jwriteclub
Line Up and Wait
I have for some time had a Bank of America checking account so that I can have a Visa check card that works free at a lot of ATMs (when I got it my bank only had an ATM card, not a check card).
I normally keep a fairly small balance (<$1000) because I use it online. I am also one of those anal retentive people who keeps a tiny "check register" for my account so that I never get overdrawn.
Recently, while flying through London, I used the card for several purchases. The total value of these was about $90 USD. I only had about $150 in the account, but I was coming back from a long trip, and I figured I'd deposit some more money when I got back, and in any case, $90 (GBP 45) is less than $150, so, I'm ok.
When I tried to use my card, I kept getting denied and having to call the collect "fraud" prevention number -- even though I called them before I left and told them where I was going to be.
I was looking at my statement today, and was mysteriously hugely overdrawn. How could this be? After talking to the manager, each charge, I made I got charge a small foreign transaction fee, by the card issuer and by B of A, thus each of the 5 transaction had two additional transactions, for a total of 15 transactions on the account. Now, I'm not a huge fan of transaction fees, but as these were mostly a fraction of a dollar, I would have lived.
However, each transaction for which I'd had to call the the fraud line had a $23 "Foreign Fraud Checkline Charge" for each of the transactions including the fees. Thus, I had $276 (there were a total of 12 charges) in fees. To make matters worse, for each fee below my zero balance, I was charged a $35 overdraft fee. A total of $385 was charged, giving me nearly $500 negative balance for $90 of charges on an account with a significant positive balance.
Needless to say, I had an anurism at the bank, and the manager removed the fees, but still. This makes me quite angry, and I fully intend to close the account.
~ Christopher
I normally keep a fairly small balance (<$1000) because I use it online. I am also one of those anal retentive people who keeps a tiny "check register" for my account so that I never get overdrawn.
Recently, while flying through London, I used the card for several purchases. The total value of these was about $90 USD. I only had about $150 in the account, but I was coming back from a long trip, and I figured I'd deposit some more money when I got back, and in any case, $90 (GBP 45) is less than $150, so, I'm ok.
When I tried to use my card, I kept getting denied and having to call the collect "fraud" prevention number -- even though I called them before I left and told them where I was going to be.
I was looking at my statement today, and was mysteriously hugely overdrawn. How could this be? After talking to the manager, each charge, I made I got charge a small foreign transaction fee, by the card issuer and by B of A, thus each of the 5 transaction had two additional transactions, for a total of 15 transactions on the account. Now, I'm not a huge fan of transaction fees, but as these were mostly a fraction of a dollar, I would have lived.
However, each transaction for which I'd had to call the the fraud line had a $23 "Foreign Fraud Checkline Charge" for each of the transactions including the fees. Thus, I had $276 (there were a total of 12 charges) in fees. To make matters worse, for each fee below my zero balance, I was charged a $35 overdraft fee. A total of $385 was charged, giving me nearly $500 negative balance for $90 of charges on an account with a significant positive balance.
Needless to say, I had an anurism at the bank, and the manager removed the fees, but still. This makes me quite angry, and I fully intend to close the account.
~ Christopher
Chase just became the first bank to charge non-customers $2 ($3?) to use their ATMs.