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FOX43 Finds Out: Another reason to double check your bank account

CARROLL TOWNSHIP, Pa — A York County woman says she would have missed out on thousands of dollars if she trusted her credit union to deposit her checks pr...

CARROLL TOWNSHIP, Pa -- A York County woman says she would have missed out on thousands of dollars if she trusted her credit union to deposit her checks properly.

Instead, she fought to get her money back.

FOX43 finds out what happened and what to do if you happens to you.

"This is a table full of mistakes they've made and they can't give me any answers. Nobody can give me any answers." said Linda Walker of Carroll Township, York County.

She was a customer at Members 1st Federal Credit Union for about 10 years.

Recently though, she claims she's having issues with her deposits, accounts and loans.

"I've heard 20 different stories. I've had inconsistency with deposits."

Walker has a handful of receipts that show what she calls missing money.

On March 20th at 12:04pm, her receipt shows she deposited a check for $25.

Walker says she had to go back to the credit union a few hours later and get that corrected, saying the check was actually for $625 dollars, not $25.

Then again on April 5th, her receipt reads a check she deposited was for $60.

The York County woman says that check was really for $600 and that had to be corrected three hours later.

On May 6th, the issue was a bit more minor, but Walker says it was a final straw.

She deposited this money order for $15.90.

She said the receipt read $150, missing the 90 cents.

With just these incidents and another handful of receipts, Walker added up the issues and says it could have cost her about $2,000 if she didn't double check the receipts.

"Now thank god. If this weren't checks and it was not a paper trail behind this. If it were cash money, I think I would've been screwed"

Walker says she did get the money she actually deposited back in her account each time, but that was only after she had to make a separate trip to Members 1st for every wrong deposit.

She says the tellers at the Member`s 1st Dillsburg branch were sympathetic sometimes, even leaving apology notes.

"Here's another one. Linda, my apologies for the error, here's the corrected receipt."

In the midst of the deposit discrepancies was another issue, a loan.

She says she had more than enough money in her account for one of her loan payments, but for some reason the full amount of the loan payment, which is on an automatic payment, wasn`t taken out of her account.

She got slapped with a fee.

"They charged me $44.51 penalty because they didn't take my whole loan out once."

She says, no one could give an answer to why the deposit or loan issues were happening.

"They can't give me an explanation. They have no comment."

FOX43 finds out contacted Members 1st to see if we could get answers.

We got this response "For confidentiality and privacy reasons we can't comment specifically on any member's financial business with the credit union. Members 1st has always maintained a strong service commitment to our members and will continue to do so."

Members 1st did get back to use with some suggestions on what to do if you believe something is wrong with your account:

"Members should make it a habit to always check their receipt before they leave the branch to ensure that their transaction was performed correctly. If there was a problem they should address  their concerns with the teller or the Branch Manager before they leave the branch. It’s also a good idea for members to check their account status online or through the mobile app to verify the accuracy of any of their transactions.  Setting alerts on accounts can assist members to manage their account based on different events, i.e. when an account falls below a certain amount, when a check has cleared, when there is a withdrawal at an ATM, when a payment is coming due, etc.

At Members 1st members can communicate any concerns they may have through a variety of means.  They can visit any branch, call our call center, send a letter or fill out a comment card. Our management team is notified whenever a complaint is received and is involved to ensure that the member’s concern is addressed in a timely manner."

Walker wants her issue to be a lesson to other people to keep an eye on their money - no matter where they bank.

"You better set down and you better check your accounts."

We did search Members 1st credit union`s website and found a list of 2017 service charges.

However, we don`t know why walker was charged the $44.51 because that dollar amount isn't listed as a penalty.

It does say though that these service charges are subject to change.

We also couldn`t find anything about in-person deposit mistakes specifically.

The only policy we could find is in the credit union member`s handbook:

"We will be liable for your losses or damages not to
exceed the amount of the transaction, except as otherwise provided by law. We
will not be liable if: (1) your account contains insufficient available funds for the
transaction; (2) circumstances beyond our control prevent the transaction; (3)
your loss is caused by your or another financial institution’s negligence; or (4)
your account funds are subject to legal process or other claim. We will not be liable
for consequential damages, except liability for wrongful dishonor. We exercise
ordinary care if our actions or nonactions are consistent with applicable state
law, Federal Reserve regulations and operating letters, clearinghouse rules, and
general financial institution practices followed in the area we serve. You grant us
the right, in making payments of deposited funds, to rely exclusively on the form
of the account and the terms of this Agreement. Any conflict regarding what you
and our employees say or write will be resolved by reference to this Agreement."

if you think your financial institution is treating you unfairly, you can file a complaint with the Federal Reserve.

However, here`s what the feds can`t help you with:
• Contract disputes or undocumented disputes between a customer and a bank.
• Matters that are the subject of a pending lawsuit.
• Specific bank policies and procedures not addressed by a federal law or regulation

 

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