JP Morgan Chase - Chicago, IL Review

In August of 1995, I was an incoming freshman at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.  At that time, Bank One, which later became Chase, had a branch on campus.  I opened a checking account, and I kept that account until today.  In the 14 years I had that checking account, I never bounced a check, was never overdrawn on the account, and never paid a penalty of any kind, until. . .

About a month ago, I deposited a check that was written to me.  Several days later, I saw online that the check had bounced.  I was upset at that moment, but I got even more upset a couple of days later when a "returned check" fee of $10 appeared on my account.  Think about this for a minute; someone else made a mistake, and I had to pay for it.  I decided to send an e-mail to customer service, and if that didn't work, I was going to go to my local branch and speak to them in person.  Here is the e-mail I sent to customer service:

"I want to know why I was charged a service fee because of someone else s mistake. When someone writes me a check, how am I supposed to know if it's good or not? I want this fee taken off of my account."

Now, here is the response I got back from Chase:

"Thank you for contacting Chase. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused. Our records indicate that your account was debited on July 29, 2009 in the amount of $50.00. This was for a deposited item which was returned. Your account was also charged a fee of $10.00 for the returned item. Unfortunately, we do not have any additional details to provide you regarding this check. You may contact the person who initiate the $50.00 check for a detailed explanation of this returned item. Chase will be mailing the returned check in question to the address on file. Please allow five to seven business days to receive this check in the mail. If you require further assistance, please e-mail us via the Secure Message Center or contact Chase By Phone at 1-800-935-9935. Chase By Phone representatives are available to assist you 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM, seven days a week with automated account information available 24-hours a day. Thank you, Ma Lucila Nudalo Internet Service Center"

Basically, the response I got back from Chase was that I needed to ask the person who wrote me the bad check why they wrote me a bad check.  There was no explanation of the fee, no response to my request to have the fee refunded, and no acknowledgement of my 14 years as a loyal customer.  I was so insulted by this response that I decided to forego visiting my local branch and begin the process of switching checking accounts.

I now have a new checking account and have everything situated as far as business being conducted through the new account, so I went to my local Chase branch to close my Chase checking account.  The banker I spoke to asked me why I was closing my account, so I told him the story.  His response to me was just as apathetic and insulting as the response I got to my e-mail.  He told me that when I accept a check, I accept responsibility if it bounces.  He acted as though this fee made perfect sense to him.  You know, I honestly expected whoever I spoke with to make some effort to keep my business.  Boy, was I wrong!  I have never felt less valued as a customer of any business than I did walking out of Chase today.  There were no apologies and no expressions of regret for losing my business.

I want to go off on a brief tangent about the explanation given to me by the banker at Chase.  Does anyone actually verify that every check they receive is good?  Do you ask friends and family members to see their bank statements?  How about your employer?  Do you now realize how absurd of an argument that was?  For the record, the check was written to me by a family member, and it was the first time in my life that a check I got from that person bounced.

If you want to be treated like you don't matter at all, open an account with Chase.  If you want to be subjected to asinine fees, open an account with Chase.  Otherwise, find some other place to do your banking.