First Merit Bank
Rip Off with bogus overdraft charges!

First Merit is such a ripoff! The online banking is a joke I have set it up so that they pay one of my bills on the day that I get paid. Multiple times now they have paid a day or more before my scheduled authorized payment date resulting in overdraft charges of 37.50 each. Twice they apologized and refunded the charge, however they told me that after that they were not going to refund me anymore, for it was my error not theirs. When I questioned it they said that I should make arrangements to have the money in sooner to cover the cost... What do they want me to do tell my employer that they need to pay me before everyone else so my bank doesn't screw up!

I can't change my payday and I can't change when I pay the bill. Since payday and the due date are the same!

Also I spoke with Brandi at customer service this evening after noticing that my account was suddenly nearly 200 overdrawn due to 4 overdraft charges of 37.50 each. The first of the four was charged to my account on my payday and I knew that before my recent pay I had 112.25 in my account. She claimed that I was being charged for something 2 days prior to my pay and that I only had 15 in the account and the charge which overdrew me was for 30. However I know the day I made the purchase I had more than 30 in the account and it wasn't the day she said I made the purchase!

For days the charge of 37.50 hadn't shown in my account, it wasn't there on payday or for the next nine days after. However that 37.50 charge was enough to make another purchase overdraw my account 10 days later which then sent my balance out of wack and thereby causing the last 2 charges also.

Upon speaking with Brandi she informed me that I was looking at my account online wrong and that purchases I made weren't going to show the day I made them. Yet they were... And that the charges were applied after 24hrs of my account being overdrawn... Both of which are not true!!! When I asked to speak to a supervisor I was told that there were none in the office and that I could leave a message for the supervisor to call me back the next day.

Awhile back I spoke with someone from the company about their policies and they informed me that they have until 2am to process purchaes for one day but that I only have until midnight to make sure the money is in there. Therefore if the account at 11:59 is $4.99 and they process at purchase from that day for $5.00 at 12:01 I will be charged the 37.50 even if my paycheck (direct deposit) is credited to me at same time they process the charge... No 24 hour period!

This is a joke the company is a ripoff and they make money off scamming people like this!!! I am moving my business. I have friends who work in banks and they have given me advice on good banks in my area to choose from! I will be banking with one of those other banks from now on!!

Company: First Merit Bank
Country: USA
State: Ohio
City: Akron
Site: www.firstmerit.com

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