Wachovia Bank ripoff Forcing me to pay a $5 fee to cash my pay check unless I open an account with them ? NO San Antonio Texas

When someone gives you a check, a bank is NOT obligated to cash your check. Especially if you're a non-account holder. You are supposed to take the check to your bank and deposit it and wait for the funds to clear. As a courtesy, we will cash non-account holders checks for 5.00. If it's that big of a deal, why don't you have your husband take his check to YOUR bank? Isn't that why you bank there. If I was to take my check to your bank they would charge me a 5.00 fee also. If you don't prefer to take the check to your bank, then why do you bank there? I am tired of people bad-mouthing Wachovia when all banks charge a fee for cashing non-account holders checks. It's the same thing when you take a check to a check cashing place, they charge a fee that is based on a percentage of the check amount and you're complaining that you have to pay 5.00. What a lot of people don't know is that it's not Wachovia that initiates the fee. It's based on if the company from where the check is drawn on has a check cashing agreement with the bank. Just because the company banks there, does not mean that company has that agreement in place where their employees do not have to pay the fee in order to cash their checks. Our committment is to our account holders not just non-account holders just passing through. Our company is a for-profit business and we don't benefit from cashing non-account holders for free. This is not fraud!!!! All financial institutions have this check cashing fee in place in order to increase profits. Either get an account, take the check to your bank of preference or keep paying the 5.00 and stop complaining when most companies in this world are thriving on making a buck!!!!

In the 1990s, banks would not be able to merge, or open new branches, or offer new services without a review, and if they hadn't written enough local loans in disadvantaged areas (regardless of risk or creditworthiness), the government would deny their request. So they began to look elsewhere for the funds to cover.

The banks that aren't in trouble right now are the ones that basically got out of that game; many of the bad loans went through a few major players from independent brokers, and were backed up by Freddy/Fannie. And then resold overseas etc etc etc.


I don't think that most of us that seem like we're defending the banks actually support them for their bad practices; it's quite the opposite. But it's not a ripoff when it is something that is avoidable, and is disclosed up front. If you don't overspend your account, you won't get these fees. And the fees are told to you upfront or whenever they are changed. (Ask B of A what happens if they don't)

It would be like complaining that you weren't told to buy more than the minimum insurance when you bought your car, and then hit a Porsche Boxster, which costs way more than the liability limits you carry. It wasn't anyone elses' fault that the accident happened, and you have to have some kind of personal responsibility out there. Not every possible thing that can happen to you can be disclosed upfront.

Anyway, there are some impending changes in regards to NSFs and debit cards, and I have a feeling that the banks will resume bouncing items at the point of sale, which will result in more postings here, usually from being arrested at restaurants for failure to pay.

I cannot believe all the posts i'm reading asking "how else do you expect the bank to make money if not on NSF fees etc"......or "banks are businesses and they make thier money off of Fees etc".....

WHAT?!?!?!? The fees we're talking about are a NEW thing in the last few years. I'm only 37 and i CLEARLY remember the days when you actually made money off of your deposits.

How do the banks make money? They're SUPPOSED to be making money off of smart investing/lending practices. IE: they invest in a company who has sound business practices and they make money off of those investments......or.....they loan money to someone to buy a house or a car and charge interest on those loans. THAT is how the banks are supposed to be making thier money.

I have to laugh when i see bank employees on here saying things like "how else are they supposed to pay me?" They're supposed to pay you off of returns on investments and loans.

Due to the banks BAD and RISKY investment and lending practices, and the exectutives/ shareholders greed they have put themselves into a situation where they are now failing. No-one DID this to them...they did it to themselves and now they're trying to dig themselves out of the hole by slamming the small depositor/account holder.

Think about it....

Banks used to....

1) pay interest on deposits
2) not charge fees

Today banks....

1) do not pay interest on normal deposits
2) charge fees for EVERYTHING
3) make risky and high interest loans
4) invest badly
5) take huge profits for executives/shareholders


I challenge anyone to dispute this. To defend modern banking practices is as bad as defending the bully on the playground.

Expect a 1099 at the end of the year on that $50 and then try not to choke too much when YOU have to pay taxes and SS on the $50.

Since Wachovia so greedily charges the fee, make sure the check is made out with 5 additional dollars. Let's bankrupt Wachovia and every other bank who thinks it should cost money for every miniscule task they do. To the Wachovia cheerleaders on this thread, and every other simpleton who thinks it is fair to charge the fee, I hope you are the ones who will be paying the demanded 5 extra dollars to cover a check. See if you like getting charged. You wont.

Unless the account was overdrawn when closed or used to deposit fraudulent checks, Wachovia would have no legal right to "mention" anything on anyone's credit report. I used to bank with WAMU...I certainly wasn't happy with their "service" (9 day holds on local payroll checks), so we closed the account about two and a half months after we opened it and not a thing on our credit report.

My mother's bank of almost thirty years was taken over by Wachovia..she had enough of them after about three months and went elsewhere.

Bank accounts that are closed while in good standing are not reported to a credit bureau. I am pretty sure that DNaples knows that.

John, check your credit report, because I think you might see a mention from Wachovia about you opening an account and then closing it right away. And if it is on your report, it my count against you in the future. Just something for you to think about next time you TRY to get back at a bank.

