PENDING CLASS ACTION SUIT FOR FRAUD - BBVA Compass Bank has developed a method to scam it's customers who use their online banking service. Here's how the scam works: Their online service shows a "available balance" which is not always a correct amount and even though you have a positive available balance and a check or debit is made which is less than the available balance, nsf fees can still be charged. The reason for this is that the initial charge is made when the available balance is in the positive and will show as a pending charge. However, when that charge is actually posted (up to 5 days later) is when the nsf fee can happen if your account is in the negative at the time it actually posts. During this period from the time the charge is made to the time it posts, your account may have gone into the negative due to other bank fees, etc and will result into a nsf fee even though you had the money available at the time the charge was made. Due to this, BBVA Compass is intentionally deceiving it's customers by making them think the funds are available even though they are not until it actually posts. In addition, this means that you have to make sure there is enough funds in your account at the time the charge is made and also when it posts or you may incur a nsf fee.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I check my account regurally online. It was a Wednesday afternoon I noticed that my account was short, so I got up Thursday morning and deposited enough money to cover what would have been in the negative. I was busy with doctor visits the rest of the day! Friday morning I checked my account and Compass had taken out three different $38 NSF charges. I called them and got the run around. I called back on Monday, again got the run around! Later that afternoon, I checked my account again and the bank had taken out another $38 NSF charge! I don't mind telling you I was upset! I called back, and was instructed to wait til Tuesday morning to call back! I called back Tues. morning and this time I went straight to the Branch Manager which informed me that there was nothing she could do! This is ridiculous, I don't think I should have gotten those charges, I made the deposit, but the bank took out the NSF charges before depositing my money! Why is it they take out the NSF charges BEFORE depositing your deposit?
Compass Bank - Said I could get a small business loan, then said I have to be in business for two years first; never have current balance but instead yesterdays balance so they can charge a NSF fee of $32.00 which seems usurious;balance of account always fluctuates to suit their charges; I made a deposit on a Friday and I could not touch any money until the following Tuesday!; they say one thing then do another, a bait and switch; I made a deposit once with a check and the teller gave me $80.00 as my balance covered that and was chewed out by management for doing this!; advertise 24 hour service but there is nothing present!; I am disabled and once they told me to go back downstairs and do my business on the ATM - do disabled people embarrass them?
Compass Bank - said on their 800 number that my daughter who lives in another state, could sign papers in any office in any state they had an office, as I wanted her to be the beneficiary of my estate, then said that was illegal, and wouldn't let it happen any other way! more bait and switch? I had another account a while back with them under another name and my rent check cleared so they put it through again and bounced it the second time!
I am a mother of 4 with one on the way, my husband and I work very hard for the little paychecks we get so it infuriates me when we get taken advantage of! I made a $6.73 mistake in my checkbook, I realized the mistake on Saturday evening 12/10/11, so on Monday morning 12/12/11 I made an $80 cash deposit. When I made that deposit my available balance was in the positive. Over the weekend we had done some shopping and such, but I was only overdrawn by $6.73 keep in mind! To my surprise, I wake up on Tuesday morning to find out that my account is overdrawn and I have been charged 5 overdraft fees, 3 more on Wednesday, and 1 more on Thursday for a grand total of $342! Now, there policy states they will not charge you more than 6 fees in one day, so this is their way of getting more money and creating a horrible snowballing effect on your account! I went in to my local branch to find out what in the world happened and I was told that Compass' policy is to deduct items from your account in the order they were done in. So for instance, everything I did over the weekend, went through before my deposit on Monday which caused fees, so then everything I did on Monday was automatically overdrawn, even though when I made the transaction on Monday the money was in the bank to cover it and so on... This bank is robbing us and has totally taken Christmas from my children! This was the paycheck that was going to buy thier Christmas which was going to be a struggle anyway, but now, I seriously will have NOTHING for them under the tree! I even explained that to the Branch Manager, but all she would say is there was nothihg she could do, it was the bank's policy. I want other consumers to be aware of the horrible practices of this bank so no other family has to go through what we are having to go through at Christmas time! Here are some other websites that show the same issues:
Bbva compass bank — excessive nsf/overdrawn fees
http://publicintellectual.wordpress.com/2009/07/05/customer-dissatisfaction-with-bbva-compass-bank/
Tstegall - you knew you were overdrawn...
Compass bank closed my credit account and will mess up my credit, even though the account is current and is being paid on time. They said that I am high risk, even though I have been a perfectly good customer and am not delinquent on anything. I just have school loans, but have since graduated and gotten a good job, compass will ruin my credit for seven years or more. This means no house, no new cars, even if I pay them back tomorrow.