So I went to close out a bank account yesterday.

[backtoblue]

I have had an account at a Regions bank for the past four years which I've kept open for emergencies. (I normally use a local bank, but I've kept that one open for when I go out of town)

For four years I have had $3.47 in the account. Last week I received a letter stating that the bank is now charging $5.00 if you do not make at least five electronic transactions per month.
(needless to say, I don't)

So I go into the bank to close out the account and withdraw my $3.47. The teller informs me that I cannot close out the account because I owe them $1.53 due to a five dollar fee.

I asked what would happen if I did not have the $1.53 and she told me that a five dollar fee would be assessed every month and that I would owe them even more money.

As I was digging up every penny from the floorboard of my car, I was dumbfounded to the realization that the bank not only took what could have been my last few dollars, but was demanding me pay even more.

I sat 153 pennies on the teller's desk and walked out, disgusted. (I actually had a few dollars, but giving them sticky old pennies seemed to be the only way to get my temper down)

[leveymg]

1. Small Injustices add up to major Revolutions.

Penny by penny, hurt by hurt. Then the dam bursts, and the Old Regime and all that once held it up gets swept away.

[backtoblue]

3. I wanted to shout, kick, and show "civil disobedience" but,

I could not afford to get bailed out of jail ( small rural town with a very conservative population)
A dollar something is not a big sum of money, but had I been in the hospital for a lenthy stay, the charges would've accrued each month and I'd owe them much more.

[malaise]

6. Right across the globe

and they never learn

[Arctic Dave]

2. I would have left it open.

They would have had to pay more in the long run to try and get the money out of you.

I did the same thing with a Chevron gas card years ago. I moved to a city that didn't have a gas station and I cancelled it over the phone. They told me tI had to do it in writing. I can only imagine the thousands of dollars they wasted trying to get me to pay twenty bucks. To this day I refuse to buy gas from a Chevron station.

[sharp_stick]

5. The problem is the bank

would probably hit your credit rating every month with late notices. They have those three agencies on automatic notify for any and all transgressions.

[Arctic Dave]

7. Didnt seem to affect my rating.

Was able to buy a house, cars, etc.

[former9thward]

15. Not true.

A company is not going to notify anyone over $1.53. The bank simply would have closed the account. The OP did not need to pay them anything and nothing would be done about it.

[TalkingDog]

16. Yep.

n/t

[global1]

4. Wow - What A Way To Stick It To The Banks......

make all payments in pennies. Inundate them with copper. Weigh them down. Make them have to haul it around and deal with the conversion to silver or paper.

A Penny for Your Thoughts Banksters!!!!!!!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. Coins technically are not legal tender...

[intheflow]

14. Yes they are, per the US Mint:

http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/?action=coin_specifications.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

8. You could have said that you do not accpet the new fee structure and were there to close your

account for that reason. They would have waived the fee just to get you out of there.

[backtoblue]

10. I tried that route. The manager said that it didn't matter if I agreed on their new fees or not.

It is "company policy" and she said I was welcome to close my account, but I still had to pay the fee or the monthy charges would continue.

I felt as if there was nothing else I could do aside from letting my temper flare.(which would've landed me in the county jail)

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. I have had several friends and acquaintances use that technique and it worked

One had to get a little loud...but they let her go just the same.

Sticky pennies isn't pad either

[Phentex]

19. One Junior mint got loose in my purse...

and stuck to the random coins. When I finally discovered this, it was a pain to get the gunk off. Those would have been perfect for a payoff like this.

[ChandlerJr]

13. That explains part of it

I thought in the OP you were dealing only with a teller who wouldn't have the authority to waive a fee, but if she was properly trained she would have referred you to a manager right away.

I would just change banks because a MORON manager couldn't resolve such a simple problem. As a matter of fact I would write a harshly worded missive to the managers supervisor to point out that they have such an idiot in their employ and maybe said idiot should be fired. Customer service should be king in any business.

You're lucky to be out of there.

[Nordmadr]

12. I had something similar happen to me.

I had an old checking account with a few bucks in it still active in an account at a bank that had been bought up by larger banks twice. One day I needed a money order so I went to this bank to get it. My account had somehow become negative so they wouldn't do the money order. I asked how my account had become negative and it was because they had instituted a fee such as yours. So, I decided to pay the balance so that I could do the money roder, but they wanted another $10 to do the money order too. I closed the account on the spot after having a discussion with one of the managers; walked out and got a money order at the local gas station for 50 cents.

[onethatcares]

17. for free money orders, go to Amscot,

I think the guy that runs it is a rwnut but the money orders are free, I guess he makes his vigorish off the float.

[tavalon]

18. You are part of a movement, a huge movement

That it happen in coincidence with OWS is pretty funny. Thank you for joining the Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November Bank Transfer day.

[backtoblue]

20. Well, I sure wanted to occupy Regions that day....

I would love to protest, but I live in a very,very rural area and would not have more than maybe three people to join hands with. But, as we've seen the people are banding together now because of crap like this.

[Shagbark Hickory]

21. Just another day in the life of a mega-bank customer. I'm glad you finally closed your account. nt

[femrap]

22. Fucking Banksters....

In the future, please give the dirty, spit-upon, pennies to the manager instead of the teller. I try to make life miserable for those who make the most money.

Start at the top when protesting corporate actions/thievery.