Phew! Wells Fargo runs me ragged

When we left for Vegas, I took the mortgage payment with me because I figured that I’d mail it while we’re on vacation. My logic went like this with it; I get paid while we’re there so I’d drop it off at the hotel’s outgoing mail the day before my paycheck was electronically deposited and Wells Fargo would receive it, process it and all would be great. The return address on the coupons have been somewhere in Los Angeles which is at least a five-hour drive from Vegas on I-15, what could go wrong?

Foolish me. Near the end of last week, I kept noticing the amount not being removed from my checking account. The Wells Fargo people stated they had no sign of it and here’s when it gets creepy, the barcode on the envelope gives them an inside scoop from the Post Office. Nice move Big Brother! As if the ACH law the corporations received in 2002 wasn’t enough. With no sign by Saturday I was all ready to jump through the hoops this morning: Stop payment on the check with my credit union and then find a local Wells Fargo branch to make the payment in person. The whole thing would bite $20 out of my butt. Once I completed the process of stopping payment via CEFCU’s site, I took one last shot at Wells Fargo’s site to see if any progress was made on the taxes. Surprise! They received the mortgage payment Friday. Ugh! Then a quick phone call to CEFCU to tell them not to stop payment or else Wells Fargo would be mighty irked. Lucked out there too, the request didn’t process because I must’ve flubbed something.

Pretty amazing how online banking has made this all so much easier?

Update Dec. 18, 2006: Someone commented that I should go with online banking. Outside of the gas bill and mortgage, I do. However, Wells Fargo charges $20 to do an electronic transfer that costs pennies to execute, unless I have an account with them. No thanks. I’ll stick with CEFCU because they believed in me 12 years ago when I left for Austin. Wells Fargo and other banks charge fees constantly and they act like they’re doing you a favor for keeping your money with them. I’ll stick with the 39-cent stamp route.