Former WaMu free checking no longer free with Chase
It looks like Chase has finally done away with the free nature of accounts converted from former WaMu free checking accounts.
While catching up on caracol after returning of Thanksgiving, I found a Chase Bank letter telling me that my Chase Checking account fee (formerly Washington Mutual free verification) is now called total Chase as verification of 8 February 2011. Along with the new name comes-you guessed it! – a new $ 10 to $ 12 monthly service fee * unless I meet at least one of the following criteria: each statement period
At least one direct deposit of $ 500 or more, a daily minimum balance of $ 1500 or more, an average balance of $ 5000 in all Chase deposit accounts (checking, savings, CDs) and/or investment accounts with Chase Investment Services Corp., Pay $ 25 or more in qualifying account fees (not including this monthly service fee)
Back in April of 2009, indicated that Chase was converting WaMu free checking accounts and was keeping the important without monthly fees and no minimum balance. Well, that lasted about a year and a half.
Fees & charges | admin December 5, 2010
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By BM@Chase, December 6, 2010 @ 8:09 pm
Hi I am a Branch Manager at Chase, the one thing people need to do in order to show Chase that they are not as strong as they think they are is to have everybody they know that has lots of $$$$ with Chase take it out and close all of their checking accounts and they will see the bank make some more changes. Take this for example http://www.comcast.net/slideshow/news-worstlogochanges/9/
By angelica, December 8, 2010 @ 6:43 am
That $500 dollar deposit for direct deposit does it for me. It can be only ONE direct deposit. Can’t be a combination of two! So if I get paid twice a month, and lets say I get sick and don’t go to work a day or so, that brings me under $500 for pay that check..or if my company decides to cut my hours for the week..which they do..i get punished even MORE from my friggin bank! 12 bucks fee! I can’t even combine the two direct deposits to make it over $500..that’s NOT FAIR. And NOT RIGHT. Time to move to a local credit union. never thought I’d be doing it. I was actually trying my best to make sure I keep my bank account up at Chase too. I was doing pretty well with all the changes and bullish they were inflicting on people. Now they’ve gotten absolutely ludicrous.
By Lee, December 8, 2010 @ 7:49 pm
Here’s a great piece of customer service (or a great piece of something). I received a phone call today from my local branch asking me to come in so we can “discuss the upcoming changes.” When I asked if these were in regards to the implementation of service fees (knowing full well what they were talking about) I got the ultimate song and dance. “Well that’s what we’d like to talk to you about…ways that you won’t be assessed fees.” I explained that I’m not currently being assessed any service fees or required stipulations with any of my accounts so the best way to handle that would be to leave everything exactly the way it was. Talk about befuddled. At last, a Chase employee who couldn’t argue with logic. Wish I could have seen her face. Run, run as fast as you can from these greedy pinheads. Angelica is right, credit union here I come.
By Joe B, December 11, 2010 @ 2:42 pm
I got my Chase letter too. As soon as Chase took over WAMU, I closed my savings account because it went to .01% (thats $1 a year for $1000 deposit) from 1.75% with no notice.
One thing to watch out with Chase when you close an account with them: the account data is IMMEDIATELY removed from the internet. You can’t get any information or statements without paying Chase, after you close the account. Make sure you print everything you might need before closing it.
I have one item left at Chase, a credit card I’ve had for over 10 years. I wonder when they will get me to close that as well with some stupid new program or fee.
I use my local credit union for almost all of my financial stuff now, after WAMU disappeared into the great Chase bank vault, so I really won’t even notice not having a Chase account for ATM use, since I have several credit union ATMs nearby. I can’t ever see why I would trust ANY of the big banks with any significant money every again.
By VP, December 12, 2010 @ 1:06 am
I just received the Chase notice about the new changes in the mail yesterday. With a limited income, the stipulations are too much for me as well. I will also be shopping around for another bank. I opened a WaMu account since it was conveniently located. I have never had to visit my local bank since it became Chase, but I guess I will need to make my first visit to close my account before the new changes take effect in February. It was a good thing I didn’t order new checks after writing my last one earlier this week. I can now get new ones from a different bank. I did notice though that other big banks have done away with free checking and it seems Chase is following suit.
By joe smith, December 13, 2010 @ 7:58 pm
calling right now to cancel all my accounts. fuck em`
By Bye Bye Chase, December 16, 2010 @ 12:27 am
Bye Bye Chase…
By Chase = @$$holes, December 16, 2010 @ 12:31 am
JPMorgan Chase (N.Y.)