I got charged $5 to cash a check from a company I did freelance consulting for. I went right to Wachovia because the company is having financial problems and sent the check to me 2 1/2 months late.

I thought there was a high chance of it bouncing and I didn't want my bank to charge me fees. So instead I got charged fees from Wachovia to cash a proper check drawn against funds that were deposited with them. So anyway, I didn't get mad - I got even.

I opened a new account with them at http://www.wachovia.com/misc/0,,633,00.html and 60 days later I got a nice $50 bonus. Then I closed the account.

I hope they choke on the original $5 I gave them.

Having owned a business in the last ten years and always being "harassed" to "switch my account from one bank to another....here are a few things I have learned. Every commercial bank rep will tell the business owner that ALL checks will be honored if the person cashing check has adequate ID. NO CHARGE! Now the reality, if you issue a check for a large amount, you may receive a phone call from your bank confirming that you have issued said check. Banks have had to "give away" so much in order to "land" business accounts, that they have had to "develop" new and "whimsical" ways to make profit....after all, banks like to make 20% on all customers accounts...and if they can't, they have to become "fee driven" banks! Meaning, grab your wallets, and "head for the hills!" These "fee driven" banks have the option of charging extra....as in their small print,"we reserve the right to charge a fee or use the word may charge a fee....." Once the Banking industry, once again, goes down in flames.....there will be a new "group" of new kids who will roll back all the "reserve the right and may charge or may increase your interest rate".......and get back to client pleasing banking. It happens every ten years or so. Large banking concerns will be bought up by larger banking concerns....etc. Wachovia made their money by increasing their interest rates on credit cards....making them more profitable...and subsquently either bought out or were bought out by a regional bank that carries mortgages, business loans....checking account. The next one on the horizon is Capital One bank....Fifteen years ago, I moved to Arizona and started banking with Valley National bank....who was then bought out by Bank One...only to be "gobbled up" by Morgan Stanley, Chase bank.....well since this small, quite good regional bank has been bought out three times.......Chase drives more customers away than it secures on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Chase bank in Arizona has tried at least three times to become a major player in this state....had to buy out Bank one in order to do it! They are without a doubt the worst bank in Arizona....taking the place of Wells Fargo a few years back. US Bank is trying to get a "toehold" in the state now....hopefully they won't succeed. I banked with them in Washington....many years ago....Terrible bank. To sum up...ALL banking concerns have developed the right to legally charge ridiculous fees and interest fees....spawning the advent of "Pay day loan stores on every corner. The real crooks. All banks will charge everything they legally can until it catches up with them....and someone or a larger banking concern buys them out. Small banking concerns that have grown bigger in the last 10 years...NorWest Bank to First Intersate to Wells Fargo. Valley National bank to Bank One bank to Chase Bank.....Bank of America was purchased by a small regional banking concern in the Southeast and decided to keep the B of A name... Sooner or later someone will understand that regardless of the legality of how these banks are run.....ethically and morally it is NOT RIGHT! OR when the customers in unison, all decide to not take it anymore. ONLY then will the banking industry change again.....hopefully for the better. Thanks for letting me vent!

Since you are a teller there, what do you do if someone, that you never saw before and dosen't have an account, comes into your branch and wants to cash a check for $1000.00? Are you saying that you will just give it to them without recording the identification information anywhere? And how do you like being located accross from the Hardee's? Please respond today since your branch is closed on Saturdays.

I dont know what bank you go to but if the check you are cashing is off of a wachovia account. we do not charge anything. First of all if she asked you to swipe you drivers licenss tell her no. and if she types in your card number tell her no because that is a document that is saved and anyone will have access to it. refuse to give your card and then ask for a manager. They have to cash checked if the account is drawn off of their branch. If they still want to charge a fee call our 1800 number and complain. do not call the local branch that you are at. call the nation wide number 18009224684.

I dont know what bank you go to but if the check you are cashing is off of a wachovia account. we do not charge anything. First of all if she asked you to swipe you drivers licenss tell her no. and if she types in your card number tell her no because that is a document that is saved and anyone will have access to it. refuse to give your card and then ask for a manager. They have to cash checked if the account is drawn off of their branch. If they still want to charge a fee call our 1800 number and complain. do not call the local branch that you are at. call the nation wide number 18009224684.

I dont know what bank you go to but if the check you are cashing is off of a wachovia account. we do not charge anything. First of all if she asked you to swipe you drivers licenss tell her no. and if she types in your card number tell her no because that is a document that is saved and anyone will have access to it. refuse to give your card and then ask for a manager. They have to cash checked if the account is drawn off of their branch. If they still want to charge a fee call our 1800 number and complain. do not call the local branch that you are at. call the nation wide number 18009224684.

I dont know what bank you go to but if the check you are cashing is off of a wachovia account. we do not charge anything. First of all if she asked you to swipe you drivers licenss tell her no. and if she types in your card number tell her no because that is a document that is saved and anyone will have access to it. refuse to give your card and then ask for a manager. They have to cash checked if the account is drawn off of their branch. If they still want to charge a fee call our 1800 number and complain. do not call the local branch that you are at. call the nation wide number 18009224684.

