PNC Financial Services Group review: overcharged 11

On October 30, 2008 I had logged onto my online banking account to check my account as I do each morning. This morning I noticed that my account was negative! I pulled out my check register and it said that I should have $5.18 left. (not a lot, I know but it's the day before payday). I checked my transactions and they were all accounted for. I used an adding machine and went back through a months worth of transactions and still came up with $5.18 including pending transactions. What made my account have a negative balance of -$25.82 was the $31.00 NSF fee. Why was I charged an NSF fee for a positive balance?

I called my branch and was transferred to the corporate office. A lady there listened to my story and said that she was going to reverse the fee. She then told me that she was unable to reverse it because I have had fees waived before. (an incident that was my fault at least 5 years ago and they took pity on me.) She said she would transfer me to a department that would be able to over ride that. A man got on the phone and I explained my situation (again). He began to coach me on how I need to keep track of my transactions and so on. I again explained that I did keep a register and that along with the printout of my online banking did not have my account balance negative until the NSF fee was deducted.

He kept on telling me how pending transactions worked and treated this like it was my fault. After about 15 minutes my patience wore off. I told him that the person that transferred me only did so because she could not waive my fee herself. He then said that he was unable to waive the fee because I have overdraft protection on my account and I chose to not keep enough money in there to cover this. The computer apparently does not allow fee waivers for those with overdraft protection.

Their overdraft protection consists of a savings account that you can link to automatically transfer money to checking should you fall negative. They charge you $10.00 for every $50.00 that they transfer so it's not free to use your own money but it's cheaper than $31.00. My savings account happens to have a very small balance in it right now.

I explained to him that even IF I had used the OD protection I would still be making this phone call and asking for my $10.00 back because my account was never negative. He then said (I'm sure just to get off the phone with me, I had now been arguing with him for 1/2 hour) that he would waive 1/2 the fee. I did not accept because this is not my fault. He also just caught himself in a lie because he said previously that the computer would not allow a refund of fees to someone who has overdraft. (I knew that was a lie when he said it but it's funny that he contradicted himself).

I told him I was going to my local branch after work today and taking the printout of my account with me. I refuse to pay an NSF fee if they cannot show me proof of where my account went negative.

Oh, and a lesson that I have learned here is to not ask them to waive NSF fees as a courtesy because they will hold it against you for the rest of your life even if there is a bank error.

I was recently charged 36.00 dollars on three different items each approximately less than 10.00 dollars each. I am told that if you make purchase and the money is not in your account, you have until 10:00pm same day to put the money in your account to avoid an insufficient fee. But if the the money into the account they tell you that you only have a certain amount of your money available, at that time they charge you fees and the money you had to cover the debt is now taken by the bank for insufficient fund fees. When I called to inquire I was told that if you do not have the money in your account at the time of authorization of the purchase you are charged a insufficient fee. Why tell me that I have until 10:00pm same day to deposit money if the account is already charged? Why can the bank charge me a fee at the time of purchase and yet put a hold on my money in my account. How do you win. No matter what you do the rules same to be stacked against you.

I have had the same experience with them. They told me on a certain date I had insufficient funds. I had kept track of my transactions even the "pending" ones and I did not have insufficient funds on the day in question. I am seriously thinking of changing banks.

Finally, other people with common sense. It never ceases to amaze me what people come up with. "Oh, it was pending so it wasn't out of my account yet." What a flying crock. If you write a paper check you are SUPPOSED TO subtract that amount from your balance EVEN THOUGH the check isn't cashed instantly. Debit cards, however, are instant. So as soon as you take your grubby little fingers and swipe that bad boy, you are PROMISING that money to the merchant. It doesn't matter if the merchant takes it right then and there or waits four weeks - YOU STILL OWE THAT MONEY. The bank is just covering it's own [censor]. You spent it, the bank knows it and reduces your balance accordingly. BUT your overdraft fees are not coming from the pending item, but from the posted item that posted into the negative.