Oct. 28, 2008 BORROWED $25,000,000,000
Jun. 9, 2009 RETURNED $950,318,243
http://bailout.propublica.org/list/refunds
By Alastor Moody. Sr., December 16, 2010 @ 12:50 am
Well, I can’t say as I wasn’t warned ahead of time about these practices of J.P.Morgan Chase Bank. On the Monday just following Thanksgiving Day, I received a letter from Chase (Formerly the decent bank WAMU) that unless I kept a daily minimum balance of $1500 or more, or a combo of various deposits in various accounts at Chase Bank which need be $5000 per month- I would incur a $10.00- $12.00 service fee. So much for the so-called “overture of promises” of continued free checking that were sent to me in several letters just after Chase’s receivership of WAMU back in 2009. It figures! This is the same silly nonsense that happened in 1992 when Bank Of America (Then BankAmerica) did a so-called “merger” with Security Pacific Bank (A decent bank as well), when actually it was a takeover of Security Pacific Bank by Bank Of America. Soon after came the name changes to Bank Of America and thus the “service charges” started rolling in like a log-ride at an amusement park, and of course I shifted gears over to WAMU. Well, I guess it’s off to a Credit Union for me. That way I shan’t be beholden to these banks, which like most politicians, are full of themselves and spew more lies than Pinocchio.
By Alastor Moody. Sr., December 16, 2010 @ 2:40 am
Chase doesn’t care about the majority of us. I too was with WAMU for YEARS before chase took over, got a house loan through them, home equity loans, all which I have paid off. It’s completely beyond me or any other sane person out there as to why Chase would want to drive off most of it’s customers. In this economy especially, come on! Get a clue, Chase, most of us don’t have the extra money to pay for your executives lifestyles. In my area, there are OODLES of banks and Credit Unions with free checking and great offers. We’ll be closing ALL of our CHASE accounts this week.
Funny thing though, the commercial account manager at my local Chase has been hounding me to switch our home business accounts from a local credit union to Chase. I had considered it, listening to all of the “perks” he was trying to dish out to me. Thank Goodness I dodged that bullet. Never will I do that. Even if Chase decided not to go through with this crazy idea because of public negativity, I will still close my account just because they were STUPID enough in the first place to think that WE’RE all stupid enough to just lay back and accept the outrageous charges they are trying to get everyone to pay! You know what you can kiss-off, Chase!
By soon to be former chase account holder, December 16, 2010 @ 11:04 am
I am self employeed. So although I make plenty of money I also am saving it in an account that my wife has that will acttually pay us intrest. I use the chase account for all my bills and deposits.
I almost bought a phone so I could takee pic of my checks for deposit. But having to pay 120 or more in fees. That new phone idea went out the window.
Now I’ll move to my wife bank. At least its fre
By Kamm, December 22, 2010 @ 12:49 pm
Called the phone number to complain….to the call center…they tried to convince me they were offering a service….am going to the local credit union with all my accounts…good by chase
By jimmy, December 23, 2010 @ 8:09 am
Called the 866 number today and spoke to some woman who didn’t offer any suggestions. I asked to speak to a supervisor and she said she was one. I asked to speak to her boss but “he’s on vacation.” Asked to speak to an attorney in the legal dept, but she said she there is no one else I can speak to. So basically they are just giving us the runaround. If anyone is starting a class action suit please let me know! Otherwise I will be leaving chase asap. It really sucks thinking about how much money they made from me in credit card fees, only to turn around and charge more fees. Chase is your modern day Scrooge.
By Rhett, December 23, 2010 @ 6:57 pm
I am disappointed with checking account fees and our family will be closing a total of 6 savings and checking accounts which will go to a credit union which pays 6.17% on the first $500 in each account and then 0.25% on higher amounts. Nonetheless I will keep one checking account and 1 credit card with Chase both of which pay me very well. I have never paid a fee on either account and the checking account will be pay me 1% cash back on mortgage payment for the year or about $194 and the Chase credit card I have pays 5% cash back on gas purchases and 1% cash back on every thing else. I generally only use it for gas purchases since I found another non-Chase card that pays 2% cash back on all purchases. interest Don’t pay interest and fees , make your bank pay you to use their services. It’s not that hard.
