Beware of Banking Fees - Update

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ood Morning Everyone. Since my last posting "Beware of Banking Fees" a lot has happened that I wanted to update you on. As you remember the problem I was facing was with several overdraft fees on my personal account that was never overdrawn.  I had tried to rectify the problem with a call to the customer service 800 line, only to be told - there was nothing they could do. Now I would have to say with the challenges that I have experienced in my life over the past twenty years, minor things can weight just as heavily as major things that come up during day to day experiences. I would prefer to avoid confrontation, but if I feel like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs, confrontation is almost guaranteed until I feel I am getting a complete and honest answer.

Now if you haven't had the pleasure of seeing me react when I find out I am being lied to or had been lied too it can't be a very intense moment that if my head could spin around and around - it would, but that is another blog post for another day as I don't want to shake up a perfectly good Thursday. On that note I'm going to move away from the lying  topic and get back to my this banking saga. I decided that I was going to once again get  a face to face meeting with someone from customer service to see what their answer would be this time. The next morning my day was anything but routine. The bus never came to pick up my kids so that meant I was their ride. I got myself together forgetting many important details, Hair, makeup, matching clothes, etc., etc., etc., and we headed out the door by 6:59am. As we headed on our way to take my oldest son to the High School and my younger son to the Vocational School to the next town, because at this point he had missed the shuttle from the High School to get him there for his 7:25 class, my cell phone began ringing. Immediately my heart started to pound with excitement - it's my sweetie, but his call was not one of speaking sweet nothings to me, he wanted me to bring him his other work boots as he was working with asphalt and didn't want to get tar and stuff on his new boots. By this point I had almost forgotten that I set into my mind that I was going over to the bank to address what I feel is a way banks try to scam people in this drowning economy.

I got the kids to school, when back home and got the boots, and now I am falling into a funk that I just want to go home and do nothing - remember I hold a Doctorate's in Procrastination. (smile). The traffic was getting backed up due to the morning rush and the gas tank was reading lower than I'd like, yet somehow I found the ability to get my mind back on track. I arrived at the bank two minutes before they opened, which gave me time to plan out what I was going to say rather than come off as some demanding ranging mother that didn't have time to do her hair or make-up. (I'm surprised I wasn't arrested for indecent exposure from the neck up - hahaha).

So there I stood in the lobby, oversized work out pants that were all stretched out, a jacket that looked like my pen had taken it upon its self to randomly write on it, my hair crazier than Reverend Jim on the 80's sitcom Taxi, and I was sporting a blank and very pale canvas color to my face that could have landed me a roll on the AMC series "Walking Dead", and this is NO LIE! I was a walking horror story. There wasn't one sign that this girl had been asked to pose for Playboy as Miss August. I still have my letter. There was only one customer in the bank that was standing at the teller window and took a look at me and then quickly looked away so that he wouldn't turn to stone. I'm telling you, I am one scary mother, no pun intended, in the morning that even I don't look into a mirror until at least after 7:30am.

 

I will have to say that the customer service lady met me with smile, but I can just envision what she was thinking.  She asked me to come into her cubical and we both looked over my account on her computer screen. Her screen was displaying the same information as mine - never been overdrawn.  her explanation was that the computer - I so love how people blame inanimate objects, saw the debits of the day and then the deposit on that same day so it believed that I didn't have the money when it implement the charges before the credit posted. It was all I go do to refrain from going into one of my sarcastic modes where I say - "AUH DUAH! HELLO! DO YOU HEAR YOURSELF! FUDGE!!!!!"

However I didn't say anything and just kind of shook my head in disbelief that I was even sitting there listening to this. When she looked up at me after typing on her keyboard, she said something that completely shocked me - I have reversed all but two charges Mrs. Bolin, and the reason for that is a check that was written to you for $150.00, was returned today and that is what produced the additional charges after the fees you have been trying to fix. But the fees you got today were not overdraft fees that were return check fees. With that, I was content. I was finally given a straight answer.

