Complain about a product or service

Wachovia

Melissa of St. Petersburg, FL October 12, 2009

Today I got a reality check. Wachovia took 1016.70, from 'senior citizens' savings account, because her daughter was behind on her mortgage, even though 'senior citizen' is not listed on daughters' mortgage. Did they have this right? According to Wachovia Bank, they did. Is this a joint account? No. Are they going to return the money to senior citizens' account? No.

How did this happen? It can and probably will happen to many of you who hold bank accounts of any kind, with anyone, at any bank. It apparantly is common practice with most banks. We checked, Wachovia is not the only bank who uses this practice and its done many times over everyday.

In 2008, senior citizen opened a Savings account and was advised by the Wachovia rep/employee to add someone to her account in case of an emergency. She put her daughters name on her account; the daughter did not sign anything, she was not there. Senior citizen, retired and living on a fixed income, refinanced her home for much needed home improvements, cashed in some securities and the money was deposited to the savings account.

The (bank) Wachovia, pulled a 2 year old signature card from the daughters personal and business accounts and transferred it to include senior citizens' account. Then, they "linked" all the accounts together. Without knowledge or permission from senior citizen, the daughter or son-in-law.

Now, Wachovia used "execute the bank's right of offset" to make it okay for them to remove this money from senior citizens account to bring the daughters mortgage account current. Then, they informed by mail daughters husband, who is not on senior citizens account that this action had been taken. What just happened to confidentiality of senior citizens account information? What it translates into for us who don't know 'bank talk is, if you don't pay us we will get it somehow. And they did exactly that. Got it somehow, took it from senior citizens savings and said that it was their right.

Are you one of those persons who has for whatever reason any name on your account other than your own? Do they have outstanding debts to that bank, like mortgages, equity lines, checking or savings accounts? Maybe that emergency person has bad checks out, the bank will remove what is owed from any account with the name of a debtor. Are they on any account in which you rely on money from a check that is (other than social security) direct deposited?

After repeated attempts to resolve this matter satisfactorily, Wachovias Retail Credit Collection did not seem concerned nor willing to work with them. Once again stating that "it is our right to remove this money no matter who elses' name is on that account. Did they reach Corporate or Executive offices? They were told that they had & there was "nothing we can do, it's out of our hands".

Senior Citizen & her daughter have closed all their accounts at Wachovia. They are in fact telling every person they know, from old business contacts, former employers, family, friends, school teachers, church members or just some guy in the grocery line what happened to them. That's just a start, in person, face to face or on the phone. However, its the computer age of instant messaging and open forums, thousands of websites to visit & advertise what happened to them, the process that the bank used the take money from someone elses account. Someone who does not even owe the bank any money, the next someone could be you.

this is in fact what I had intended to publish if I am unable to resolve this matter for my mother, who is 'senior citizen' and wants to reamain anonymous. She felt that there would be other repercussions from the bank as regards her accounts. The mother is unable to pay the bills for which the money was obtained in the first place. Therefore, her repairs to her home are being neglected.

Eileen of Fanwood, NJ October 8, 2009

I have a mortgage with wachovia. In march 2009 I was late on my payment. Wachovia went into my checking account and took ALL my money leaving me without 0. This caused overdrafts and pulled 700 from my credit card. The same day I had also sent in the money. I asked for 1 payment back and was told "no" that payment will take care of next month. I have no paperwork showing I signed anything allowing this to happen and they took it without warning ruining my credit and leaving me broke. I spoke with Brian who talked over me and claims they do not have the form I must have signed I would need to go to my branch. I requested he have it sent and he refuses and is very rude on phone claims I am just complaining because I do not want to pay my bills.

LACEISHA of PHILADELPHIA, PA October 1, 2009

I was repeatidly charged overdraft fees after I had removed the overdraft protection from my account. My online statement said funds were available, however every time my direct deposit is due to clear my account Wachovia has added numerous 35.00 overdraft fees to my accounts stating that there were charges on hold that the online acct does not show. The online statement has an option that says "view holds" this section was clear however I was still charged 105.00 of fees. This is an on going occurance that always happens 2 days before my direct deposit. I was told there was a block on my card that would stop any transactions from being processed in the event there was not fund available, and also they formed a secondary acct to hold money that they are suppose to draw from "way 2 save" in the event of an overdraft which the have not been doing either. This is fraud.

Jason of Cumming, GA October 1, 2009

On Sept 9 I got a OVERDRAFT/UNAVAILABLE FUNDS FEE from Wachovia for 70 in which i still had 55.38 left in my account after the fees. On Sept 10th I got a NSF FEE for 35 for a charge that was 123.10 and there was 110.75 in the account. Now if i do the math on this 35+70+110.75 is well over the 123.10 charge to my account.

I called the Wachovia customer service and they told me that I had things on hold those days. Well she was right but there was enough money in the account to cover those transactions. I talked to a manager about this situation and she told me to get a calculator out and we will go over the transactions. I told her no on my online banking sheet it shows me line by line that i never went over. She says things went in at different times and that it would not reflect correctly on online banking. So I asked her to send me a sheet that shows me line by line where I went wrong. She replied with "no". I was shocked. I asked her did you just tell me no? You cant prove to me where I went wrong? She told me she was not going to send me anything.

