US Bank

Dear Sens. Bennet and Udall:

You are my elected representatives in the Senate.

I am writing to inform you of a problem I’m having with my financial institution, U.S. Bank, 950 17th St., Denver, CO 80202. I have instructed my bank to “reject all” payments from my checking account that would cause my account to go into the negative. Despite my instructions, the bank continues to approve certain ACH or recurring payments. My only recourse is to pay a $30 stop-payment fee or a $33 overdraft fee. Sometimes these payments are on card transactions of as little as $1, resulting in a fee/fine of 3, 000 percent!

If I go to McDonald’s and order a hamburger and I don’t have the money, McDonald’s doesn’t give me the hamburger. But my bank effectively gives me the hamburger and charges me $33 for the hamburger or $30 if I want to send the hamburger back. I do not want these options. I want the McDonald’s option where I don’t get served the hamburger if I don’t have the money.

U.S. Bank indicates that this is done for my protection. It doesn’t protect me at all. It bankrupts me. Please do what you can to end this abusive business practice by a federally regulated institution. I have filed a complaint with the OCC and FDIC, but I suspect a law will need to be passed to require this.

Sincerely,

Don Knox