posted on October 13, 2001 10:28:24 AM
Hi- I am sorry for asking this here but I have nowhere to turn.
My insurance company decided to dip into my bank account without my consent. They took $45.00, but that was not what I pay monthly and my bill was paid in full prior to the company helping themselves to my account. My bill has never been late and I have never missed a payment. I do not use the automatic check deduction and the insurance company shows all of this...BUT...
A few days ago the insurance company decided to give me back my money and all related fees, I thought this was over and was just waiting for my check. Now I know there will be no check...
Today they send me a BILL for the money they stole as well as for MY BOUNCED FEES!! They now say I owe them $160.00 and it has to be paid by Tuesday or I'll lose my insurance!
I call them and they say they can see that this is happening (wrongly), cannot tell me why they have done it and will not promise they will stay out of my account.
The bank says they can't stop my insurance company from doing this and are of no help.
I am starting to think I need to go to the police and charge Geico with theft/fraud/bank fraud...whatever.
In the mean time, my bank account is empty, many checks have bounced as a result of the Geico theft, and I am sick to my stomach! When I told Geico I'd have to cancel my policy they told me they would report me to the state for not being insured, plus my account was paid in full and I'd lose that money too.... I don't know what to do, I've never had a situation like this before and I cannot accept Billpoint and don't want to deposit any checks or moneyorders right now (because I can't afford to keep having my funds sucked into nowhere until someone fixes whatever glitch is doing this).
Any suggestions on where to go with this? Does anyone think the Police is the right way? Please help me, I am seriously going broke over something I did not ask for... If not for my Paypal card I could not eat this weekend. (and I hate to admit that stupid card is saving me right now..)
posted on October 13, 2001 10:38:06 AM
Sorry to hear you are going through this. I don't understand how your bank can authorize Geico from deducting money without written consent and not do anything. When you authorize a company to dedecut money, you have to send in a voided check and sign a form stating that you give them the right to do so. If you never did this, they do not have the right. There is some form you need to get from the bank and fill out. Go back to the bank and talk to the manager.
posted on October 13, 2001 10:38:15 AM
I don't know where you live but this is what I have done more than once when I have had problems like that.
I live outside of Houston where all three of the radio stations have consumer reporters that love these kinds of stories. The most famous of these is Marvin Zindler (Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Guy) sometimes just the name can scare them.
"I called channel 13 and so and so thinks this would be a great story for the 5 oclock news" Sometimes I call the station some times I just lie and say I have called the station but it has never failed to get me results.
posted on October 13, 2001 10:42:42 AM
Sounds to me like its time to find a new bank. The first thing that I would do is close that account!
If any of the other checks that bounced are to pay for ebay auctions, simply email the seller, and explain the situation, and offer to send a money order in replacement of the check.
Unfortunately after these companies get your money, you are in for a fight to get it back.
posted on October 13, 2001 10:43:44 AM
Call your bank. No one has a right to your money without your consent. It is against the law. Go right to the head of the bank, stating you will call the local media and the state banking department. Do it. They have to reverse all unauthorized withdrawals and should cover your bounce fees.
Call the insurance company and demand an answer, stating you will call the state insurance board to report this as well as the media per above. if it is not immediately resolved.Go to the supervisor or whoever. Then get another insurance company when this mess is cleared up.
If you need to, call a lawyer. Don't wimp out--fight back!!!
posted on October 13, 2001 10:44:18 AM
No I did not send a voided check, I never gave consent in any way. The bank says the chrge comes in looking like an online check and they cannot stop online checks (even if I did not make the charge). It took over a week to find out who even took the money, it was just listed as Check 18...
I just wrote to my local new station, I hope that helps. Being Saturday, I doubt I'll get an answer for a few days..
I guess all I can do is wait for Monday and start some Bank and Insurance Company phones ringing.. Sadly my bank is an online type and I can't just walk in...But I sure wish I could..
I'm not positive but I pay all my credit card bills at each individual site with a check and not through billpay system. I still have to sign up to pay the bill and give them the right to do so. I never sent them a voided check because they are not automatically deducting the money on a set day. I log into GM Mastercard and pay the bill when I want. GM Mastercard does not have the right to take money out of my checking account even if it looks like an online check.
