Washington Mutual - Recently, my account became overdrawn. The VERY NEXT DAY, I went down to replenish the money in the account, in hopes of avoiding overdraft charges. To my relief, the teller assured me that I had made a deposit in time. Then, two days

Washington Mutual - Recently, my account became overdrawn. The VERY NEXT DAY, I went down to replenish the money in the account, in hopes of avoiding overdraft charges. To my relief, the teller assured me that I had made a deposit in time. Then, two days later (and to my surprise), there appeared three overdraft charges on my account.

Washington Mutual's free checking a scam???

I bank with Washington Mutual. Recently, my account became overdrawn. The VERY NEXT DAY, I went down to replenish the money in the account, in hopes of avoiding overdraft charges. To my relief, the teller assured me that I had made a deposit in time. Then, two days later (and to my surprise), there appeared three overdraft charges on my account.

Now I could understand that they might punish me for a larger amount (the largest one was for $80.05, the next $30.61). But then, they charged me $22 dollars for the privilege of filling my scooter's tank with gas.

Total cost for my fill-up: $2.45.

I contacted Washington Mutual's customer service to find out what happened and they were quite rude to me. When I asked, to whom I might speak, if I chose to contest the charge ($2.45), the customer service person rather curtly stated me that I would have to speak to the bank teller who initially told me that I had avoided overdraft charges.

When I asked if THEY were the ones who could make the decision to reverse the charges, they stated NO! "Then why would you recommend for me to talk to them?" They had no answer except to restate what they had said, as if I hadn't heard them. What they were really saying was they had no interest in helping me, nor finding out more about the incident, and would rather send me on a WILD GOOSE CHASE, than deal with me any further.

The most ironic thing? I was thinking about how I had been treated, and the "customer service" I recieved, and began wondering why I ever signed up with them in the first place. Then I remembered why: Their advertising...

Disguising themselves as a "bank of the people", they use slick, disarming advertising campaigns, showing everyday people who have, as a result of Washington Mutual's PRISTINE BUSINESS ETHICS, an almost cathartic experience, causing them to experience a dramatic change of attitude, or suddenly adopt a new policy of honesty, or even perhaps even find their faith in mankind restored.

So much for truth in advertising.

John B

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