So as you have probably guessed by now, our account is now in good standing - knock on wood. Phew! I'm relieved that this drama is behind me and I have learned a lot. When all else fails and it is physically possibly, always try to resolve a problem in person. Never try to use e-mail or texting as you can't tell what a person is feeling through their words and unless they state what the emotion is one can jump to false assumptions. Calling on the phone is convenient, but can still lead to stress as the persons tone could be nothing like their body language and again you could take their tone in a negative way, but it just might be the way the person is. I'm glad I went with my instinct and chose to go back in. I am also happy to report that the maker of the bad check - they paid me in cash and paid for the fees. So what had started out as a morning without my routine, feel back into a regular schedule and I completed the rest of my tasks for the day without any problems.

Thanks so much for listening and remember, always be mindful of your money. Know where it is going, why it is going there and who is trying to get you to part with it. Have a wonderful day everyone and I'll blog you later.

 

P.S. My fictional mystery, suspense thriller titled "Deemed Crazy" is in it's final stages to be ready for print. I can't wait. I have really enjoyed stepping outside the box and write in a genre that year ago only read. Again, thanks for sticking with me and can't wait to share more blog stories on topics that people have sent in.

 

Life changes in a struggling economy .

Here it is 2012. The economy has not improved. Prices and going up, people are doing everything they can to get by, the family budgets are becoming more and more restricted and their end of the month figures just are not meeting in the black, as they once did.  But the biggest problem that Americans are having these days, their losing their jobs by the thousands, because of company cut backs, and believe you me, jobs are becoming fewer and far between for all of us. Yes, you see it too, oh the times they are a changing'.  My topic today was inspired by my husband and oldest son.  It is one that has been stewing in my mind for quite some time. Seriously - I never thought I'd have issues until yesterday.  My problem...CELL PHONES!

Now, let me explain before you rip me a new one. I totally get that this technology is at the forefront of our ever changing and constantly growing world. For my family, I see this more as a luxury and an unwanted place to spend our hard earned money. I know cell phones are the must have accessory and I think if you were to stand in the middle of any town or city and asked how many people had one - 9 out of 10 people would raise their hands.  I understand that they make working easier, you can get in touch with people quicker, many people send text messages to communicate so they don't have be confined to a computer, they are great in the event of an emergency and many people opt out of owning a land line phone, for just a cell phone, to cut expenses and other personal reasons. So don't start thinking that I am some old fashioned person that wants to change back to the days of no cell phones. What I want...in my house hold is for my husband and boys to see the expense of something they really don't need endless services on. 

Years ago we used to have phones that would lock us into a two year contract and we paid $200.00 plus, for services every month. This was only for three phones. When we got the phones they were supposed to be emergency/quick call phones only. Pay-As-You go options were not even heard of at the time. My family clearly didn't hear me the day I said the use of the phones were for our family use/emergency use, and so I got rid of them and switched to the Pay-As-You go Net10 phone service, which reduced my spending, at the time, from $200 plus, to $80.00 a month. Great, we saved over $100.00! To my family they were like, it was only $100.00, and what if you used up all your minutes before your service days. Then what? My response, "then you go without. You will have to learn to budget your minutes as if it were money". Yet then they came back saying well if you don't have minutes then you can't make calls if you have an emergency. Get the idea of what I am dealing with. I decided to show it to them on paper as to how much would add up in a year if you put the $100.00 you saved, into a bank account.  I thought sure that seeing the numbers on paper, and the end of the year total of $1,200, would be impressive. Nope. That meant nothing to them and in the long run, they went from using their phones as family only/emergency/update phones, to handing out their numbers like candy. There are just some days when I would like to pull all my hair out and stand naked in my yard and scream...but ya know...I really don't think they'd notice. Ha-ha.

