First Convenience Bank Is Not Only Not Convenient It Is Worse Than Inconvenient

In late February I blogged my disdain for First Convenience Bank and my realization I'd made a mistake opening an account there.

The issue at that time was my payment from Google that had been issued, but had not shown up in my account.

Eventually it showed up.

I opened the First Convenience account due to not liking how Chase Bank operated, changing the terms of my account with Washington Mutual.

So, before the Google incident, I'd told Big Ed I thought First Convenience would be convenient. So, he opened an account. About a week later he went to deposit a large check. He was told it would take 9 days to clear. The check was drawn on Wells Fargo, so Big Ed decided to forego First Convenience and open a Wells Fargo account.

Big Ed had opened the First Convenience account with just a $10 deposit. After he'd activated the debit card it did not work. The checks from First Convenience never arrived.

So, today Big Ed was in Wal-Mart and decided to get his 10 bucks back. And what does he learn? The debit card that never worked for him had worked for someone else. On the 23rd it was used to attempt to charge $75 and on the 26th it was used to attempt to charge $51.

First Convenience did not let these charges go through because Big Ed had not approved overdraft protection.

But, even though those charges did not go through, First Convenience charged Big Ed's account $2 for each charge attempt. So, his $10 had become $6.

He was given a number to call to get the other $4.

Now, why was Big Ed not notified of these 2 charges on his card? He was in the bank 2 days after the first charge was made on the 23rd, trying to deposit that check. Why was it not mentioned at that time that a $75 charge had been attempted on the account.

How did this happen? Big Ed was never able to use the card. It did not work. But someone else used the card's numbers, a card which had never been used, successfully, by Big Ed, to try and steal $126.

Why would the bank, today, not treat this like a serious matter. Big Ed told the bank guy that it would appear this would have to be an inside the bank problem.

Who do you call in Texas when you have a bank fraud deal like this?