Most banks in my neck of the bayou have two lines -- one for customers, and one for non-customers. At any given time, the non-customer line is halfway out the door while the customer line is empty or maybe has only one or two people in it. I am very grateful that I do not need to wait in line behind dozens of individuals who do not even have accounts at the bank!

As a side-note, I have never seen anyone standing in the non-customer line accept the offer to open an account. Many do not speak English enough to understand what is being offered to them. Many do not even have the appropriate ID that is required to open an account. You do the math ... there are reasons why people do not want to open a bank account, usually relating to the background checking involved ...

One of the main reasons the bank's adopted this policy is due to the massive complaints THEIR customers lodged with regard to waiting in line at the banking centers. If you look at the long lines, especially on Friday's, of people cashing their checks, probably 7 out of 10 aren't even customers of that particular bank. That just makes it frustrating for the actual customers of that bank.

If you listen to the bank employees they always try to get these people to open accounts, and for the customers cashing checks, they talk to them about direct deposit. So why not make money off of those who tie up lines- I'm all for it. Just as an aside, hello it's 2006, why in the world do people even cash their checks anymore? Lord it's not 1950. If you have the ability to have direct deposit go for it, it'll make your life SO much easier.

Why do you feel entitled to have your check cashed for free simply because it is written from whatever bank? IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT AT THE BANK, YOU WILL BE CHARGED A CHECK-CASHING FEE. It doesn't matter which bank - EVERY bank will do this. Why?? To cut back on fraud, which is common among transients who regularly cash their checks at institutions of which they are not a member.

Why not open an account at Wachovia so you can cash your checks for free? Or cash your checks at whatever bank you DO have an account at already? If for some reason you do not have an account anywhere at all (i.e., to avoid having to identify yourself and other personal details), then that is an issue that only YOU can deal with.

if someone who has 2 forms of ID and his NAME is on the check and when they check to see if the check is valid and it is, their is no fraud involved. It is just unfair and I feel not legal at this point. And another point we should address with Wachovia is that they cash checks that are the biggest checks and if you dont have enough to cover that check but small ones that come in, they will check the biggest check and apply a few to the smaller ones and bounce them. When I found out their did that, I closed my account. instead of cashing the smaller checks, they opted for the larger checks. I know bouncing checks are wrong however it does happen and they you get stuck with huge fees instead of smaller ones.

Its simple the fee is the fee almost every bank charges that fee to cash out commecial checks. But the company your husband has most likely has to cover the fee. So dont blame wachovia it is a business. If it was yours you would be happy about the fee. So speak to the company they need to take care of that.

Why do you feel entitled to have your check cashed for free simply because it is written from whatever bank? IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT AT THE BANK, YOU WILL BE CHARGED A CHECK-CASHING FEE. It doesn't matter which bank - EVERY bank will do this. Why?? To cut back on fraud, which is common among transients who regularly cash their checks at institutions of which they are not a member.

Why not open an account at Wachovia so you can cash your checks for free? Or cash your checks at whatever bank you DO have an account at already? If for some reason you do not have an account anywhere at all (i.e., to avoid having to identify yourself and other personal details), then that is an issue that only YOU can deal with.

Why do you feel entitled to have your check cashed for free simply because it is written from whatever bank? IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT AT THE BANK, YOU WILL BE CHARGED A CHECK-CASHING FEE. It doesn't matter which bank - EVERY bank will do this. Why?? To cut back on fraud, which is common among transients who regularly cash their checks at institutions of which they are not a member.

Why not open an account at Wachovia so you can cash your checks for free? Or cash your checks at whatever bank you DO have an account at already? If for some reason you do not have an account anywhere at all (i.e., to avoid having to identify yourself and other personal details), then that is an issue that only YOU can deal with.

Why do you feel entitled to have your check cashed for free simply because it is written from whatever bank? IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT AT THE BANK, YOU WILL BE CHARGED A CHECK-CASHING FEE. It doesn't matter which bank - EVERY bank will do this. Why?? To cut back on fraud, which is common among transients who regularly cash their checks at institutions of which they are not a member.

Why not open an account at Wachovia so you can cash your checks for free? Or cash your checks at whatever bank you DO have an account at already? If for some reason you do not have an account anywhere at all (i.e., to avoid having to identify yourself and other personal details), then that is an issue that only YOU can deal with.

Let's examine two scenarios:

1. A non-customer marches in to a local branch, demanding that the bank cash his/her paycheck. The bank kindly explains that as a non-customer, a fee applies to cash this check at their bank. The demanding customer becomes upset - asking for an explanation as to why, if this check is cut against their bank, a fee is involved. After 10 minutes of nonsense, a REAL bank customer decides he is tired of waiting BEHIND some bum who doesn't have a bank of his own. He leaves the bank...and takes his account (and money) with him.

2. A non-customer calls the bank AHEAD OF TIME, explains the situation, and asks the representative if, as a courtesy, the check may be cashed without fee and what would be the best way to accomplish this. At four different banks (for checks received as gifts, refund checks, rebates, etc.) this approach has resulted in my running through the drive-through, sending the check and my driver's license to a teller, and receiving my money AT NO CHARGE in record time.

