STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Kari · Dooney & Bourke

Overdrawn Checking Account

luckylily · Gucci

Ouch! That sucks.

I also think you should call and ask about having the fee waived. If you are a good customer who doesn't typically overdraw your account they should be willing to do that for you. Banks waive fees all the time, you shouldn't feel bad about asking at all.

Elle · Hermes

I would talk to your landlord about it. Since you were all set and ready to pay late w/fees and they offered to hold your check to save you the fees, it is totally their fault! I'm assuming the late rent fees would have been less than a $75 overdraft fee, right? I'd be pissed!

If you do end up going to the bank to try to get the overdraft fees removed, I wouldn't go into detail about the situation. Technically 'floating' (aka using the time it takes a check to clear to get funds into your account to cover said check, basically knowingly writing a bad check) checks is illegal. I really don't think they'd turn you it, but IMO I doubt it would inspire any generosity on their part.

Sucks though. Hope you get things worked out!

e_doli · Dooney & Bourke

i would talk to your landlord about it first. that is not right that they told you to drop off the check and then cashed it. see what they say on the off chance that they'll pay the fees for you (although they probably won't).

i'm sure the bank will reverse some or all of the fees for you. they do do this all the time, and are usually willing to help you if you explain your situation and you don't bounce checks all the time. try to talk to a teller that you know or use frequently, if possible, b/c they are always more likely to do stuff for you if you have some sort of repoir. if you don't have anyone like that, at least avoid someone who looks bitter or like their having a bad day or if you get to the window and they seem mean, don't ask them and come back later-- this kind of stuff is totally at the bank's discretion and one person might be wonderful and reverse all the fees while someone else could just say no.

I don't know if you situation would qualify as "floating" the check, since they were suppossed to hold the check. i guess it depends who you talk to at the bank -- someone nice would probably understand and be sympathetic while someone mean would accuse you of "floating".

nunzi182 · Kate Spade

I would definitely call the bank immediately and explain the situation to them. It's really not your fault since you had covered alll your bases with the landlord first. It's not your fault they didn't come through. I have had my bank waive fees on a few occasions and usually they are happy to do so. With my bank you can even do it online and it's usually resolved within a day.

Cortney1982 · Chanel

Well, did you date the check the day you only could have it cashed in? Seems like your landlord should be getting next months rent minus $75 you had to pay.

bumblebee · Coach

i agree w/cortney. it was probably an innocent mistake, the manager you talked to at your apt. complex said they would hold the check, and probably someone else in the office who deals with the rent checks cashed it without knowing of that conversation.

i have never had any luck with getting the bank to remove any fees ever for any reason, especially overdraft fees. i think if it were me, i would go into the rental office/landlord/whoever you originally spoke to, and just explain what happened nicely without blaming them or getting worked up--chances are that person doesn't even know what happened. hopefully they will be understanding and offer to cover the overdraft fees you had to pay. is it a big management company? that would work in your favor.

nicoley · Coach

I actually just had an overdrawn checking account, but it was not my fault, there was an error that occurred on a website I had purchased an item. I called my bank, and they waived fee with no hassle, As long as you haven't had overdrawn account in a year, they should waive it.

Hope that helps...

halleybird · Hermes

I had to have my bank do this when paypal messed up and took money out of the wrong acct. They admitted it, but refused to confirm it to my bank. The bank took the fee off. They call it a "one time courtesy," and I believe most banks do this.

bumblebee · Coach

washington mutual won't. you guys must have better banks than i do.

Sandy · Kate Spade

My bank won't do that, either (I have Sovereign). I just overdrew a few weeks ago for the first time and they wouldn't do it for me. I hope you have better luck, though, because I definitely think this is not your fault.

Kari · Dooney & Bourke

Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions. I did call the bank with no luck. I have to say though I probably wasn't very convincing. I tend to be a pushover if I know it isn't the banks fault. I bad about stuff like that. If it would have been the banks mistake I could have been way more persuasive.

member · Hermes

Kari wrote:

Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions. I did call the bank with no luck. I have to say though I probably wasn't very convincing. I tend to be a pushover if I know it isn't the banks fault. I bad about stuff like that. If it would have been the banks mistake I could have been way more persuasive.

I have to say that I didn't think the bank would take the fee off, because it wasn't their mistake in the first place. I could see if they screwed up - then they should remove the fee, but they didn't do anything wrong.

It's your landlord's mistake, so I would still try talking to them - maybe they'll refund you the bank fee or let you take it out of next month's rent, but if your landlord is anything like mine, I wouldn't hope for it! Landlord's aren't always the most accomodating, but if you have a nice one, I'm sure they'll help!

Deuce · Dooney & Bourke

I work at a bank an reverse fees all of the time. We generally look at the history of fees and reversals and do it as a courtesy. You can always go into the branch and plead your case, way better in person, the telephone people tend to be more strict because they never see a person face to face, imo. Also better to ask after you acct is positive. For future refrence If you do not want a check cashed until a specific date, date the check for that date. Only do this if the person knows, not nice to do without telling them. If they try to cash it they will tell them to wait until that date. If for some reason it does get through you have some recourse, banks fault.

Where do you bank? Let me know if you have any questions. Oh and a passing comment about thinking about closing the acct works, but dont play this card unless you have someone who knows what they are doing, if they hate their job they wont care.