Fighting Banks
07/21/10 10:35
The following post is a
duplicate of my regular blog. It describes one of the
services I provide to individuals as a
Personal Advocate, but this was for my 90-year-old
father.
Dad showed me that he had gone to his bank (one of two that have treated me like crap) with a check from his brokerage account to deposit to his checking account to pay some bills. The bank sent it back - actually only a facsimile now, not the real one - because it was unsigned. I thought about it and asked: "Did you go into the bank and hand it to the teller?" Yes. "And she/he accepted it without a word about it not being signed at the bottom?" Yes. Well, then it's the bank's error and I'll redeposit the check and get the penalty reversed.
And that's what I did. Sadly, there will likely be more penalties added that I'll have to fight from any checks he wrote that might have bounced because their own err... OK, incompetency. If bank personnel can't recognize they are accepting incompletely written instruments, they shouldn't be working in a bank. Just one more reason why I am sick of banks' incompetence, arrogance, and greed. (In a few weeks I'll be writing more about my fights with banks and other companies.)
Dad showed me that he had gone to his bank (one of two that have treated me like crap) with a check from his brokerage account to deposit to his checking account to pay some bills. The bank sent it back - actually only a facsimile now, not the real one - because it was unsigned. I thought about it and asked: "Did you go into the bank and hand it to the teller?" Yes. "And she/he accepted it without a word about it not being signed at the bottom?" Yes. Well, then it's the bank's error and I'll redeposit the check and get the penalty reversed.
And that's what I did. Sadly, there will likely be more penalties added that I'll have to fight from any checks he wrote that might have bounced because their own err... OK, incompetency. If bank personnel can't recognize they are accepting incompletely written instruments, they shouldn't be working in a bank. Just one more reason why I am sick of banks' incompetence, arrogance, and greed. (In a few weeks I'll be writing more about my fights with banks and other companies.)
Case 9-01 "The Dance-Away Lover"
01/01/09 08:49
If
you've ever watched court TV you will recognize this
scenario. My first client of the year and of this
retrieval service is a smart, successful, beautiful
woman who went on a week's vacation with her
boyfriend in mid-December. Then, 10 days later, he
semi-disappeared during the Christmas holiday. He
called daily saying he would be right over and then
never showed up. The cruel thing is that his promises
prevented her from making other plans for the holiday
so she was alone without family or friends. Alone,
waiting, and confused about what was going on. Then
he had the audacity to break up with her in an email,
right before New Year's! Even Sienfeld's show
discussed this behavior as wrong. So I have been
charged with recovering his half of the vacation cost
which she put on her credit card, and which he has
promised to pay (in writing), and keys to her home.
My two biggest concerns: 1. her shock, anger and grief which she was second guessing, even though it was becoming clear to me that there was another woman in the picture; and 2. her vulnerability to harm. I'll explain. He had keys and access to her home and she had made him the beneficiary of her life insurance and her 401 K Plan. Are you starting to get the picture? If she suddenly met with an "accident" this cad would be the recipient of a big chunk of her money. This worried me and I broke through her numbness to drive this point home. Of course, if something were to happen to my client, we already have a paper trail of evidence leading back to him. But I was adamant about preventing an evil act from occurring.
I advised her to immediately change the name of the beneficiary on her investments - which she did - and have all the locks changed and the code to her security system changed. Thankfully, those have been done... but he has not yet been advised of both of those changes. I am still concerned for her safety. I also sent her a copy of my self-help booklet, OutSmarting Sweetheart Swindlers, which she read and agreed that many of my tips described his character as a romantic con artist. I've asked her to keep herself surrounded with male friends until I've been able to notify the "Mr. DAL" (see post title) that he no longer is in line for a fortune should my client meet an untimely death.
I'll be posting updates to this case, so stay tuned.
Update, Jan. 6: An invoice and letter were sent by email to Mr. "DAL".
Update, Jan. 6: My client received her house key and garage door remote.
Update, Jan. 8: We have received a promise that a check for $2600+ will be delivered tonight.
Update, Jan. 9: SUCCESS. The check was received last night. Now to see if it clears or bounces.
My two biggest concerns: 1. her shock, anger and grief which she was second guessing, even though it was becoming clear to me that there was another woman in the picture; and 2. her vulnerability to harm. I'll explain. He had keys and access to her home and she had made him the beneficiary of her life insurance and her 401 K Plan. Are you starting to get the picture? If she suddenly met with an "accident" this cad would be the recipient of a big chunk of her money. This worried me and I broke through her numbness to drive this point home. Of course, if something were to happen to my client, we already have a paper trail of evidence leading back to him. But I was adamant about preventing an evil act from occurring.
I advised her to immediately change the name of the beneficiary on her investments - which she did - and have all the locks changed and the code to her security system changed. Thankfully, those have been done... but he has not yet been advised of both of those changes. I am still concerned for her safety. I also sent her a copy of my self-help booklet, OutSmarting Sweetheart Swindlers, which she read and agreed that many of my tips described his character as a romantic con artist. I've asked her to keep herself surrounded with male friends until I've been able to notify the "Mr. DAL" (see post title) that he no longer is in line for a fortune should my client meet an untimely death.
I'll be posting updates to this case, so stay tuned.
Update, Jan. 6: An invoice and letter were sent by email to Mr. "DAL".
Update, Jan. 6: My client received her house key and garage door remote.
Update, Jan. 8: We have received a promise that a check for $2600+ will be delivered tonight.
Update, Jan. 9: SUCCESS. The check was received last night. Now to see if it clears or bounces.