About 17 years ago I opened an account at the only bank I have ever had. Back then it was Macdill Federal Credit Union now Grow Financial. In all those years I have been thrilled with their services and the friendly people who have served me. Year ago I opened a second account with them and have a debit card for both. In the last five days something happened which I have not experienced before. I mixed up the two accounts in my mind and spent all the money in one using a debit card. It turns out that banks now provide you as a courtesy the ability to spend money you do not have for $28.00 a swipe.
courtesy payment fees
After discussing this with the assistant manger at the Gandy branch of Grow Financial here in Tampa Florida I was told this was to prevent me being embarrassed while standing in the checkout line. I do not embarrass easily but what is embarrassing is finding that I am doing business with an institution that claims to protect my assets when in reality finding opportunities to profit enormously from any slip up that I may make. Think about it who wants, who wants to pay $35.50 for a Yaya’s chicken combo meal? After chiding me about what I needed to differently in the future to prevent this from happening she warned me that bank were having a hard time and this is how they are choosing to continue to make the massive amounts of money they are accustomed to making. I asked her if there was a way to stop the bank from making the “courtesy payment”.She reached into her files and handed over a form. Presto the bank will now decline transaction when there are no funds in the account. I wonder if this is not to there liking?
The grand total for 6 of my careless expenditures over five days was $168.00. The assistant manager very reluctantly refunded half after remarking that 6 was lot, from which I gathered that being refunded $84.00 was a huge concession and I should suffer more loss for my crimes. I guess I should be more grateful for this benevolence because when you have very little you have next to no power in these situations.
I share this experience partly in mourning for the loss of the once civilized society America enjoyed. I am a huge fan of capitalism and the free market but if the citizenry becomes complacent and ceases to exert its enormous influence on the market we only have ourselves to blame. It has truly become greed driven country we live in and the very tactics we use on each other to gain what we have not earned through honest labor are the ones that rob us of what we seek to gain in the first place.
Be careful out there dear people for so many institution you are nothing more than resource to be tapped and discarded. Much like the government using the population’s assets to temporarily prolong the death of mismanaged business, the banks are only going to get money from those that have therefore those who have been responsible will be paying for the deficiencies of the irresponsible. Do not believe that things cannot change for the better and simply surrender to the current system.
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12
There, I think I have almost gotten my moneys worth.
