Re: Online banking surges for day-to-day transactions (Dec. 19)
I really think you should explore the issue of online banking a little more. There is a big problem that is showing it’s ugly head and is only going to get worse if nothing is done about it. The problem is that the Internet is available to users 24 hours a day, seven days a week and the banks are still operating on a business work week.
Many users that I have talked to have taken to monitoring bank balances for the purpose of making deposits to cover items that may or may not be clearing their accounts. They quickly find out that the banks are not even on the same wavelength. The banks will clear an item whenever it pleases them to do so, even backdating items that do not appear until the next day. Credit card monitoring is a complete screw up, it can sometimes take two to three days for a transaction to be shown.
The banks will change their policies to suit their needs without informing the client. They have found a way to get rich and make the poor even poorer by the unexpected service charges that can result from them not explaining properly the way online banking works. Why haven’t the banks adjusted? Because they are making millions in profits from this and will tell you it is all your fault!
The banks should get with the program, help the struggling economy, go 100 per cent live with real-time data and allow their online clients a buffer to do transactions. Until this is accomplished, I personally recommend not using online banking for anything other than bill payments and historical reference. The banks are stuffing their pockets at the public’s expense.
Darrel Brooks
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