Way to give us a heart attack, bank

[Cookie]

So, we're looking for a new local bank. Big chain banks have been nothing but horrible in our experience, and we've mostly had fantastic experiences with local ones. Our current one started out good, then went downhill.

My husband logs in to online banking to check business account. Personal accounts are there, business account is gone.

Husband calls bank.
Rep says that's strange and he has no idea why that would happen.
H: Can you find out??
R: Uh, I'll have to call you back.

Later we learn that their system had been "upgraded". My husband pointed out that this was a really strange upgrade if an account disappears from online banking. That point was never acknowledged. Turns out, the account is still there, which is a relief, but they've lost our trust.

Also, they can't fix their mistake on their own. Instead, my husband has to go down to the bank in person to fill out papers again to set up online banking for this account again.

Really ticked off right now.

[Pixilated]

Ah, the joys of big corporations. Had Ah Hell do something like that to me once (not just me, apparently): they "upgraded" their computer system but the "upgrades" didn't include any way for online payments to move smoothly (or at all) into the new system. So after three months I get an angry disconnect warning. Turns out those payments were sitting in what I called a "slush fund": they all just got dumped in some giant pool 'o' money somewhere, and Aw Hell started sending out nasty letters.

My wonderful, awesome small community credit union fixed the problem -- apparently places like Aw Hell don't like running into this sort of thing, lest the financial institutions get fed up enough to say, "We're not taking any payments on your behalf anymore."

Three cheers for the little guys!

(I'm currently with a big bank and it's not working out too badly. Still, I plan to move to a community credit union when it's feasible -- right now the big bank is useful as it allows brother to send me money for Mom.)

[An Haddock]

I remember a couple of years ago I made a large ($700 - $900 range) deposit to our business account.

When I got back to the office I pulled it up online to transfer some money... and the deposit was no there.

And I don't mean it hadn't posted yet, I mean there was no record of it being made, and it definitely should have been there. It would just say the funds weren't available yet.


Called the bank and gave them the transaction number, etc. - turned out the woman who took the deposit accidentally left someone else's account on her computer screen and deposited it into her account instead of ours. Thanks, ass.

Fortunately they got it fixed in a matter of minutes, but I wonder how long or if they would have even realized the mistake if I hadn't said anything.

[camjuniper]

Seconding the credit union. My gf loves hers to bits.

Slipshod banks should not get your monies.

[42_42_42]

We have accounts at two credit unions and an online bank. So far, the experience with these has been good. One credit union is just a savings account, where we put a little money every paycheck for emergencies. The other credit union has a regular savings and checking account and is where our mortgage is. We mostly use the accounts there to have a decent amount of ready-cash. The online bank gets the bulk of our money cause our bills get paid from there. I'd be happy just using the credit unions, but hubby likes the online bank and he's the one who deals with the money. If it were up to me we'd just have the credit union accounts at the one credit union, cause I like simple.

[Sparky]

Mostly I love my credit union but if they "improve" the security on their website any more their online features will become useless.

They also have a habit of sending me letters: "Oops, we think your debit card might have been compromised; there's a new one on the way." This is a PIA because that card number's saved a dozen places online, but at least the credit union is watching out for me. I was quite annoyed when they suddenly decided to change all their cards from Visa to Mastercard for no apparent reason. Had to change all my accounts AGAIN.

[paxillated]

Reminds me of the time my small local bank merged with another local bank...
I worked for the Feds, and I got paid (direct deposit) every two weeks, on Friday, always. Unless it was a holiday; then it was Thursday or Monday without fail. I made sure I sent out checks on Tuesdays just in case. (They didn't have online banking.)

Just after the big merge, I got bounce notices, and overdraft fees. They told me they hadn't gotten the money - yeah, sure. I suggested they make sure my money hadn't gone into someone else's account. They never admitted it - but they refunded my overdraft fees.

There were two more mergers, after which it was a multi-state, but not national, bank. They did okay - until (after I retired) I got hit with a poopload of overdraft fees. I found out they were charging them at 12:01 AM! There was no way for me to keep being charged for that day, so they screwed an extra $35 fee out of me. That's not insignificant, when you're a poor retiree.

Now I'm with a huge corporation bank. I chose them purely on the time they charged a day's overdraft fees: 11:59 PM.

[sstabeler]

There were two more mergers, after which it was a multi-state, but not national, bank. They did okay - until (after I retired) I got hit with a poopload of overdraft fees. I found out they were charging them at 12:01 AM! There was no way for me to keep being charged for that day, so they screwed an extra $35 fee out of me. That's not insignificant, when you're a poor retiree.

Now I'm with a huge corporation bank. I chose them purely on the time they charged a day's overdraft fees: 11:59 PM.

My bank has a simpler method for preventing these shenanigans: if the overdraft is fees, then they don't charge a penalty. (so basically, the overdraft fees don't attract their own penalty, like you got.)