Washington Mutual Bank (now breezily known as WaMu) wants us to believe they disdain the way banks charge customers for checks, overdrafts, ATM withdrawals, and so on. The company’s advertising campaign features a genial WaMu employee taunting a group of old, white bankers, who snicker at WaMu’s customer-friendly policies. Billboard ads feature the same codgers saying things like, “free checks for life? Over my butler’s dead body.”
But apparently every bank must pull a slick fine-print maneuver every once in awhile. The Better Half, who keeps our checkbook up to date, wandered into the living room the other day to ask if I’d made a balance inquiry at the ATM, because we’d been charged $1.50 for it. A quick call to customer service confirmed things: Washington Mutual charges for balance inquiries at the ATM.
What makes the unexpected charge even more off-putting: WaMu actively seeks out balance inquiries at the ATM. After asking if you’d like a receipt, the ATM asks if you’d like a balance inquiry.
Sneaky. And what other hidden charges are dressed up in the guise of convenience? $1.50 isn’t the end of the world, but the hypocrisy is a bit hard to ignore. Even my butler thinks so.