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Bank person: There is a minimum balance for this account, but you have 60 days before we start charging a fee for being below the minimum balance.
60 days later, I add enough money to meet the minimum balance. 15 days after that, the bank deducts $10 for not meeting the minimum balance. So I call.
Me: What's up with this fee? I have the minimum balance in there.
Support Guy: It's a monthly fee, so if any point during the month you dip below the minimum balance, you get charged the fee.
Me: OK, but I was told I had 60 days before that fee went into effect.
Support: Well, the fee is for the whole month.
Me: OK, but I was told I had 60 days before that fee would be charged. I opened the account on the 13th, and 60 days later I put in the minimum balance.
Support: ...
Support: ...
Me: I was given 60 days.
Support: ...
Support: As a one time courtesy, we can remove the fee.
This is why poor people stay poor. It costs money to have no money and we have to argue even to follow the rules that *they* set for us. This isn't a "courtesy" to follow your own damn rules. That's the bare minimum. Now, if I had any difficulty with the language, or been less sure of my position, or been properly socialized not to make a fuss, that's $10 that I would have lost for no reason. $10 down the drain. That's 3 or 4 FULL MEALS. That's literally 2 days worth of eating for me.
And that's how poor people are poor - when a "service fee" is literally more money than it costs them to eat for a day, but no one in charge sees any problem with taking that money from them as a penalty for *not having enough money*.
60 days later, I add enough money to meet the minimum balance. 15 days after that, the bank deducts $10 for not meeting the minimum balance. So I call.
Me: What's up with this fee? I have the minimum balance in there.
Support Guy: It's a monthly fee, so if any point during the month you dip below the minimum balance, you get charged the fee.
Me: OK, but I was told I had 60 days before that fee went into effect.
Support: Well, the fee is for the whole month.
Me: OK, but I was told I had 60 days before that fee would be charged. I opened the account on the 13th, and 60 days later I put in the minimum balance.
Support: ...
Support: ...
Me: I was given 60 days.
Support: ...
Support: As a one time courtesy, we can remove the fee.
This is why poor people stay poor. It costs money to have no money and we have to argue even to follow the rules that *they* set for us. This isn't a "courtesy" to follow your own damn rules. That's the bare minimum. Now, if I had any difficulty with the language, or been less sure of my position, or been properly socialized not to make a fuss, that's $10 that I would have lost for no reason. $10 down the drain. That's 3 or 4 FULL MEALS. That's literally 2 days worth of eating for me.
And that's how poor people are poor - when a "service fee" is literally more money than it costs them to eat for a day, but no one in charge sees any problem with taking that money from them as a penalty for *not having enough money*.
