I am going to be somewhat vague for personal ID reasons, so bear with me.
I was charged a fee by my bank last summer due to an oversight on my part (not keeping close enough track of my various accounts at that bank). As a result of the fee, I made a call to the bank last September 6 at 2:00 PM, as indicated by me on my wall calendar. The purpose of the call was to instruct them to make a certain change to their handling of my accounts that would virtually ensure that this fee situation won't come up ever again.
So this week I get a letter in the (snail) mail from the bank warning me that in a certain number of days I am going to be charged a fee for the same thing if I don't quickly do such and such. It is clear to me that I can only be in this situation because the person I talked to on the phone September 6 failed to follow through on what I asked him to do.
Here are two obvious options I have:
a) Try the same phone number again, with the same instructions to the bank that got ignored by them last year.
b) Go physically to the bank and ask someone face-to-face to do the same thing that got ignored by whoever answered the phone last year.
If I go route (a) or route (b), I could tell them the day and the time I called the number, but not the individual employee's name, since I didn't write that down. (I remember it was a male who sounded about 30 years old.) If I go route (b) I could take a piece of paper with me on which I write that I am instructing that this certain action be taken by the bank, and ask the employee I am dealing with to sign (or at least initial) the paper to prove later on if necessary that I really did come into the bank to deal with this issue.
How would you handle this? If I get another fee of the same type within the next few weeks despite going route (a) or (b), what kind of stink should I make about it? If I make a stink, should I direct it to someone at the bank, or to some oversight agency?
The dollar amount in question is only two digits, so it isn't anything drastic, but it's the principle of the thing--getting told, "Oh yes, I will do that for you sir," and then having it ignored by them.
Originally posted by Paul Dirac IIDon't you have internet banking?
I am going to be somewhat vague for personal ID reasons, so bear with me.
I was charged a fee by my bank last summer due to an oversight on my part (not keeping close enough track of my various accounts at that bank). As a result of the fee, I made a call to the bank last September 6 at 2:00 PM, as indicated by me on my wall calendar. The purpose of ...[text shortened]... e thing--getting told, "Oh yes, I will do that for you sir," and then having it ignored by them.
Originally posted by DeepThoughtInternet banking is only a convenience. You can check on things but suddenly surprises still appear. If you have already declared that you want a certain service and they declare that they are providing it, then surprises should not be costly. The banks would rather just charge you every time keeping in mind that most people won't complain. Thus I occasionally get these really big checks for like $24.18 which are my share of some lawsuit by people who got tired of unfair business practices. Yes, that's twenty-four dollars and eighteen cents.
Don't you have internet banking?
I'd say stay at that bank only until they dissatisfy you in some way, then go down there, make a big show out of withdrawing all your money, maybe speak to the branch manager about how incompetent his staff is, loudly outline precisely why you're leaving and then go. Take your money to the next bank and start all over.
After all, they're all the same, in my experience. All they care about is your money. You, they couldn't care less about. Think Mr. Drysdale on Beverly Hillbillies.