I do not believe that this is a function of LUCK, but rather the bank's appreciation of my understanding of THEIR NEEDS. If you expect to take your paycheck into a bank as a non-customer EVERY WEEK and get it cashed at no charge, your head is somewhere in FANTASY LAND. The bank is not going to perform a FREE service to a non-customer on a recurring basis. However, as a one-time courtesy, I have found that using approach #2 results in a charge-free cashing of one simple check. Perhaps the bank feels that this courtesy will win them a new customer...and in the case of Bank of America, they were correct! Twice they cashed refund checks from my university....and at no charge. Now, I live in a state where there are no BOA branches (though there ARE BOA ATMs around me here)...and I STILL bank with them because they performed a COURTESY.

Bottom line: stop searching for something for nothing. Banks are in business to make money, not give you a charge-free out when your irresponsibility and check-bouncing leaves you no checking account options.

In response to the banks charging fees to cash check written on said bank. I have cashed checks at bank of america, and wells fargo and do not have an account at either of the banks I was charged $5.00 a both banks. the bank of america teller had told me that YOUR EMPLOYER has the opportunity to pay this fee if they choose to, if not then you would pay the fee. The reason for the fee the teller didn't know. But when you think about it. You could either go to a check cashing place and pay anywhere from 1-10% of check or pay small fee. I am thinking you are paying for the fee for the same reason you pay a fee at a check cashing place "processing and services"

As for the disgruntled wachovia person who initiated this thread I think she was just pissed because if the check had been written on bank of america or wells fargo and didn't have an account she would have been charged a fee and written about those banks.

I am a prior wachovia customer who initiated my account in south carolina over 10 years ago and was pleased with them back then. When I found out wachovia was now in san antonio, I immediately went back and have yet to be disappointed with this bank, they always greet you nicely in the drive thru and when I had a problem with fraud on my account they immediately creditted my account over the phone, reversed charges and sent me a new credit/debit card. I really like this bank and they are available 24hrs a day

You're the only one (aside from Stile) who has given a comprehensible, intelligent response.

The others who object to charging a fee to cash a check for a non-customer think banks are members of the many so-called 'non-profit organizations.' They're also probably the ones who buy an item from Target/Wal*Mart/KMart 6 months previous and try to return it for a cash refund--with no receipt!

I have yet to see any industry stay in business when they can't make money.

I'd like to have these objecters as my employer. I don't CARE if they don't make any money--I want my paycheck as usual.

Even though I dislike this expression, I'll use it: You go girl!

It is amazing to me how this subject has so many up in arms and attacking one another's integrity and motivation rather than productively discussing the issue. It would seem like common sense that a bank, like any other business, would charge for their services.

Yes, I too, work for a bank that charges a $5 non-customer check cashing fee, though not one of the several mentioned. I don't know about any of the other bank employees that responded, but I get paid to do my job. And, where does my bank get the money to pay me? From charging for services we provide to both customers and non-customers. Every check I cash, coin roll I count, and deposit I make, takes time which I get paid for.

Furthermore, that work gets taken by a courier, (who gets paid) to a proof department full of people that process those transactions, (they also get paid) which is then posted by yet another department of people (who also get paid). This doesn't even begin to cover the loss prevention departments that will alert us if something unusual is happening on your account to try and save you money, the corporate security, district managers, operational auditors, HR departments, branch support centers, trainers, compliance, the list goes on and on and on. Let's face it. A bank takes a lot of people (who all get paid) to run and provide for our customers and non-customers the very services that everyone expects for free.

I wouldn't expect to go to a check cashing place and not pay, at the very least, a significant percentage of my check in exchange for that service. Yet, when a non-customer walks into my branch to cash a check drawn on my bank, that is exactly the function we serve for that person.

Yes, we are obligated to our customers to provide the services promised to them when they open an account, which includes honoring checks they have written to third parties. However, one of the most important services we provide our customers is protection.

Why would we prefer someone to open a free account rather than simply cashing the check they present to us? Because at that point we can have on file all the indentifying information necessary to track someone down in case of fraud. The check may be good, but that doesn't mean that the person cashing it is. A driver's license number, which could very well be fraudulent without verification, just doesn't cut it anymore in this world of fraud and identity theft.

Why do you think it is that banks are forced to charge these types of fees now to make the same amount of profit they could make years ago without these fees? Because people are no longer the same type of people they were then. The times have changed. Turn on the news and you will see daily reports of phishing, fraud, identity theft, foreign lottery scams, etc. We're just trying to keep up. The $5 fee is a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the amount of fraud loss that goes on and the money we reimburse to our CUSTOMERS when they have encountered one of these problems.

I am sorry that people are offended by this practice, but I hope that this explanation will help to explain why it has become necessary. I can guarantee this. Anyone who becomes a CUSTOMER by opening a free checking account at my bank, can be confident that they will receive first class and first name service each time they walk in my branch and that I will protect their money as if it were my own.

Yes, that may mean collecting fees from non-customers to provide for my customer's security that if anything fraudulent happens, they will be fully reimbursed and have the availability of services with which to investigate and, if possible, recover or prosecute their loss.

Anyone with any other questions regarding these or other issues, should contact your local bank to get sure answers on their practices, rather than relying on comments from angry and disgruntled people who only see things from their particular point of view and want to make it seem as horrible and illegal as they can.

