Unauthorized ACH attempt

[no100player]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

Good evening all,

Here's the history.

My wife contacted Credit Union A. to pay a closed Visa card. Her old Visa card bill was incurred before we married, and even before we met. My wife and I keep 3 account, one is hers, one is mine, and the other is joint. Last month, my wife paid Credit Union A using the information from MY credit union (Credit Union B) with my expressed authorization.

This month when she contacted Credit Union A to make a payment, she authorized the withdrawal from her Bank (like she normally does with the exception of last month). She specifically stated that the funds were to be withdrawn from her bank account.

Upon looking over our joint and single accounts a few days ago, I noticed that Credit Union A attempted to withdraw funds from my personal Credit Union. As I do not have it set up that funds will be transfered from my savings to checking for overdraft, the ACH bounced, thus incurring a $30.00 fee.

I then checked her bank account and a check was put through the same day also.

When we contacted Bank A (conference call) the rep. stated that he had made a mistake and put a payment through my credit union (credit union B) (and assumed (even though my wife had specifically stated where to remove the funds from) that he would just use the last payment account for the current transaction) but he could not answer when I asked him why a payment had been taken out of my wife's personal account the same day their ACH had bounced at my credit union. Needles to say, in the past, this same issue has occurred.

Are there any actions I can take? My credit union has reversed the fee, but it was a lengthly process that should never have happened, and wasted a lot of my Saturday. The way I see it, is that Credit Union A in some form had attempted to steal from me. And if it was a mistake to attempt to withdraw funds from my credit union, then why was it that they still took funds from the only authorized account, an account that they supposedly thought was not the account to be used.

To reiterate it, Credit Union A did at no time have authorization to withdraw funds from my account whether by myself or my wife.

To all the replies, thank you for your help.

[wyett717]

Are there any actions I can take? My credit union has reversed the fee, but it was a lengthly process that should never have happened, and wasted a lot of my Saturday. The way I see it, is that Credit Union A in some form had attempted to steal from me.

No, there isn't any action you can take - you have no damages. They reversed the fee, which they were generous in doing. They need not compensate you for your time spent fixing the situation; that is what responsible people do.

To reiterate it, Credit Union A did at no time have authorization to withdraw funds from my account whether by myself or my wife.

Yes, they did! You said yourself that they were authorized to take money from the account the month before. Clearly the situation was confusing, and it should not be such a suprise that there was an error. Try to keep your bill pay straight, not only for your convenience, but that of the financial institution as well.

[Antigone*of*Greece]

Wyett is right on here...case closed

[no100player]

Originally Posted by wyett717

No, there isn't any action you can take - you have no damages. They reversed the fee, which they were generous in doing. They need not compensate you for your time spent fixing the situation; that is what responsible people do.



Yes, they did! You said yourself that they were authorized to take money from the account the month before. Clearly the situation was confusing, and it should not be such a suprise that there was an error. Try to keep your bill pay straight, not only for your convenience, but that of the financial institution as well.

LoL, must be a banker....

I never thought I'd ever be told that its the fault of the consumer when a financial institution goes dipping into that consumers bank account when they (the financial institution) was specifically told not to, but then also attempts/withdraws the funds from a second bank also.

So with reading this, to summarize what I just read... Consumers beware, if in the past you authorized a bank to make a withdrawal, they will always have that right to do so in the future, even without your blessing.

[wyett717]

I'll share that laugh with you... I am not a banker, just a reasonable human being that understands that some people make mistakes. What else are you trying to get out of this??? They fixed the problem, you have nothing else to complain about. Move on!

[Antigone*of*Greece]

Originally Posted by wyett717

I'll share that laugh with you... I am not a banker, just a reasonable human being that understands that some people make mistakes. What else are you trying to get out of this??? They fixed the problem, you have nothing else to complain about. Move on!

I'll share that laugh too...but I am a banker

[wyett717]

Ha! Well, cheers to laughter then!