Wachovia - negative balance causes consumer several problems

# 17 for May 30, 2002

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on May 29, 2002:

From: digital architectures [Email User]

RE: Wachovia - negative balance causes consumer several problems

This complaint has been a month in development and to date has yet to be resolved. Around the beginning of April, I had realized that my account with Wachovia had a negative balance, but having just moved to Colorado from North Carolina, all of my correspondence with Wachovia had to be via email or phone. I do not dispute that I owe them money, an amount less than $35.00, but what I am going through to try to pay that money is amazing.

Wachovia directed me to Chex Systems because they said they could no longer help me since my account had been closed. When I called Chex Systems there was no way to speak to a human, and to do so I had to leave information to get some sort of consumer report. I left the information, and waited for the report which never came. While I was waiting for this report, my bank account with Wells Fargo had been frozen because of by unsettled account with Wachovia. I again contacted Wachovia and spoke with a gentleman there who said he could not help me, and that Chex Systems was who I should be dealing with. He also made it a point to stress that this situation was all my fault. Thank goodness for the Internet. I searched the Dallas phone book for Chex Systems local number and finally spoke to a human being.

They informed me that there was no specific information about my account that they were able to give me, only that it had been closed. They informed me I needed to speak with Wachovia. Again, I called Wachovia, and finally spoke with a young lady who had some idea what was going on. She was able to tell me that my account was on the way to the National Revenue Corporation, and could be paid with them, but it would not get updated in their systems until the beginning of June. So it would take two weeks before I could settle this account. Meanwhile I had no access to money for food, gas, or any of my bills.

She suggested that I contact the branch where the account had been opened to see if they would take a payment to settle an account. So I did. The branch informed me that they could only accept a money order to settle the account. OK, not too difficult, even though my express letter would have to wait through the Memorial Day weekend to be delivered. Another four days without access to my money. Here's the kicker, the representative I was speaking to gave me the wrong address.

So my express letter was delivered to the wrong branch, and has yet to get there and today is the Wednesday following the Memorial Day weekend. I called this morning to the Wachovia branch I had been speaking to (in South Carolina) to see if they had received the money order yet, which they had not.

I asked to speak to someone who may be able to help me, and after talking to two representatives I was transferred to Ms. Jennifer Wansley, told me in a patronizing voice that she could fax Wells Fargo and tell them what was going on, but since they hadn't received payment yet it seemed a bit pointless because "they had no idea who she was, and why should they listen to her?" Assured by Ms. Wansley that there was nothing else that could be done I hung up the phone. I’m still waiting for the Wachovia account to be settled so that the Wells Fargo account can be unfrozen. Now this is a final note to this story - I was a good customer with Wachovia for six years, and had an excellent credit rating (although I'm sure not after this). For an amount less than $35.00 they closed may account and sent it to Chex Systems who passed the information on to my new bank Wells Fargo who in turn closed my account, which had much more than the $35.00 I was trying to pay Wachovia.

Now what is the logic of freezing my money in another account if I could use it to pay their balance? I am still trying to get my money to Wachovia, and in retrospect it would have been faster for me to drive all the way from Colorado Springs, CO to Columbia, SC and deliver this check by hand than to try to get assistance from Wachovia's Customer Assistance Representatives.

Comment On This

I have ran into a problem with them POSTING (not holding or pending) charges saying they were posted on lets say the 2nd but actally posted on the 3rd between 12am and 730am

either way u slice it the third whether at 3 in the morning or not is still the 3rd. Im sorry but glad to know I am not the only one being screwed here!