Trust me. If there is one thing a bank and its employees MUST do, it is abide by the law. If this practice were illegal, it wouldn't be done. Especially not as widespread and commonly practiced as it is.

In respone to Daniel who states he is not charged for cashing checks at Key Bank, National City Bank, Bank of America or Wells Fargo and he is not a customer...consider yourself lucky!

In Key Banks Deposit Account Agreement and Funds Availability Policy it states: We reserve the right to charge a fee to a non customer if we decide to cash a check for the non customer, even if the check is drawn on us. You agree that the charging of such fee is not considered wrongful dishonor. ** I called to see if in fact they charge and how much, I was told $5.00 by a teller in the 10 W Market St Branch.

In National City Bank's Pricing Schedule for Personal Accounts is states:
Check cashing (for non-customers) .... $7.00 per check.

In Bank of America's Deposit agreement it states: We are not liable yo you for refusing to cash the check or for charging a check cashing fee. ** A teller at the 301 S. Kings Drive verified it was $5.00.

I was unable to obtain a statement of fees or pricing schedule for Wells Fargo, however after contacting, General Banking Questions:1-800-869-3557, customer service they confirmed a fee of $5.00.

I am amazed however you are able to go to all of these banks and cash checks at no fee. In all my time, I have never been able to cash a check at a bank I am not a memeber of without a fee, which is why I only deal with my home bank.

Although I do not agree with this fee, most all banks charge the fee, I feel because they are actually trying to discourage non-customers from coming in, as they will have more time for their customers.

All four of the aforementioned banks have cashed checks, drawn against their bank, at NO CHARGE to me - AND I AM NOT A CUSTOMER OF ANY OF THESE BANKS.

Anyone who claims that a bank charging a fee to cash a check drawn against itself is "standard practice" is either drinking the Jim Jones Kool aid cocktail or has Windex in his brain. It costs a bank exactly ZERO cents to cash such a check. If a bank ever asks me to pay a fee to cash one of its own checks, I'll splash its name all over the pages of my website - then let every student of mine know how it does business.

Perhaps after they receive a boatload of poor press and damaging negative publicity, they will know who TRULY controls business in this country.

All four of the aforementioned banks have cashed checks, drawn against their bank, at NO CHARGE to me - AND I AM NOT A CUSTOMER OF ANY OF THESE BANKS.

Anyone who claims that a bank charging a fee to cash a check drawn against itself is "standard practice" is either drinking the Jim Jones Kool aid cocktail or has Windex in his brain. It costs a bank exactly ZERO cents to cash such a check. If a bank ever asks me to pay a fee to cash one of its own checks, I'll splash its name all over the pages of my website - then let every student of mine know how it does business.

Perhaps after they receive a boatload of poor press and damaging negative publicity, they will know who TRULY controls business in this country.

Sorry Diedra but I have never posted in any group except Wachovia.

How would you know of the unauthorized charges hitting my account if you are not an employee? It's not mentioned in this thread.

How would you know my name was Nick when my posts say N?

On a job application to Wachovia is there a question that asks if you are despicable? I've never before had the displeasure of having to deal with so many people programmed to be despicable and outright liars as I have with Wachovia employees.

I am not involved in scams of any kind. To suggest that I am a scammer based on the fact that unethical companies such as Wachovia try to rip me off is laughable! The unauthorized charges that hit my account are from unethical companies such as Wachovia. I cant help it if they look for ways to rip people off and I will not use any company a second time if they attempt to rip me off.

I do however do everything in my power to make the public aware and to get the unethical companies as I have done with Wachovia. I have undisputable proof of the outright violations of federal laws & the fair credit reporting act by Wachovia. The theifs will soon be on the chopping block! Both the FTC and Comptroller of Currency will be on them like bugs on Sh*t! Wachovia lost this battle! They will be exposed on TV, in the papers and forever on my sites!

Funny you should mention that Nick, because I recall you doing the same thing on a Wal-Mart posting. Now the same questions apply to you. How can you have something good to say about a company that has so many negative postings on this site? Are you in the habit of ignoring complaints too?

As for me, I make decisions for myself based on what's right for me not everyone else. On the same note, what applies to me may not apply to other people and their experiences with a company.

And apparently, you are involved with alot of scams yourself since you kept having so many unauthorized charges hitting your account with Wachovia! It doesn't seem like you're too good at picking out bad companies either. So maybe you're the one who needs to learn a lesson.

You really should stop contradicting yourself. You should take your own advice. If you'd paid half as much attention to the companies you were dealing with online as you do to what I post on this site, maybe you wouldn't have such a grudge against Wachovia. And once again, MY NAME DOES NOT CONTAIN THE WORD "DIE". Pay attention to detail Nick!! My name is DEIDRA!!!

Diedra,

when you say...

"Fourth, If you must know, I come to this site on a regular to check out companies before I do business with them as I said in my first posting that I was scammed and I have since learned my lesson."

When you want to do business with another company, come here and see so many pages of complaints from so many people do you still do business with them? Or do you ignore and defend the complaints like you do with Wachscambia?

Maybe some day you will learn your lesson!

