I opened an account with Washington Mutual back in February. Due to being ripped of by an advance fee internet loan company in June (See United Capital Services and Allied Financial Future) my accounts became severely overdrawn and were closed then sent to collections. I have been searching high and low for another checking account since that time.
I put my WAMU accounts on a debt management plan in December. On January 15, I decided to go to wamu.com out of curiosity to see if I'd be approved for another account since I am paying them back. To my surprise and delight I was! I made my opening deposit the next day and received my debit card in the mail a week after that. I also received checks in the mail last night (February 1st.)
Here's where the problem starts: On January 31st I went to the cafeteria in my workplace and attempted to make a purchase for $3.38 and the debit card was declined due to "no account." Now this is strange because there should have been at least $220.00 left in the account. I called WAMU and the automated system informed me my account was negative $25.71!
I spoke to a customer care rep and was advised that my account was closed by a bank branch and that I must visit one to find out why. I went to a local branch and was told that a hold was placed on the payroll check I deposited on 1/25/07 and my debits exceeded the amount that was posted to my account, therefore the bank decided to close my account.
No one told me that new cuatomers have holds placed on any checks deposited within 30 days of the account opening. Then she said the second reason the account was closed was due to the accounts I had with WAMU previously. I was upset, but I didn't argue. That's the way the cookie crumbles.
I checked the account on 2/1/07 and to my surprise (again) my account balance was positive $32.28. I checked the transaction history to figure out what the hell was going on and just as I thought initially, there was still $223.00 dollars in the account, but $179.75 was posted as a "customer withdrawal" on 1/31/07. How can that be when my account was negative on that day and the account was closed?
To make an already long story short, WAMU opened an account for me just so they can steal their money back for the prior accounts. What bank does that? If someone owes a bank money and that person applies foran account, won't they let them know that they owe money and deny the account?
I am going to fight this tooth and nail because what WAMU did was sneaky and underhanded. I am paying them back slowly but surely and they opened an account for me for the sole purpose of stealing my deposits! I am contacting the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, The Federal Reserve Bank, and I'm going to Hoovers.com to get the names of every big wig in the company.
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