A Customer By Any Other Name…

I’ve recently changed my name, but I opened my bank account with my original name and went through the whole process with my local bank when I got it legally changed, so most of the tellers are aware of me having two names. I just put both names when signing and it’s all good. 

My payments from work have always been direct deposits up until this summer where I received a check after attending a training.

I go to my bank with this check and there is a teller I have never seen before. It’s already taken about fifteen minutes to even get through the line. When I finally get to the counter, I kindly explain that the check has my old name and I’ve signed both names on the back of it.

First, she claims I can’t get cash back on the check unless I deposit and then withdraw in two different transactions. Okay, cool.

Second, she claims I can’t withdraw at all from my check and then goes to speak with a supervisor. Dumb, but I can just use the ATM after.

Returning, she then tells me I can’t deposit the check at all and tells me to call the number on my check and tell them to send me one with my name on it. That’s something I can’t do until I make the four-hour trip out of town to change my social security card, and I need the money now.

When I tell her I’ve never had an issue since the change with anyone else, she tells me there’s nothing she can do. When I tell her I’ll just go over to the other branch, she just gives me a short “Okay!” and throws my slips into the shredder without so much of a second glance. This whole thing has already taken another twenty minutes.

I then have to go downtown where — Surprise! — they deposit and let me withdraw without batting a lash, and then I come back into town. With an hour wasted now, I call the bank back and the senior teller there is pissed.

Apparently, it shows both my names on my account. Why the teller couldn’t just look at the screen and see that… we both aren’t sure.