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Washington Mutual

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Ingrid of Charlotte, NC September 3, 2008

Ingrid of Charlotte NC (09/03/08)
This is the worst bank I have dealt with. I moved 3 mos ago and requested thru their secured messaging system to instruct me on how to close the account. Thye told me to send the written message and if theire was a blanace to write out a check. I did.

Alomst mos. later I am getting overdraft letters on an account that has not been active for more than 2 mos. When you call their 800 you can never speak to a human being and when you click for an operator the call gets cuts off. When you callt he local branch they are very rude put you on hold when you ask to speak to a manager then hang up on you.

I HAVE BEEN CHARGED 3 TIMES FOR OVERDRAFTS.

Jim of Fort Myers, FL September 3, 2008

Jim of Fort Myers FL (09/03/08)
WAMU increased my interest rate to 29.99%. They cited low credit score as the reason. My credit score is just short of 700. I have never been late on any payments nor have I gone over the credit limit. When I called customer service, they wouldn't put my call through to any person who has decision making ability in this situation. They cite their NEW terms of service. I kept asking for a live person to talk with about this situation, they would not do that.

When trying to buy a home, the inflated interest rate and increased payment skews my Debt-Too-Income ratio making it more difficult to buy a home. Not to mention a higher monthly payment due to the increased interest rate.

Frances of Staten Island, NY September 2, 2008

Frances of Staten Island NY (09/02/08)
I opened a checking/savings account with Washington Mutual in New York in June of 2008. I never used the account very often, using it mostly for savings. In mid-August of 2008 I went to a WaMu ATM machine to deposit several small checks, and later deposited money through a teller on that same day. The deposits went through without any problems. A week later I went to an ATM for twenty dollars -- and my card was rejected. Confused, I tried to sign on to Washington Mutual's online banking, and received a notice that the website's online banking was not working. After retrying a few days later and getting the same response, I called WaMu's customer service line. Calling their customer service line was one of the biggest hassles I've ever experienced.

I wasn't expecting a big problem with my account, maybe some online banking mistakes, nothing major -- until I'm informed that my debit card has been deactivated and my funds frozen. The teller cannot find a reason why my account has been frozen and connected me to Fraud Management, where I waited on hold for twenty minutes until I got fed up, hung up and redialed customer care again. This second time, a different teller informs me that yes, my account is frozen, and that I should go to Risk Management, not Fraud Management! I was put on hold for another twenty minutes before redialing and demanding to speak to a manager. After five MORE minutes a manager was found, who connected me to a Risk Management manager. The Risk Management manager finally lets me know, fifty minutes after I first called Washington Mutual, that my account is frozen due to multiple deposits made on the same day.

I ask them to reactivate my account. The manager says she can't, that it's marked for closing, but I can go to my local Washington Mutual Bank and withdraw my funds and close the accounts in person. I asked for the name of someone to file a complaint with, and was curtly told that I was already speaking with a manager, and was not given any further information about where to file a complaint. Immediately after this phone conversation I go to my local Washington Mutual bank. I'm a young person of 22, and immediately felt like I wasn't being taken seriously because of my age.

The first teller I spoke to didn't believe that my account was frozen at all, and got his supervisor, an assistant financial manager named Nick, on the job. Instead of introducing himself to me or calling me to him, he WAVED HIS HAND at me in a gesture of beckoning, like I was some kind of puppy. He confirmed my accounts to be frozen, and agreed that my account should not have been flagged as risky, considering I made no withdrawals from my savings account after depositing those multiple checks. When he tried to close my accounts, he informed me that he was unable to close them for another week until the date assigned by Washington Mutual for the liquidation of my account, despite my being told the opposite from Customer Service. He gave me no explanation as to why I couldn't close my own bank account, and no apology for wasting my time.

All of this happened today. I cannot access my money, shut down my account, or do anything with any of my money until Washington Mutual says it's okay for me to do so. I received no email notification of my accounts being frozen, and received a letter three weeks after the fact. I received no apologies from the managers of Customer Service or my local branch bank when I accused them of wasting my time and denying me access to my own accounts. And the crazy thing is, they accepted my deposits and credited them to my account, and a teller noted that my account was in perfectly good standing. So now I'm broke until WaMu says I can do what I want with my money.

I have no access to any of my funds for a month for no reason, and must charge everything on a card until my account is officially closed and I can retrieve my money.

Scott of Marietta, GA September 2, 2008

Scott of Marietta GA (09/02/08)
Wamu Bank requires online payments to be made the prior Business Day before 3 pm. Merrick bank has just changed their policy from accepting payments on the Due Date, to require payments 2 Business days prior to the Due Date and prior to 2pm. Even Chase Bank has begun requirng payments a day in advance. In some cases the Due Date falls on a Sat, Sun or other holiday that would require the cardholder to have made the payment 4 - 5 days prior to the Due Date in order to avoid Late Fees. While I have cancelled dome credit cards that I felt were abusing this policiy it does ngatively impact my credit score when I close and active account and since the pattern of this activity seems to be incresing I feel that it is time to make a stand.

I have contacted the following in order to see that action is taken against banks like Wamu and others that want to penalize customers that are attempting to pay their bills online. If you are also fed up with these policies please contact your local Representatives and NY Representative Carolyn Muloney who has been attempting to get a Credit Card Holders Bill of Rights passed through Congress. I have also been told that the following office is also responsible for oversight of the National banks and welcomes compaints from consumers. Office of the Controller of the Currency Customer Assistance Group

Thomas of Hewitt, TX September 1, 2008

Thomas of Hewitt TX (09/01/08)
My son took out a credit card with Wasington Mutul/Providian. They re-activated a card and account I closed few years prior. Which ended up in my SSN instead of his. I am on alert and have my credit stopped at the time this happened also. Once my son stopped paying on the card Wasington Mutul started trashing my credit. That is when I notice the mistake and errors the they made. I them proved to them I was not the one who took out the card. I never OK for this account to be re-opened. That the name and address did not match. They then up date their records to my address, added the sons name to my credit reporting companies, added his Nevada address to my record. I had to jump through hoops to prove their errors, give the my sons SSN, and had him talk to them and say it was his account. after

one year they removed the account from my credit, and never heard from them again. No all of a sudden I have this Potfolio recovery attaching the det to my credit, re-opened the account in my SSN, and hunting me . They showed up on my credit Aug 28. No numbers to contact them. I contacted Transunion and they supplied the phone number. I called and they said the account is mine, I have to pay, and that washington mutul gave it to them to collect. Have no info about my son and that Washington mutul said i never paid. Again this is my son account, i proved it and washington mutul even excepted that. Why doesn't the law requir prove of SSN on laon or credit cards?

It cost me dollars and many letters to prove my self. Hours off work to get paper work, and many phone calls. Lost low interest loans during that time. Turned down for loan with Chase (my Bank) Once I proved who I was, that my SSN was miss used, they never did proper checks on the SSN and who it belong too. How could credit be opened without my approval while on credit alert, That they made the errors. Once I won was able to dispute and have the bad info removed my credit info. Now Washington Mutul and recovery service going to trash it again. The account is still shows my sons name, and not mine. But re-attached my SSN. This could cost me my job now.

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