Bridget's story

Yesterday I went through the MAC drive through. The machine ate my card. I went into the bank to tell them so.

Teller: Oh, it is stuck, Ok, I'll get it. (teller goes away)

Me: Thank you.

Teller: It is against policy for me to give it back.

Me: I am not a member of your bank. That card belongs to me. I want it back.

Teller: It is against company policy.

Me: Can I have a copy of that policy?

Teller: (Blank stare)

Me: I want to speak with the branch manager.

Cust.Serv.Rep.: Hello, The Manager isn't here.

Me: (repeat story)

Cust.Serv.Rep.: It is against bank policy.

Me: Can I have a copy of this policy?

Cust.Serv.Rep.: Yes. (doesn't move)

Me: Are you telling me you won't give my property back to me?

Cust.Serv.Rep.: No.

Me: Then give me my card back or at least call my bank.

Cust.Serv.Rep.: It is against bank policy.

This gets repeated several times.

Me: Are you telling me you won't give me my property?

Cust.Serv.Rep.: Yes.

Me: Please call the police. I intend not to leave here unless I get my card or the police tell me I must leave.

Cust.Serv.Rep.: Sure. (smug smile)

Snide comments said within my hearing range as another Cust.Serv.Rep. makes the call.

Me: (looking directly at the person on the phone thru the "glass" cube office) Correction. I am NOT a customer. Do NOT refer to me as such.

Five minutes later the police arrive. I am very nervous, as I might have to go to jail for a stupid piece of plastic. But it is the principle of the matter.

Cop#1: What is the problem?

Cust.Serv.Rep.: She is.

Me: Hello, officer. (repeat story)

Cop#2: May I see your ID?

Me: Yes, sir. (give passport, driver's license, SS card, voter registration, birth certificate, old college ID)

Me: Sir, the card is a bit bent on one edge. I heard the machine making a ratchet sound. It is possible that it was a mechanical problem.

Cust.Serv.Rep.: You don't know that. We don't know if the card is overdrawn, invalid, or stolen.

Cop#1: Did you call her bank?

Cust.Serv.Rep.: It is against bank policy.

Me: I have asked several times and not received a copy of this document.

Cop#2: Is this policy stated on the machine outside?

Cust.Serv.Rep.: No.

Cop#1: So let me get this straight. It isn't listed, not even a warning about using at your own risk, one has to come in here, and after seeing their card you won't give it back?

Cust.Serv.Rep.#2: Yes.

Cop#2: Let me see the card. (Cust.Serv.Rep. #2 and Cop #2 have a debate as to why he wants to see it. Finally he gets it.)

Cop#2: It is clearly bent as she described. Her signatures all match. Why won't you give it to her?

Cust.Serv.Rep.: It is against bank policy.

Cop#1 calls my bank. I tell him the the branch manager's name is Walter and the head teller is Rosalee. After asking if my account is valid and if Rosalee remembers me, she said I had complimented her on a recent promotion.

Cop#1: So the account is valid. Give her the card back.

Cust.Serv.Rep.: It is against bank policy.

Cop#2: The card says it is property of Unity Bank. So I am not giving it to her. I am not giving it to you. I am giving it to them. (to me) Get their corporate address and these people's names; write a complaint to them. Get your bank manager to do the same.

Cust.Serv.Rep.: You have no right to take that card. Would you go into any other business...

Cop#1: I have every right to make sure the law is upheld. This isn't your property. I am returning the property to its stated owner. You called me. You have not shown me any law. The best you can do is tell me of an alleged policy. As far as I know there is no law with respect to this.

Cust.Serv.Rep.: Here it is.

We all read it.

Cop#2: Still doesn't change what is happening here.

Cust.Serv.Rep.#2: Will you sign this (blank paper) stating you took it?

Cop#2: No. Get the report from the station.

Cop#1: (with a polite smile) Ms. B___, it is time to go.

Me: Thank you, officer.

As we leave:

Cust.Serv.Rep.: Are you going violate our policy every time...

Cop#1: Every time you call I will gladly come and uphold the law. Only next time I'll close the scene of the incident. You had your chance to serve the community and you failed. A little investigation on your part would have yielded that her bank would have sent you a liability waiver. But you thought I was going to arrest her for making a disturbance. She isn't the one who yelled at me or tried to grab something out of my hand. Now move or face obstruction of justice charges.

In the lot:

Cop#1: Ms., I can't give you the card.

Me: I understand. I have no problem with it being returned to my bank. I am sorry for the problem.

Cop#2: Fleet is a bunch of asses. They had our payroll account 'til we took it away from them last October. Just don't even deal with them under any circumstances. Have a nice evening, Ms. B___.

A few days later:

I went to the police station to get my report. Three officers shook my hand and Cop #1 told me that it was such a pleasure to stick it to them legally. He told me I was very good. Not too calm and not too anxious. Too many times people are in the right but fail to keep their heads, and when the police have to calm them before acting on the complaint, it somehow justifies the wrong party.

I told him several of my friends want to spread this story and he said it was fine with his department. The bank manager visited the police station to pick-up a report, he filed a complaint about the officers. I expressed concern and Cop #1 told me not to worry. The first thing the captain asked for was the videotape of the incident. The bank said they couldn't give it to him without proper authorizations. The captain said he would be happy to get a court order to get it, but he thought that the bank manager would want to substantiate his complaint with evidence.

The complaint was dropped.

Back to the horror stories...