Banks Are Pushy
I’ve blogged in the past about how banks are pushy, and today I saw another example. I noticed a pre-authorized transaction on my chequing account over the weekend, and I know that I definitely had NOT authorized any, so I was wondering WTF? I waited till this morning so that I could call the employee banking phone number instead of the ‘regular’ telephone banking one. (Remember, I work for a bank, and one of the perks is having our own dedicated employee banking phone number, where we get preferred service).
Thankfully it only took dude a minute to figure out what it was: the bank set up a pre-authorized payment for my line of credit, so that if I don’t pay my bill on time, they automatically transfer the money over from my chequing account. I have a vague memory of this being set up for me a few years ago, but since I have since changed the account number on the chequing account, I didn’t think it would work. (The account that was originally set up on was closed, and then I opened a new account this spring after I got the new job).
Anyways, that cleared up that mystery, when suddenly the previously ‘nice’ rep got pushy.
“I notice that you’re almost at the limit of your credit line,” he said.
“Yes I am, that’s because I’m using it to pay off other credit cards with higher interest rates,” I replied. (This isn’t entirely true, but it was Monday morning and I hadn’t yet finished my coffee.)
“Are you having trouble making the monthly payments? Because if you are, we can switch that over to a loan which would give you smaller payments,” he went on.
I suddenly got really pissed off. Who is this guy and why is he assuming that I can’t make the payment? When that automatic payment went through, it didn’t get rejected, did it? Stupid, son of a !@$%^^$#! Couldn’t he have just asked me if I wanted to lower my monthly payment? I realize he was trying to be “nice”, and maybe he just didn’t ask delicately enough, but still, the way he did ask got me quite mad. Argh. I told him thanks for asking, but I wasn’t interested and hung up. Sheesh. I think what also bugged me is that every interaction I have with banks these days is reduced to an offer for a loan. Giving me a loan isn’t necessarily the best way to help me out of my financial quandry, you know? <sigh>
Okay, I feel better now after that rant is done. 
Unless there is a problem with my account/card, Lately I seem to find any phone calls from my bank to be annoying. I know how to contact them if I have questions, or to go to my brick and mortar. Five phone calls from them in the past 5 business days.
Must be evening more frustrating for you, being in the banking system.
Yes, it’s annoying any time, but if they’re calling you 5 times in the last week, that’s crazy! I wouldn’t actually bank with this bank if I didn’t work for them, but I still don’t consider them my “main” bank, if that makes sense.
That’s crazy. I was actually at a store this past weekend and the cashier was extremely pushy with another woman in line trying to get her to sign up for their customer loyalty program. The woman repeatedly told her no and she kept pushing it. I almost turned around and told the cashier that I wouldn’t shop there anymore because of the pushiness. What is with all the pushy people lately?
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