Threat Of Small Claims Court Gets Wells Fargo Overdrafts Refunded
After he got some overdraft fees that he felt were unfair, Karney Hatch decided to put the banking system on trial, and make a documentary about it.
He opened a new Wells Fargo card, put only a dollar in it, then bought several $1 items at the local mall, running up over $100 in overdraft fees. Naturally, Wells Fargo refused to refund any of his overdraft fees. So, he took them to small claims court. Rather than pay the cost of sending someone to defend the case, Wells Fargo refunded his overdrafts and even paid the about $47 it cost him to file.
Says Ralph Nader in the documentary, “If a million consumers filed a million small claims court actions a year against the banks, the banks would either try to abolish the small claims court or improve their performance.”
Taking a company to small claims is not that hard, we’ve written several posts that tell you how to do it.
How To Beat The Bank [Current] (Thanks to Kane!)
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.