BBVA Compass Bank CLOSED my Accounts to RETALIATE for my publications

This blog was SUPPOSED to be about the BBVA Compass bank NSF fees (non sufficient funds) and that they charged me a $38 NSF fee DESPITE the fact that a deposit also posted on the same day and my account never actually showed as negative.

Because I dared to ask questions about their policies for publication on the web, the Kingman BBVA Compass branch closed my personal and business accounts WITHOUT any notice and they didn’t even bother making a phone call or sending an email.

They KNOW that I live about 60 miles from Kingman and that it was quite likely that I had written checks that would bounce. Apparently they were determined to inflict maximum damages through refused authorizations and bounced payments.

But this story doesn’t end there. The Kingman branch manager Mark Huling THREATENED me with a lawsuit if I published his name and he refused to provide his name when I called him after I found out that they closed my accounts.

Incredibly, he even called the police when I cashed the checks they had sent to me and apparently he filed a FALSE police report, claiming that I had been trespassing at the bank.

Below is the detailed description of the events.

I tried to find out WHY I was assessed a $38 NSF fee while my account was NOT negative.

I asked the unidentified teller at the Kingman, AZ branch about their NSF policy and how it can be that I was charged $38 when the account didn’t actually show negative. She cleverly informed me that I’m supposed to wait to write checks until AFTER deposits clear.

None of the tellers at the Kingman branch had business cards or name tags. I suppose that practice eliminates most complaints.

I believe it was 11/26/09 when I decided to ask customer service manager Brenda about the NSF procedures. She didn’t make much sense to me and I told her that I needed ACCURATE information as I was going to post it at my website. Brenda, unusually unfriendly, then gave me their customer service toll-free number.

On Sunday, 12/6/09, I logged on to the Compass online banking and I was shocked to see that both accounts had a $0 balance.

I had no idea what happened. As I’m continually subjected to ID theft and harassment due to my publications, I thought that somebody cleaned out both my personal and business accounts. I was up half the night worried about my $189 monthly server payment scheduled the next day, to be paid with the money in my business account.

On 12/7/09, I called the BBVA Compass customer service and I found out that they had closed my accounts due to my publications.

My Compass Bank PUBLICATIONS.

Compass Bank deserves credit for motivating me to start my Fight Back!!! forum in 2003 and my own as well as many Compass customers’ complaints are posted at Compass Bank SUCKS!!!

In 2001 Compass Bank REFUSED to disclose to me why they declined my checking account application.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires disclosure of the credit bureau to the consumer if an application is denied due to information in a credit report. Consumers can then order their FREE credit report and dispute any incorrect data.

I had to order all three credit reports and then noticed the Compass Bank credit inquiry on my Trans Union credit report along with NUMEROUS errors. I had to sue Trans Union to get correction and Compass Bank then opened my accounts.

Compass Bank had the nerve to charge me a $6 “research fee” after I advised them that they had made a $500 error in MY favor.

I had deposited $200 cash in the night deposit box, but Compass Bank credited my account with $700.

Just like any stupid idiot, I told them about THEIR mistake and they CHARGED me for my honesty. I since learned that banks OFTEN make errors and never discover those errors because they don’t reconcile accounts. I know people who walked away with $40,000 that didn’t belong to them because BofA made an error and REFUSED to correct it!

My 5/6/04 Compass Bank Press Release: A $6 Fee Instead Of A Reward For Returning $500

It’s time to update my 2004 site http://compass-bank-sucks.com/, as it currently only features my statement with the $6 fee.

After I sent my news release to some of the Compass Bank executives, their attorney sent me a $60 check. Of course that didn’t even come close to covering my expenses, the cost of distributing the news release and the mailings, but he thought they were generous to give me 10 times the amount that they had charged.

My Compass Bank publications were FACTUAL.

Unlike so many enraged consumers, I tried to tone down my publications and to stick to the facts. Sure, I was SCREAMING at the Compass Bank employee who refused to credit back the $6 charged because I was stupid enough to point out THEIR $500 error and I fully understand why people refer to them by names I don’t want to post here although I totally agree — that’s what their executives and managers are.

But I also got so tired of people doing NOTHING, not naming names, not posting pictures of the PEOPLE who mistreated them, NOT submitting documentation, I closed the Fight Back!!! forum in 2005. And since then I’ve mostly left Compass Bank alone because I had bigger fish to fry.

I was so NOT focused on Compass Bank, I didn’t even check into why their logo changed and why they are now BBVA Compass.

Apparently the Kingman BBVA Compass branch in Kingman made the decision to close my accounts.

While I was glad to hear that I hadn’t been robbed, I sure wanted to know who made that decision to close my accounts and of course I needed to know where my money was. According to the national customer service rep, the Kingman branch was responsible for closing my accounts.

My telephone call with BBVA Compass Kingman branch manager Mark Huling.

I had spoken to Mark Huling once before about a 5 business day hold on a check from an out of state business for $3,000. I NEVER had a deposit returned and I had banked with Compass since 2001. I didn’t like that guy since the first time I met him – he was so unpleasant!

Despite my problems with Compass Bank, the young lady who had been in charge before Huling was always very helpful, friendly and courteous. I wonder what happened to her. It was after their move from a supermarket to their own location that she disappeared and Huling took over.