First of all, if you are going to respond to me, please have the common decency to spell my name correctly. Second of all, I'm entitled to give my opinion here just like you are. Third of all, if I worked at Wachovia, I would say so, I have no need to keep that from you or anyone else. Fourth, If you must know, I come to this site on a regular to check out companies before I do business with them as I said in my first posting that I was scammed and I have since learned my lesson. Why do you come to this site? I hope it's not to bash anyone for having anything good to say about a company that you have a vendetta against. And no it was not a mistake as I had cashed the checks there several times and it was cashed by several different employees of the bank. Next, you know what they say about those who assume things. I made good comments about the bank because I've had good experiences with the bank, DUH!!! Anyone with a single shred of common sense would be able to figure that one out. And if you hadn't noticed, if you look up any of the big name banks, most of them have dissatisfied customers. And lastly, I didn't say what they did was right, I simply stated that the same thing didn't happen to me and was implying that maybe the bank made a mistake. So don't jump on me because you are disgruntled with the bank and want someone to vent your frustrations on. I am not the one.

Last time I looked checks were not legal tender. A person is not required by law to accept a check as payment for anything.

You can legally demand to be paid in cash, a.k.a. legal tender. Serve a written demand on the employer that he pay you in cash because his bank will not cash his checks without you paying a fee. Then demand reimbursement of whatever fees you have paid.

You may also want to look into your state statutes. Arizona, for example, has a state law that prohibits an employer or his agents from exacting anything of value from an employee as a condition of employment. (God, if a labor-hostile state like Arizona has a law like that then it would be hard to imagine that other states do not have similar legislation.) The bank is acting as the employer's agent in the situation described in the original post.

Diedra, How strange that you would find this site. How did you find this site? Were you searching for something and just happened to come across this story and was compelled to defend? With lies? Or maybe it was just another mistake by a Wachovia employee who forgot to charge you?

I have to assume that anyone who made such good comments on a site with so many horror stories about the unethical tactics and policies of such an unscrupulous bank must be an employee. Are you?

I can't help but feel sad for some of the comments that think that it is OK to charge for cashing a check issued from the same bank it was drawn from. As a contractor for many years, when I fist started out and worked for some shady companies, if you didn't get to the bank by lunch on payday there was a good chance you wouldn't get your money for another week.

You didn't risk going to your bank, because there was a holding period. You went to the bank that was written on the check, because you wanted the cash in hand. So don't speculate or make assumptions that someone doesn't want to bank at there bank, sometimes you just want your money owed to you today, right now! And that is exactly what a check written from an employer with funds in the bank is, CASH!

If you are getting charged to get your money, it is wrong. Write the Lt. Governer, Dept. of Labor, Civil Liberties Union, and your local newspaper and radio. The more people you get involved the faster you will see results in your favor. Good luck.

I recently opened an account with Wachovia in January of this year. But when I wasn't banking with them in 2005, I used to go there to cash a check from a company that had an account with them and they never charged me any fee. I have no problems with Wachovia what so ever. In my opinion they are a very decent and respectable bank. In fact when I was recently a victim of a scam, I was able to call and explain the situation to them and they encouraged me to close my checking account and open a new one and I was able to do all of this over the phone with no problems. I'm very sorry to hear of your negative experiences with Wachovia.

Let us get one thing straight here: Banks charge fees to cash checks drawn against their own bank TO MILK CONSUMERS OF MONEY. I am not a Bank of America customer - yet they cashed a university refund check of nearly $4,000 without charging me a penny, so I know that some banks are open to the concept.

D in Naples - we all know your game because we read your nonsense where ANY person ever challenges the practices of a big business. You have your head so far up Wachovia's a** that we cannot tell where they end and you begin - and that's fine. If want to support unethical profiteering at any cost, that's your prerogative. Just don't bring your smack on to these pages and pass it off as truth..because your words represent your varnished OPINION, not the legality of any given situation.

Allen when you say...

"Additionally lets say you work for Dell, Dell has thousands of employees. Now if you decide with all the other thousands to bring your checks to wachovia to cash your check then we have lines out the door of our branch and you are taking time energy and effort away from our paying customers."

Thats laughable! It seems to me that Dell would be a paying customer and very, very large customer!

So why dont you tell Dell to bank elsewhere?

The more I read here the more obvious it becomes that the thought process of those who work at wachovia has been altered, twisted and directed away from reality!

Has anyone else noticed this?

I did a little digging and found the legal basis for these non-customer check cashing fees.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/consumer-protection/checkcashing-fees-202/overview.htm

Essentially, the banks are asserting that they have a right to charge fees to non-customers, and the courts seem to agree.

It seems the only remedy would be increased federal regulation.

Don't blame Wachovia they charged you. When you company signs up for their account they choose full service or cheap banking. Guess what they want it free. Yes your employer could choose to pay the fee. They could choose a fee based account that isn't simply based on analysis. But they want everything for free too. So why do banks charge you to being with? Well money doesn't grow on trees. And in order to have CASH on hand to pay that check it costs us money. On average its about three dollars per one thousand to have that money sit in our vault waiting for friday when you all come and cash your check. Also no they didn't enter your husbands bank card information that is illegal. They verified the name type and validity and issuer of the card. They enter that in the system, not the number.