By karen, December 24, 2010 @ 12:23 am
I totally agree!! I got my letter and read it thoroughly. I went to switch everything out today, and the lady at the desk was trying to convince me that just by having a savings account with them I wouldn’t get charged! Lies, lies. Glad I am not alone in this.
I hope Chase loses so many customers that they figure out moving something from “free” to “fees” is too costly to continue. But of course, by then I won’t really care anymore because I’ll be free of them!
By Jay, December 27, 2010 @ 11:55 am
Do you people not remember the days when all checking and savings accounts had requirements of a minimum balance or service fees? It is only recently that the concept of “Free Checking” even exists. Banks are “for profit” businesses. Do you think it doesn’t cost money for the bank to provide you access to a checking or savings account? I actually think that the idea that you have to have some minimal activity with the bank makes sense. Banks provide something of value which should be paid for if one can’t meet minimal activity/balance requirements. If you don’t see the value then start storing your money under the mattress and pay for everything with cash, don’t buy anything on credit etc.
PS. There is a reason WAMU went under…
By Heather, December 28, 2010 @ 3:21 pm
It may be true that free banking is a recent thing and that nothing really comes for free because they need money to pay the bankers and provide the services. However, being a customer for almost 10 years now, and doing most of, if not ALL of my banking with CHASE/WAMU, they have had plenty of use of my money for lending and other things they make money off of. As a poor college student, I cannot make a deposit of $500 a month (I am likely to make that with two pay periods, but not one).
I went into my local CHASE today, and was told people like me, who use the account regularly but do not make enough to wave the fee, are in the minority, under 2% of CHASE customers. Also, they already have those people leaving; more every day. It is not a good business practice, especially with how the economy is now. I too might have to leave, if I cannot find a way out of the fees. I am disappointed. I had previously liked CHASE.
By Harold W, December 29, 2010 @ 12:58 am
… wow i stumbled upon this website while trying to research why chase hit my wamu free account with a service charge that brought my account balance to 0.00… “12/13/2010 Misc. Debit SERVICE FEE ” Chase better banking account my arse, better for them maybe.
By Ruf, December 29, 2010 @ 12:43 pm
Yes, I remember the old days. But apparently you forgot that back then the banks didn’t have outrageous fees like they do now…stop payments $24, money orders $8, returned checks $36, wire transfers $25, overdrafts $32 and on and on.
Back then the bank would pay me a decent interest rate to hold my money, now it’s practically nothing.
Present day banks rely on gouging the consumer with every kind of imaginable fee.
WAMU went under NOT for a lack of monthly service fees but because of irresponsible lending practices.
By Joe, December 29, 2010 @ 1:17 pm
CHASE LIED TO ME .
I signed up for ultimate rewards , the representative said i will get 15 dollars back to make up for the 25 dollars fee, LIES and no one heard of this promotion and i never got anything back
now i am being charged to keep my account since the grandfathering of wamu is over. BYE CHASE
By Elayne, January 7, 2011 @ 5:22 am
Is anybody else encountering the AGGRESSIVE Chase account managers who will not let them close their bank account? Holy crap, today I will be going to a branch for the THIRD time in an attempt to close. I have never bounced a check or managed the account badly. Now I want to close before the fees hit. (I already opened a new FREE biz acct with US Bank)
Chase literally will not let me go. They want to get all personal, asking all kinds of questions which now, I’m just stubborn, I’m not answering. Yesterday I cleaned out all the money. I had to stand in the freaking line forever because you can’t get 116.57 from an ATM. Then I have to see an account manager who puts me through the wringer, “Are you suuurrrre you don’t have anything pending?” and then tells me they have a policy that I can’t close an account on a day when there’s been activity. Because I cleaned my money out, I couldn’t close the freaking thing.
Before, I was fine about Chase. Maybe one day I might’ve come back. But now? I resent them. I’ll never do business there again. Wish me luck today, hopefully three times a charm in offloading Chase.
By @Jay, January 7, 2011 @ 3:32 pm
@Jay: You are so wrong on so many points, where to start?
1. Free checking may be recent, but so is the ability of banks to pay 0% on your savings, courtesy of Helicopter Ben. Even if you leave pennies in your account, banks are making mint taking your money and buying T-bills at no risk to them.
2. WAMU didn’t go under because it was giving free checking, you moron. Free checking, free-spirited lending, and free-wheeling accounting aren’t the same things.
3. Christopher Dodd should be flogged for his “bank reform” bill that has given cover for banks to start raising fees on the rest of us.
