BizNet OnLine Magazine, Downer.... Err I Mean Downey Savings And Loan....

Downer.... Err I Mean Downey Savings And Loan....

You Are Bringing Me Down.............

For a long time I had a very small account at Downey Savings. It was so small that I basically ignored it. However with the upcoming move to Arizona I decided to start to use it again, as they had a convenient branch near what is to be our new location.

As such, I made a good sized deposit into the account and requested an ATM card.

Now for why I am upset with Downey Savings:

I was told when I got the card in the mail, I would have to call an 800 number to activate the card, but the card would then activate immediately.

The other day, in a rush to get out the door, I left home with no money and no bank cards (including ATM), or checks for that matter. I realized this when my low fuel light came on. I had two choices. Return home and get some money and be late, or keep going and run out of gas later on. Now the choice looked pretty clear, except for one thing. I had the letter in my car with my new Downey Savings ATM card. I pulled it out. All I had to do to use it was to activate it.

With ATM card in hand, I decided to proceed on to my meeting. After the meeting I called to activate the card. I got a recording telling me that the card would be activated at the close of the next business day!

O.K., no ATM card to use! I re-read all the paperwork with the card...Nothing about needing a day to activate it. Now I had no $$ and not enough gas to get home. I had to sell my watch to get a couple of bucks of gas.

I was not happy about not being able to use my ATM card. Had I known of the delay, I would have gone home and gotten my money, instead of just going on to my meeting.

On complaining to Downey and asking what were they going to do to compensate me for the inconvenience (I asked for nothing other then “what are they going to do?) At first I was told that I was wrong. ATM cards are activated immediately, and mine was. I was told I got no such message about a delay.

I was later told that I was right. I did get the recording. It turns out that ATM cards can only be activated Monday though Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Otherwise you get that recorded message. I asked why was I not told that before I relied on being able to use my ATM card? I was told because “we” did not know that. I asked, “If you did not know, how was I to know”. I was then chastised for being the one that left home with no money.

I explained that I would have gone back and gotten my money but I relied on bad information given to me by Downey. I was again chastised for being the one that left home without my money.

I even talked to more than one manager about this. The last one I talked to was Jennifer. She explained that I now know better than to leave home without my money.

And now Jennifer, as I promised you…Downey savings and Loan now knows better then to give that kind of response to a consumer complaint when that consumer writes articles like this!

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