![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-349442-100x100.png\")
Write to them and dare them not to remove the fee, while simultaneously pointing out that since you did not consciously enroll in the program, you are under no obligation to pay the fee, and come Hell or high water you're not going to pay it.
Either that, or for every time they bill you for it, make yourself a bogus bill that looks similar to theirs, and charge them the ten dollars for it.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-137408-100x100.png\")
Why not open an account at some other bank and leave WaMu?
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-303680-100x100.png\")
Unless he recorded the call it will be hard for him to prove the he didn't ask for the service. If only someone regularly recorded customer service calls... oh wait. Banks do.
Ask for a transcript of your call, although the time and effort might be worth more than the $10 to you.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-5408-100x100.png\")
Never bank with an organization that clearly announces its intent to wam you.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-110373-100x100.png\")
Go down and hang out at the local branch with a t-shirt that says \"DON'T ENROLL IN THE PLUS PACKAGE!\"
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-147328-100x100.png\")
EECB and a nuke to the Fed. WaMu wants to play the shell game with their custies, they are in for some serious shell shocks.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/css/images/default.gif\")
We were forced to do this shit when I worked for a cell phone provider. We were told to add all the features to an account for the \"free\" trial period becasue most people never notied the extra $2 or 3.
We only took it off if someone came in complaining.
I can garuntee the guy that singed you up gets a $5 commission for enrolling you in the program.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-3865-100x100.png\")
Okay...so on one hand you have the rep refunding the $5, which seems like an acknowledgment that it was bank error to enroll him.
Since they are sending the bill through the mail for the $10, wouldn't that be mail fraud? I'm sure WaMu would react to that claim quickly.
@stevegoz: but the consumer was to busy facing the other direction because he was bending over for the bank, oh wait never mind that what caused the waming ing the first place
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-62482-100x100.png\")
Speaking of banks, is anyone else being driven CRAZY by the new optical recognition ATMs? You know, where your check gets scanned in automatically, but, half the time, the deposit amount is incorrect and you have to enter it manually?
Good times. Thanks, banks!
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-2944-100x100.png\")
Wamu is bad about errors and I came here today looking for info on other banks to switch.
We bought a car last year, put $2000 down in a check (from Wamu). The next day a $2000 cash withdrawal was showing at a branch I had never been to. Panic ensued - sort of - I figured it was for the car but why would it show as a withdrawal? I called both the 800 number *and* the branch. The branch didn't have any answers for me and didn't recall the transaction (love that customer service). The 800 number kept offering to send me the withdrawal slip. I said, one does not exist, because I didn't sign one. Nor did my husband. They kept offering to send it to me, and I said I do not want it because it doesn't exist. They sent it to me. Charged me $5. They turned the check into a withdrawal in cash for the dealer (still don't know if they can even do that legally) and shredded the check (is what they are claiming). Will they refund my $5 fee for the form I didn't ask for? No. I said, \"Are you willing to lose my accounts over $5?\" \"yes.\"
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-69858-100x100.png\")
Thank you for your email.
I take no responsibility for bank errors and will work with businesses to resolve issues arising from those errors. Your concern has been researched, and as a bank error was found that you don't want to pay for, my account will now be closed
I do not regret any inconvenience this may cause you.
@ianmac47: Exactly.
If your first interaction with a business is a sneaky effort to screw you out of cash, followed by a refusal to give it back when you catch them, you'd have to be a fool to let them access to, you know, all your money.
All banks pull junk like this from time to time I guess, but WAMU seems by far the worst -- so don't use them.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-61719-100x100.png\")
@AlteredBeast: They don't send the bill through the mail, thats the other dirty thing banks get to pull on you.
You never get a \"bill\" they just take your money.
Small claims court? Anyone know if this guy can claim extra $ for lost time/punitive?
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1713-100x100.png\")
Try telling them you have cancer.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-6979-100x100.png\")
I would say go back into the bank and talk to the same rep. I was enrolled in the \"Plus Package\" as well and had it dropped in seconds. What a load of crap that plan is.
On a site that showed a graphical representation of ID theft by bank or other financial institution I saw that WaMu and Providian were somehow related by corporation, or the like.
I know Providian from an acquaintance of years ago who had gotten into financial trouble. Providian was the only place she could get a credit card. The provisions of that card were truly draconian. She was on the phone with Providian every month for something or another where she was contesting yet another unwarranted fee.
So, seeing WaMu's unethical behavior does not really surprise me.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-127629-100x100.png\")
i hate wamu...
This \"There was no bank error\" line is exactly what they used with me when they deducted money from my savings account without my consent. If it's worth it to you, send a letter to all the executives at WaMu. I found them on an SEC filing.
I got a response about a week later, and my $40 back. Unfortunately, it did cost about $4 in stamps, so in your case it would be more about justice than profit.
@KingJoe: I still think it's worth it if it bothers you enough. I'm trying to get a refund from a company that screwed up and confirmed cancelling an order, then shipped it anyway and expects me to pay for it. I grow very tired of the \"just eat it, it's only $22\" comments I get (not here, elsewhere). Why should I? And there's people who tell me I'm lying about how much time/effort I've put into it (yeah, like they can read my mind?) and think they know better ... sometimes it's less about the amount than it is about standing up for yourself and not letting companies make you pay for their mistakes.
I even get people tell me I'm overdoing it when I repeatedly state they're guilty of mail fraud (as they sent it through US Mail).
It's like it's not \"wrong\" to some people if the amount is smaller than some arbitrary threshold.
