1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

wachovia bank is a bunch of liars and thieves

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by galaxee, Dec 31, 2007.

  1. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2004
    14,816
    2,498
    66
    Location:
    Far-North Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    You're right. You should open a new account at a new location with a minimal amount. Start your direct deposits there and as soon as the Wachovia account balances out, close it and transfer the funds.
     
  2. Rancid13

    Rancid13 Cool Chick with a Black Prius

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2005
    2,452
    3
    0
    Location:
    Los Alamitos, Orange County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    I'm so sorry to hear that happened to you. :mad::mad: Hopefully your $100 will be recovered and you'll be able to move your accounts away from that bank to a more reputable one. I never deposit $ via ATM anymore, even if it's a check. I always go inside, even if it means a 15 minute wait. And rather than deal with ATMs at all, I just get cash back whenever I'm at the grocery store or drugstore if I didn't get cash while making my bank deposit.
     
  3. boulder_bum

    boulder_bum Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2007
    1,371
    38
    0
    Location:
    Castle Rock, CO
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Yeah, I put all of my bills on a string so I can yank them back out after I put them in a machine.

    Just kidding. Oops. I meant "withdrawal", of course. :D
     
  4. mojo

    mojo Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2006
    4,519
    390
    0
    Location:
    San Francisco
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Be careful of taking counterfeit money from grocery store cash back,or even from banks for that matter.
    It happens ,and I wonder if its accidental.
    Ive taken bad bills from Safeway as change.
    I recall a news story of a women withdrawing her bank account and given bad bills from her bank.
    She went to her new bank to deposit and the bad bills were confiscated.
     
  5. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

    Joined:
    May 21, 2007
    6,038
    707
    0
    Location:
    Tumwater, WA USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    In response to mojo... that's why you get a certified check (or cheque) from your bank when you close the account... not cash.

    My Dear Hubby doesn't like putting cash in ATMs, either.
    I have done it, but only at the ATM at my bank location, NOT at a remote one somewhere else. And I write all the information on the outside of the envelope (write it on the back, not the side that you have facing UP when you insert it... the up-side is where the ATM prints all the depository information on the envelope, that is SUPPOSED to be verified by the person that retrieves the ATM deposits), since in the case of a dispute, the envelope MUST be kept (it's a FDIC rule or something) for verification.

    When I get money out of an ATM, I do stand right in front of the camera, and count it, before I leave. If there is an issue, there is video proof of it.
     
  6. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2007
    10,664
    567
    0
    Location:
    Adelaide South Australia
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    You mean you take out cash in more than 1 $50.00 note at a time, my goodness me!!! Untold wealth. :D
     
  7. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2005
    9,810
    466
    0
    Location:
    MD
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    thanks, all, for the support. part of the reason for this post was to alert people about the bank in particular, and part was to spread the word that cash in the atm is bad news.

    the rest was to make myself the squeaky wheel :)

    we're getting far better rates at the new place too, that makes me happy :)

    the problem with the bill pay was more of a pita time waster than anything... my big mouth and my attitude usually take care of things, it's just all the time on hold, transferring to supervisors, etc.

    he starts on monday. he's ready to start now, the anticipation is killing him!

    i entered the deposit amount on the keypad as i made the deposit. but the cash "disappeared" between the time the envelope was put in the atm and the time the money made it to the bank record...

    they didn't work very hard at all. it was easier to tell me i was wrong.

    and come to think of it, i never did get a call back from the dispute department supervisor. well that's irritating.

    done and done, just waiting on the account confirmation letter from the new bank for payroll to set up my direct deposit. once the checks clear, we're through.

    i tried to change the title of my post to something more like "tried and failed to screw me over" but the new software doesn't let you change.
     
  8. Neicy

    Neicy Member

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2007
    834
    19
    0
    Location:
    Wakefield, MA.
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XLE
    Galaxee,

    I am so glad you have had this resolved. It is sad, but the only way that could have happened is the money was stolen, the atm ending cash was miscounted, or they forgot not empty the dump. The latter two reasons would have shown up on the following day balancing.

