Friday, February 09, 2007
Almost the final episode with WaMu
After having an attorney come out to the house and draw up durable power of attorney that included specifically a clause allowing me access to any safe deposit boxes held privately or by the trust, I returned to the offending branch to close out the boxes.
From past experience, I determined it might be best to go to the branch manager first to avoid any unnecessary delays. Seeing the branch manager was indeed in, I went up to him, verified he was indeed the branch manager, a Mr Breslau, and explained I was there to conduct some business on behalf of my parents and took a seat. I was informed he could not help me since he was on his way out to a customer... making me wonder what he thought I was.. which apparently was not an important enough customer to even find out why I would bother to come to and ask specifically for, the branch manager.
Thus I was dismissed and sent to "sign in" and wait for someone to help me. Mind you, there was no one else at any of the desks needing attention, and yet I still was left to wait for attention.
A young man who I recognized as having been present during much of the altercation between myself, my Mother and Flora finally came to help me. I produced the power of attorneys for both my parents, explained that I believed it to be ineptness and in efficiency rather than theft or fraud, that had caused my Mother to be denied access to their safety deposit box, I was there to empty and close that box, surrender the keys and close their Money Market account.
A counter check was produced almost immediately, but access to the box seemed to be in question. I cited page 3, item h which was quite specific, but that did not seem to help much in expediting the matter. Mark, the young man waiting on me, had to go to Katherine (or Kathleen, I know her by sight having had difficulty with her before, but have managed to dismiss her name the way she usually dismisses me)
Due to this conference, which took place within 8 feet of where I was sitting, Mark was instructed to delay me because "they had not been advised of the power of attorney" I pointed out I was informing them now of the power of attorney, and that it would have been impossible to advise them prior to that day since I had just come from the meeting with the attorney and the signing of the documents that gave me power of attorney.
I was then treated to sitting there for over half an hour while Mark looking more uncomfortable by the minute, spent that time on the phone with their legal department asking if I had the right to close the box out. It seems they could not stop me from getting into the box as it was clearly stated in the document, so they were grasping at straws to keep me waiting.
I put up with this delay, and finally, when they had nothing left to question, I was admitted to the vault where we together searched for the missing box...which it turned out was another of the duplicate numbered boxes in the back room... and I mentioned knowing he was present during the problem with myself and my Mother and Flora. His only comment was that he had to work with her everyday but I got the impression he was sympathetic and understood why I might be somewhat impatient with the delays I was experiencing.
I emptied the box, we replaced it, I surrendered the keys and signed off on the box. That only leaves on more trip necessary to close the last remaining account once we are sure all the direct deposits are going to the new account and all the checks have cleared the old account.
In summary, if you are just a regular person, and do not dress in $100 + suits, you cannot expect the slightest courtesy from employees or management at Washington Mutual banks. I have been urging my friends to move their accounts to another bank and to let WaMu corporate know exactly why they are closing their accounts. Just about every other bank I went into to ask for information, treated me with far more courtesy than I have ever gotten from WaMu, there were no head to toe evaluations or dismissals based on what I was wearing or how I looked.
You can be a part of this very grass roots protest by telling Washington Mutual Corporate that you will be moving your bank accounts to another bank and why, or why you would never open an account with WaMu if this is an example of how they treat their customers.
From past experience, I determined it might be best to go to the branch manager first to avoid any unnecessary delays. Seeing the branch manager was indeed in, I went up to him, verified he was indeed the branch manager, a Mr Breslau, and explained I was there to conduct some business on behalf of my parents and took a seat. I was informed he could not help me since he was on his way out to a customer... making me wonder what he thought I was.. which apparently was not an important enough customer to even find out why I would bother to come to and ask specifically for, the branch manager.
Thus I was dismissed and sent to "sign in" and wait for someone to help me. Mind you, there was no one else at any of the desks needing attention, and yet I still was left to wait for attention.
A young man who I recognized as having been present during much of the altercation between myself, my Mother and Flora finally came to help me. I produced the power of attorneys for both my parents, explained that I believed it to be ineptness and in efficiency rather than theft or fraud, that had caused my Mother to be denied access to their safety deposit box, I was there to empty and close that box, surrender the keys and close their Money Market account.
A counter check was produced almost immediately, but access to the box seemed to be in question. I cited page 3, item h which was quite specific, but that did not seem to help much in expediting the matter. Mark, the young man waiting on me, had to go to Katherine (or Kathleen, I know her by sight having had difficulty with her before, but have managed to dismiss her name the way she usually dismisses me)
Due to this conference, which took place within 8 feet of where I was sitting, Mark was instructed to delay me because "they had not been advised of the power of attorney" I pointed out I was informing them now of the power of attorney, and that it would have been impossible to advise them prior to that day since I had just come from the meeting with the attorney and the signing of the documents that gave me power of attorney.
I was then treated to sitting there for over half an hour while Mark looking more uncomfortable by the minute, spent that time on the phone with their legal department asking if I had the right to close the box out. It seems they could not stop me from getting into the box as it was clearly stated in the document, so they were grasping at straws to keep me waiting.
I put up with this delay, and finally, when they had nothing left to question, I was admitted to the vault where we together searched for the missing box...which it turned out was another of the duplicate numbered boxes in the back room... and I mentioned knowing he was present during the problem with myself and my Mother and Flora. His only comment was that he had to work with her everyday but I got the impression he was sympathetic and understood why I might be somewhat impatient with the delays I was experiencing.
I emptied the box, we replaced it, I surrendered the keys and signed off on the box. That only leaves on more trip necessary to close the last remaining account once we are sure all the direct deposits are going to the new account and all the checks have cleared the old account.
In summary, if you are just a regular person, and do not dress in $100 + suits, you cannot expect the slightest courtesy from employees or management at Washington Mutual banks. I have been urging my friends to move their accounts to another bank and to let WaMu corporate know exactly why they are closing their accounts. Just about every other bank I went into to ask for information, treated me with far more courtesy than I have ever gotten from WaMu, there were no head to toe evaluations or dismissals based on what I was wearing or how I looked.
You can be a part of this very grass roots protest by telling Washington Mutual Corporate that you will be moving your bank accounts to another bank and why, or why you would never open an account with WaMu if this is an example of how they treat their customers.