Additionally lets say you work for Dell, Dell has thousands of employees. Now if you decide with all the other thousands to bring your checks to wachovia to cash your check then we have lines out the door of our branch and you are taking time energy and effort away from our paying customers. The end result is your company has choosen not to include you when they open your account. They are given the choice. Balme them, use your own bank or learn to deal with it

I did, and they do. A government check presented with proper ID will be honored.

Ken, do me a favor, next time you go to your Credit Union ask them if they will cash a government check for someone that dosn't belong to the Credit Union. And if so, will they cash it without a fee. Thank you, in advance for your answer.

I can make that statement because it is federal law that every bank has to honor (read: cash) a government check. Easy huh?

Ken, I would like to know how you KNOW that "Wachovia DOES cash government checks." How do you know this since you state, "Wachovia isn't even in my part of the country". And as I did state Wachovia DOES CASH GOVERNMENT CHECKS IF THEY HAVE AN ACCOUNT WITH WACHOVIA.

For a bank to charge a service fee to cash a check drawn on their bank is absurd !!

There is no reason I, or anyone else should have to utilize Direct Deposit or be obliged to go to our own bank (or Credit Union) just to cash a paycheck.

Wachovia will never, ever get any of my banking business!!! That includes mortgages, car loans, CDs ... period !!

If everyone reading this Rip Off Report that has an account at Wachovia were to cancel their account, Wachovia might be smart enought to change their business practices. One negative report such as this is sufficient to negate 10 radio or TV advertisements.

Wachovia DOES cash government checks. You know why? Because it is the law, and they have to.

I understand (and commend) your loyalty to your employer, more people should be that way, but doesn't the overwhelming number of complaints about Wachovia give you pause? Think of it this way... Wachovia isn't even in my part of the country, but if they started to open branches here, I'd be telling people about all the bad things I read about them. It's a shame that their bad reputation preceeds them.

It may not be illegal, but it should be. It may already be illegal if it is a pay check.

Some people don't qualify for bank accounts because they have been irresponsible or even fraudulent in the past. This doesn't give banks the right to extort them because they have no other option. If someone worked an honest job and got the paycheck from a legit company, there is NO risk to the bank in cashing it. The employer PAYS the bank to hold their money and give it to the employees as directed. The "Pay to the Order Of" language on the front of the check means PAY THAT AMOUNT, not pay that amount minus some arbitrary fee. The employee deserves his money, ALL of it.

It costs money to operate a bank or credit union. It is a business. It has share holders. They expect a profit. 99 of 100 banks charge a fee to NON ACCOUNT HOLDERS to cash a check drawn on the bank. It is NOT illegal.

Wachovia, as with many big banks, has a TOTALLY free checking account that this guy can open. If he uses his account responsibly, he will be able to cash checks, make deposits, use a check card, etc.

More than likely, he owes another bank money for misuse of an account and that is why he goes to Wachovia to cash his checks.

His employer more than likely DOES pay fees to bank commercially with Wachovia. BUT, they probably also have features on their accounts that tey earn interest by sweeping out their balance and investing on a regular basis so their fees are offset.

His employer can also elect to waive the $5 fees. This is common practice when a company has employees who need to cash their checks during a lunch hour and it is good business to let them run across to the nearby bank and get back to work rather than take 2 hours to go to the Check Cashing Place and pay the 1-3% that those places charge.

Bottom line..it is NOT illegal; it IS fair to those who hold shares in Wachovia; it is easy and FREE to open and maintain account at Wachovia (if you are responsible); his employer CAN have those fees waived and finally, YOU HAVE THE CHOICE. You are not being forced to cash your check there. Go open an account somewhere else, if you can.

The company that issued the check DOES have an account with Wachovia. That's why they shouldn't be charging a fee. It's like that funny commercial where a customer walks up to the teller and they get charged for a "conversation fee". It's getting ridiculous.

Sorry Ken I didn't finish my statement. Wachovia won't even cash a government check, UNLESS you have an account with us.

Ken, TRUE Wachovia won't charge to cash a government check. But then again, Wachovia WON'T EVEN CASH A GOVERNMENT CHECK. Which is our right to do.

They go to Wachovia because that where the funds are. The employer entrusts his money to Wachovia, in consideration of the honoring of a check. Wachovia CHARGES the company to perform this service. To charge the individual cashing the check on the other end is just plain sleazy.

Note that they are not allowed to charge anyone to cash a government check, and those funds aren't even on deposit with them.

If he takes his check to his own bank, he will likely not have immediate access to his money7 while his bank clears the funds from Wachovia? How fair is that?

Pretty much the only good thing you can say about Wachovia, is that they make Wells Fargo and Bank of America seems not so bad.

1. They may need immediate access to cash, not the next business day (or longer, which is the practice of some banks).

2. Their bank may put a hold on deposits (less the first $100 they are required to make available by federal banking regulations).

3. They may bank out of state (as I do) and would prefer to wire in their deposits as opposed to waiting 2-3 business days for the mailed-in deposit to post. I had to do this for two pay periods waiting for my Direct Deposit to start when we changed banks.

4. Because they have the legal right to submit a demand item (aka a check) to the bank upon which it is drawn for payment without it being dishonored if the payee doesn't like to be extorted.

