F***ing ATM fees!

[Karl_Bonner_1982]

This month I was going to get the money to pay my rent - I usually pay via money order - but I was a long way from my bank's ATM, so I just headed to the nearest bank (it was a Wells Fargo). When I entered my PIN, it asked if I wanted to check my balance, and I hit "yes." Then I proceeded to withdraw $320 for the money order and accepted the $2 surcharge, went and paid my rent thinking all was OK.

A couple days later I checked my Bank of America account activity and noticed that in addition to the $322 debit for $320 in cash, there was a $2 fee levied by Bank of America for using the W.F. ATM and another $2 balance inquiry fee for saying "yes" when the screen asked me if I wanted to check my balance. So a total of $6 in ATM fees for a single transaction! I almost called up the bank and started yelling obscenities, and I probably would have had such an anger outburst if I didn't talk about it to my mom, who was equally disgusted.

Tell me about your adventures in ATM fees!!!

[Ian David]

1. If only someone would run for president based solely on a platform of eliminating ATM fees.

[Art_from_Ark]

2. It costs less than a buck to use another bank's ATM here in Japan

and I can check my account balance from any bank's ATM for free. However, I have to pay my own bank a buck or so to make an after-hours withdrawal, and maybe after-hours deposit (but I don't know for sure, since it's been so long since I've made a deposit!)

[Robbien]

3. The extra charges for a balance check is a new one to help make up revenue

lost from the mortgage breakdown. Banks are scheming to make up lost mortgage revenue in all kinds of new shady ways. Got to keep the ownership society shareholders happy.

[Irishonly]

4. My daughter learned

She has just opened her first student checking account. I had told her not to use a non BOA ATM machine and if she needed cash, wasn't near a BOA machine to buy a pack of gum and ask for cash back. She didn't and was hopping mad it cost her $4.00 to make her withdrawal. Hard lesson but it's one I don't think she will forget.

[Karl_Bonner_1982]

6. That's what I used to do

Whenever my BOA ATM wasn't convenient but a store with a cash back option was, I just went there and did cash back. Also useful if I wanted less than $20.

If you withdraw $20 from the wrong ATM and check your balance while doing it, the fees add up to 30% of the amount withdrawn.

[2Design]

5. join a credit union n/t

[Hannah Bell]

7. I stopped using them. & my credit card.

I also refuse to get a cell phone. i don't use store discount cards either. & when they start requiring "real id" for a driver's license, i'll quit driving. at some point i expect it will end in my becoming a non-viable person, economically, at which time i'll go to the mountains & starve myself to death. it's unfortunate, but there it is. so long as most people go along with every damn "convenience", our conveniences will be used to control us.

[N.orleans86]

8. Bank of America "foreign" ATM fees

:grr: I can relate to you completely.Just yesterday i was charged $4 for using two non BOA ATMs.One of the fees on the ATMs themselves were $2 and the other $1.50.I thought i would just get charged the $3.50...fair enough.But i check my account today and they charged me an extra $4 .i mean if i was one of the richest people in the USA of course i wouldn't be bothered, but damn, that was an extra $4 i didn't have.and had i not had something left in my account i could've overdraft , just what they wanted.BOA is really starting to annoy me,every since this economy has gotten into this horrible slump they are really taking advantage of people.i just paid them $115 in over draft charges and i still don't know how that happened when i'm a very CAREFUL spender.Any way, i usually don't use anyone but BOA ATM to avoid the regular fees .but since the extra $2 that they charge per withdrawal themselves i'm going to have to make my way to their ATM the best i can. x(

[Angleae]

9. I've stopped using ATMs

If I need cash, I'll just get additional cash back when I'm grocery shopping.

[itsrobert]

10. I bank with USAA

They reimburse for all ATM fees from different banks.

[romulusnr]

11. I always use my own bank

Always, always, always use your own bank. Or in the case of some CUs use an ATM on your CUs inter-CU agreement network. (Or expect to eat fees.)

By the way, two-sided ATM fees are not news, they're standard practice and have been for a long time. The ATM-side bank charges you to connect to the inter-bank network and your bank charges you for the service of being on the inter-bank network. (Which isn't free for them.)

WaMu didn't pass those charges on to the customer, they ate them. (Hmm..)

Yes, checking your balance is a separate connection to that network, so it incurs another charge.

You could also get your money order at the PO or a supermarket, which will typically not charge you anything (aside from a MO fee).