It has been a stressful few days and I though I would share my fun, just in case any of you should find yourselves in a similar situation.
On Friday I opened up my Southwest Airlines mobile app in order to book a flight. This has become a regular occurrence and I should have known better from the beginning. The reservation that I make, every month has to be completed online. It doesn't seem to phase me though, every month I try to do it from my phone. I was in town on Friday when for my first attempt, just after I had deposited the required funding into my Wells Fargo account. I am always afraid the price is going to jump and I won't be able to make the purchase, so like a fool I opened up the app. I am sure that here is a lesson in walking in faith instead of fear... clearly a lesson I am still trying to learn.
Second attempt. I got home and sat down at the computer and typed in all the required information. I successfully made it through the first screen, the second screen and was well into the 3 page and just about to complete my transaction when I clicked the wrong button and was sent back to the first page. No, just as I had feared, the price had jumped by $140. In a panic because I didn't have and extra $140 lying around I called Southwest.
The representative that I was speaking with was very friendly, and understanding, but "fares change all of the time" and there was not really that much that she could do for me. She was kind and as helpful as she could be and set up a new reservation that would still cost me $65 more, but that seemed way more manageable, and there was money in one account that should have just enough to cover it all. This should have been my first clue that something was wrong. My card was declined. Thinking maybe I had just done the math wrong I split the payment between 2 bank accounts and secured my reservation. I sighed a deep sigh of relief, I had my reservation confirmation and everything was set. I hung up the phone and then a text came in.
I have my Wells Fargo account alerts set so that over-drafting the account is next to impossible. My I had breached my balance threshold. In came another text. My account was overdrawn the amount of a plane ticket. To my horror I opened up my bank account to see that there were 2 charges from Southwest. I frantically checked my email. I only had confirmation that the flight was booked once. I had never made it through the complete reservation process on my second attempt and hadn't even made it to the payment screen on my first attempt. Yet there in my bank account there was proof I had multiple reservations.
Now hold times with southwest can be insanely long. From the 2nd attempt to make a purchase and my conversation with the Southwest rep I had spent 30 minutes on hold. This by the way did nothing for my fear that the price was going to go up yet again, or even worse, the 3 tickets that were left would be gone. So I opened up my Southwest app again and had a chat conversation with Sue. Sue was able to confirm that there was indeed 2 itineraries with the same information. She was great though, she saved the day canceling the more expensive flight and sending me the confirmation information for the second flight. No one can really explain how it happened. The time stamps from the bank are the same, and that makes me think that the second reservation pushed the first one through. Not that any of that matters as Southwest was quick to resolve this issue.
I set the phone down and walked into the kitchen to give my husband an update. He said something along the lines of you'll feel better until you find out how long it will take to get a refund. That thought had not even crossed my mind! This would lead to a round of chatting and phone calls. The estimated refund time, 10-30 days. I called Wells Fargo and started a dispute. I was told by the phone banker that there would be a temporary credit and refund all overdraft charges, and that rather then 10-30 days it would take 1-10 to get the issue resolved. This was welcomed news. On to the the next bank. They were kind, but stated that without a hold release letter, since Southwest has started the refund processes, I would just have to sit and wait. I chatted and called south west yet again. In my chat conversation I was told to call. When I called I sat on hold once again forever only to be told I needed to speak with someone in the corporate office and they closed in for the weekend in 20 minutes. My estimated hold time was 28 minutes... I called it quits for the weekend.
I watched the bank accounts like a hawk all weekend long. Wells Fargo hadn't issued a credit. There were still bills to pay, mouths to feed, and gas tanks to fill. Needless to say, I was a mess. To add to the fun Kid number 2 had fundraising funds coming in to the Wells Fargo account. Again here is where I am clear the lesson I am learning is about trusting that God has it all under control. Better control that I will ever have. I am also certain that I will keep having opportunities to grow in this area, until I figure it out.
Monday I woke early to the sound of bank notifications. Wells Fargo still had not issued a temporary credit and now there was an overdraft fee. I resumed the phone calls. The first to Southwest corporate offices. Once again, hold times were stupid, but the level of care, understanding and professionalism shown was amazing. The agent let me know that if you are in the call cue before they close for they day, they stay until the all of the calls have been answered. The representative explained a few more things, like the refund systems and that at most the refund would take 3 days. She put me on a hold for a minute and worked her magic for one bank account and then said for the Wells Fargo account it might be better to wait the 3 days. I couldn't see that the charge was a pending transaction any more and she didn't want to do anything on her end that might slow the refund down. By the time I got off of the phone with her funds were back in one bank account.
I called Wells Fargo. They waived the overdraft fee and stated that is all they could do until the charge wasn't pending any more. What? I called Southwest back and got a hold release letter. Here I want to point out the professionalism. I am sure that the representative could see when Southwest had released the hold. She could have said take this up with your bank, their dumb. Instead she gave me everything she could to resolve this issue while apologizing for my experience. With the hold release from sitting in my email I called Wells Fargo back. I explained to the the Wells Fargo representative what the situation and asked how to send the hold release letter in. The representative let me know there was no need for the letter. Southwest had released the funds on Saturday and I just needed to wait for the banking system to update at midnight.
Yes, yes you all read that correctly. SOUTHWEST RELEASED THE HOLD ON SATURDAY and on MONDAY MORNING WELLS FARGO WAS CHARGING ME OVERDRAFT FEES and MAKING ME WAIT UNTIL TUESDAY TO PUT THE MONEY BACK IN MY ACCOUNT. The overdraft fee, by the way, was attached to a gas purchase made on Wednesday. Wednesday, a full 2 days before the fiasco ensued.
Tuesday at 4 am, the funds were finally back in my account. I was relieved and yet still angry. I couldn't help but wonder, if I hadn't filed the dispute would I have just had to eat that overdraft fee? I also can't help but wonder how it was legal that the the hold was released by Southwest but Wells Fargo was holding it and then charging me fees. I was also left wondering how many times this has happened to others. I would close the Wells Fargo account completely after this experience, but living in a small mountain town, my banking choices are limited.
I walk away from all of that learning the following:
There is something to being diligent but letting go and letting God... I need to work on that.
Southwest customer service is stellar and worth every minute of hold time. (The last Southwest representative told me to avoid hold times reach out to them on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. That made me laugh.)
Wells Fargo will hold money out of your account and charge you insufficient funds fees. Filing a dispute and the first sign of an issue may be the only way to avoid paying those fees.
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