By IHateChase, February 1, 2011 @ 8:10 pm
Chase are a**holes. They always have been as far back when they were Chase Manhattan, and they always will be. I never wanted a Chase account so it’s probably all for the best. I should’ve closed my account when WaMu went under. Did I say that Chase are A**HOLES?
By Loretta, February 7, 2011 @ 2:04 pm
I went into the branch today for the first time ever and took out all the money I could leaving $1602.00. I have an automatic monthly thing for a hundred and two hundred dollars to my Vanguard accounts. They don’t care. They said everything to me but the words I wanted to hear- “Sorry.”
By NN, February 8, 2011 @ 5:04 pm
Just closed my checking account today after being with them over 15 years since WAMU. No thank you or an apology at all from them. I am more than happy to take my business somewhere else.
By Ron, February 15, 2011 @ 5:49 pm
don’t blame you for closing the account I just found a replacement online bank myself (schwab). There is no way I’m paying a bank to use my money unless they all decide to charge. Until that day comes there are free banking choices folks (check out the online banks, or your local banks or credit unions). Nothing lost leaving chase.
By jewells, March 2, 2011 @ 1:34 pm
I would like to see a class action suit here. Chase sucks, I have been unahppy since they took over what was a fairly friendly bank, Wamu. You can’t even print out your history on their stupid website past 4 months. No options, period. and they offer a generous .1% interest on my savings??? NOtice that is “point” 1 percent = 1/10th of one percent…. not even 1 percent… completely amazing and laughable – if they weren’t such crooks. I’m closing my account and taking my money elsewhere. They can’t use it for free any more, and charge me fees on top of it. FU Chase and good riddance!
By Tim, March 17, 2011 @ 11:59 am
Chase owns me, they have my mortgage, 2 personal checking accounts, personal credit card, 2 business checking accounts and business credit card and now they want to charge me $15 a month for each of my business checking accounts. Really? You guys don’t get enough of my money between my crappy interest rate on my mortgage and my 2 credit cards? Time to refinance my house with another company and take my business accounts elsewhere. Bastards.
By willy, March 19, 2011 @ 12:32 pm
Credit union? Lots of people saying they will now put their money in a credit union and dump chase. I am all for dump chase, but how much the credit union charge for free checking?
By willy, March 19, 2011 @ 12:32 pm
how much the credit union charge for checking???
By willy, March 19, 2011 @ 12:33 pm
how much the Credit Union charge for checking??
By Schuley, April 13, 2011 @ 1:29 am
I opened this account as a “test” account through WAMU for my job as a risk analyst for an online company. I then actually started using it as my side account. I set it up as it was a free account and only put $100 or so in it a month. I just logged on to see what my balance was at and noticed the charges. I am livid! I moved in January and never received any letter notifying me. I would have closed the account that day. I cannot believe I am being charged to have a basic no interest checking account!! I’ve never heard of such nonsense. I will be closing this account, but does anyone know if Chase is refunding the fees as a courtesy?
By larry green, April 15, 2011 @ 7:18 pm
well I never received any info on fee for my “free” checking until it hit the account today, I get my statements online and it has to cost them nothing , so I closing this as soon I get my direct deposit changed from work
By admin, April 16, 2011 @ 6:26 am
Chase’s lack of notification for this type of thing seems to happen often enough that it is hard to believe it is not part of their strategy. They must think that by not informing customers of something that would be perceived negatively, like a new fee, more customers would not pay enough attention to notice than would complain.
It is only through customers complaining that this strategy becomes more costly than doing the right thing, which is notifying customers clearly and in a timely fashion to any changes to their accounts.
If Chase made a change to your account without notifying you, I urge you to contact whomever you can that will listen and complain, like the Federal Reserve (Chase’s regulator) and your states office of consumer protection.
By coakl, April 21, 2011 @ 11:47 pm
As disgusting as Chase is, they did not skimp on notifying the victims. Everyone in my extended family who had a legacy WaMu account got the letter and booklet. In fact, we got at least five, one for each account.
The letter and booklet came in a large, thick white
9 1/2 x 6 envelope with Chase logo and the following in big 16 pt. font, in bold blue and black colors, with a thick attention-getting blue bar right across the top of the text:
————————————————-
“Changes are coming to your Chase checking account.
Please carefully review the enclosed information.”
All that was on the front of the envelope, in big bright letters. It would have been impossible to mistake what it was.
