Overdraft notices

Just got three "continuing overdraft" notices from my bank. The snail mail delivered the original letter today - postmarked on Tuesday last - four days in transit from the bank in Beloit four miles away. The overdraft was due to their monthly "analysis" - which I guess is the cost of printing out and mailing the monthly statement.

This bank has a very nice website with email alerts for balances, transfers, and deposits - but no way to let you know you have inadvertently gone over. With debit cards rife these days, I would think overdrafts are more common now than ten years ago.

The mail delay allowed them to add three days' worth of "continuing overdraft" fees. $27 total gone.

It's not a huge problem these days to have automated emails sent or autodialed phone calls placed to alert people of things like this. Emails are free once you have an Internet connection - local phone calls are almost free.

So, off went this missive:
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I have a complaint. Your bank obviously has the capability of
sending out an email notice of an overdraft condition, which
would have a net cost to you of approximately zero, but you
persist in mailing out overdraft notices via the United States
Snail, and this method of communication ensures your bank of
being able to collect at least one day's continuing overdraft
fee as well as the original fee for the original overdraft.

An email could easily be automatically sent out from your main
computer network, notifying your customers of the problem so
they could promptly transfer funds and correct it.

Using the mail is an antiquated method for this kind of
communication. Unless a customer expressly request no emails
be sent, or does not supply you with an email address, this
method should be preferred - unless your corporate tactic
here is to collect as many fees as possible, rather than
providing the latest in customer service at basically
no cost to you.

In this tough economy, small businesses like mine are
sometimes barely hanging on - and a few day's worth of
avoidable overdraft fees might make the difference between
being able to pay a vital bill and going out of business.


My account went from a small positive balance to a $27.47
overdraft solely because of your monthly service fee - I
did not write any checks that caused this, but incurred
a $24 loss. As you will see, I deposited over $3000 today,
most of which is already bound for other creditors.

Please consider entering the 21st Century and giving us
the option of promptly correcting an oversight. The
government is leaching quite enough money out of us without
you helping.

Thank you.
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