It Doesn't Hurt to Ask!

  I have had a checking account with a certain bank since I turned 18 years old. It is the oldest line of credit that I have and so I'm not too eager to close it just yet. But to make things a little bit easier between the Hubby and I, I opened a new account with a certain credit union.  Not even one week old, and I haven't even used my debit card, and there was already a $2 charge taken out! So I did what every one should do: I called them! I know that it's sometimes a hassle, and sometimes you're on hold for 20 minutes. But more often than not, they will fix the problem! In an age where everything is getting rapidly more expensive, it's so important to save every penny we can. 

  The little problem with my account was that, even though it's a free checking account, they were charging me $2 for a statement fee. So for them to print off the statement, stuff it in an envelope, stamp it and send it to me (just so I can throw it away) it was going to cost me $2 a month! I don't think so!! So I called. And I talked to a really pleasant guy and I told him, "hey, I was never even made aware that I had a choice in the matter when it came to paperless or not. And if given the option I would have chosen go paperless because I love trees. And I definitely wasn't told that it would cost me every month for that service." And you know what happened? He apologized. He told me that he completely understood. He fixed my account so that my statements in the future would all be paperless. And, most importantly, he refunded my $2! 

  Now, I know that $2 might not seem like the end of the world, and it probably wasn't, but that's not the point. The fact of the matter was, that I really wasn't given any of that information, and if given the choice I wouldn't have agreed to that. So obviously I was in the right, and it was only right for him to fix the mistake (and yes, I fully understand that it was not his mistake to fix). But there have also been many times in the past when it had been completely my fault that an extra charge had been taken out (i.e. an overdraft charge) and I've still called and asked them to refund it and they have. I don't think that it's anything specific that I say, or even the way that I say it that makes a difference, but it's just taking the time to make the call. A couple of other tips are: try and make them laugh, let them know that you realize that it's not "their" fault, be sincere, give them all of the information (to let them know that you know what you're talking about), and always ALWAYS thank them! I've talked my way out of literally hundreds of dollars in fees, and you can too! Just take a few minutes to call. It doesn't hurt to ask!