    I have worked for a small (2 branch) community bank for 12 years (operations dept. for 7 of them), and I would NEVER have my account with "the big guys". I hate having to call them to resolve an error since I can't even get through to a real person, and if I do, they can't seem to find anyone who knows how to help me. It's always someone else's department. Very frustrating.

    As far as check holds go, those times are regulated. One business day for local checks, 5 business days for non-local, with the option for extended (7 or 10 business days) for returned checks, or the funds in excess of $5,000.00. I have had local checks that took as long as 14 days to be returned after being mis-routed. Most of my local checks take 2 to 5 business days to come back, so the 1 day hold is essentially useless. But since most of our customers are local and have been with us a while it is seldom a problem. And the smaller banks will be more likely to make exceptions for a known customer too.

    I just hope my bank continues to keep the "community banking" philosophy as technology advances.
     
  9. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2005
    9,810
    466
    0
    Location:
    MD
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    thanks Neicy- i had a suspicion someone stole it for that exact reason. of course the manager's not about to tell me that, she's going to just tell me the money will be restored to my account.

    so if i have cash to deposit at this new bank, and i can't make a deposit in person because they don't have a local branch...

    is it best to get a cashier's check/certified check for the amount from another bank, then put THAT in the atm? would a money order be ok? i just want to use whatever is safest if the situation comes up again.
     
  10. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,232
    1,563
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    It shouldn't have happened, but good for you for standing up for yourself. I'm sure you had no trouble making yourself clear. :rolleyes:

    I have a little banking story you might get a chuckle out of. I had intended to close out an account, but got a statement saying that there was still a balance of 25 cents. I went in to the bank and explained there must have been some interest on the account, and I wanted to close it out. She smiled sweetly and handed me a quarter, then explained there would be a $5 service charge for closing the account. I smiled right back, handed her the quarter, said keep it, and left. The morons sent me a statement every month for years, well after I'd moved away.
     
  11. Neicy

    Neicy Member

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2007
    834
    19
    0
    Location:
    Wakefield, MA.
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XLE
    The only problem with any type of check is the hold on the funds. Even on money orders since payment can be stopped on them for any reason. A cashier's check drawn on a nearby bank may be allowed without a hold depending on the bank. If you need the funds to be clear right away, the only other option is direct deposit, electronic funds transfer, or wire transfer, or cash. A money order for small amounts, or cashier's check for larger amounts, is the safest as far as being able to prove what you actually put in the atm if you can wait for it to clear before you need to use it. Be sure to ask for a copy of their Disclosure for Deposit Accounts and be sure you understand how the holds work when you make a deposit so you don't get caught with a returned check. If it seems unclear to you, make them explain it.

    Just 3 days ago one of our customers put a stop payment on one of our money orders that she used to pay a bill. The "very well-known company" seemed to have not received it they said. Then the very next day the money order came through - the company had processed it but apparently the poor customer didn't get credit for it, and she had already sent them a new check!!!

    Feel free to PM me if you need any questions answered more specifically. And best of luck with a new bank.
     
  12. precisedjs

    precisedjs New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2008
    5
    0
    0
    I have wachovia for my auto loan and I couldn't even go in a branch to make my payment. I know that dealer services are separate, but are they trying to get my car repossessed by having no possible way to pay my payment? I finally got a direct deposit set up online but I had cold hard cash in my hand and they wouldn't take it. What has the world come to??
    In my opinion, I definitely would NOT open up an acct from wachovia now or anytime in the near future. Just my two cents...
     
  13. Rangerdavid

    Rangerdavid Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2006
    1,362
    52
    0
    Location:
    Boone, North Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three Touring
    Resolved? Settled?? No way!! c'mon Galaxee, lets sue 'em anyway!! Bastards!!! intention infliction of emotional distress, unfair and deceptive trade practices, and any thing else we can think of!!