So now the damage has been done. They are phone addicts and either way, unlimited service or a Pay-As-You go service, they want a phone. I'm cool with that. Paying $50.00 a month for each phone putting us right back where we were when we have Sprint, Nextel, and Verizon family plans - I'm not cool with. My philo and yes you may not agree, and again, it's not you paying my bills each month. We have a working land line at home. People can call us there if it's not an emergency, right? Last I remembered the home phone only concept worked years ago. If you were out, you were out. They'd call back later, or if it was busy, they'd call back later. So my question is - then why do we have to have a cell phone connected to our hip if we are not in a job or skill that requires it be with us 24/7?  My husband's boss is big on, no personal cell phones during the work day, but what happens, my husband still gets occasional calls from every Tom, Dick and Barbara (Made up names) and I know it wasn't 911 related. He complains all the time he hates his phone and tired of people calling him, but never says anything to the callers. Now he gets photo text messages of things that are uncalled for. I decided to just ask the question rather than dwelling on it. Timing is everything - when asking a question that appears confrontational in my family. I questioned why we are paying $50.00 a month for his phone? So he could receive dirty text message and jokes and talk on the phone during working hours? They could have called the house after you get home...right? He was correct in responding that he doesn't get or make calls as much as he did before he changed his number, and I attest to that statement. Work has him so busy; he doesn't have time to chit chats. And so my point again, if you don't use many minutes, then what pay full price for this service. Now my husband is not the only one with a phone, we have my oldest son whose phone is connect to his hip. For a while we were paying $50.00 so my oldest son could have endless texting so he could talk to his girlfriend who lived out of the area, but that has since changed with they stopped seeing one another. And to make the matter worse - now my younger son wants a phone. Oh, I can you hear some of you right now - 'What about you Stacey? You’re doing all this bitchin', what are you doing to conserve your phone use? I'm just Bitchin' the facts, but funny you should ask.

Little did they know, since August of last year, I have been doing an experiment with my own personal cell phone and guess what...it worked.  I have a Net10 Pay-As-You go phone. I don't purchase the $50.00 a month unlimited because you can't accrue service days. Every thirty days you have to buy the unlimited or go back to cards that offer a specific about of minutes.  So I bought a card that gave me, 1000 minutes and 500 service days, so my phone will never shut off if I run out of minutes or when I get to 500 service days. I still have 245 minutes on my phone and 250 plus service days, any why - I don't use it for hour long chatting with friends, endless texting friends, etc.  I use it to let my family know where I am, or call a doctor's office if I am running behind, or if one of the kids get sick and I have to take them to the doctors, my husband is aware. But the best reason I would text - To let people know it is snow outside...BTW its snow in Annapolis right now. WAA WHOO! And that is the text I sent my husband today. There was more to it, but you get the idea.

Now I had pondered this idea for my family for quite a while. I want to change their ways and consider trying, what I had been doing with my phone for some time.  I am still out of work and blogging isn't considered a paying job, so maybe this is a good of a time as any to implement the changes for the whole family. If we don't try things could be getting cut in other areas of the budget, hum like maybe...oh I don't know, let’s say the cable for instance - No way they could live without that.  For right now, I don't accept the reasoning that they plea, as to why they have to have full service phones at all times, and so we are all going to make a change to see just how much we don't have to have them. The deal is, from now on, if people want to chat with you, they call the house phone. If they want to have long conversations with friends etc., use the house phone. Our cell phones are for emergency and quick calls only.  I'd love to capture all this on video. I'd call it - Cell Phone Withdraws of the Average Family. I've heard of many families doing their part in cutting back expenses that are much more drastic than my asking to reduce our cell phone fees. I am taking a very active role in our budget so that we are not hounded by collection agencies, or threats of foreclosure. That we are prepared if we need a new furnace, or the trucks die, or the roof leaks, or someone is sick. My role as a parent and a wife is also to provide for my children and husband. To make sure, since I am home all day, or even if I was out working, we always have heat, hot water, food, the ability to cook that food, oil, clean clothes, a warm place to sleep, shoes on their feet, and the list goes on and on. So while you may think I am trying to be controlling, you are so far from the truth... I am doing what any responsible person would do. My questions to you while everyone is trying to survive in a failing economy - What will you give up?