Revise Your Guidelines for ATM Deposits, WAMU

The 19th was MLK Day, not the 20th.

I'm not condoning Washington Mutual's actions here, but the mess with
the fees could have been avoided by not letting your account get so
low that you need to depend on a deposit going through quickly to
avoid overdrafts. I know it can be hard with the economy the way it
is, but if possible, try not to let it happen. You cut things way too
close and got burned.

That said, if you haven't had any overdrafts before they may give you
a one time credit for some of them, but I wouldn't count on it, and as
for the fees your creditors charged you, you're out of luck there. The
bank won't help you.

"I would like WAMU to assist in making the payments with the merchants
in which they returned"

Are you saying you want the bank to pay your bills? That is not ever
going to happen. If you haven't had any previous overdrafts you may
get a courtesy credit for the NSF fees the bank charged, but that's
it.

I wish you luck!

I don't understand...it said end of business day...wasn't Jan 20
Martin Luther King Day? So shouldn't it have been available the 21st,
not the 20th?

I would never ever ever never deposit cash into an ATM. That is just
ripe with opportunity for the money to somehow go missing.

if the deposit is a check? My bank as a courtesy makes a portion of
the check available immediately, but it can take days for a check to
clear.

I understand the sign was there, and that it may have required a
special trip to the bank the next day, but I just don't trust anything
that needs to be done in one or two days if an ATM machine is
involved.

I've never seen a sign like the one you cite at either of the two
banks' ATMs I have used. My understanding was it could take a few
days for a deposit to be processed out of the machine. Now, handing
cash to a teller before the end of the business day, I know that will
available.

I like Nate's advice below - it would be worth it to go into the bank
with the timeline and get an explanation in person as to what
happened. Try to remain calm while explaining your position. They
may (should) give you a break if the sign is as you say. Good luck.

Hmmmm... You should check with a branch manager in your area, and take
time to sit and talk with them.
Come prepared. Don't show up and say "I want a refund". Come prepared.
Here is what I suggest;
- Make a "timeline" style document to track your account history from
the deposit all the way up to the present.
- Include the deposit, and when you thought the funds would be
available according to the sign.
- Then plot all of your purchases, and if they are after the time that
the sign indicated, but before the funds were actually posted, then
make note of how much you were charged. Find the sum of all your
charges, and note it on the bottom. Show this information to the
manager and explain exactly which fees you would like a refund on due
to the misleading sign. If you are calm and collected, then you should
get results. Don't show up angry or confrontational.

Additionally, you should consider Bank of America. They allow you to
have access to your cash deposits INSTANTLY if ATM deposited on a
business day before 8PM.
Their ATMs are really cool - it has a built in cash slot where you
just stick your bills in and it counts it for you automatically. No
deposit slip or envelope. Working a job where I get tips, it is really
easy and really cool to be able to slide in whatever money you want.
The same goes for checks. No slip, no envelope, it even scans an image
of your check and prints it on the receipt! I love it, and you should
check it out.