My parents opened my first account at Country Bank when I was a baby. I had my first checking account there, from age 16-20. I opened another checking account there in when I also took out my mortgage with them. I used the account for checks and debit card transaction for about a year, then used it as a just to pay my mortgage, after my payroll was deposited ever other week.
On Jan 18th, I had the day off and went to a local branch to order checks for the account, as I had decided to begin using the account again. The teller and I discussed the type of checks I wanted, the starting number I needed and the fact that I hadn't ordered checks in 4 years.
Prior to going to the branch, I had browsed the website to see what type of checking account I had opened back in '04. The website listed a Free Checking. This and the fact that the teller did not mention anything about a cost associated with checks led me to believe that, like so many other financial institutions, Country Bank offered free checks.
Last week, on Thursday, I checked my online history to see that my account had indeed been debited for the checks. Not only that, an outstanding check that I had was presented and returned, due to insuffcient funds, because of the cost of the checks. The checks were $13.50, the check was $200.00.
I went to CB's website, to the contact us page. I clicked on the email us link, sent this email:
"Hi,
I received a NSF fee today on my account. I had ordered checks on the account on the 21st and did not know that there was a charge for checks, as I have not ordered checks in quite a while and since I'm accustomed to my credit union, which does not charge for basic checks. The fee was debited from my account today, which caused the account to have insufficient funds.
Could the NSF fee be refunded? Had I known I was going to be charged for checks, I would have ordered them elsewhere."
I received a response late in the day telling me to call their call center. I responded Friday morning, stating that I could not call during the times listed.
Their website also lists this, which seems to say that email IS an ok method of communication.
Long story short, while emailing back and forth, another item was presented and was NSF due to the $25.00 NSF fee from Thursday. It took 30 minutes, several of which I spent on hold, and talking to 3 different people to have both fees refunded. These were the only 2 NSFs on my account in 4 years and they were due in part to CB's teller's lack of initiative to tell me that there was a costs for checks associated with their "Free Checking" accounts...
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