I have been banking with Fifth Third for five years at this point, with no problems on either side of the relationship. Until today.
A check was deposited two weeks ago by me, and cleared as per 5/3's records (i don't regularly spend until the check has cleared, especially when the check was for a large sum, as this one was). I continued on to pay out my expenses as planned, no issues of note. Today, as i was checking my balance online (to update quicken) i found i was the check's sum (and then some, to the tune of 2 days overdraft fees as well as a fee for every outstanding transaction... As of this moment 100$ over the original check) in the red. Alarmed, i called 5/3's customer service, only to be told that there was "a problem" with the check, and they couldn't track where the check was at that time. I hung up, the mail came, and there was my problem-check.
Upon examining the check, i found that a WaMu check had tried to clear through Bank of America!
I contacted the person who wrote me the check, she called her bank and found that not only had the check not gone through on her end (although all others since then had), but that her bank (Washington Mutual) had not even recieved or seen the cancelled check, or notice of an attempt to withdraw that amount! (i expected as much, being the one actually holding the check.)
Re-telephoning 5/3 only caused me pain. The woman on the line suggested i take this matter up with the branch office involved, so it begins...
I brought the check with me and showed it to the customer service rep, who then said "well, that's odd." she called WaMu, of course, WaMu is not going to give out information on any of its clients without their consent, and 15 minutes later she tells me that Washington Mutual is such a tiny bank that they don't cash their own checks, BankOne does, and that's why it's stamped as such. I informed her that BankOne was *not* the bank stamped on the check, Bank of America is. And furthermore, WaMu is second only to Wells Fargo on the west coast in banking size, they wouldn't outsource their checks (i know this because the person who wrote me the check was until recently a former auditor of WaMu).
Either way, i reminded her, this is about the overdraft fees. I cannot replenish my account until the fees are at least suspended. She said they couldn't do that, too bad. I asked to speak with the branch manager, at which point she became very belligerent. Needless to say, i did not speak with the branch manager at that time. Upon returning home i contacted 5/3's customer service yet again and relayed the issue, ultimately asking for a supervisor. After speaking to a super for several minutes, having to explain te issue the in the same way three times, i ultimately asked her "i cannot control where my deposited checks go after i have deposited them, yet i am responsible for a mis-route, and all the fees incurred. Is this correct?" and she agreed. I hung up.
Following this, i called the branch in question (yet again) and asked to speak with the branch manager directly. After explaining my case, and further arguments, we came to an agreement that i would arrange a wire-transfer from the original check-writer to my account, and she would stop all occurring fees (that is, the one fee i will be charged tonight), and reverse *one* payment fee. She was awaiting my call for this transfer.
I set this transfer up, and on an attempt to call the manager up again i was delegated to someone to take a message from me. The manager in question still has not called me back, and i wager that this "devil's bargain" i have struck today will not be valid tomorrow.
Please be warned.
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