Those who weren’t notified must not have kept their address updated with the bank (an easy mistake to make if you have online statements). Or a spouse or roommate who sorted the mail carelessly.
By TanjaGanja, April 25, 2011 @ 8:46 am
A LOOP-HOLE TO AVOID PAYING MONTHLY CHASE FEE:
I don’t read my mail unless it is something I specifically ordered or am looking for, or when it says URGENT FINAL NOTICE, lol…because the box of bills and mail is overwhelming and I just toss more mail on top. I didn’t read the notice Chase sent via US Mail, not E-MAIL (which was funny to me because if I got an e-mail I would have read that, why would I not get important notices sent to my e-mail)???? To trick us is partially why, I’m sure…but its funny they push us to make all transactions via computer. I only had $1.67 in my account in March, and when I checked my account around the 9th of March I had $0.00 balance not $1.67. So I called because I was confused about some fee for that exact amount, not negative??? I found out I was being charged the new “free” checking account fee that started in FEB., still confused I said well why didn’t I have 2 pay in Feb? Because I luckily get charged around the 11th so the fee started the 9th and I got lucky. Ok, so I asked if the fee will be the same day every month since it was random which day I was being charged for anyway….like can’t they at least make it universal the 1st or 15th of everymonth??? No, and I will explain why I think not. First I said well, I did not know and am not paying fee, I want to close account and expect my $1.67 refund. After more smoke blown up my butt, (the C.S. Agent obviously wasn’t trained on how to deal w/pissed off people regarding new charges yet, she said I was the first person she had call regarding the fee….WHAT, I missed a month, so of course I’m not the first person to have called…or e1 really just took it in the butt and paid???? Are you kidding, like no-one else called in Feb. or Mar. to complain???? I found that hard to believe). I was transfered to a “close acct” specialist who are prob. trained to scam you into staying a customer. I specifically asked if after I close is there a chance that the rest of the unothorized and unagreed to change in terms of service and contract will come back to haunt me and wanted a writted confirmation to ensure that I am not going to be sent to collections in the future for the remainder of fee since I only paid $1.67,(I don’t actually know what the new charge is…like $12 or $15 supposedly) and she said that they can not overdraft your account for the fee. I then asked ok well then lets say that if I don’t have money in the acct. next month when the charge is processed and every month after that, then what happens??? She said I had to keep a balance..ok, so if I keep $0.01 in there when the fee is processesed then will that be all I’m charged and she tried to warn me not to do/try it because it is a new fee expected to be paid by poor innocent good standing citizens, afraid to ruin their credit by closing and opening new accts every 6months, people like me who usually follow the rules, blah blah blah..let alone worried about the threat of this charge haunting you if you don’t pay. This had already happened to me previously w/my BofA acct because of the same reason, a “free” checking acct I had was no longer free, but unlike the hassle I was being given by Chase, BofA happily credited the fee and closed my acct. no prob…I explained that the account I agreed to was now null and void since the terms had changed and I didn’t agree nor did they did not have my approval. Chase wanted to argue w/me because in fine print I agreed to terms that state, “subject to change” at any time they damn well please. I just hung up w/o doing anything. I decided to test the fee system instead. So this month, I left $3.14 in acct from the 5th-15th (since they could not tell me exact day, I figured last month was on the 9th, so b4 then and a little after would cover the fee date. I was right, they took the $3 I had and it was at zero. I went into the branch to pay my mortgage payment since I couldn’t keep funds in my acct like I normally did to do online payment. I asked the teller about being charged diff amounts and as long as I left $0.01 in my account is that all I will have to pay every month…..OMFG for once someone working there was honest…SHE CONFIRMED THE GLITCH IN THEIR PLAN TO SCREW ALL THEIR CUSTOMER’S…. THEY CAN ONLY TAKE WHAT YOU HAVE AND CAN NOT OVERDRAW YOUR ACCOUNT NOR CHARGE YOU LATER BECAUSE THE SYSTEM IS ONLY SET UP TO RUN CHARGE ONCE!!!!! I am willing to pay my own “terms” of a penny a month…since that will temp. keep me from having to play the “switch” bank game for a while at least….Good luck everyone… I hope this works for you too. I agree it is still stupid and now a hassle, but I can still pay my bills (which have all been associated w/this 15 year good standing account and that is another hassle I would have to go through closing, is swithcing everything too…arrrhhh!), but for now, all you have to do is withdraw and deposit all ur money for a week. It’s worth it to me, lol.
