It was early 2007. Wachovia offered a product that met my needs: free online checking account, no fees that would ever apply to me, no minimum balance, etc. I signed up online, happy as can be. Shortly later, everything went downhill. So many incompetant workers running headfirst at 70 mph into unmovable and nonsensical company policies. The world will be a much better place as soon as the last trace of this bank is gone.
Routing number. Wachovia wanted to charge an exorbant amount of money to get even the first order of checks (haha for the "free" checking part none of the other banks that I've dealt with ever made me pay for the first batch of checks). No problem, thought Dullard, I'll just order some from a cheap check cashing company. I look over the Wachovia documents and statements, no routing number to be found. I call up, only to be rejected; Wachovia won't state a routing number over the phone. Who made up that rediculous policy? A routing number is protected information? Since when?
I do a quick Google search for routing numbers and bingo, there it is. Well, there several of them are, I just choose the most common number that appeared on Google and go on with my business. Well, I never did get around to ordering checks. Since, by then, I was happy enough using Wachovia fully online. Drop off an electronic deposit here, a withdrawl or bill pay there. I used that Googled routing number for it all, everything was fine.
Dormant account. Over a year later I get a nice little letter stating that I haven't written any checks and that the account is dormant. It said to write them a letter stating to keep it open. I did. I thought nothing more of it. I kept making deposits and paying bills online.
Dormant account #2. A few months later, I get a second letter stating that the account is dormant since I didn't use the account or write a letter. Even though I did both. I call in. "I'm sorry, we can't do anything on a dormant account", says moronic Wachovia employee. I tell my story about how it wasn't dormant and how I just used it earlier that week. I got nowhere.
I try to close the account. So, I asked to close the account since it apparantly is dormant and since they won't give me a routing number to get checks so that it won't go dormant. Nope. Can't do it on the phone. Can't do it online either apparantly. Must do it in person. Except, there isn't a Wachovia in the state that I live. Remember, it was a free ONLINE account.
However, I continued to be able to use the account fully online. But, I did keep the balance low but it was ALWAYS positive (no minimum balance), since I was weaning myself off of it. Wachovia had been bought by Wells Fargo and I'd then be able to do everything just a block from work.
Online account frozen. I try logging in during March. Nope. Suddenly can't log in. I call up, the account has been transferred creditors. Why? They say I have to read my statement (online, but the online login is frozen). They apparantly can't see why either. Shortly later I get a letter from Accounts Receivables Management Inc. - stating that I owe Wachovia money and that I can pay them to resolve this debt. WTF! I had a positive balance in a no fee, no minimum, "free" checking account.
Dozens of phone calls later. I call Wachovia and leave messages. No one calls back. I call Accounts Receivables Management, and get nothing but people yelling at me that I am not paying my debts. ARM says to talk to Wachovia. I call Wachovia and am instantly transferred to ARM. Dozens of calls later, someone finally tells me what is happening. They RETROACTIVELY charged $5/month dormant fees and then a $40 chargeoff fee for being negative balance after all of those dormant fees. Dormant fees on an account that I used frequently. No fee warning! Just the opposite the Wachovia people on the phone said I could keep using the account.
Wild goose chase. I go in circles, repeatedly on the phone. I've spent hours and hours spread over days trying to find anyone with any authority to do anything. I have found that Shirley Therresa is of no help, her manager of disputed accounts Amanda Starkey won't do a thing. Andrea is kind but just keeps forwarding you to Erica Parcy (supervisor). Erica sends you to Tim O'Brian who just yells that you are a deliquent bum who won't pay debts. Tim either hangs up on you or sends you back to Shirley. That and a few Indian unhelpful employees that I can't understand their name long enough to write it down. None of them can get me on the phone with ANYONE who can address the fees and how to get my account either fully closed or remove the dormant fees for an actively used account.
Finally, I get Ms. Dos Thomas who is quite kind and nice on the phone. She said she'd take care of everything. I just have to fax in a dispute claim. I did, except their fax number is not in service.
A letter is in the mail using the Fair debt Collection Practices Act sample dispute letter, but I'm running out of time and I'm sure my credit is trashed. It was pristine previously. At this point, I'd pay their fraudulent fees if I could get my original bank balance back and if they file with the credit agencies that this was all a mistake. But I can't even get anyone willing to do that.
Cliffs:
1) Won't give routing number to get checks.
2) Account is "dormant" even though I use it regularly online.
3) Account is permanently dormant even though I follow their process and write a letter to keep it active.
4) Account works for months in its dormant phase (withdrawls and deposits).
5) Wachovia refuses to close account online or on the phone, even though it was an online account and even though I can't reasonably get to a bank in person.
6) With no warning no fee "free" account is charged fees that make it go negative.
7) Wachovia can't work with negative accounts, I have to dispute it with collection agencies.
