Foo - What happens if I leave a Bank account over withdrawn?

Because I am an idiot, I used a bank account that I haven't used in about a year to pay my credit card online. Well, there wasn't enough money in that account, so its get overwithdrawn, and I get hit with a fee. So then two days later, I make a big purchase with my credit card again, and then later go home and pay it online, again with the basically unused bank account... Ugh, so now I get hit with two fees and I don't know, and then I'm out with my friend, he doesn't have enough cash, so I offer to pay with my credit card. I got home and figure, I'll just pay it off because I won't be buying anything for awhile and I might forget. Bam three times, three fees.

I just found out last night when I got a notice in the mail about the overdrawn account 7 days after the first instance. Can I just give the bank the money I owe them and refuse the pay some of the fees? At this point, they have to come after me for almost $1000, I got no problem paying what I owe plus one fee (idiot tax), but christ three? I was just at a branch and the manager said they might be able to knock off two, like I asked. I had a stack of bills on his desk ready to deposit, but he said he couldn't guarantee he'd get them off my account. I then said I'm not going to deposit unless $60 (as opposed to $90) in fees go away.

What would happen if they give me a hard time, and I get all hot under the collar, scream some obsensities and walk out and forget about?

It can't hurt to ask the bank (maybe you'll get lucky), but basically, you Oopsed three times, you gotta pay for it three times...

if you have been a good customer they may let it go. But it sounds like you haven't been.

So if you don't put in any money, leaving a $1000+ debt. They'll send you to collections, you'll get calls night and day trying to collect. Your credit score will go down and you'll never get a loan.

if you pay the $1000 plus one fee and close the account. They might only lower your credit score, and you'll never get a loan.

There was an excellent report on how banks use these overdrafts to make massive profits.

Check NPR.org for the article, I think you will find resources for help there.

Banks are evil profit-mongers, and it's sad that they **** people who have limited funds, while breaking the rules for their rich clients.

Banks are not sacred institutions, but if you say bad things about them, you catch hell from people ,who respond with "you are just irresponsible and must pay for your blunders".

I call bull****. The NPR report is just one of many documented cases of abuse of power from banks.

Fight them hard, Jersey. It's YOUR money. Pay them what you borrowed, and nothing more. There is NO reason for what amounts to 21% interest loans.

Banks=Greedy Bastards

If you have other accounts there use them as leverage to drop the overdrawn fees. Suggest that you will move your accounts and loans (if applicable) to another bank.

Otherwise you are stuck paying the fees and count it as a lesson learned. Compare it to getting three tickets within a week for running stop signs. You can ask the judge for foregiveness and if he doesn't, you must pay all three fines.

Well, it wasn't like a check didn't clear in time, I just simply didn't select my other bank account from the drop down menu on my credit cards website, three times within a week. I've been meaning to close this account, and remove all traces of it, but you know how things go, you just forget.

It's safe to say that this account will be closed soon

Fight them hard, Jersey. It's YOUR money. Pay them what you borrowed, and nothing more. There is NO reason for what amounts to 21% interest loans.

This is terrible, misinformed advice. He overdrew a checking account, not a credit account. You're not allowed to "borrow" from that type of account. It wasn't his money, it was the bank's. It's the accountholder's responsibility to know what's in the account before attempting to draw from it. Since it was an honest mistake, the best he can hope for is some goodwill waivers on the overdraft fees. If he refuses to pay the fees and they send collections after him, it could screw up his credit rating and make his entire life more expensive.

http://djforum.free.fr/smileysmileysmiley/v2/surprises/surprises.smileysmiley.com.54.gif
http://djforum.free.fr/smileysmileysmiley/v2/surprises/surprises.smileysmiley.com.54.gif

Excellent point....not to mention the risk of escalation to criminal prosecution as well. + the fact that they can go for 5X the amt of the OD's and fees if it gets to that point, at least it's like that here in the Hoosier state!


This is terrible, misinformed advice. He overdrew a checking account, not a credit account. You're not allowed to "borrow" from that type of account. It wasn't his money, it was the bank's. It's the accountholder's responsibility to know what's in the account before attempting to draw from it. Since it was an honest mistake, the best he can hope for is some goodwill waivers on the overdraft fees. If he refuses to pay the fees and they send collections after him, it could screw up his credit rating and make his entire life more expensive.

This is terrible, misinformed advice. He overdrew a checking account, not a credit account. You're not allowed to "borrow" from that type of account. It wasn't his money, it was the bank's. It's the accountholder's responsibility to know what's in the account before attempting to draw from it. Since it was an honest mistake, the best he can hope for is some goodwill waivers on the overdraft fees. If he refuses to pay the fees and they send collections after him, it could screw up his credit rating and make his entire life more expensive.

I see now that he only had the one account.

I still don't trust banks. I just don't deal with them when it comes to small amounts of money. I't just not worth dealing with large, corrupt institutions when you need to exchange small sums. Small sums always add up to big $$$ going back into the banks.

We as a nation need to ween ourselves from reliance on the credit system. It's a scam, period. There are other ways to live. Money/banks/credit is like a sacred cow to most, so I expect harsh responses like the one above. I'm not giving misinformed advice, I just don't worship or trust banks. I have NO reason to. They are greedy and manipulative. Do you work for one, va?

I don't quite get the corrupt angle. In the OP's case, he overdrew his account, the penalty for which would be legally disclosed before he opened the account. It was his choice to accept those terms and deposit his money in the first place. Did the bank steal something from him, or otherwise violate his account agreement? I'm not seeing that.

