Wells Fargo & New Fees

**Holding Pattern** · 12-15-2009, 09:01 AM

I woke up this morning to a $6.95 BILL PAY FEE. It seems when we paid the house off and our account balance dropped, we were switched to another checking plan...
$6.95 is an expensive stamp for the 2 bills we pay online.
So I spent all of breakfast fighting with WF to remove the fee and find a plan that won't charge me $3.50 per electronic payment.

Good Grief...

**Greebo** · 12-15-2009, 09:11 AM

So this is a fee attached to your checking account?

Wow - I'd be switching banks in a heart beat.

**NikoSan999** · 12-15-2009, 09:17 AM

Hmm..I pay a few things online too. They will figure out a way I'm sure to charge. They started taking out $20 for account fees. They said it was the account rules we had when balance falls below a certain amount. Funny, never did before. Same with Savings when we had them. $5 a month on those below a certain balance. NO, this is NOT what was in the agreement when opened.

They can do whatever they want, when they want, how they want. And man, do they ever want

**mrsfoamy** · 12-15-2009, 09:43 AM

I heard a financial analyst on CNN the other day say that free checking as we know it no longer exists, excepting Wachovia (now Wells Fargo) and PNC. I have accounts at both banks but have been actively using Wachovia more as opposed to PNC because of their overdraft fees ($36). But I'll check my statement. I know they keep pushing me to enroll in direct deposit by saying they will not charge as many fees.

**NikoSan999** · 12-15-2009, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by mrsfoamy

I heard a financial analyst on CNN the other day say that free checking as we know it no longer exists, excepting Wachovia (now Wells Fargo) and PNC. I have accounts at both banks but have been actively using Wachovia more as opposed to PNC because of their overdraft fees ($36). But I'll check my statement. I know they keep pushing me to enroll in direct deposit by saying they will not charge as many fees.

We have Wachovia and it is not free anymore although it was supposed to be. They changed the rules. Read my above post.

**StaceyS** · 12-15-2009, 10:18 AM

I use mycheckfree.com. I used to pay through Wells Fargo until they started charging me. I've been using it for probably close to 2 years now and never have had a problem (I pay only 3 bills this way). They are a free service.

**Contrary Housewife** · 12-15-2009, 10:28 AM

That's outrageous! I'd keep my money in a sock before I'd keep it in a bank that charged that amount for a check.

**McD** · 12-15-2009, 10:42 AM

'Free Checking' was never really free to begin with--sure you don't have a minimum balance requirement, your online billpay and banking, debit card is free etc.

The bank still has to pay for providing those items to you. So they make up the costs elsewhere. That's why certain fees are inflated--like overdraft fees. Banks are a business--they want to make a profit too. They inflate fees on other things to make up for those free services you are offered.

With all that said, I suggest using a locally owned bank or credit union. They are generally more up front about how things work and are willing to work with you when a problem does arrive.

**mrsfoamy** · 12-15-2009, 11:44 AM

I just reviewed my statement online and I haven't been charged anything in the last 30 days (Wachovia)
But thanks for the info - when I deposit my check on Friday I will ask about fees.

**frugalfranny** · 12-15-2009, 11:57 AM

EEEWWWW! Sorry HP....I would be bailing out of that bank in a heartbeat.

Aren't they the only ones now that haven't paid back the bail out money? Not sure....

It is 'bonus time' so they want it paid back soon. And Feb. is fast approaching.

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 12-15-2009, 06:24 PM

Credit Unions are a good alternative. Ours charges us $5/month...but, we can do as many transactions as we want, come in in person, etc. And there's no minimum balance on that...

**Holding Pattern** · 12-15-2009, 08:22 PM

We're switching to our local credit union. Have been researching them and they're sound and will be happy to have us switch everything over.

re: mycheckfree, I hate them. I have to deal with them & their business on a daily basis and have been thoroughly unimpressed. but that's just me.

**Palooka** · 12-15-2009, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by Frugalfanny

Aren't they the only ones now that haven't paid back the bail out money? Not sure....

Not sure if they are the only ones, but heard on the news that they have not paid back.

**Luckybustert** · 12-15-2009, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by Holding Pattern

I woke up this morning to a $6.95 BILL PAY FEE. It seems when we paid the house off and our account balance dropped, we were switched to another checking plan...
$6.95 is an expensive stamp for the 2 bills we pay online.
So I spent all of breakfast fighting with WF to remove the fee and find a plan that won't charge me $3.50 per electronic payment.

Good Grief...

Wells Fargo's Bill Pay, and I feel the same way about other banks' bill pay services too, is a rip-off. Pretty much every payment I could ever need to make can be made online at the company's website, or via PayPal, and it doesn't cost me $6.95 a month to do it.

The other thing that really gets me is companies who want to charge you (and this is getting more common) a $12.95 "rush" fee to record your payment as being made today, or you can have it recorded as being paid tomorrow at no additional cost. I'm sorry, costs them the same thing to record my payment either way....it's just a way of screwing people out of more money. If I make a payment online today, it shouldn't cost me extra for them to show in their records that I paid it today.

**miss_thrifty** · 12-17-2009, 10:21 AM

when we sold the house years we got that day how much we owed and still after they got their money(wells and fargo) still they said we owed them over $20. Im like how the lawyer called you and asked as of that day how much. --anyways they get one way or the other.