8) Collection agencies can't work with me, I have to dispute it with Wachovia.
9) Repeat #7 and #8 until credit is trashed, I pay massive fradulent fees, and I lose my balance on the account.
Routing number. Wachovia wanted to charge an exorbant amount of money to get even the first order of checks (haha for the "free" checking part none of the other banks that I've dealt with ever made me pay for the first batch of checks). No problem, thought Dullard, I'll just order some from a cheap check cashing company. I look over the Wachovia documents and statements, no routing number to be found. I call up, only to be rejected; Wachovia won't state a routing number over the phone. Who made up that rediculous policy? A routing number is protected information? Since when?
I do a quick Google search for routing numbers and bingo, there it is. Well, there several of them are, I just choose the most common number that appeared on Google and go on with my business. Well, I never did get around to ordering checks. Since, by then, I was happy enough using Wachovia fully online. Drop off an electronic deposit here, a withdrawl or bill pay there. I used that Googled routing number for it all, everything was fine.
Dormant account. Over a year later I get a nice little letter stating that I haven't written any checks and that the account is dormant. It said to write them a letter stating to keep it open. I did. I thought nothing more of it. I kept making deposits and paying bills online.
Dormant account #2. A few months later, I get a second letter stating that the account is dormant since I didn't use the account or write a letter. Even though I did both. I call in. "I'm sorry, we can't do anything on a dormant account", says moronic Wachovia employee. I tell my story about how it wasn't dormant and how I just used it earlier that week. I got nowhere.
I try to close the account. So, I asked to close the account since it apparantly is dormant and since they won't give me a routing number to get checks so that it won't go dormant. Nope. Can't do it on the phone. Can't do it online either apparantly. Must do it in person. Except, there isn't a Wachovia in the state that I live. Remember, it was a free ONLINE account.
However, I continued to be able to use the account fully online. But, I did keep the balance low but it was ALWAYS positive (no minimum balance), since I was weaning myself off of it. Wachovia had been bought by Wells Fargo and I'd then be able to do everything just a block from work.
Online account frozen. I try logging in during March. Nope. Suddenly can't log in. I call up, the account has been transferred creditors. Why? They say I have to read my statement (online, but the online login is frozen). They apparantly can't see why either. Shortly later I get a letter from Accounts Receivables Management Inc. - stating that I owe Wachovia money and that I can pay them to resolve this debt. WTF! I had a positive balance in a no fee, no minimum, "free" checking account.
Dozens of phone calls later. I call Wachovia and leave messages. No one calls back. I call Accounts Receivables Management, and get nothing but people yelling at me that I am not paying my debts. ARM says to talk to Wachovia. I call Wachovia and am instantly transferred to ARM. Dozens of calls later, someone finally tells me what is happening. They RETROACTIVELY charged $5/month dormant fees and then a $40 chargeoff fee for being negative balance after all of those dormant fees. Dormant fees on an account that I used frequently. No fee warning! Just the opposite the Wachovia people on the phone said I could keep using the account.
Wild goose chase. I go in circles, repeatedly on the phone. I've spent hours and hours spread over days trying to find anyone with any authority to do anything. I have found that Shirley Therresa is of no help, her manager of disputed accounts Amanda Starkey won't do a thing. Andrea is kind but just keeps forwarding you to Erica Parcy (supervisor). Erica sends you to Tim O'Brian who just yells that you are a deliquent bum who won't pay debts. Tim either hangs up on you or sends you back to Shirley. That and a few Indian unhelpful employees that I can't understand their name long enough to write it down. None of them can get me on the phone with ANYONE who can address the fees and how to get my account either fully closed or remove the dormant fees for an actively used account.
Finally, I get Ms. Dos Thomas who is quite kind and nice on the phone. She said she'd take care of everything. I just have to fax in a dispute claim. I did, except their fax number is not in service.
A letter is in the mail using the Fair debt Collection Practices Act sample dispute letter, but I'm running out of time and I'm sure my credit is trashed. It was pristine previously. At this point, I'd pay their fraudulent fees if I could get my original bank balance back and if they file with the credit agencies that this was all a mistake. But I can't even get anyone willing to do that.
Cliffs:
1) Won't give routing number to get checks.
2) Account is "dormant" even though I use it regularly online.
3) Account is permanently dormant even though I follow their process and write a letter to keep it active.
4) Account works for months in its dormant phase (withdrawls and deposits).
5) Wachovia refuses to close account online or on the phone, even though it was an online account and even though I can't reasonably get to a bank in person.
6) With no warning no fee "free" account is charged fees that make it go negative.
7) Wachovia can't work with negative accounts, I have to dispute it with collection agencies.
8) Collection agencies can't work with me, I have to dispute it with Wachovia.
9) Repeat #7 and #8 until credit is trashed, I pay massive fradulent fees, and I lose my balance on the account.