Everything began with my tendency to overdraw my checking account. I would never keep a record of my spending so this was never that big of a problem as I would pay the overdraft fees when I got my next paycheck (s). Over time this became too costly to keep up with and finding myself running into hardship I started to keep a physical record in my checkbook of what I would spend on a daily basis. Still I would find myself with overdraft fees. I found that the reason for this would be based on this type of example:
Lets start the day with $10
Spend $5 at 12pm.
And then spend $12 at 3pm.
The $12 would be taken out of my account first giving me one overdraft fee. Then the $5 would be taken out second causing me a second overdraft fee.
I fought this time and time again and was told many different reasons as to why it happens.including it was the sum of charges for the day that would make me overdraft twice. If this is true my total spending combined together should make one amount, and give me. One overdraft fee?
Poor me, poor me. I gave up.
I set gears into motion to close my checking account. I was told to wait a sufficient amount of time (almost one month to the best of my knowledge) over which time there was absolutely NO activity on my checking account. I went to the branch and closed my account. I assumed that closing my account would end this problem of over drafting and owing National City additional money that I do not have to spend each month. I found out several months later that the letters I was getting in the mail from National
City were not please come back letters. They were bills stating that I owe then approx. $200 in overdraft fees. It seems that while my account was pending in the closing cue that AOL had charged me twenty some odd dollars. (My AOL account was cancelled as well for obvious reasons). I went to the branch to sort the issue out and was told that there was nothing they could do about it because it was already in collections. I soon after began receiving telephone calls attempting to collect the debt. At the time I had no way to pay and flat out told any and all operators that called me about this fact. I was addressed as a deadbeat. I was told numerous things including lines such as; this is the last time you will be able to pay this amount before other measures are taken. Court was mentioned, I was scolded when I said that I could not write down information because I was in the car, etc. This debt remains unpaid. I was waiting until I paid off my credit card before I did so.
I received my credit card from National City about 4-5 years ago. The first year I had it I racked it up because I was behind on bills and I believe it was the Christmas season at the time. I would pay every month or every other month and just intended on keeping it hanging in there until I was able to find a job with decent pay. Financial hardship hits the country directly after I get let go from my minimum wage job which I was stuck in for about two years of my life. After this I let a few more payments slip, some more time goes by and I run out of sources of income. And I had to stop paying the majority of my bills due to lack of funds. I decided that I would wait for the next grant from my college to come and with this grant I would pay off this credit card bill and be able to use the card to consolidate my debt (which is not large in the least) be able to pay my car insurance in full, purchase books for school, pay the small charge that I owe the college and be able to feed myself for about two months. Hopefully I would be able to find work in this time frame having ample time to devote myself to serious job searching and not wondering about what or when Im going to eat.
Unfortunately for me about 2 months prior a National City representative called me on the phone and had asked if anyone had told me about the hardship plan that they offer. The plan was explained to me that it will drop my monthly payment to $20 and that there would be no late fees as long as I was on this plan. I told that representative that I intended to pay off the full amount around $800 in the next 2 months. And was told that the plan would be a good option until I did so. And so, convinced I signed up for the hardship plan.
When finally my grants arrived and I took $125 to pay for some living expenses and such I took the remainder of the money and called National City in order to pay off the balance of my credit card. For some reason I was never sent another credit card when mine expired and I had assumed that this was because I was delinquent on my account. I told the operator that I needed to pay off my balance and that a new card needed to be sent out to me because I had never received a replacement. I was told that this was not a problem, the operator took my information, set up the payment to come out of my bank account the following business day and then passed the phone over to another associate that looked at my information, said that she could report my card lost/stolen and then did so and said that I would receive a new credit card within 7-10 business days.
..
It was now 11-12 business days and I am beginning to worry. I call National City Bank and explain what is happening. I receive unsure words from the operator. After a time she concludes that I am not eligible to receive a new card because I was on the hardship plan and that they just close the account after its paid off. Something I was unaware of, was never told vocally and Im sure is in fine print somewhere, or in one of theyre nifty letters that look like my bill that I no longer open, as I already have the paper that I fill out to mail in to the collection department filed and ready to be sent inonce my credit card is paid off and helping me consolidate my debt.
I am told by this operator that I most call another department and they are open on Monday. Enter hours and times here. Either way I have to call back after the weekend. And I do. I wait for Monday and call first thing in the morning. Im given back and forth to a menagerie of people all of which tell me that they can not do anything for me and I have to call somebody else. Thats not what we do here, we dont do that here, was applied to many different aspects of the questions that I was asking and/or the help I was asking for. The only person that was of any reassurance to me was not able to offer me any real help, he was from the collections department and sadly the only real person I spoke to in my game of tether phone and the only person I believed had a soul. It is a shame that the only people with any sense of compassion or sense work in the department where they will be mentally beaten by people unwilling to pay their bills.
I just wanted to pay mine. And I did. I just wanted my credit card back. But I wasnt allowed.
After a trying time and a trip to the branch, in which they told me to call the 800 numberI called the 800 number again. I was able to find out that the reason I never received a new credit card is that they no longer make my credit card. And that the only way I could get a new one was to re-apply for one. As I am still currently out of work and only self-employed making just a small amount I decided to go ahead with the idea. The associate took down all my information over the phone and I am sure she tried not to laugh when I told here my total monthly income is approx $200-$400 dollars. (I also might mention that I do work one day a week at a paid apprenticeship, always forgetting about that. One day a week will do that to you.) Youll receive our reply within 7-10 business days. And was at a point in my life where I just went ahead and asked here, what do you think? You do this all the time right? What are my chances, do you think? This is what she told me, Youll receive our reply within 7-10 business days. Deeply programmed.
And yes, I was denied.
I would rather give my money to Wal-Mart. The tell me up front that they are going to charge me a fee. Then I tell them that this is an acceptable fee and I accept the service. They then provide the service, charge me my fee which Im already in love with, give me a receipt proving that Im now married to my transaction and tell me to have a good day. After this all happens I can skip away to the food department and look at everything that I am unable to buy.
I have posted here upon finding out that National City Bank is not listed on the Better Business Bureau Website. I am not a writer. I have terrible grammar and my vocabulary is rather limited. My biggest regret is that I did not keep a proper journal with names of who I spoke with, what number I called to get them and dates/times of the events. Somewhere in the depths of the National City Bank there is a chance there are call logs. I doubt that anyone will ever hear them even by the slim chance that they do exist.
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