- Jun 24, 2001
- 24,195
- 857
- 126
I got off my graveyard shift and went straight to the head office to get my check (faster than direct-deposit). There is a Bank of America nearby where I can immediately deposit it, just as I've done twice monthly for 6 months now. This particular branch has no drive-up ATMs. I walk up to the two ATMs and note that one has a "Temporarily Out of Service" message on the screen, so I use the other. When I get to the point where I choose to deposit cash or check, the check option is grayed out. "Oh well. Guess I'll go to a different branch." I thought, as I went back to my bike and threw my motorcycle gear back on.
Before leaving, I look back and see that the other ATM no longer says "Out of Service," so I gear-down and walk back. It tells me that I entered an invalid PIN number. "Hmm. That's strange. I'm positive that I entered it right the second time and somewhat sure that I did the first time." I said aloud (I was talking to my brother on the phone
). It accepted it on the third attempt. "No biggie." Right? Wrong.
I deposited the check as I normally do, entering the amount because the ATM's OCR strangely seems to work better on hand-written checks than my machine-generated paychecks, but I was so tired that I accidentally pressed the "No Receipt" option thinking that it would consolidate receipts after my next transaction. In the same session where I just successfully "deposited" my paycheck, I then moved to withdraw $20 for gas for my near-empty bike. In the middle of a session where I had just made an AUTHENTICATED transaction, it tells me "incorrect PIN" and prompts me for it again. Normally, over $100 credits instantly and the rest credits later, so I knew something was up when I entered the PIN again and got the "insufficient funds" message. FUCK.
I had to wait for the bank to open and the teller inside just couldn't understand that my PIN was not "locked out" and that the reason it was just rejected at the teller's keypad was probably the same reason it was intermittently rejected at the ATM (something wrong with remotely validating it). I didn't get to try again. They wanted me to talk to a branch manager who just kept pushing for me to open an account at their local branch and close my shared accounts in GA (I am in CA now; the sharing is still needed with family members to pay bills). The branch manager called some claims line and explained it completely wrong to the person on the other end. I was then forced to hear some message that was not really applicable to my situation (sounded like it was for "did not dispense cash" scenarios). They are sending an affidavit and I still have nothing in my account.
They estimate 21-40 days or something like that. I asked if they could just open the ATM and get my check out. In the unlikely scenario that their tech doesn't find it (or snatches it), I figured that it'd be up to my employer to stop-payment and reissue. Nope. They are forcing me to go through their "investigation" instead.
They said that they should be able to temporarily authorize $100 then and the rest later but that it would be subject to repayment if the investigation did not find anything. The $100 never appeared and it's now the next day (keep in mind, this happened just before they opened for business yesterday).
:|:|:|:|:|
Cliffs:
Used one of those fancy envelope-less Bank of America ATMs and deposited my check.
Tried to withdraw and got "insufficient funds."
No record of deposit was found.
Bank is making me jump through hoops with no promise of a quick-fix.
Did not even get the temporary credit I was offered while it is being investigated.
*angry face x5*
Update:
The provisional credit showed up a day later for the full amount.
A week later I called, provided the claim number, and was told that it was still "under investigation." I got a letter in the mail saying the same thing.
I called yesterday before depositing my next paycheck and they said that it had been resolved and that the provisional credit would now be permanent.
*whew*
Before leaving, I look back and see that the other ATM no longer says "Out of Service," so I gear-down and walk back. It tells me that I entered an invalid PIN number. "Hmm. That's strange. I'm positive that I entered it right the second time and somewhat sure that I did the first time." I said aloud (I was talking to my brother on the phone
). It accepted it on the third attempt. "No biggie." Right? Wrong.I deposited the check as I normally do, entering the amount because the ATM's OCR strangely seems to work better on hand-written checks than my machine-generated paychecks, but I was so tired that I accidentally pressed the "No Receipt" option thinking that it would consolidate receipts after my next transaction. In the same session where I just successfully "deposited" my paycheck, I then moved to withdraw $20 for gas for my near-empty bike. In the middle of a session where I had just made an AUTHENTICATED transaction, it tells me "incorrect PIN" and prompts me for it again. Normally, over $100 credits instantly and the rest credits later, so I knew something was up when I entered the PIN again and got the "insufficient funds" message. FUCK.
I had to wait for the bank to open and the teller inside just couldn't understand that my PIN was not "locked out" and that the reason it was just rejected at the teller's keypad was probably the same reason it was intermittently rejected at the ATM (something wrong with remotely validating it). I didn't get to try again. They wanted me to talk to a branch manager who just kept pushing for me to open an account at their local branch and close my shared accounts in GA (I am in CA now; the sharing is still needed with family members to pay bills). The branch manager called some claims line and explained it completely wrong to the person on the other end. I was then forced to hear some message that was not really applicable to my situation (sounded like it was for "did not dispense cash" scenarios). They are sending an affidavit and I still have nothing in my account.
They estimate 21-40 days or something like that. I asked if they could just open the ATM and get my check out. In the unlikely scenario that their tech doesn't find it (or snatches it), I figured that it'd be up to my employer to stop-payment and reissue. Nope. They are forcing me to go through their "investigation" instead.
They said that they should be able to temporarily authorize $100 then and the rest later but that it would be subject to repayment if the investigation did not find anything. The $100 never appeared and it's now the next day (keep in mind, this happened just before they opened for business yesterday).
:|:|:|:|:|
Cliffs:
Used one of those fancy envelope-less Bank of America ATMs and deposited my check.
Tried to withdraw and got "insufficient funds."
No record of deposit was found.
Bank is making me jump through hoops with no promise of a quick-fix.
Did not even get the temporary credit I was offered while it is being investigated.
*angry face x5*
Update:
The provisional credit showed up a day later for the full amount.
A week later I called, provided the claim number, and was told that it was still "under investigation." I got a letter in the mail saying the same thing.
I called yesterday before depositing my next paycheck and they said that it had been resolved and that the provisional credit would now be permanent.
*whew*
Facebook
Twitter