Perhaps they've changed, because Seattle First Bank, which became Seafirst Bank, is now part of Bank of America. This story concerns what happened when they were called Seafirst bank.
I had a charge account with them. For a variety of reasons, I fell behind in my bills. The creditors began calling me. Since I couldn't make the full payment, I would say, I can make a partial payment. Can you accept that?
They would say, No, we can only accept the whole thing. This, of course, was not good for me to believe, but back in those days, I did. So I did not pay anything at all.
After a while, I did get a job, and I happily wrote to them I was able to make $70.00 monthly payments. The minimums were 66, so I was well over that.
However, I was called by one of their collectors, Helen Grenier, who said my balance is now due in full. That was $4,000. I told her I could not pay $4,000, but I could pay the $70 a month, which was over the minimum. She said, I won't accept $70 a month. Your payment is due in full.
I said, Why? I can pay more than the minimum, and I will, so what's the problem? She said, I'm not accepting that. Your payment is due in full. She started yelling at me, like a dancer warming up for making major leaps. You're no longer a customer. You're a debtor. The bank has charged you off! You've taken our bank for a ride. Her voice caught, as if she wanted to start crying. I felt like I was talking to an irrational child having a temper tantrum.
I had been abused by many of their collectors before, so said, As I told you in a previous letter, if you're not going to talk to me with respect, I've got nothing more to say to you. I've told you I'm able to work on solving the problem now. Also, as I mentioned to you in a letter, I lost a job because I had a broken ankle. I didn't fall behind because I wanted to be a deadbeat. Calling me names is highly inaccurate. I have a job and am willing to start paying again.
She yelled, Your broken ankle is your personal problem. That's not our problem!
Me: But it does mean that being behind in my bills has to do with being the victim of circumstance, not a need to be to be irresponsible. It does mean that name calling is based on a false view of who I am, and accomplishes nothing.
I decided the company wasn't worth dealing with, so I hung up on her. She did, indeed, charge my account off, despite what I said, which I considered pretty unproductive. Why they didn't have a way to salvage accounts from people who are able to make higher than minimum payments is beyond me. And why couldn't they be at least a little compassionate with losing a job due to a broken ankle? Wouldn't a decent business have such an attitude? Even if the computer is programmed to charge them off at a certain date, there should also have been a program to allow for exceptions when the customers says what a collector wants to hear.
Hopefully, Bank of America of Seattle runs the bank better than Seafirst did. If they don't, I recommend customers take their business elsewhere.
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