Write a letter to the president of WaMu and cc it to the Comptroller of the Currency. Your money should be credited shortly. The COC has to investigate claims and the banks don't like drawing attention.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-351509-100x100.png\")
There is an employee incentive. At the new acct desk it was $1.00 towards incentive for a PFR and 1.50 for a Sr. PFR, The branch manager also gets a cut in monthly incentive as a % of cross-sold products (account add-ons on the 'free-checking') The $10.00 early termination fee counts toward 'fee-income' which is also a metric for which management is incentived. Get the Quality Ass dept and tell them you were slammed with a PP ...
Well Guys My Story Gets Better. I was charged by a company called Monumental Insurance Premium 8.95 and it Over Drafted my account. I called customer care the rep gave me the Run Around I could barely understand her. she told me oh you have to call that company find who they're i was no i dont i never authorized this amount withdrawl from ACH. come to find out it was Wellsfargo the ACH authorizer for Monumental Insurance Premium. i was given there number called the insurance company told me. there no policy under that account number that was listed on the account. but the funny thing was that the Person had the same first name, middle intial and lastname but he lived in California & I live in Florida (Miami). I just frusted on how i was treated by customer care. im reconsidering my accounts at wamu i have had them since 2004. I currently have a Bank of America Campus Checking but i just use this account to pay bills via there awesome online banking platform. what is your recommendation? is the keep the change worth it. I know if i close wamu im going to loose the High Yield Savings at 4%.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1509-100x100.png\")
You read consumerist and you still opened a WaMu account?
I would close that account and tell them they can keep your $10 and $0 out account.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-28709-100x100.png\")
by ianmac47 at 11:07 AM
Why not open an account at some other bank and leave WaMu?
by He at 12:38 PM
You read consumerist and you still opened a WaMu account?
-------------------------
Seriously. I'd think all you guys would be members of some local credit union. Credit unions rock.
Just go to the person who opened your count. He will refund your money. I'm sure he needed to meet his sales goal and signed you up for stuff you didn't need or consented to. I worked at Wells Fargo and shady bankers did that all the time. Not really worthy of Front Page since it's pretty easy to alleviate.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-60062-100x100.png\")
@jmschn: How is that easy? The brief period I was at wamu there was never the same people working there from day to day. And this story is totally \"Front Page\" because it's consumer fraud.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-246643-100x100.png\")
Love the photo guys, I eat at that place in North Park all the time!
WaMu owns Providian nowadays. I'm unlucky enough to have one of their cards, with a 30% (non-default) interest rate. At the time I got it in 2001, it was a 18% card and I was distinctly subprime due to bad credit decisions on my part. A $3K limit card with ~20% interest was a belssing.
A couple of years ago, they raised all the interest rates (or so they claim) and mine was given the 12% boost. I've asked for the rating to be re-evaluated a couple of times since (I have a ~650 FICO nowadays, and a 700 Transunion, which is what WaMu/Providian uses) and they've refused to budge it.
Only reason I still have it is that it's $0 balance and no fee, and I need the headroom on my credit report. Now that my credit is much better, it'll probably be the next account to get closed in favor of a real card.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-138812-100x100.png\")
@rdm: I'm not sure this is the same situation - I still pay a lot of my bills with paper checks and more and more of them are starting to show up on my monthly statement as debit transactions and not as checks... It really weirded me out at first too but I am used to it now.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-97523-100x100.png\")
Am I the first person to notice Stewie from Family Guy on the bus stop poster?
Re: the checks, I've noticed a lot of companies have fine print now that say they may take your check and use it to generate an equivalent Electronic Funds Transfer. I'm sure this is what happened to the poster above.
That's no excuse for WaMu sending something unwanted and then billing for it. In that sense, it's very similar to the OP.
WaMu is accountable to the office of thrift supervision. send your complaints to [www.ots.treas.gov]
WaMu hosed me a few weeks ago. They said a check from adsense I deposited was bad and suspended my account. Obviously the google check was good. But during the suspension two of my checks bounced; they refuse to refund me the fee for that. I can imagine the potential for abuse here, it would indeed benefit WaMu if they suspended accounts for any little shit regardless and refused to refund fees for their mistakes.
I don't know about WaMu, but he might not be able to close his accounts right away to switch to another bank. A few banks (like Chase, my former bank as of today) charge an early account closing fee (Chase's criteria is within 90 days), so if there's a similar rule at WaMu, he might be stuck with those accounts for 3-4 months. That's not saying that he can't take most of his money out and go and open an account somewhere else, but closing those accounts immediately might incur more charges that will only benefit the bank.
Poor guy... I had the EXACT same thing happen to me in August. I've gone around and around with them.
Wamu said they would refund the money since I hadn't received the coupon book. So I got $5 back.
The next week I had the same $10 charge.
When I called to ask for the refund because I didn't know I was signed up for this thing they refused saying that they had sent me the coupon book. I explained over and over (up the lines of supervisors) that I hadn't received anything.
It's now four months later. I finally gave up after 4 phone calls, three branch visits, and numerous emails. My time is worth more then the $10 they conned me out of.
I did go to another bank though. Why would I want to stay with a bank who is deliberatly trying to con me?
Stand outside the bank holding a sign that says \"WaMu stole money from me.\" until they fix it.
Or if you don't have time for that get even by vandalizing something of theirs.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-53576-100x100.png\")
why not go back to the branch and speak to the guy who signed you up, or the customer service rep that gave you the $5 credit?