Sometimes when things don’t work the way you want them to work, you have to get creative!

Have you ever been in a situation where you explained to a business exactly what you wanted and needed, but they claimed you actually needed something else? Then it backfires and it turns out you were right and they were wrong?

That’s kind of what happened in this story, but since it involves a bank, it’s more complicated.

Check out how this guy found his way around this annoying bank’s nonesense!

“We won’t talk to anyone except for the name on the account.”

This took place about 15 years ago and and involved a large corporate banking entity. I forget the name of it, but for the sake of this story, let’s call it Fells Wargo.

It may not truly be MC.

It took some creative thinking outside the box prompted by their own phrasing.

You be the judge.

This is where it gets interesting…

There are some important parts that come into play:

My spouse and I were young and dumb financially. We both had bounced a few checks on our own checking accounts. They were closed a few years prior.

Fells Wargo offered a way to rehab your checking account history.

They offered you the opportunity to pay them an additional $10/month to have the right to have a checking account, they restricted the release of funds and made life difficult to even have a checking account but if you played by their rules you could “graduate” to a traditional checking account after a year.

They knew which account they needed…

I participated in the “opportunity checking” and graduated my account. My spouse had lived without a checking account for a few years and wanted to try again.

I took my spouse to Fells Wargo. We specifically explained their previous history, and specifically asked for the bad checking rebuilding account. We knew my spouse needed to start at the bottom.

The manager of the branch enters the basic information and declared there was no need for the rehab checking account. They qualified for the regular account.

Things seemed smooth initially…

We asked again to be absolutely sure.

Yes. No rehab needed. Here’s some starter checks. Your ATM card will be in the mail in a week. Gladly took an initial cash deposit of $500.

Fast forward a week. We get the ATM card. Call to activate it.

“Your account has been closed.”

Why?

“We determined you have bad checking history previously.”

We go round and round about how we covered this, disclosed it up front and asked for the checking rehab account.

The conversation went on…

“You will have to go back and open that account if you want it. We can’t change the account.”

So, they’re closing the account. Because we needed to have the rehab checking account. The one we specifically asked for and they refused. facepalm.

My spouse didn’t know what to say so we got on speakerphone. I started asking questions.

So, will you pay the outstanding checks and refund the rest?

“No. We won’t pay any checks. You’ll be charged for returned checks from your merchants.”

(My spouse wrote 3 checks totaling less than $100. Very few places accepted starter checks.). They have the funds in the closed account to pay them. Where is the issue?

The bank was adamant on doing what they wanted to do…

“We don’t do that.”

At this point they became flustered. Nobody seems to ever have the funds or the audacity to demand them to pay checks written in good faith.

They had no answers on how they refused the checking account we requested and would have been okay to have. They didn’t think they had a responsibility to notify us the account was closed. And how dare we challenge their policy.

They didn’t like how I kept pointing out how there wasn’t a single thing we did wrong but they think they are not responsible for returned check fees. So they decided to not talk to me any longer.

They didn’t give up…

They hung up. We call back. Repeat.

Finally they offer this gem: “We won’t talk to anyone except the name on the account.” click

Their only possible choice to avoid a difficult discussion where they own their mistakes was clinging to not letting someone else ask questions with the account holder’s permission.

THEY EVEN REFUSED TO LET ME TELL MY SPOUSE WHAT TO ASK AND RESPOND TO MY SPOUSE DIRECTLY!

Can only talk to the name on the account? Okay!

So I called back.

He knew he had to find his way around it!

Miraculously, in sixty seconds, I now identified as a different person.

“Thanks for calling Fells Wargo. May I have your name?”

(Spouses name)

Long pause

“You aren’t (spouses name)”

Sure I am! Ask me anything!

That’s INSANE!

“Name. SSN. Address. Mother’s maiden name. DOB.” (Verified it all as the name on the account)

Long Pause

“No. You aren’t (spouse)”

Why do you say that?

“Because you’re a man.”

Wait a minute! That’s why you closed my account? Because I’m a man?

They did not see that coming!

I’m pretty sure that’s against ECOA, maybe Reg B. (Laws stating discrimination on gender is illegal. Banks can’t reference gender or other protected classes to close accounts)

“Please hold”

A manager finally comes on. We have a little back and forth about who I identify as.

But seeing how I’m not doing anything except demanding they pay checks on my spouses account, written by my spouse, with funds in their possession, there isn’t much they can fight.

They had to agree!

But they finally agree to pay the 3 checks from the funds in the account. They didn’t want to. Even in the end…but the name on the account demanded it.

Fallout?

They had to do the right thing after wasting hours fighting it.

YIKES! That’s so frustrating!

This guy was clever to find his way around this situation.

Let’s find out what folks on Reddit think about this one.

This user shares her financial situation.

This user knows that Fells Wargo is horrible at what they do!

This user shares the ordeal they had to go through.

This user shares a similar experience.

This user is grateful that they never had to use a check in their life!

If the bank had been a little more accommodating, none of this would have happened!

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.