Don't drink befor paying you bills on line :lol:

I don't quite get the corrupt angle. In the OP's case, he overdrew his account, the penalty for which would be legally disclosed before he opened the account. It was his choice to accept those terms and deposit his money in the first place. Did the bank steal something from him, or otherwise violate his account agreement? I'm not seeing that.

The corruption lies in the fact that sometimes checks are held purposefully by banks on schedules that maximize their profit through penalties. Penalties make up so much of a bank's overall earnings, that it becomes a market strategy for them to have a huge customer base that is comprised of debtors cycling through payments of the interest on their money loaned. You keep bringing up credit scores. Good point.

Credit cards, loans, etc. are issued from the bank as well. See the conflict of interest here?The bank will let you default on your checking and savings, but will gladly extend you a line of credit for 16%, or 18.75% apr if you are a 9-5 salaried worker for a major corporation. Banks even finance wars and drug sales for profit, what makes you think they would stop at eating the middle class?

If the OP is at fault 100%, then it is a rare exception.

/rant (not at va_cyclist, or the OP, but aimed directly at big corrupt banks with no oversight running amok)

Don't drink befor paying you bills on line :lol:

Best advice so far haha...

Well after some verbal threats and pounding fists on desks, I got one of the 'fees' back. Yes, it was my fault, and this will be the last time it happens. If it does happen again, I'm getting wasted. Even if I'm at work.

Best advice so far haha...

.... I got one of the 'fees' back. .

Good for you. :beer:

An old roomie of mine had an overdrawn account that he never got back on track. He was "blacklisted" to where he was unable to open up a checking account at any other bank until he paid it up. Being unemployed, he had no money to get it back on track.

An old roomie of mine had an overdrawn account that he never got back on track. He was "blacklisted" to where he was unable to open up a checking account at any other bank until he paid it up. Being unemployed, he had no money to get it back on track.

As soon as a person gets employment at a major corporation, the company bank will give you an account with direct deposit, with rare exception. It is a benefit to the bank to have regular earnings to loan out to customers. If you are so out of wack that it's fradulent or tax-evasive (i.e. you're hiding funds), then you will not be working for a major company anyway. They usually credit-check a prospective hire to see how well they will handle a company account.

There is no "blacklist". It's just bank propoganda. It's all about who you know.

Holy cow dude, loosen that tin foil hat, I think it's cutting off the circulation to your brain.

Holy cow dude, loosen that tin foil hat, I think it's cutting off the circulation to your brain.


:lol:

So I see you do work for the banks, hmmmn?;)

How DARE those banks not cover you when you overdraw your checcking account, serendipper :rolleyes:

How DARE those banks not cover you when you overdraw your checcking account, serendipper :rolleyes:

You took out more consonants than you can cover in your account, there mister.

That's gonna cost ya.:lol:

Oh, no...we should trust the mega corp powers-that-be with every earned penny. Hidden fees? No prob. Ridiculous penalties due to held checks? Sure, why not? Targeting minorities to create a perpetual cycle of debt and poverty? Where do I sign? They are always right. Never question authority.:rolleyes:

An honest mistake indeed, but I have to side with serendipper here. Banks are horribly corrupted. Why do they do it? because they can. They're as slimy as a greasy politician. Sure, there are a few good ones out there, but you'll never know about it. I also have to agree on this whole drunken credit booze party we're currently on. This little bubble is going to burst very quickly. Banks are sociopathic, period. When you give a welfare recipient a CC, knowing they can't afford to pay it back, there's something wrong with you...

When you give a welfare recipient a CC, knowing they can't afford to pay it back, there's something wrong with you...

Does the welfare recipient bear any responsibility in this equation?

A credit card isn't a loan, it's an agreement toward future loans. The act of borrowing is on the shoulders of the cardholder, as is the responsibility to pay back the loan.

Just as the choice to deposit funds into a supposedly corrupt institution like a savings bank is completely the choice of the customer. Don't like banks? Put your money under a mattress where it'll be safe from all those big bad corporate boogeymen.

What I don't get here is that you guys seem resentful of banks because they appear to have all the power, when that's just not true. You make the choices to do business with these institutions. They may set the terms, but you're free to walk away from those terms without signing on. What I see again and again is that people accept the terms without really committing to the responsibility they carry, and then are resentful when they have to pay up in fees or interest.

I also want to be clear that I'm not bashing the OP, because I believe he made an honest mistake and seems to want to do the right thing.

Because I am an idiot


You said it not me :D

I'd call and ask but good luck on that. I was late paying my credit card last month and they socked me with a $25 fee. Now I mean come freekin on how could it possible cost $25 to process a late fee.

But seriously running up 1k is a bit much no?

Have you guys noticed that banks are closing up shop at a record pace, and you can't even find a neighbourhood bank anymore? And have you noticed that payday loan places are sprouting up faster than weeds? with 30% interest rates? This is a serious problem my friends. When you say that we have the power to take our business elsewhere, it's a little hard when there is no BUSINESS to take it to! I'm not saying myself personally, I do all my stuff via internet, but what about the people who don't have internet access, or even a telephone? they have to walk or bus 5 miles just to do their banking? I'm not meaning as this to sound off as a rant, but they sure do kick the little guy hard...

I've never had a problem with a bank. I've got three checking accounts, a CC, and a mortgage currently all through the same major bank. They've never charged a fee for anything. The CC is at a great rate and has no fees, the mortgage is at a good rate and had no closing costs or fees, and the checking accounts not only have no fees but pay interest. And on the couple of occasions that I have overdrawn one of the checking accounts they move the funds from one of the other two or apply it to the CC with no OD charges or fees and they send me an email to let me know what they did. If they're a big corporate boogyman they're sure not picking on me.

SB