credit union screwed up... again
 

So I take my meager paycheck, send $400 per (get paid twice a month) to one credit union to pay a couple of loans (cars) and have gas, lunch, and "pick up $whatever at the grocery store on the way home honey" money. Rest of take home pay goes to a different credit union where the wife pays all the bills, etc.

So on 4/15, the one that made a mistake pulled $329 instead of the $82 they were supposed to, and applied it to a car payment that isn't due until 5/15, not leaving sufficient funds for the $82 payment they were supposed to apply to the other loan. Go in, straighten it out yesterday, make a double payment today to cover the one missed on 4/15, don't worry about the other payment until *june* since the may payment is applied, life is good. The past 2 weeks have been light on lunch, but oh well...

Today, I log in, see the correct $82 payment was made for today, I paid the one from 2 weeks ago, and I thought things were all taken care of. Stopped on way home at grocery to pick up a prescription and some milk, swiped my ATM card, and DENIED. Log in to website on phone... the credit union once again deduced (or tried to) a big car payment. Not enough in there for the whole thing, so they left me with a 0 balance.

So tomorrow, instead of enjoying my lunch with a retiring VP, I get to go back to the bank and straigten them all out. Again.

Think I'll revoke autopayment, make 'em refund one of the extra car payments (so I can eat and buy gas to go to work for the next 2 weeks) and consider moving all my stuff to the other credit union.

Am I being unreasonable? It is all automated and computerized, so it is a PICNIC issue (problem in chair, not in computer).

Way too complicated! Pay off whatever costs $82 a month for starters. Get cash from the bank for incidentals. And then keep all your money in the same place - exception: savings over 100k - spread those. ;)

G

I didn't log into my account for a long time and, around October last year, got an email about my checking account balance being below $100. I had just gotten paid a few days earlier, so I was panic-stricken.

Turns out I had deposited about $1300 in person at a share branch in Phoenix in August, as my credit union is in the US Capitol Bldg. and has no branches out here. I always use checking and never money market. I might have $5 in that mm account. Despite my deposit slip and verbal instructions, the teller deposited it into the mm account and not checking. So I was $1300 short in my checking account for all that time. Really chapped my ass, but it's my own fault for not keeping closer track of things. They have since gotten the smart phone check-scanning app going, so that's how I make all deposits now and can confirm immediately it went to the right account.

Hadn't heard PICNIC before, good one. I like ABKB (arsehole behind key board), and no, you're not being unreasonable.

It is a car loan I just got - $163.something per month, I pay 82 and 82 (hurts less to spread it out)

Get the CU to fix the problem, refund any fees and then DUMP them.

Yeah, don't do the automatic thing, perform the transfer yourself monthly. More of a pain, but you know what is happening. Probably dump the one credit union too. You should only need one good one.

Another interesting note from something that I learned just the other day. Apparently, wire transfers are still done manually despite the whole computer thing. I work for a VERY large bank. You would all know it by name and recent-ish events. I was told just in the last week or so that wire transfers are still keyed in by hand in an archaic old system despite the entire world being connected via a huge network.

This. Online banking makes it quite easy and YOU control where your money goes.

I do the electronic transfer to two banks for my paycheck, but I have never set up auto pay on anything other than my mortgage. Sure it takes more time for me, but I'd like to see my bill. And sometimes I'd like to pay more. And in case there is an error in my phone bill they won't charge me automatically. I have to look at it first.

Store purchases go to my credit card for better protection, and the whole balance is paid off on the next cycle. But still not automatic.

And the issue is taken care of. They basically refunded everything from 4/15 and 5/1, then I re-made the payments.

Well, sounds like their customer service is good, at least...