Bremer Bank

Bremer bank's bill pay failed to pay my other bank when they stated. I received an email from Bremer on Friday at 3:18am noting the amount was sent and the check cleared. It is a good thing I checked the bank it was to deposit into....the check was not cleared. It did not clear until the 18th. Their Online Bill pay states that a check WILL arrive by the date, and their system will not let you choose a date closer to theirs without incurring a fee for, "Expedited Service" (their terminology), yet they failed to uphold to their terms. I brought the email to the Princeton branch. Debra Gray, who has a 45 year service award on her wall said that she doesn't know why the check wasn't cleared and made a call. Then she told me that it was the fault of the Post Office, with a blank face and a shrug. Mark, the Branch Manager told me he had to contact, "Marketing" to see if I could get a letter from them to my mortgage stating they dropped they errored, so I could keep my budget repay with my lender.... My mortgage bounced twice, due to the direct negligence of Bremer. I have been a customer for over a decade and closed my account during this time (I was/am quite angry). When I closed my account, I asked the clerk to write and sign that she closed my account. She would only write closed and refused to sign. She pointed to Debra Gray as the one in charge -- but Debra balked and said she was not in charge. I asked her to sign, she also flat our refused.....(I recorded all this and told her -- she got snide and asked if she agreed to be recorded. My response was that Minnesota is a one-party state). The bottom line is they want you to THINK they're helping, but really, no one is accepting any responsibility into this problem, or any other it seems. Mark emailed me to say that basically because my account is closed, there is nothing else they're going to do. WHY should they care? It's not their money, not their mortgage, and not their life. I am grossly disappointed at the way Bremer treated me and my problem -- They violated the terms of their agreement.

I recently noted some fraudulent activity in my checking account. Five transactions were listed on my online statement. Each used my debit card number. These were made to an unfamiliar business located in another state. Each was for an identical small amount (less than five dollars.) These transactions occurred on a Friday night and were posted eight to nine minutes apart. They first appeared on my online statement Monday evening. I immediately called the bank's 24-hour number to report this issue. I specified which transactions were fraudulent, and my debit card was locked.
The following morning, I called the bank. My immediate concern was that although I had put a restriction against using my card for online purchases, these purchases had still gone through. I was also disturbed that although these transactions had all the hallmarks of fraud (late at night, before a weekend, several purchases for small amounts made an identical number of minutes apart) they had not been flagged. The individual I spoke to told me that he did not have access to any information regarding the restrictions I had placed on the card, but that he would investigate and reach out to me. My understanding was that because I had disputed these purchases, they would not be cleared.
However, on Wednesday afternoon, I saw that these five disputed transactions were no longer listed as "pending"; they had been approved. I immediately called the bank and spoke with another individual. Although she declined to tell me why the disputed transactions had been cleared, she explained that while I may have restricted any online purchases with this card, these particular transactions did not fall under the rubric of e-commerce. Rather they were "account to account" transactions, made using Pay Pal, and thus fell into a category similar to those made in person. Because my dispute was in process and could legally take up to ten days to be resolved, the bank had every right to release the funds.
I explained that I did not find this a satisfactory reason for the bank's procedures. I told her that I have been a loyal Bremer customer for many years and have invariably received prompt support and resolution to any concerns, and have been kept apprised of all actions taken. When I told her I was dissatisfied enough to consider finding another bank, she replied, "Well, you have every right to do so."
One day later, the first employee I had spoken to called me back. Our conversation was much like the previous one. No new information on the status of the investigation was offered.
I am deeply disappointed with the policies of a bank I once trusted, and the apparent indifference of its employees to my concerns. I have no confidence that I will once again be treated as a valued customer, deserving to hear more than a defense of the bank's legal right to abuse my trust.

This institution operates in ways that its clients have to "jump through" unnecessary hoops to get the services they need accomplished. They create issues for its clients which is unacceptable. No financial institution is permitted by law to close an account and not know the reason nor notify the owner. The owner must give authorization for the closure of their account.

Every single time a check goes through my account and makes my account negative, I get an overdraft fee as soon as the check is processed and I never get a chance to make my account current. I called and talked to a supervisor and she refused to withdraw the overdraft fee. I in the past have been able to update my account before getting the overdraft fee but now ever since Bremer has taken over, the fee is applied immediately and I end up suffering for the $20 check that I wrote. It is absolute ridiculous and I want to cancel with Bremer as soon as possible because of this

Closing a business checking account without any prior problem or offering any explanation. Not responding to my request for information by phone or email. Only recourse is to submit a letter to the company. Only notifying me that ACH payments and deposits will be returned "Account Closed" and any remaining balance would be returned within 5 business days.

I ordered checks from the bank who in turn incorrectly put my account number on them. I wrote checks with that incorrect information on them and they were not accepted through the companies they were made out for. I then received return fees for the checks not being accepted along with late fees. I called the bank informing them of the problem and they said that they would be unable to help me because the checks were not on my account and the fees did not show up on my banking account. Which did not happen because they put the wrong account number on the checks. Along with that I have had the account for nearly 3 years and they incorrectly put my social security number. I have asked repeatedly for them to change the social security number and they won't. This also causes me problems of not being able to reach my account information.

I had a safe deposit box with this bank in my mother(***' name) because I had power of atty.

This is a protracted and recurring problem with access to my on-line account. over 3 years. I believe it is designed to frustrate the small accounts of senior and cause them to move elsewhere.

Everytime I go to sign in, I have to go through an extra security code sent to my phone. Today, I needed access to my statement for some vital information to meet a deadline.

I had to go through the same thing since I forgot my password. This time, however, they asked for my account number . . . which is fair. THEN they asked for my last account balance.

Now why in the hell would I have or know my last account balance if I have online banking? That is just plain stupid, don't you think? I mean, I suppose some people are that *** that they save e-mailed statements, but many of us 72 year olds are not, especially if we are not originally from Minnesota.

I am sick and tired of not being able to access my account, or to reset my password easily. Even when I remember the password, I have to go through the extra security stuff. I was told it was because I may have deleted "cookies". No, that isn't the case.

I want this fixed once and for all. As I said, I DO think it is Bremer's intention to discourage the smaller accounts so they go elsewhere. Well, I'm not going, but I will fight it. The next time this occurs, I will be going to the Attorney General re discriminatory business practices.

Again, I want this fixed . . . permanently. At one time they had given me the name of a VP, but that was long ago. He did resolve the dustups, but I haven't had contact with him for quite awhile although the second security issue has persisted (without the balance info request though) and I lost the card. But I won't keep calling this gentleman. This has to be corrected permanently. Thank you.