Example: You have $100 dollars in the account. You swipe your debit card for $50 which shows a $50 pending item and an available balance of $50. A check comes through the same day for $55 dollars. 50-55 = -5. Yes, the pending item is still pending, but they are PROMISED FUNDS to a merchant. So at the end of the day your account is $5 in the hole. Yes, you are going to get an overdraft fee. Yes, you are going to [censor] and moan. And yes, you SHOULD read the TERMS AND CONDITIONS of your account that were given to you in small booklet form when you opened your account. Because, you know, you just MIGHT have signed a legal document stating that you DO want to open an account and that you DO agree with the terms and conditions. WHAT? I agreed to fees? No way... Oh, wait, right here it says... whoa.. this explains everything. If only I had kept a check register and actually took responsibility for my spending. Amazing.

because of pnc's slow processeing they have not only charged me nsf fees but also bounced my checks and charges me bounced check fees 2 days about i put in 500 to bring my account positive from 370.99 i used cash in the atm the money wasnt here the next day, I called up was told would be ther the end of bussiness.I was releived because I had 2checks coming through that day y that day, that process I go online today and This is what I see -$72.99...They refuse to waive any more fees becse when the acount openned I was meant to be creditted a 100.00 and it didnt hit the account like they said it would simular to this incident and I had those fees waived. but seriously in the past month alone due to PNC's slow processing I have been charged 468.00 in bank fees alone Im a single girl living on her own, everytime I try to bring this account to positive they hit me with more fees so I cant close it . I dont even know what to do any more

dont lie first of all, when pending it means that u had used that money once, and dont use it again, lets say u have 1oo dollars in your acc. and today u spend 80 with lets say with tmobile. but tmobile cannot present a receipt for payment imidiately because thay too have to close their business day sometimes during the night, its called processing time. so in the meantime, bank knows that the card was used for 80 dolalrs and tmobile puts a hold in the accoutn for their money, thats a transaction u made, dont forget. and now u as usual go and make 10 other transactions at different placec thinking that u still have the 100 dollars even thou u spend 80 already, and these 10 trans lets say for 10 dollars each post on the same night . that means u spent 180 dollars when u only have 100 in your account, 80 dollars is already reserved for tmobile, remember tmobile wants to get paid for rservices rendered. and when these other 10 transactions go thru, guess what u only have 20 dollars, so only 2 will be covered. and for the other 8 u will certainly get charged a non suff funds fee. because u r a ### and dont take care of youir own finances. and then u go complain at the branch or on the phone, swearing at others for your stupidnes. please stop, withdraw from the topic, ask the moderator to take ur comment off, and call your bank, addmit that u r stupid and apologize.

money is just a form of exchange, understand it as such

When I checked my account at midnight last night a deposit was showning and a few pending withdrawls that were not showing as through yet. uppon talking to shaun gallo at their customer service department I was told that even though the money was showing at midnight last night that it wasn't available until 6 am this morning because the system updates all withdrawls until 5:59 am the deposits at 6:oo am this is ###. why isn't my money available when they say it is...

I work for a bank. Here is an explination for you: if a withdrawal is pending/on hold that means the funds HAVE been deducted from your available balance.

Fees are not assessed until the following day, but the 'new' bank day begins at 3pm at PNC... so your fees may be issued before the close of an actual 24hour (12a-12p) day, but it is actually the next day in the banking industry.

Keep a detailed check register and you will not have to worry about overdrafting your account.

I have had the same experience - They are getting away with robbery - that's not new.

Same thing happened to me. Just call their 1-800 number and you can get up to 50% or even the full amount refunded. Make sure to check online for your available balance. That is how much you are able to issue checks, or take out, etc.

This is a scam. It just happened to me. "Closson vs Bank of America" explains it. They were sued and are in the process of settling a class action. PNC is doing exactly the same thing. I have to get my $ back, but it doesn't look good. I may even find an atty., just to make a point, though it's not a cost effective measure. Maybe I could do small claims court on my own. They are regulated by the Treasury, Office of the Comptroller if anyone else wants to file a complaint, state atty general and the BBB. Who would I sue, the big PNC or the local branch which won't do anything. This is outright theft.