, I know its all bull! They just want to pad their pockets with more $$$ and this is a convienent way of doing it.