By Stephanie, April 26, 2011 @ 2:34 am
We are closing our Chase account today due to this stupid $12 fee. We received no letter or email about the change. The only thing we received notice of is the Ultimate Rewards being done away with. I saw the fee last month and was puzzled, then today another $12 was taken out, so I looked it up and found this site.
Anyone who is going with another bank stay away from Fifth Third, they are con artists, they are the reason we went to Chase a few years ago. They just had to pay $10mil in a lawsuit, for purposely over drafting accounts.
By coakl, April 27, 2011 @ 9:13 pm
To TanjaGanja:
Your low balance yo-yo game will eventually backfire on you. Either you’ll forget or you will miscalculate the day of the statement cut-off, and then you will be hit with the full $12.00 fee. Remember: the day moves around a little because months don’t always have the same number of days.
You’re better off switching to free checking at a credit union. Yes, it is a pain to switch over everything but it will be worth it.
Do you really want to keep stressing out over Chase? You’d have to monitor your account even more intensely than a normal customer, just so you can play your game.
By cyber, June 2, 2011 @ 10:32 am
Chase is absolutely awful! I opened a business & personal checking account with them about 4 months ago. I was told there was a 12.00 per mo fee for my business checking & my personal account was to be free. Since that time every deposit I’ve made into my account gets sucked out in “Misc. Service Fee” for the exact amount of my deposits. I deposited 20.00 & a week later there is a 20.00 misc service fee. Deposit 2.00 & a week later there’s a 2.00 misc service fee. I finally found a bank that has free business & personal checking. If you live in Idaho goto Panhandle State Bank. I am closing my Chase accounts next week as all the CSR’s at their 800# could not tell me what these “Misc. Service Fees” were for…. Go figure…
By admin, June 2, 2011 @ 10:44 am
Sounds like they should call it a mystery service fee, not a misc service fee.
By SerenityTil5, June 21, 2011 @ 5:44 am
I’ve been with Chase since high school, when it was Wamu and free, I just graduated college and I wrote a check for a down payment on my first car. I go to Chase and talk to them about the minimum balance since that brings my account to 1600, 100 more than the minimum balance. Since I work for a non-profit I don’t have the option of a direct deposit so if I don’t have 1500 in my account daily they charge me a monthly fee. That is ridiculous, it’s like that 1500 is held hostage by them I feel like I can’t touch my own money! I’ve opened a credit union and will be on my way out of Chase by the end of the month. It’s too bad because when I asked them about these changes they said it’s what everybody does now. Um…not really. Chase makes the customers work for them, it’s supposed to be the other way around!
By Badfish, June 21, 2011 @ 2:02 pm
Like most of you I was a WaMu customer and I was not thrilled when Chase acquired them at all. But until now I really hadn’t noticed too much of a difference other than immediately after the acquisition. My husband was one of those lucky folks who got smacked with the ridiculous interest rates on the credit card. While a WaMu customer he had one credit card payment that he paid one day late so when Chase bought WaMu out (over a year after his only late payment), his interest rate on his CC went from 8% to 20%. Nice. We talked then about canceling that card but ended up just paying it off. We still use it from time to time but don’t carry any balance on it.
Now on to the fees issue. I must have overlooked the letter from Chase or maybe it got lost in the mail since I moved recently. In any case, I never received an email and that is my primary means of communication from Chase. When my husband and I married last year, we each had our own checking and savings account at Chase (both of us were WaMu people). After we got married he added me to his accounts and I closed my savings account. I moved my direct deposit to our joint checking but left my personal checking open because I had some automatic payments coming from that account which were easier to leave alone for the time. Flash forward to yesterday. I go online to check my bank accounts and see a $10 fee on my personal checking account. Not knowing what it was for I called customer service. Oy vey. The telephone banker explained to me that in order to not receive a monthly 10 dollar fee I have to have the minimum direct deposit and/or so much money in my savings yada yada. I was confused because I met all of the criteria. Then she told me that having the direct deposit in my other checking and carrying the large savings balance don’t count for this account….they only count for ONE checking account. Are you freaking kidding me?!? I went off – I told her how disappointed I was that Chase was overlooking the fact that I have a savings account that meets the requirements and my husband and I each get our paychecks direct deposited to our joint checking which meets the requirements and that we also each have a credit card with Chase which surely would help indicate that we are worth our weight in banking. Her response…. “We sent you a letter.” I wanted to slam my head against a wall. She didn’t seem to get it that I could care less if they notified me…The point it that it is WRONG. She ended up refunding me the fee when I threatened that I was going to be looking into other banks. I am currently canceling all of my direct payments from that account and will be closing it tomorrow. We are looking into our local credit union because I have a feeling this is just the beginning…
By coakl, June 21, 2011 @ 8:37 pm
Badfish, the only way you would be able to keep multiple checking and savings accounts fee-free is to convert to the Premier Plus checking account. Unfortunately, Premier Plus requires an average balance of $15,000 to waive its own $25 monthly fee.