So now on the 15th of Sept I got charged 140 in OVERDRAFT/UNAVAILABLE FUNDS FEE when I had 13.43 in the account. I promptly went down to the wachovia branch and spoke to someone. I talked to the representative about the charges and she basically refused to go over the 1st charges. I repeatedly told her that the reason for the second set of charges was because of the first charges but I was confused why I still got the second set of charges because there was enough money in the account both times. I asked her just to close the account and she denied me because there was 3 left in the account. I told her to keep the 3 and close it out and she did not.

So now with the account still open I have gotten another 210 in NSF/overdraft/unsufficient fund fees. I have several automatic debits coming from this account. I went down to another wachovia branch to show me what was going on. I had to leave my phone number and my printed out online banking statement as the branch manager was busy. She never called! I went back the following day and spoke to the assistant branch manager and she went over the transactions. She said that some transactions were on hold and there was not enough money in my account to cover them.

I went over each one she said went over. All of them went through with plenty of money in the account. She told me that the online banking is not a way to manage my check book. I told her no I keep a register and manage my acount. I told her that if you look at my online statement I never go over until the fee's are accessed. She says that the online banking is not accurate. I asked then why do you promote it on the internet, radio, ads, etc? She replies with thats why we have disclaimers. I once again was shocked! She denied me any refunds of the fee's and could not provide me a line by line detail of how the transactions went through. I asked her to have the branch manager contact me.

The following day at 4:15 pm the manager had not called. At that time I called the branch to speak to the manager. She told me she would have to review the account. I said what? I asked for you to call me back 2 days ago and you havent looked at my account? She says no I can contact you tomorrow. So this last part happened to day and I will await her call tomorrow.

I guess my first question is I have been told several times that i have been charged fee's before the transaction (on hold) and after the transaction went through for a total of 70 for 1 transacton. On top of that they didnt even pay the transaction. Is this legal? My second question when I asked them to close the account and they didnt should I be responsible for the 250+ in fee's they gave me? 490 in fees

Tiffany of Ellenton, FL September 30, 2009

I made a phone call today to Wachovia to find out how I could be charged so much money in overdraft fees for 3 transactions that went through my account. 70 before the transactions went through and 105 after they went through. I figured there had to be a mistake. According to them it is not. They charge for when the card was ran and the funds weren't available and then charged again when the transaction went through. I don't understand how this can be legal. I know that I made a mistake on my account, I wasn't even after getting those fees back.

However, I wanted the fees back for hitting my account twice and they told me I don't qualify. I would really like to find out if this is legal because I feel that it is wrong and unethical. I put money in that account every Wednesday and don't have any problems with it. I am human... I made a mistake and didn't keep a good record that week... Should they legally be allowed to charge me twice for it?? Once I can open a new account and can get my auto deposit switched I will be closing the Wachovia account and I will never recomment them to anybody. I will however be sure to inform all that I can on their poor customer service and their shady fees. Please contact me and let me know if what they have done is legal. Thank you.

Jennifer of Cedar Bluff, VA September 30, 2009

I am just getting frustrated every time I make a deposit into the bank, even when the deposit is from a Wachovia check, that the deposit says effective date, but it really is not. I have a deposit slip stating calendar date 9/29/09 and deposit effective date 9/30/09. But I went to us the money and it was a no go. I called Wachovia in Charlotte and they said that that is the deposit effective processing date. But my deposit slip does not say "processing" it says deposit effective date. I guess Wachovia thinks we are all idiots and so we are suppose to read between the lines and assume that "Deposit effective date:9/30/2009" means"Deposit effective processing date:9/30/2009- translation you won't be able to touch your money in yet another day, so we can hold it and make more interest on it!

Erin of Clayton, NC September 30, 2009

Firstly when I set up an account with Wachovia, a personal account to hold my little cash that I make each week, I expressed interest in implementing a program on my account which would prevent me from making purchases if I did not have the amount needed to cover them. They informed me they didn't have such a process and directed me to open a " Way 2 Save" account instead w/overdraft protection. They also failed to inform me of any fees I would be given if I had to use such a "transfer". For the past 3 months I have had extreme difficulty with them and overdrafts on my account which should have never happened. Firstly all of my transactions from 13 days to 5 days ago posted on the day that I decided to withdraw money from my bank account, which as far as I knew from calling the bank and checking my account, I had the money for. Of course they decide to post all my transactions once I withdrew the money causign me to go 175 in overdraft fees on 3 and 4 dollar purchases. Recently I heard on CNN that Bank of America implemented a program to stop the customers from overdrafting their account and I informed them that I would be using their services and closing my account. The rep , today, told me that they have "HAD" such a program offered from Wachovia. Magically I guess tis program appeared overnight b/c as far as I was told, they didn't offer this service. I spoke to what they would call " an accoutn specialist" more like a wench who told me my account didn't qualify for a courtesy refund b/c the bank didn't mess up. Really? I know they did. I find it disturbing that they do this sort of thing to gain more money in fees and slam us over the head. If something could be done please contact me.

