Tuesday, December 19, 2006

in the winter, all the trees are bare...

...particularly if you are named penelope and claim to maintain constant vigilance over all things banking. Worse if you claim to be good at it. It's just another $105 in NSF fees down the drain. And I take full responsibility, as always, but seriously? I'm quite aggravated with Wachovia at the moment and am considering a bank change. It's highly suspicious, the way they order charges--$20 for gas doesn't appear on the bankroll all weekend, nor on Monday, we are totally in the clear, and then on Tuesday, oh--there it is! Conveniently (for The Man) placed before 3 nominal charges for a movie ticket and a burger and something else equally stupid, so instead of one ping for the $20, it's ping ping ping for the other 3, which up until this point were fine. Oh and then there's the check I deposited yesterday, which the teller put into the wrong checking account (she didn't ask, and why would she even put it into the account rarely used? but she did), and because it was at the window it will post tonight at midnight, whereas, if I had gone around to the ATM, it would have posted straight away and in the correct account. And yes, would have effectively covered the "overdrafts." Except for the order of charges thing. And it totally benefits the company, totally rapes the consumer. One time, this CSR lady yelled at me on the phone bcs it was Wachovia who has to cover the amount, so it's Wachovia that gets the shaft in an NSF scenario. Okay, duly noted, but $35 a pop? Ludicrous. Absurd. Downright effing criminal. Because as soon as money's deposited, it's the NSF is covered by the consumer, and Wachovia walks away $35x3 richer. We walk away $35x3 poorer, which sorta makes me want to cry, because the check I deposited yesterday, piddly as it was, was something I earned, on my own. It was my own little slice of bacon that I brought home, and now it has been effectively absorbed, eaten for breakfast with a hearty, snarky belch by the nefarious institution that is Wachovia. And yes, I know, it's really my bad for skirting so close always to the NSF line, but STILL.

So friends, if there's a bank you like, please post in the comments. I haven't made up my mind, as it's a complete pain to switch, and really aren't they all terrible? But maybe there's a better option...

4 comments:

~sarah said...

i like Washington Mutual a lot, but i don't know if you have them where you are...

mendacious said...

i owe my soul to citibank and bcs of this i have to say that i love them and they serve me well... but mainly i've been impressed how immediately my atm charges appear- usually there's no snafus... usually. but they all are the devil you know- just behind creditcards... but you know- you're supporting the system. cross your fingers to not get the shaft again and hope they burn in hell for the way they treat people- uh i mean, computer generated numbers.

ashley said...

Pen, the bank I work for has All-Day Banking, meaning no matter what time you make a counter deposit, it goes into your account same-day. However none of them are close to your house. I think First Citizen's has the same thing...it's kind of a new thing banks are trying, so look for it on their websites or call and ask about it. I agree that Wachovia bites. I'm too lazy to change, though.

hat said...

Bank of America. Hands down. I've banked with WaMu, and didn't like so much. BofA Online banking with Bill Pay and Transfers are a cinch. I pay all my bills online through BofA's very simple BillPay service, and ebills are even easier to manage. All payees and vendors appear in one place, and I can keep track of my payment histories w/o worrying. The Keep the Savings program is nice, too. For every charge you put on your ATM/Debit, they round up to the nearest dollar and the difference is deposited into your Savings account. At the end of the year, BofA matches your savings by 25%. Check it out...