It is common that you spend over without noticing how much you have left in your bank account. What most banks will do is charging you for that “overdraft”, even though you may have just overspent a few dollars.
For example, BB&T will charge you $36 each time when you overdraft BB&T checking accounts. The good news is, you may get it waived after they have charged you. Here is a guide to get your overdraft fee waived or get a refund by BB&T.
What is an Overdraft Fee?
An overdraft occurs when you do not have enough money in your account to cover a transaction, but the bank pays it as a courtesy. As a result, the bank will usually charge an overdraft fee on that transaction.
Overdraft fees are charged per transaction, or per item. Every bank has different overdraft fee, and here is a list of the overdraft fees of other banks in the US (2020):
About BB&T
BB&T (Branch Banking and Trust Company), now named as Truist Financial Corp. is a bank holding company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its bank operates 2,049 branches in 15 states and Washington, D.C.
Here are some quick facts of BB&T:
Headquarters: 200 W 2nd St, Winston Salem, NC 27101
Revenue: US$11.651 billion (2018)
Founded: 1872
Website: https://www.bbt.com/
Customer Service: 1 (800) 226-5228
Resource: Wikipedia
BB&T Overdraft Terms and Policies
General policies:
If your bank does not have enough money, BB&T does not authorize and pay overdrafts for ATM transactions and everyday debit card transactions unless you ask us to by opting-in. Instead, BB&T will only authorize and pay overdrafts for checks and other transactions made using your BB&T checking account number and automatic bill payments unless you ask us to opt-out.
Overdraft fees:
Meanwhile, BB&T charges $36 per overdraft each time it pays an overdraft, and there is a limit of 6 overdraft fees per day, which means you won’t pay more than $216 per day if you keep overspending.
Check the details of BB&T overdraft service here: https://www.bbt.com/banking/overdraft-options-and-fees.html
How to waive your BB&T overdraft fees?
If you have overspent and got charged the overdraft fee by your BB&T bank account, don’t be upset. It is possible to negotiate, and the draft fee can even be refunded.
So, all you need to do to waive your overdraft fees are listed below:
1. Call the bank customer service
If this is your first-time overdraft, most banks are willing to waive your overdraft fee to keep you from leaving them. You can just call the BB&T customer service phone number +1 (800) 226-5228 and ask it.
If this is not your first time, you will need some tips to save your money. Here are some tips about how to do the phone call:
- You will need to bring up your compliance with a reasonable explanation of the situation
- You will need to show you are a loyal customer and you want to stay with BB&T
- Be polite and firm
Here is an example of the phone script:
- Customer: hi, I found my BB&T account had an overdraft fee charge and I would like to have it waived.
- Bank: I see the fee. Unfortunately, we are not able to waive the fee because xxx
- Customer: I have been a good customer for xx years and the overdraft is a rare occurrence. Could you help me to waive it? I will be happy to stay with BB&T.
- Bank: OK. Let me check. One sec please.
2. What should do If a call doesn’t work?
Sometimes a phone call may not solve the problem and you will need to try other ways, such as:
- Send Online Messages: You can send us a secure message in online banking. Simply log in and select Messages.
- Mail a letter to BB&T corporate office:
BB&T Financial Center-Corporate Headquarters
200 W 2nd St,
Winston Salem,
NC 27101
United States
Phone: 1 (336) 733-2000
3. Contact BB&T executives
Primary Contact
Anthony Ziomek
Senior Vice President
303 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30308
Anthony.Ziomek@suntrust.com
4. Contact the Board of Directors
Email: CEOLine@BBandT.com
Send a letter to:
BB&T Financial Corp.
PO Box 200
Wilson, NC 27893
How to avoid overdraft fees from BB&T?
If you have been charged for an overdraft fee, you know how annoying it is. How to avoid overdraft fees? The easiest is to know to keep track of your budget and be careful not to spend what you have in your BB&T account.
If overdraft happens, here are some tips to avoid overdraft fee from BB&T:
Use BB&T Overdraft Protection
BB&T offers Overdraft Protection by allowing you to link your BB&T personal checking account to another BB&T account in case you have insufficient funds for a transaction.
Participate in Overdraft Review
With your personal BB&T checking or savings account, you can decide if you'd like to participate in the Overdraft Review process by opting in or opting out.
Overdraft Review allows you to make a decision on how transactions should be handled on your account when sufficient funds aren't available. You'll opt in or opt out of the kinds of transactions, if any, that you can decide what to authorize more freely.
Get alert notifications from U by BB&T®
Alerts can provide key BB&T account information regarding a variety of activities to help keep you secure. Easily set up and manage alerts in U by BB&T®. Simply login your BB&T U and change the settings you need. Receive them by text message or email to keep informed without having to log in to U.
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