Banks and Credit Unions Have Had to Pay Customers Billions for Unfair Overdraft Practices
Banks and credit unions have been collecting billions of dollars in unfair overdraft and NSF fees from customers. In a trial against Wells Fargo Bank, co-tried by Richard McCune of McCune Law Group, the Judge called Wells Fargo’s overdraft practices “Profiteering and Gouging” in ordering the return of $203 million in overdraft fees to Wells Fargo’s California customers. Since that groundbreaking lawsuit, dozens of banks and credit unions have had to return a total of over a billion dollars in overdraft fees to their customers.
The Overdraft Practices That Have Been Challenged as Unfair
Banks and especially credit unions used to make money by loaning their customers money and collecting interest on their loans. But as interest rates went lower and lower, the banks and credit unions turned to fees as a profit center. The most unfair fees are overdraft and NSF fees. Overdraft fees are charged when the bank or credit union claims the account is overdrawn and pays the item and then charges a fee. An NSF fee is when the bank or credit union returns the check or electronic transaction (called ACH) unpaid and charges a fee.
However, the fees charged are excessively high for the overdrafts. From 2000 to 2018, overdraft fees have gone from an average of $15 to an average of $30. Many banks and credit unions now charge as much as $37 for each overdraft, which is excessively high for providing what is really just a very short-term loan. If the banks called it a loan, they would have to disclose that it usually carries with it interest rates of thousands of percent. This has led to the $40.00 cup of coffee – the bank turns a $4.00 cup of coffee into a $40.00 cup of coffee by deliberately authorizing a debit card into overdraft and then charging a high fee.
But, in addition to the excessively high amount of overdraft or NSF fees, the banks and credit unions have put in place practices to increase the number of overdrafts so they can charge an overdraft for each transaction.
Some of these practices include:
- Delay making available deposits until after transactions are posted.
- Charging an overdraft fee on a transaction when there was enough money in the account to cover the transaction through using “available balance” to determine if it was an overdraft instead of the actual or current balance.
- Reordering the transactions from the order in which they occurred to high-to-low in order to increase the number of transactions that are considered overdrafts.
- Charging overdraft fees on bank authorized debit cards purchases by tricking the customers into “opting-in” to their overdraft program.
- Charging multiple NSF or return fees for a single check or bill pay that was returned.
- Charging an overdraft fee after the bank or credit union authorized the debit card transaction and there was money in the account.
- Charging an overdraft fee for a transaction and then transferring money from another account only after the overdraft fee is assessed.
- Having a high penalty fee each day the account is negative, often called a sustained overdraft fee. Not transferring money from another account (often a savings account) to prevent an overdraft, even though the customer signed up for Overdraft Protection.
- Posting the amount for a check or bill pay that reduces the account balance below zero, and then charging overdraft fees on transactions that follow it before returning the check or ACH the next day.
- Charging an overdraft fee of $30.00+, even though the transaction or the negative balance was less than $5.00. Not having a limit on the number of overdrafts charged each day.
MWA is the Right Firm to Contact to See About Your Rights as a Class Representative
For almost 15 years, Richard McCune and McCune Law Group have been the leaders in the Country in class action overdraft litigation against banks and credit unions for unfair and illegal overdraft and NSF fee practices. They have helped customers of banks and credit unions collect more than $1 billion in settlements and verdicts, including being co-trial counsel in a $203 million verdict against Wells Fargo. They have been counsel in more than 50 class action overdraft cases filed in over 20 states. Within just the last few years, they have been lead counsel in a $70 million settlement against TD Bank, a $8.5 million settlement against People’s United Bank, an $8 million settlement against Bank of Hawaii, and a number of multi-million dollar plus settlements against credit unions. They have a long track history of success and have an overdraft class action team that is dedicated to holding banks and credit unions responsible for unfair and illegal overdraft practices.
No Risk and No Fees or Costs Unless You Win
The overdraft class action specialist will review your transactions and advise you if you have a class action case. If you do have a potential class action case, and decide to go forward with a lawsuit, it will be on a contingency basis where attorney fees and costs are only paid if the lawyers win, and then the attorney fees or costs are awarded by the Court and paid out of any recovery made in the case.
Contact Us Today to See if You Are Eligible to Recover Damages From Your Credit Union or Bank
The best way to contact McCune Law Group is to call (855) 976-3154 and an overdraft class action specialist will contact you right back.
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