Imagine my surprise when I go to pay for my groceries and my check card is declined. Luckily, my bank is right in front of the grocery store, so I go over there and explain what the problem is. The teller says I have a balance of $56 and my husband's paycheck isn't showing yet but should be there by tonight. I don't question this because I looked at the deposit receipt and everything was right - account #, amount, etc. I DO however question why I only have $56 in my account when I should have over $400, but I decide to go home and compare my checkbook to my account online and figure it out myself. I honestly thought it was my mistake, since the deposit ticket my husband brought home from the bank was all correct.
I get home and their online banking is down. Joy! I go over my checkbook and can find NO mathematical errors. At this point I call their main office and explain the situation.
M = Me
BL = Bank Lady
M: *explain website isn't working, explain initial problem*
BL: *looks up account*
BL: I'm seeing a withdrawal for $631.08 for yesterday, a debit for blahblah...
M: $631.08 should be a deposit. I have the receipt in front of me.
BL: No, it's a withdrawal. Did he cash the check or deposit it?
M: Deposit. We always do. *reads deposit receipt* 4:47pm, teller #613, account# 123456789
BL: Hmm, I think someone messed up! Hold on a few and let me figure this out for you.
M: *waits on hold for 5 mins*
BL: Okay! It seems we have a new teller and it appears she cashed the check and then..well, I'm not sure WHY but she withdrew it from your account instead of depositing it. We'll get that reversed for you and you should have it back by midnight tonight.
M: *explain I balance my checkbook on the spot and am not sure what might be hitting to make me go into the red between now and midnight.* I won't be responsible for any overdraft fees if this happens, right?
BL: Well, just don't spend anything between now and Monday to be safe.
BL: I apologize but it's human error!
At this point we get disconnected. So I called the branch where these mess-ups have happened and asked to talk to the branch officer. She was EXTREMELY helpful and apologetic and got the money in our account right then and there. She told me if for some reason we got hit with an overdraft, and we absolutely should not, that all we need do is call her and she would get rid of it for us.
If this was the first time this had happened, I'd be less annoyed. This particular case IS the first time we've seen out money TAKEN from the account instead of put in the account. However, 3 times previously, they've taken my husband's paycheck and deposited it in the company's account (company and us use the same bank) even with all the correct slips filled out with our account # in big, bold print. All this has happened at one branch, the one nearest my husband's work. I haven't had any issues at the branch nearest our house.
What worried me in this case is that the deposit receipt WAS correct and showed no indication that our money was anywhere other than it should be. Had I waited until tomorrow to grocery shop (like I usually do), I probably would have had an overdrawn account and no way to fix the mess until Monday morning.
To the bank's credit, they have always fixed the problems and usually been very nice about it. I just wish I didn't have to worry that this is going to keep happening every time I put money in my checking account.
