The ATM card fail saga continues.
This is my third card in less than nine months (well actually fourth when I thought one hadn’t arrived and called so it was deactivated and then my husband found it in our pile of mail, but we won’t count that one) which worked for nine weeks, and yesterday, once again, gave me the death screen at the ATM.
I babied this card. I made sure to stick it between receipts or cash in my wallet, in case my wallet was demagnetizing it. I had my husband call someone who works at a card manufacturer, to find out if card failure is rampant, and thus perhaps worthy of a story I could pitch, or if it’s just me. The guy said wallets and cell phones aren’t to blame, but that the software might be. In other words, the failure is the bank’s, and I’ve just been unlucky.
I moved the card back to its own little wallet slot. That was two or three weeks ago.
Husband suggested I go down to the Wells Fargo office downtown to meet with a manager and use phrases like, “I would hate to have to take my business elsewhere.” The thought of that hassle — I either have to lose time from work, or take my kids along — is about as palatable as imagining the work it would take to switch banks.
Would you switch banks over this?
Banks count on the hassle factor in keeping your business, says Jim Bruene, founder of OnlineBankingReport.
You have a different relationship than you do with another retailer. You have this vulnerability, because they do have all this information on you, so there’s a psychology to it. You have to think about switching your direct deposit, your automatic bill pay. You’re really locked into your account.
I’m not sure I’m ready to think about this seriously.
For now, I’m running with superstition.
Check out what’s broken for us lately, all within the last 90 days:
Toaster = 9 years
Microwave = 9+? years (came with the house)
Toilet = 9+? years (ditto)
Conclusions:
9 is not my lucky number.
I never should have given up my plastic Hello Kitty wallet.
- Wells Fargo: A Rant Over ‘Sellthis,’ Not Service In ordering my fourth debit card in less than a...
Tags: ATM card9 Comments
You can go gripe on a Saturday. I will watch the kids! I recommend the main downtown branch.
Hi Sara,
One of the experiences in my life was serving on a credit union board of directors for over 25 years, and our number one priority was customer service. Wells Fargo should be very responsive to the failure of your ATM card and while a trip to your local bank branch will take some time I would recommend it. Ask to speak to an officer and explain what happened. The officer should respond quickly and offer to replace your card ASAP with no charge to you. If he or she does not respond in this manner then I would do whatever it takes to move my accounts to another bank ASAP.
The first rule of customer service is that happy customers usually tell five friends or relatives about the good service they received. Unhappy customers typically tell ten or twenty friends why they were unhappy, and in these days of e-mail and Facebook it can and easily should be hundreds of friends. Bankers know this and they should be all over this problem to get it fixed right away not only for you but for all of their customers.
ATM cards and credit cards are usually provided by third party companies that the banks or credit unions hire to provide these products and services. That is not your problem. Don’t let Wells Fargo give you some story about problems with their ATM care provider. It is Wells Fargo’s problem and they need to fix it ASAP.
We had been with the same credit union for over 25 years and it was recently bought out by a much larger credit union and our customer service went to hell. There were mistakes on our accounts, deposits put in the wrong accounts, etc. I went in personally three times to correct things and they always apologized but nothing got better. After three months we moved all of our accounts to a bank and said goodbye and I made sure to spread the word to all of my friends who were still credit union members.
In today’s recessionary economy any business should be bending over backwards to keep your accounts. Anything less and it’s adios amigos!!
As for your appliance failures consider yourself fortunate. Nine years these days is rare. The old standards of appliances that lasted for 10 or 20 years are gone. Set up an equipment replacement fund and chip in $25 a month to put money aside for just such contingencies.
I go with the number 8 which is very good luck in the Chinese culture.
Hang in there,
Grandpa Ike
Funny (well, not really); The seventh year of my marriage was like this. Everything broke. I wrote an essay about it. There were no bank cards involved, though. The headache of switching? I don’t know if it’s worth it or not – that’s a tough call! Oh, but I just saw hubs offer to watch kids. Yes you should go. And treat yourself to a latte while you’re out!
Ugh, that sounds like a huge annoyance! I’d take the time to go to the bank and talk to a manager, but then I don’t have kids, so it’s a little simper for me. Maybe you could instead and see how far you get on the phone?
Hey … might be your cell phone. I had this trouble with a hotel key a while ago. My cell kept demagnetizing it. Anyway, something to look into…
I hate banks. I really hate the fees and lousy ass customer service. I was in Capital One the other day and said to the teller (who was working HARD at not looking me in the eye) “I don’t know my savings account number, but I have my ATM card and checking account number. Can you look it up for me?” She kept typing away on the computer working on my first issue, a deposit. I wasn’t sure she heard me since she didn’t even grunt. I asked, “did you hear me?” She said, “yeah.” (STILL not looking at me.) I stared and then said, ’sooooooo… you can or cannot look it up?” She looked annoyed with my relentless questions and said, “i can look it up.”
Some details: it was 9:30am. Bank was empty. Weekday. Why was she already pissed off?
I made my bank deposits and transfers and drove down the street to TD to get a couple of accounts opened.
So, yeah, I’d switch banks.
Isn’t Wells Fargo headquartered in Minnesota? Take it to the CEO’s office…they just posted a $3B quarterly profit. I think they can afford to kick down an ATM card that works.
P.S. I’m not sure the post by my dad was long enough?
So weird. I’ve never had that happen with a Wells Fargo ATM card and you have no idea how hard I am on them.
Maybe you are one of those people with a highly magnetic personality…
I have been a customer at Wells Fargo for 5 years and have never considered switching until they kept sending me cheap credit cards. These things don’t last me through the month. Its an outrage I have to order a new one