That’s Chase for ya. Oh, one more little change: if you make more than 4 withdrawals from the savings account during a statement period (including online banking transfers to your checking), you are charged $3 for each extra withdrawal.
Moving EVERYTHING to your nearest credit union is your very best option. I work for Chase and even I’ve moved all of my accounts to a credit union. Say good-bye to the evil that is Chase.
By Olivier, June 25, 2011 @ 9:29 pm
To all those who says “free checking” is recent idea, and before that one has to pay charges, well I would say, do you remember when we were all salves working for a king ? see it is evolution for the good, past can not justify future. For my part I am not upset because there is a charge, but they changed the initial agreement we all opened the account upon. Free checking for life ? yes. All this liquidity make a huge help for them. Like one politician said, there are 2 businesses that can make such a profit, banks and drug dealers….
By Olivier, June 25, 2011 @ 9:55 pm
I am still puzzled though how come when Chase buy out Wamu, they buy also their contracts, customers and agreements with customers.. how a party can change the condition of agreement we signed when opening the account ? why people say it is possible and legal ? now I am confused.
By admin, June 26, 2011 @ 6:13 am
It’s because the agreements that banks like Chase, and even WaMu before it, include along with checking accounts and credit cards have so much small print they allow the bank to do almost anything they want, for any reason. It seems likely that the small print negates most of the large print (i.e. the list of benefits you think you will actually be getting).
By LeaveChase_Hire USAA, August 21, 2011 @ 12:04 am
Yup…I have a similar story to Badfish. And ditto “She ended up refunding me the fee when I threatened that I was going to be looking into other banks.” But, I believe they will refund monthly fees ONLY ONE TIME. So, I’m closing all my Chase accounts this month too. Besides, anyone with my money gets daily interest behind the scenes. Just because one of my accounts dropped below their limit…they really NEED to chrage me monthly fees? REALLY?
But, moving on… Just applied to USAA and plan on using my iPhone. Silly to pay the greedy bturds who got bailed out with my tax money one more red cent. Dunno why I didn’t think of switching sooner… Thanks Chase for showing me the light to USAA.
By Adam, September 16, 2011 @ 10:42 am
It gets better. Now Chase has eliminated the direct deposit as a means by which to wave the $12/mo ‘account maintenance’ fee. So having less than $1500 avg daily bal or $5000 combined accounts balance are the only things keeping the checking free. Bank of America offers free checking with direct deposits. Cya Chase!
By Adam, September 16, 2011 @ 10:57 am
Another entry for Chase Sucks and their Fraudulent ways.
https://www.chase.com/online/Checking/chase-checking-account.htm
As displayed on 9/16/2011
Chase’s checking info page “Minimum Deposit to Open $25
No Monthly Service Fee*
Effective with statement periods beginning on or after August 24, 2011, have direct deposits totaling $500 or more made to this account.**
OR with a $1,500 minimum daily balance
OR, with an average daily balance of $5,000 or more in linked deposits2/investments8.
Otherwise, a $12 Monthly Service Fee applies.”
Chase’s response to my inquiry as to why my account is being charged $12. “The fee in the amount of $12.00 dated 09/13/2011 is the
monthly service fee on your Chase Better Banking Checking
account. A monthly service fee is charged to your account
when balance requirements are not met. A minimum daily
balance of $1,500.00 or combined average relationship
balances of $5,000.00 in this account waives the $12.00
monthly service fee.”
Note the convenient ommission of the direct deposit option for waiving the maintenace fee in their response.
By Klaus, July 11, 2012 @ 2:48 pm
Yes – they really suck. I just finally realized that I have been paying $12/month since March of 2011. Never even noticed. Information of the change was in the small print. No signature require. No new application form. Just a nice little charge every months. Amongst all of former WAMU free checking customers, they must have made many Millions! I will certainly never do business with Chase again.