Complain about a product or service

Key Bank

Nicole of Amsterdam, NY November 9, 2009

My account balance was 1233 from which my mortgage in the amount of 1114 was deducted followed by a restaurant charge in the amount of 87. This left my account with 32 from which I had a pending debit in the amount of 40 for automatic prescription renewal (yes, my fault for not remebering this). I went into the bank to deposit 200 and asked for my available balance after paying the overdraft fee of 38.50 in addition to rectifying the 7-8 is was missing to clear the 40 charge. My account balance printed showing about 160 available balance.

I logged into my account after the weekend to see that I was charged another 38.50 overdraft fee. After speaking with the bank manager and a customer service rep, they informed me that the pending debit of 40 made my account negative so that the restaurant charge did not clear. This does not make any sense ast the restaurant visit occurred over a week ago. How does it appear to have cleared 7 days later and 2 days before the 40 debit? I feel like they are just trying to get more money out of me. I have been denied overdraft protection too so don't reallly have a way to prevent this other than to be psychic.

Kim of Federal Way, WA September 17, 2009

On 9/15/09, I deposited a payroll check in the amount of 3315.40, and I withdrew 100 cash from the ATM. On that same day, I was assessed a NSF fee in the amount of 37, because a check in the amount of 262 was presented for payment. When I emailed them they said that they have a policy of holding checks and only releasing 100, and that they would be assessing another 37 fee for the next day. Apparently 3000 balance was not enough to cover the 262 check yet. I threatened to remove my account from their bank, they offered to refund 18.50 (half of the first fee, but none of the second)

Elaine of Greenwood, SC March 21, 2009

Since January I have requested 3 times to get a copy of my original contract. I moved and some how mine was misplaced. I need this because I am in the process of suing the person I took the loan for. I expect to be going to court in the very near future, maybe as soon as next week. I need [them] to email the copy so I can print it to take to court with me.

 I have been waiting for 3 months and I no longer have any patience left. I will not hesitate to take further action up to and including non payment of the monthly bill. I have been a good customer and have always paid on time and I expect the same curtiousy as I have shown.

Martin of East Aurora, NY March 16, 2008

I was reading your article on the sham called bank overdraft fees on ATM cards, when I thought I'd add to the discussion. My son made the mistake of transferring money from his checking account to his savings account on his bank's website--when he had meant to do the reverse. Meaning that he had insufficient funds in his checking account, and now he had less. The bank allowed the transfer and charged him an overdraft fee of 35. He then went out and used his debit card to spend what he thought he had deposited in his checking; and it cost him 3 more bank fees. You would think that the bank's website would not have allowed him to transfer funds he did not have, but it did. Terrible website!

Cost him 140, but I complained and threatened to close my accounts; so they reversed 3 of the charges and only charged him 35 for the first event, which was due to their defective website.

Hazel of Florence, SC August 9, 2007

i have a home mortgage.my problem is i don t know where to send my payments.i have been told that the company has been sold two are three times but each time it is i am never contacted.i have to call around toget imformation about where to send my payments.i have not been able to make a payment since march because no one knows anthing about my account. i have at least 6 numbers in my records of different places i have made payments. ever so often the addresses kep changes. can you advise me as what to do with out knowing what company it is?i even went back to where i first got the loan and could not get any information

Michael of Kent, OH July 27, 2007

I went to Key Bank to open up a joint account with my wife. I already have 3 accounts with them. We were confronted with questions that our banker referred to a being mandated by the Patriot Act. Initially the questions were benign, relating to our citizen status and other public matters. They she asked this question, "Do you perform any foreign political functions?" (This is verbatim) I was so alarmed by the nature of the question and its Macarthiesque nature I stopped the process of setting up the account and my wife and I left the bank. I have called the offices of Congressman Tim Ryan and Senator Jerrod Brown and no on at those offices were aware of such a question and after extensive internet search I find NO mention of such a question. I was told that if I answer yes to the question I would be quizzed as to the nature of that "foreign political fuction" and that if I refused to answer the question I would not be able to set up the account. I was even refuse a copy of the questions. I merely was to ascertain whether the patriot act does indeed authorize those questions for EVERY individual who seeks to open up a personal banking account.

Fred of Brooklyn, NY January 29, 2007

I wrote an HSBC check in the amount of 10,000 during July 2004 payable to Key Bank NA. The check came back due to insufficient funds. The money was redeposited and the funds were subtracted from my HSBC checking account. Key Bank claims it never received credit for the funds and claims the check was returned a second time for insufficient funds. I am stuck in the middle as HSBC bank claims the money was properly paid to Key Bank while Key Bank claims it never received credit for the fundsd in question. In the meantime I'm out 10,000 plus earnings. Do you have any advice as I have figting this now for quite some time.

Tracy of Parma, OH January 21, 2007

Key Bank is now returning items on checking accounts based on "pending" debit transacations, but not taking into account "pending" credit transactions. Our first instance of this occurred in December where there were several pending debit transactions, but there was also a pending credit transaction from a retailer. Several of our items were returned and we were charged overdraft fees of 37.50 per item, even though the pending debit transactions did not actually clear the account until days later, after the pending credit transactions cleared. At no time online did our balance show that we were in danger of having items returned. The balances for each day showed positive and the available balance showed more than enough to cover the debit transactions.

When we questioned the bank, they said that they could show us the exact time that the transactions were initiated, and that if the debited transactions were initiated before the credit ones, even if on the same day, it would cause items to be returned. This is horrifying! How in the world would a consumer be able to know the exact time that a transaction would credit or debit an account. Most consumers work off of totals, knowing that a certain amount will be debited or credited on a certain day, but not at a certain time. Recently, it happened again. Several pending items were shown for a date on which a direct deposit was to be credited. The pending draft items were used against the account and several items were charged 37.50 each due to "insufficient funds" although the pending direct deposit was not considered. Subsequently, those pending items did not actually clear the bank until several days later, and the credited deposit actually shows up on a date prior to the actual clear date of the draft transactions.

Kathryn of Golden, CO October 2, 2006

I looked at my account one day and everything had cleared. The next day I looked and the bank had rearranged the transactions entering the deposit last so they could charge several overdraft fees. Wells Fargo does the same thing. Sometimes I need my check the day I get it. The bank does not hold the check but changes the order of transactions to charge fees.

Ruth of Warwick, NY December 1, 2003

Had an account with bank. At the time of opening account I did not take an overdraft provision. Due to circumstances beyond my control I did have overdrafts on my account. However the Bank had initiated so many new fees since my opening my account I finally got fed up with the Bank and chose to close my account. I notified the Bank both by mail and by e-mail. They refused to accept this form of correspondence despite the fact that I am disabled and unable to jump at someones request(I considered it a demand).

I told them I could not come to the Bank but they continued to add on overdraft fees every 5 days despite the fact I had informed them in March of 2002 that I wanted my account closed. (When I opened my account someone came to my house to open my account because they knew I am disabled)Somehow they seem to have forgotten that fact or simply cared to ignore it. Now-the Bank has reported NSF activity to Chex Systems and I am unable to open another checking account for 7 years much to my horror. How does one fight the BIG GUYS - HELP.

P.S. Love your newsletter - thank God there is someone out there who cares about the little guy. Keep up the good work.

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