Consumer complaint received 2020-11-20
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low — Non-sufficient funds and associated fees
Company: BMO Bank, N.A. (AZ)

I started doing paper routes at the age of XXXX and for quite a few years I put my paper route money into what is known in XXXX as a building society. I have always been incredibly careful with money. 

I was brought up and taught to save for rainy days, and I have always paid bills on time. My credit score is XXXX. I pay every bill online the day I receive them. I pay my credit card bills the day I use the card. My utilities are the same too. That is me, it is the way I have always been. 

Any bank account that I opened in countries all over the world, from XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX to the XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, I have certainly made it top priority from day one of opening any account to fully understand what the minimum amount is needed, to avoid any future fees. I do not go under the penalty amount. 

I have never been in debt in my life, my rent for years was paid 4 months in advance due to being a school bus driver, without pay during the summer ; by doing this I do not have the eventual financial worry. 

I opened an account with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX many years ago and I have always been a good customer, from what I can see. My accounts are POD so that if anything ever happens to me the money, as little as it is, goes to my son. 

By chance I just so happened to deposit a check into this bank ( now known as BMO Harris ) on the afternoon of Saturday XXXX. While sitting in front of a personal banker, XXXX XXXX, a lady whom I have known for many years ( and from a different bank ), it was brought to my attention that {$12.00} had been withdrawn from my checking account for quite some time. I had absolutely no knowledge of this whatsoever. 

This came as an absolute shock to me because I have never had money taken out of any accounts, in any countries and from any banking institution in my whole life. I was angry and upset that the bank was closing and nothing could be done right then. 

XXXX asked me Do I not check my statements to which I replied I have no reason to. This is not my primary account ; the money in BMO Harris is really for my son when I pass. I do not withdraw any money from my accounts here, so what reason would I have to look at my statements. I do have a BMO Harris credit card, which I use once in a while, and as stated above it is paid via my primary banking account that very day, which takes a day or two to process. 

I now understand, as of this evening, that BMO Harris bank changed my checking account so that the minimum which was {$1000.00}, and had been for years and years and years, had changed to a minimum of {$1500.00}. 
As already stated, I had absolutely no knowledge of this. If it was disclosed in my online banking app I would not have known as I do not check it, I have no reason to. 

I would have thought that if such a drastic change was about to take place a letter would have been sent to customers with a green fluorescent background to it, with huge letters stating As of a certain date, if you do not have {$1500.00} in your checking accounts, then {$12.00} will be taken out every month. Believe me, this would have got my attention IMMEDIATELY and I would have acted upon it that very day. 

As any banking institution that I belong, or have belonged to, will tell you or any landlord/landlady whom Ive paid rent to since XXXX, I have always paid my bills early and of course on time. I was brought up with morals, standards and principles. 

I work very hard for the little money that I do get, and to have what I believe to be {$120.00} taken out of my account, when all I have done is simply banked with you for many years, I feel is very, very unfair. 

So, as a loyal customer of BMO Harris bank for a long time, who has never had any kind of overdraft or any other fee attached to any of my accounts, or has never borrowed any money from your bank, I am merely asking would you mind reversing these fees that you have taken out ; to which I had no knowledge of to begin with. I have no problem putting more money into my checking account to equal the amount that is needed to avoid any future fees. 

Thanking you XXXX XXXX