    Glad that's over for ya. really sucks though. Seems like when it rains it pours.... I've been picking up crap all week from an attorney who left our office earlier this week. If I'd known what he's been doing (or in many cases not doing) I would have fired his sorry nice person a month ago..... :eek:
     
  14. PriuStorm

    PriuStorm Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2007
    2,239
    149
    0
    Location:
    Davis, CA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Just another thing to mention... converting your cash into cashier's checks from another bank (which I presume you don't have an account at) or some other form of 'check' may incur fees in addition to the hold time mentioned. If the deposit is small, you end up losing part of it just to get it into a form that carries a paper trail.

    I agree that if it's available, probably direct deposit is the best option. Managing your money carefully, you may incur less fees by just making an ATM withdrawal once or twice a month to get the cash you need on hand.
     
  15. Loveit

    Loveit New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2006
    473
    1
    0
    Sorry to hear about it.

    Bank of America has the ATMs all across the nation, hence the name: Bank of America.

    For the ATMS, you just go and put actual bills, (not sure about change), in the machine, and even checks, for deposits and it is all done WITHOUT envelopes.

    I was with my younger daughter in her car when she said to me, I need to go to the drive-thru of the bank. I said to her, do you have an envelope? No, I don't need one. :confused: I couldn't believe my ears. Yep, she put her money in, it was scanned, it asked her if the amount was correct, push the button yes, it not, punch in the correct number and away we went after she got her receipt.

    Needless to say, both spouse and myself have use BofA for years; especially when he is traveling on business out of state. It is so convenient. We've never had a major problem at all.

    And we always use the ATMs without problems.

    The only thing we were concerned about was receiving a a debit card for someone who was in CA and we live on the east coast. So I promptly took it into our local branch to take care of it. They did. But then a couple of months later I got another one for the same person. So back to the bank again and reiterated my story and that hopefully took care of that.

    Hope I don't get another one. Any time soon. Now that would have me worried if I have a debit card, but we don't.

    Can't understand why they would send us on the east coast a debit card for someone from the west coast using our address!!!! The name on the debit card was certainly not ours.
     
  16. Crazyhorse6901

    Crazyhorse6901 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2009
    114
    9
    10
    Location:
    Hampton,VA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Re: wachovia bank failed to screw me over :)



    I only witnessed such an event once in my life , my sister placed cash in a ATM envelope and made a deposit to her account, I would never in my life trust a transaction such as this type.:cool: I only deposit checks in the ATM!!!

    I can remember long time ago I took my work check inside the bank institution I was with to make a deposit,I returned later that day for a withdraw through the drive through only to have them tell me I was needed inside since I had no fund's, THANK GOD I kept my receipt.:D

    I closed my account ASAP and did business somewhere else:rockon::rockon:
     
  17. PriuStorm

    PriuStorm Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2007
    2,239
    149
    0
    Location:
    Davis, CA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Well, I had a positive experience recently and I thought I would share it.

    I had two big checks to deposit and $350 in cash. I had tallied everything up and went to the ATM, but as I was going through the transaction, I decided to keep the cash out anyway (probably I thought of this thread and what had happened, and this was right when the stockmarket was dumping and everything was all crazy). So, I did the calculation in my head of just the two checks, punched in the numbers, stuffed everything in the envelope and put it in.

    Yes, you read right. Everything. I stuffed everything, including the cash, into the envelope.... and now I had redone the numbers so that the total I said I deposited was the sum of the two checks, the two items that could be traced, and omitted to total in the cash.

    My heart sank as the realization was made of what I had done. I had essentially set the table for someone dishonest to pocket the cash, and no one would know.

    But the story has a good ending. After about 3-4 days, I did receive a notice in the mail notifying me of the error in my sum total, recognizing the entire $350. Boy was I elated!

    I gave myself a pretty good beating up about it, and will probably never forget about this again, though. This happened at a Bank of America satellite ATM.