It is a relief that Union Bank did not actually report me to ChexSystems for some unknown banking infraction, but also infuriating that the idiots at San Diego National Bank made up this lie to begin with. I am totally done with all large and mid-sized banks, so I hoped that choosing a small community bank would yield better results. I should have turned on my heel and left as soon as I walked into San Diego National Bank. The bank interior was small, shabby and run down looking. Despite the fact that there were no customers in the bank and I had just walked in, no one even looked up at me. I had to interrupt a conversation between the security guard and the guy at the accounts desk in order to let him know that I would like to open an account. Looking at the people working there — I would not want to judge employees solely by their appearance and demeanor but let’s just say that my gut instinct was right about the level of professionalism based on their appearance.
Anyway, Todd Griffiths, the “Relationship Banker” did not want to do any business that day for whatever reason, so he declined to open the account. He looked up my profile in ChexSystems, came up with the outrageous lie that Union Bank had reported something negative on me though he couldn’t say what exactly, and told me that I would need to “get with them and pay back the money you owe them” in order to clear it up. When I told him incredulously that I did not owe them any money and showed him again the check for over $30,000 that they had issued to me, he said he couldn’t do anything about it and that I need to talk to Union Bank about it. And then just to get rid of me and get back to his loafing, he printed out, signed, and dated the ridiculous lie.
Well obviously when I left the bank I was stupid enough to believe him, with it in my hand in black and white and all. And it made sense considering what Union Bank had already done to me that they would file a bogus ChexSystems report on me as well. So I went home and freaked out for about 24 hours, researching what my life would be like for the next 5 years while banned from the banking system, and all of the consequences that would follow from that.
I ordered my ChexSystems report, which takes several weeks to arrive, but as I said before my husband was really upset over the consequences of this report, and after exhausting all channels of communication with Union Bank, we decided to go back to San Diego National Bank to find out anything we could. My husband is very very persistent and after quite a while got Jonathan at San Diego National Bank to look up my ChexSystems report again and he had to admit that there was nothing there.
Still lacking an explanation as to what was really going on here, we asked for the bank manager. She refused to see us, but sent over a woman who did not tell us her title. This woman said that Todd had the discretion to deny an account to anyone for any reason. So my husband asked her why he had made up the story about a ChexSystems report, and showed her the document that Todd had given me. She was full of excuses and they went back and forth for a while, but she finally conceded and said that Todd should not have given me that document. Not that he shouldn’t have lied, not that he shouldn’t have made up a whole story surrounding the document, just that he should not have given it to me.
It slowly became clear to us that this was just another unrelated, unexplainable bad banking experience — Todd had simply made up the bogus report because he didn’t want to open the account and wanted me to go away. I will do my best to never again have to deal with a live person at a bank.
Update: I finally got my ChexSystems report in the mail, and as expected there is nothing reported in it. See for yourself:
ChexSystems Page 1
ChexSystems Page 2
Lady, no offense but your story doesn’t add up! I hate to say this, but I think your blowing hot air out your rear! Banks don’t turn people away because they “don’t want to open an account”. Especially in these tough banking times, I don’t believe your story for a second. I have the pleasure of banking with San Diego National Bank, though not the North Park Office, and have never had a problem with them. I bank with them because there are rarely lines, and the people are nicer than my old bank, WAMU.
I would highly doubt that a bank would give you a “denial letter” signed and dated if you truly did not have a record with chexsystems.
Sounds to me like banking and you just don’t mix well, perhaps you should let your husband do the banking from now on.
Comment by Matthew — January 7, 2009 @ 9:07 am
Hi Matthew, thanks for commenting. I know the story does not seem likely, but it is true. And you are right that banking and me don’t mix well. I have ordered my ChexSystems report and will post it here when I get it.
Comment by heather — January 7, 2009 @ 12:05 pm