So I wasn’t surprised by his attitude during my 12/7/09 call, but I WAS surprised when he threatened to SUE me if I published his name!

Branch manager Huling REFUSED to identify himself and he THREATENED me!

Of course it didn’t take long until I got his full name and I sure hope that his family, friends and neighbors find out how he “earns” a living.

Everybody is talking about thugs like Bernanke, Paulson and Geithner at the Federal Reserve and the US Treasury, but the corruption starts with these low level managers like Mark Huling who’ll do anything for a buck and enjoy it.

I’m still waiting for your lawsuit, Mr. Huling!

There’s no need to incur the expense of having me served. Mr. Huling, please fax your complaint and summons to 571-222-1000 and I’ll gladly waive service.

It’s hard to believe that any bank would employ a MANAGER who thinks he can sue former customers for $5,000 in small claims court because they published his name.

12/09 letter from Selene Nelson, VP/District Service & Operations Manager, Northwest Arizona District.

I’m going to spare you the details about the stress I had with my server payment. I made a special trip to Kingman (about 60 miles) and I was thrilled to see two letters from BBVA Compass bank in my mail box. One contained the checks for my balances, the other was from BBVA’s Selene Nelson, VP/District Service & Operations Manager, Northwest Arizona District.

Apparently Brenda at the branch found my OLD Compass Bank publications and then contacted Ms. Nelson.

Ms. Nelson wrote in her undated letter mailed on 12/1/09 with the account agreements:

At this time, BBVA Compass has determined that it is in the best interest of all parties that the banking relationship between you and BBVA Compass be terminated. Therefore, in accordance with the terms of the deposit agreement(s), which governs your account(s) with BBVA Compass, the bank has elected to close your account(s) today.

…

Of course Ms. Nelson LIED:

It was certainly NOT in my interest to have my accounts closed and “the bank” did NOT elect to close my accounts. “The bank” is not capable of electing anything — it’s the PEOPLE who RUN the banks who make these atrocious decisions — people like Selene Nelson and Mark Huling.

Ms. Nelson also included the account agreements for my business and personal accounts and she even put little tags on the pages with these TERMS:

Closing Your Account. Either we or you can close your account at any time, for any reason or for no reason, without the necessity of prior written notice. …

Isn’t THAT nice! And of course WE can close our accounts too, but we will NOT receive our money until it’s convenient for the bank. You actually have to give several days NOTICE if you want to withdraw more than a few thousand dollars in cash.

My 12/8/09 trip to BBVA Compass to cash the checks

I cashed the checks at the BBVA Compass Kingman branch and I noticed manager Mark Huling talking on the phone in his glass cubicle office. I asked the teller for his business card and I watched her going in to Huling’s office to get a card. She walked out of his office with the card in her hands, but Huling noticed me and he called her back in. She came back out without his card.

The unidentified teller had the nerve to claim that he was out of business cards.

I told her that I SAW her come out of his office with his card and I HEARD him calling her back in. She claimed that she had taken Brenda’s card and that manager Huling’s cards were at the printer. Of course she didn’t explain why she did NOT offer to give me Brenda’s card.

The unidentified teller then ORDERED me to sit down in the “lobby” (a couple chairs next to the door) as the manager wanted to see me. She talked to me like I was 9 years old and the principle wanted to see me.

Of course I had a busy day and as Mr. Huling continued with his phone call, I decided to take a picture of him to post on the web so that readers could identify him and get me his last name.

The BBVA Compass employees all started screaming that I was taking pictures and that I was not allowed to take pictures.

Notably, there is NO sign prohibiting the taking of pictures.

Of course one shouldn’t have to take pictures of bank managers so they can be identified because they refuse to provide a business card or their name .

I immediately left the bank to take some pictures of their logo and ATM outside.

Nobody told me that I should leave.

It didn’t take long until manager Mark Huling came out, taking pictures of me and my truck. He called the cops and wanted me to stay. USUALLY I welcome police presence during disputes with vile bankers as they make excellent witnesses, but I didn’t have a dispute and I did have things to do and I left.

When I got home, I had a message from a Kingman cop. I returned his call and officer Hopper was rude and talking about trespassing at Compass Bank. I explained to him that I was NOT trespassing. I’ve met some nice cops in Kingman, but that guy was not one of them.

I asked how I could get a copy of the police report and he stated that I could NOT receive the report.

To my surprise, I recently received the “CITATION” for trespassing and you better believe that I’ll try to find out who made this entirely FALSE report!

Compass Bank closed my accounts due to my publications WITHOUT notice AND apparently filed a FALSE police report.

So what about that NSF fee?

It seems rather NOT important in this context, but I took screen shots of the online BBVA Compass transactions and NSF fee and I will address them in another post.

Right now my priority is to have my name cleared and to expose Mark Huling and the rest of the thugs at BBVA Compass for what they are:

A bunch of greedy, lying cowards – bankers of the WORST kind!

To ensure the accuracy of my publications, I will notify the BBVA Compass legal department and the Kingman branch.

I received NO response to my previous fax to the BBVA legal department after I posted about this incident at CreditSuit:

Compass Bank closed my accounts due to my publications WITHOUT notice

I will update this site as events unfold.