Ramesh's story

I have recently written a letter to Fleet. I am not sure if they would respond to it (or even if they would care to read it). I am just doing my duty of informing them before I move to a small local bank which can provide me service.

"Dear Sir,

"I am an erstwhile Summit Bank customer and following the recent merger I have become a Fleet Bank customer now. This transition has not been a nice one for me as far as the service is concerned.

"I had multiple checking/savings account with Summit and it was due to the best service I received in all those years. From the mid July, I have had multiple instances of real poor service with Fleet Bank. In the beginning I tried to ignore it giving you the benefit of doubt for the changes in operations between different management cultures. However, being a responsible customer I would provide you with the details of the continued poor service and ill treatment I received from your bank. I have a regular checking account (####) with your bank, which I use for most of my banking transactions.

"1. I had to draw $2000 (two thousand dollars) on 16th July. I went to your branch at (xxxxxxxxx). After being in the queue for 30 min. I got to the counter and the teller refused to let me withdraw money from my checking account as I did not have my checkbook with me. I could always withdraw money from my checking account at teller without needing to carry my checkbook there at Summit. I had my ATM card and I requested the teller to help me withdraw money using that at the counter but I was refused. (I can understand that Fleet may have different rules but there is something called being helpful in emergency for the loyal customers, if possible. I didnít see it a bit there).

"2. I wanted to buy a car and being a Fleet customer I approached it for auto loan. My loan application was refused because there was one late paid bill of around $200 in my 4 years strong credit history. I went to your branch at (xxxxxxxxxx) personally to speak to a loan officer there. I had got my current credit report from all credit bureaus with me. I have been in continuous employment all the time and my salary has been being directly deposited most of the time with your bank. I expect your loan officers to make their judgment based on not only a credit ranking received from one credit bureau but to assess my overall financial health looking at my banking with you. But, my personal meeting failed to even make your officer have another look on my application. It was made clear to me that my banking with your bank for all this time has no weight in my loan application assessment. Had I known it earlier I would never have applied to Fleet. Well, I got my loan approved from other institution and I came out of illusion that Fleet would anytime reward my loyal banking with it.

"3. My salary gets directly deposited in my account. However in last pay period it could not go through and I got a check instead. I deposited my salary check personally at Fleet branch on 31st July. On 2nd Aug I initiated a transaction to withdraw some money from that deposit. I was charged $30 for this, as Fleet had not collected money on my salary check till that time. Now this is the last straw for me. In all my bank dealing, I could many times get the cash out of my salary check on the same day when required. But with Fleet, it seems it doesn't matter if it is a salary check or any other check. I called your service on phone and explained how my salary check could not go through direct deposit for that pay period which had caused me to deposit it personally. I requested him to withdraw those collection charges, as I believe I should not have been charged that. But I was told no and instead I was explained how Fleet charge anytime if my debit precedes a deposit collection, whatever the case. Fleet representative later offered me to cut those charges by half. It was ridiculous and thus I asked him not to do that.

"At this time, I have no reason to allow Fleet Bank to treat me this way. This letter is to help you see the real picture of how your customer is feeling; hoping it might help you to improve your service. I would like to give you a chance to provide me with a reason to continue banking with Fleet."

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