The Bank: I Could have Used some Human Intervention.

Someday I will do a list of things that irk me. For today, it is the great efficiency with which my bank is able to arbitrarily issue NSF fees on my account. and technology so "advanced" that a computer error cannot be corrected immediately manually. I miss the days when one could go into the bank, talk to a person and whatever problem existed could be rectified then and there. We were not at the mercy of a computer system. I love being able to access my account online and all the other things the computer make possible. However, I think when the computer program cannot be corrected by a human being, we have gone too far.

It all started with an unauthorized 91.00 debit on my debit card which was immediately cancelled by the person who ran it. The transaction was rerun for the appropriate amount $45.82. No problem..........until later in the day when I write a check for cash and am told by the bank that it won't clear. I leave the drive-in teller in a state of confusion.

At home I check online -- the $91 posted to my account - this has thrown my account into a negative balance. Great!!! now my funds are "frozen" with this $91 charge -- And a call to the bank says I have to wait for it to clear itself. Oh, and guess what? it has arbitrarily charged me $32.50 NSF (insufficient funds fee). Just add that to my overdraft balance. I'm thrilled. I request online that the bank eliminate the NSF charge of 32.50 and note that the 91.00 should not have been charged. Now, even though my original balance was enough to cover them, when three items hit the bank the$91+32.50 have caused my balance to appear to be insufficient to clear them. The bank pays them and charges me three more arbitrary NSF charges of $32.50 each. Meanwhile the $91 has cleared, but now the NSF charges are causing a negative balance. Fortunately, in the midst of this my monthly SS check came in bringing my balance to a positive figure and eliminating any further NSF charges.

I believe it should be unlawful for the NSF charges to become part of your balance. Many a checking account has suffered the ravages of NSF circular disaster. I also think that NSF charges should be the last item of the day to be deducted. Sometimes I have noted where a bank will charge the NSF fees and then credit a deposit later thereby increasing the number of items for which the bank has charged a fee.

All this because the bank couldn't cancel out the $91. The current status is that the initial NSF of 32.50 was refunded four days after all the other items had hit the bank. I have a request in for a reversal and credit of $97.50 for the additional NSF charges which were generated because of the original error and their issuing the original NSF charge. I believe we should be a little more careful with our computer programs automatic and arbitrary actions. To me, the best technology can be overwritten by its human user. If the bank could have immediately reversed the $91 I could have avoided the entire adventure. It could also have immediately reversed the 32.50 thereby avoiding the further NSF charges which were issued...and, imagine if you will, dealing with people instead of arbitrary computer actions, the account might even have been tagged to prevent any NSF charges ever to issue when the initial problem was noted. But then I have always been opposed to arbitrary consequences ---- so long as we are human and subject to error.

"Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy." Joseph Campbell