Today I went to Sovereign Bank (incidentally, at the branch that's attached to their headquarters), pulled up to the drive-thru ATM, inserted my card, typed in my PIN, was told to insert my deposit.
Then the thing froze up. With my card inside. Wouldn't display anything other than "please insert your deposit." I pressed the living bejeezus out of all the buttons, smacked it a few times, got out and kicked it. Nothing.
So I went inside, told them their ATM had just frozen with my card inside. "No problem, we'll get you a new one."
Um, what? My old one is inside your machine. Can't you override it and get it out? Or call the IT people and have them restart it?
Nope, they can't do any of that. "It's not a technology issue, it's a security issue."
OK, and I'm right here, in person, with my ID. My ATM card is right there, a few feet away from your head, stuck in your ATM that just ate my freakin' card.
So they ordered me a new card, which takes SEVEN TO TEN BUSINESS DAYS. They're able to tell me the card number, but not the expiration date, so I can't use it. They insisted on canceling the old one ("for security reasons!") that I have set up in various online billpay things that I need some way of paying. So pretty much for the next 7 to 10 business days I can only access my account in person at a Sovereign branch during business hours.
Oh, and they're charging me $25 for a lost card. WTF?
The best part is that after this happened, I mentioned it to a friend, who told me that she recently forgot her ATM card when going to Bank of America, and they offered to give her a temporary one right on the spot. Sovereign apparently can't do this even if THEIR TWENTY-YEAR-OLD CRAPASS MACHINE EATS YOUR CARD RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF THE HEADQUARTERS.
Monday, March 02, 2009
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12 comments:
Customer service won't matter at all when the final phase happens and they're all just "BANK" and suck equally.
Totally. Unfortunately, there are some advantages to giant soul-sucking corporate banks. We pretty much have kept this account open for the sole purpose that they'll front you the first $100 of a check right on the spot. The independent banks can't do it until the next day, because they don't have that kind of cash.
I personally hope that the first bank to get eaten by BANK is, dammit, what's the name? First Republic or something? The one with the sappy commercials about how their bankers are like close personal friends and know all the details of your life. Um, hi, creepy?
Have you considered switching banks or moving to a credit union near where you live or your employer?
Gerard
Yes, as I said, the only reason I still have this account open is because small independent banks won't let you get cash from a check (unless you have that much money in your account, in which case, you don't need to cash the check immediately). We love our Wainwright account in general, but we can't get cash from a check until the next business day. So we also have the Sovereign account pretty much for that reason.
I work for sovereign bank and there is not a fee for a lost checkcard. If you being charged unless were not talking about the same Sovereign!
"If you being charged unless were not talking about the same Sovereign!"
what
yeah.. i work for sovereign banks as well. We don't charge for card replacement. Next time, get your fat ass out of the car and go in and see a person face to face. That way you need not worry.
Nice to see that Sovereign Bank's alleged employees are so polite to customers.
They charged me $25 for a card replacement, then eventually refunded it. By the way, my fat ass was inside the bank when I talked to the representative who told me I would have to wait 7-10 days and who charged me $25. If you're actually interested in being helpful, feel free to e-mail me and I can tell you his name and you can contact him and share with him how he can order replacement cards without a fee. Or if you're just here to be an ass, then carry on.
Ok, I know I am pretty late on this one however I am the one who posted there is not fee and meant to say we must not be talking about the same Sovereign. However the only $25.00 fee I know of is for expedting the bank card which honestly should of been done for you because it wasn't your fault the ATM was stupid or that the teller didn't tell you prior that they would expedite and waive the fee. The bank can definetly have its moments but that should not have happened that way.
They also lie about your account balance so they can get you in a compromising position and "pop" your account.
The banks made record money from Overdraft fees this year. Sovereign hits you to the tune of $35.
Try it.
Get an account balance from the ATM, and then use their website to check your balance.
It won't be the same.
I am going over there right now, and withdrawing every penny from this #expletives deleted# UHHHHNNNHH!
I love reading these blogs and posts online about how people hate banks. Now I will admit, banks can be ridiculous at times, but you're a moron...I work at the branch located in the corporate office in Boston...there is no drive-up to speak of. Also, every banks atm's break down from time to time...they're computers. But you had the right idea in punching buttons and smacking the machine...that usually works. I think the $25 fee they charged you was the "dumbass customer" fee.
Again, Sovereign employees are showing how classy they are by searching for people who complain about the bank and then calling them names.
I don't know why I even bother, but here's the streetview showing the drivethru. There's a driveup ATM and a driveup teller window. Somehow I'm not surprised that there's someone who works in the branch and doesn't realize these features exist there.
http://maps.google.com/maps?source=ig&hl=en&q=morrissey+blvd+boston+ma&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Morrissey+Blvd,+Boston,+MA&gl=us&ei=7Iy1SpXYCKOI8Qby4MGyDQ&ll=42.319502,-71.049882&spn=0.004101,0.008937&z=17&layer=c&cbll=42.319585,-71.049923&panoid=HhqLsQb_N1Fg7Z60ddhlRg&cbp=12,67.57,,0,5
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