I guess that folks don't know or have forgot that the banks are in THE business TO MAKE MONEY so they can pay their expences. And how do they do that you ask? By charging folks Interest on Loans, Fees for overdrafting their accounts, AND by taking fee's for cashing checks from companies, for people who DON'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT WITH WACHOVIA. And I often wonder why do NON-ACCOUNT HOLDERS come to Wachovia to cash their payrole check and not to THEIR OWN BANKS? And reguarding the FEE AMOUNT, I know that Bank Of America also charges $5.00, and that 5/3 charges $8.00 for ANY check! I look forward to any other posts about this. And before anyone asks, YES! I DO WORK FOR WACHOVIA! AND I AM PROUD OF IT!

The checks are good.

However, I do see your point about the fee being inappropriate. I totally agree. How can they charge a fee to cash a check they issued themselves?

Greedy banks, that's all I can say.

Banks are required under the UCC to honor checks drawn on themselves, against valid funds. It is the reason that checking accounts exist.

The company that deposits the funds is paying the bank to process its checks. For the bank to tack on a check cashing fee is unethical, if not illegal.

I understand that there is legislation being considered now to outlaw this practice.

While it is strange that a bank would charge a fee to cash a check issued by that very same bank, banks are charging more and more fees these days.

The solution would be to deposit the check in your own bank account at your own bank or, better yet, credit union.

As others have also suggested, direct deposit is great. It saves you a trip.

Maybe the payroll department DOES know. However, in most states, wages must be paid and payable at a local bank "without discount." If you cannot cash your payroll check at the employers bank without paying this fee (discount), your husband's employer can be fined. This happened to numerous employers in California and as a consequence, their banks can no longer charge employees a fee to cash their checks.

Check with your State Commissioner of Labor.

Your husbands payrole department DOES KNOW about the $5.00 fee and agrees to the fee, otherwise they would tell Wachovia not to charch the fee. Which they can do. And I agree with the other poster when they asked, Why can't your husband cash the checks at his bank? Please answer that question. IF YOU DARE.

State labor laws usually require employees to be paid in cash, or some instrument that can be readily converted to the same amount of cash. This harks back to the days of company towns when the company also owned the bank, and of course they tried to double-dip.

We've already discussed this before. She states her husband's check is issude on a wachovia account. Her husband's employer has already paid, through fees, wachovia to cash his checks. This is another clear case of double dipping. As I've stated before, these banks and credit unions have thought up ways to ripoff customers by charging for things they use to not charge for. You have to go back many years to understand the whole concept of a check. To alleviate the employer from paying in cash, he went to checks. Because some mid-level banking weenie came up with the idea of charging non-account holders a fee, to cash a check that was drawn on that bank, many banks do so. That doesn't make it right. Then they came up with "electronic" banking, paperless banking, to eliminate checks and checking accounts.

Christ, now they're charging you people to "access" your money electronically. What did somebody post today about. He was charged $10 per transaction because his debit card didn't work? When are you people gonna learn and just say no to this crap. I refused to take bankone checks at my shop because of their B/S policies and procedures. They wanted me to pay them $5 to verify a check on my credit card. I don't think so. Oh and by the way, no more bankone. As a matter of fact, the last time we discussed this matter was over bankone's charging someone to cash a payroll check drawn on bankone.

If anything, I'd go back to my employer and complain about how wachovia is ripping off the poor employees. I'll bet one phone call to wachovia will end that crap real fast. Or the employer will change banks. I would. d**n, there must be a dozen or more, new banks in San Antonio in the last four months.

I think it would be interesting to contact your state's banking commissioner, and in the case of federally chartered banks, teh Comtroller of teh Currency, and ask them about the legality of this practice.

It was always my understanding that a bank must honor a properly presented check which is drawn on the bank. I think the bank may play some games like saying it is from an account opened in another branch, but I am not sure this would tsnad up to a challenge.

This practice is sleazy, and at the very least borders on illegal. I'd love to someone stand up to them and make a case.

Another thing you could do is have your husband notify his company's HR department that Wachovia is refusing to honor his paycheck. That might be interesting too.

Good luck.

Why doesn't your husband go to his own bank and cash it? Does he owe his bank? How about direct deposit that way he doesn't have to go to the bank at all and won't have to deal with anything. The $5 fee is a fee for the services they render to you. Suck it up and pay it or go to your own bank. Plain and simple. I don't know a bank out there that doesn't charge you to cash checks w/o an account. They dont know if the check you have is a good check or not and even if your name IS on the check and you show proof of I.D. how are they supposed to track you down if the check bounces? Then they could be out hundreds, if not THOUSANDS of dollars... It makes since to me.....

Wachovia is NOT forcing you, or in this case YOUR HUSBAND to do anything. If you don't have an account with Wachovia and want to cash your PAYROLE check there is a $5.00 fee to do so.

There has been fees to cash payrole checks, in one amount or another for the past 9 years.

So, do what you think you can do and take your check back to your bank.

And if your bank is a NATIONAL BANK I'll bet they charge to cash a payrole check for someone who doesn't bank with them. More later.

And I look forward to your response.

It's the same at most other big banks -- if you have your own account at another bank, why not cash/deposit it there? Better yet, why not have direct deposit at your own bank, that way on payday you/your husband can go to an ATM?