Janelle of Columbia, SC September 26, 2009

I had two perfectlly functional accounts with wachovia bank that included "a way to save account", and Checking account, which provided free overdraft protection. On 8/20/2009 representative Melissa Chulo set up a personal savings account for me but excluded the fact that I would be accessed ten dollars for every transfer from this account to my checking account.I phone the costumer service line and expressed concerns. I spoke with representative "Melin" who credited sixty dollars to my checking account. I then expressed concerns to her that I have used my debit card as a credit and many of the purchases probably can not be seen by her at that time. She insisted that I would not be accessed these fees but once I received my welcome pack it would explain the terms to the personal savings account and to be careful with account balances from that point. She stated that the packet would arrive within five to ten business days. This is the seventn business day and I have been accessed additional fees.

I then inquired about closing the account due to still being accessed these fees after speaking with another representative without having the account information, but was informed by a supervisor "Mallory", after speaking with "Zack", that I would need to leave a message on the voice mail of Melissa or Melin's phone and that I would be charged twenty five dollars fore closing the account at this time. I feel that melissa C set this accout up for commision and did not evaluate the previous accounts. I also believe that wachovia bank is not truly monitoring the calls as they would have customers to believe, because if they were, agent would not be able to set up accounts that are not in their customer's best interest. Instead these accounts are being established and used as a legal way of swindling people out of hard earned money!!!

This was an attempt, on Melissa's behalf, to boost her ratings and maybe comission because as I stated before, I had two perfectly functional accounts before 8/2009 and was never accessed overdraft fees on either account for the duration of the accounts before this date. When I expressed these concerns, the supervisor seemed to agree with me but did not waive the fees due to "rules" in a welcome packet that I still have not received. I know that everyone has rules, but, when a customer has been misled and it is evident, that is where the exception to the rule comes applies. I want to close all accounts with wachovia bank without penalty and I assure you that I will NEVER request another account.

Anthony of Highland, CA September 25, 2009

I have an auto loan from Wachovia Dealer Services. On September 15th, 2009 my wife sent through Certified mail with the United States Postal Service, a cashier's check for 10,526.86 - the total ballance of the loan. On September 16th, 2009 the letter containing the check was received by Wachovia, with the return receipt signed and sent back to us. Currently, the check has not been cashed, a week and a day after it was received. Since that time, we have continued to receive notifications of no payment being received by Wachovia, threats against our credit claiming that the monthly installment payment is late, and that it should be paid immediately. We attempted to cancel the check in order to obtain a new one to send, however, our bank will not return the funds to our account for 90 days after cancellation. Wachovia representatives would not accept a payment made after the 90 days unless the normal monthly payments were made, however all the money that we have for the loan has been sent to pay off the loan. We have been on the phone all throughout the day with different Wachovia departments, with nobody providing help in tracking down the check they received or helping with the account status until the issue has been resolved. Wachovia is continuing to charge interest on a payment they have received (which we have proof of).

We have not contacted anyone else but Wachovia in trying to rectify this situation. No attorney has been contacted and no legal action or court cases have been filed. The resolution we are seeking is for the lender to discontinue the accrual of interest on the account they have received payment for the complete balance, as well as a cease to the harassing calls from collection agents. The check must either be found by Wachovia and applied to our account or they must agree to wait for the check to be cancelled and the 90 day period for our funds to be returned so that we can issue them another check to replace the one they lost. This should not have any negative impact on our loan status or credit report since we sent the money to the address for payments, have proof that it was received, but not applied to our account.

Amy of Falls Church, VA September 24, 2009

I stayed in Houston TX with a friend for a month and opened a new checking account with Wachovia. I had not banked with them prior. At the end of the month I decided not to stay in the area and went to the same branch where I opened the account and asked to close it. I was given every excuse as to why they could, or would, not close my account. After some time I was bullied into leaving the account active in case I wanted to use the bank at my new destination. I was told that if I did not, the account would dissolve, since I had pulled out the money and left it at 0. About a month after arriving in VA I started getting daily calls, sometimes two a day, from Wachovia's 800 or 866 #. I called thinking they wanted to know if I still wanted the account to remain open but I was told that I had 23 (so far) in monthly charges...not overdraft fees.

When I explained the situation they told me to call customer service and ask for the fees to be waived but when I did I was told they weren't monthly service charges but an overdraft fee. The thing is, when I told her that I hadn't made purchases a week or more before leaving and had kept track before pulling my money out she told me that when I pulled it I still had 156 in my account. The branch told me it was at 0. Then she rattled off a bunch of debits that had come in after my bringing it to 0 but said I was only charged one overdraft. It didn't make sense and when I told her that she changed the subject to a change of address I had made. WHAT?

I don't know what that would have to do with anything even if I did change an address, which I didn't. I was at the same address that I opened the account with. I asked the old address and she said it had been removed. I believe she was just trying to change the subject because she was making no sense. She said the account remains active,even though, once again, I asked to close it and get it in writing. She said I would have to speak to the original branch in TX to figure it out and recommended that I make a deposit here in VA to cover the 23. This was the third call and I'm getting nowhere and now they are stepping it up and calling me numerous times a day.

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