Years ago I was getting my insurance deducted from my checking account. I signed up for it. A year later I cancelled the policy and the ability to deduct from my checking account. They still kept deducting money from my account. I went into the bank and they gave me a form to fill out to stop them from doing so. Unfortunately, I can't remember what the form was called.
I know how frustrating it can be. My mother has had an account for 20 years with GMAC. She rarely ever uses it to write checks. She decided to write one and it bounced not due to insufficient funds, but because they could not find her signature card. A bunch of other checks did bounce because of this and she has racked up $50 in fees. They are making her do all sorts of stuff. You think after all these years they would have the decency to call her before bouncing the check. It's sad.
posted on October 13, 2001 12:09:03 PM
kyms, would you believe you aren't the first?? I was watching a local news station earlier in the week and they profiled a woman who had the same problem with Geico. Somehow she got it resolved. I've looked at the station's website, but I can't find the info so they must've pulled it. I emailed them.
Since this is off-topic, why don't you email my AW id @home.com so I can email you when the station emails me back (they're really good about it).
posted on October 13, 2001 01:11:34 PM
If you're sure about the facts, call the police. Or call a lawyer if the police won't help. You obviously need to talk to a higher up at Geico, and phone support does not sound like the way to do it. Maybe you should just call Warren Buffett.
posted on October 13, 2001 08:20:36 PM
If money is missing from your bank account, and you did not authorize it to be taken out, it is a simple case of embezzelment or theft. Give the bank 8 hours to replace the money. If they fail to do so, file a claim with F.D.I.C. to recover your money. Let them explain to the Federal bank examiners what happened. Contact the state insurance commissioner and tell them that the insurance company is using a computer to gain illegal access to your bank account and that their qualifications to be licensed to operate in your state need to be reviewed. Then sit back and wait for your phone to ring. It shouldn't take long.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on October 14, 2001 06:24:31 AM
This has nothing to do with banks, but I dumped Geico a looooong time ago.
My car was hit in a parking lot (the other guy backed into me). I had a $500.00 deductible. Over $1,000.00 of damage. Geico sent me a check minus the deductible.
The guy who hit me refused to give me or the police insurance info. (This is not an insurance state, by the way). I told Geico to place the claim under the uninsured portion of my policy, which is not subject to the usual deductible. They refused to do so without PROOF of the fact that he was uninsured. I could not provide PROOF, because he refused to communicate with me.
I was out $500.00 and was royaly pissed. Geico refused to do ANYTHING for me. I told them to sue the other guy for the deductible. They refused. They said that they would bill him, and would send me the money when he paid. Yeah right. Like he would really pay.
I told Geico that they were obligated to pay under the uninsured portion of my policy. Again, they refused.
I took the other guy to small claims. I won. I submitted the judgment to Geico. I now had proof that he was uninsured, so they paid me $500.00 under the uninsured portion of my policy. They also threatened to sue ME for the remainder of what they had paid out!!!
They claimed that because I did not sue for the entire amount, they were barred from doing so. I told them that I had asked them time and time again to sue the man, and they refused. Well, legally I could sue only for what I lost out of pocket, and Geico had refused to help me.
They were a bunch of idiots. I gave them some choice words, along with some legal threats of my own. And, promptly dropped them.
posted on October 14, 2001 07:21:19 AM
As of 8 AM tomorrow both my bank and Geico are history... Thanks for the inspiration! I needed it! I was getting so upset it was hard to think clearly. Thank You All!
posted on October 14, 2001 09:13:56 AM
If your insurance policy hasn't already reached its normal expiration date when you cancel it, then the insurance company owes you money for the "unused" portion of the policy. They can't keep money they haven't earned.
You can try calling your state's insurance commissioner's office and asking for help too, and to register a complaint.
posted on October 14, 2001 10:02:31 AM
Whatever you do though take them very seriously about being turned in for no insurance. I've had 3 friends from 2 different states go through problems with them and they most certainly did turn them in for no insurance when they cancelled their policies!
So head Monday am to a new company, get insured with proof and effective date and them get rid of them. They are the worst.
Think about it. If you get rid of us we'll turn you in. That's a threat! These people are doing this all over the country and I would love to see them in a class action suit!
One friend lost their car for 6 months for being uninsured.
Good Luck and write everything said down!
