New York 12/8/2012 3:36:15 AM
News / Law

Unfair Overdraft Attorneys Want to Hear from California Bank and Trust Customers

The attorneys working with ClassAction.org are available to review complaints from California Bank and Trust customers who suspect they were unfairly charged overdraft fees. A number of major banks have been the center of lawsuits alleging that they re-ordered their customers’ transactions to maximize the amount of overdraft fees they could charge. While many of these cases have progressed toward resolution, the attorneys working with ClassAction.org have launched an investigation into smaller, regional banks to determine if they also engaged in these alleged practices. If you believe you were unfairly charged overdraft fees by California Bank and Trust, the lawyers working with ClassAction.org would like to hear from you. To learn more about their investigation, please visit http://www.classaction.org/unfair-overdraft-protection-fees.html. On the site, visitors can receive a free case review to help determine whether they have legal recourse. 

It has been alleged that certain banks are processing their customers’ transactions starting with the most expensive purchase first, rather than chronologically. It is believed that this practice is causing customers’ accounts to reach a negative balance more quickly and allows banks to charge more overdraft fees, and in turn, increase their profits. According to the allegations, if the transactions were processed in the order in which they were made, the customer would have had sufficient funds to cover more of their debits, and therefore, would have been charged fewer overdraft fees. For example, assume a customer had $50 in their account and made the following debits in order: $10; $15; $25; and $75. Instead of processing these transactions chronologically, it has been alleged that some banks would process the largest transaction first – in this example, the $75 debit. By doing so, the consumer would be charged three overdraft fees for each of the smaller transactions. Had the transactions been processed in order, the customer would have only incurred one overdraft fee. 

Several major banks have already agreed to multi-million dollar settlements in lawsuits claiming that they reordered their customers’ transactions and thereby unfairly increased the number of overdraft fees charged to the consumer. California Bank and Trust has not been named in lawsuits making these allegations; however, if you suspect you were wrongfully charged overdraft fees by California Bank and Trust or any other regional bank, please visit ClassAction.org for more information and a free case review.  

About Class Action.org

Class Action.org is dedicated to protecting consumers and investors in class actions and complex litigation throughout the United States. Class Action.org keeps consumers informed about product alerts, recalls, and emerging litigation and helps them take action against the manufacturers of defective products, drugs, and medical devices. Information about consumer fraud issues and environmental hazards is also available on the site. Visit http://www.classaction.org today for a no cost, no obligation case evaluation and information about your consumer rights.