ING Direct Internet Banking www.ingdirect.com Review

Overall Rating

Interest rate on checking account - no overdraft fees.

Totally misleading advertising and ABSOLUTELY the most unhelpful customer service I've ever experienced when you have a problem.

ING advertises that there's no problem with overdraft fees. I had a problem with an account where I had set up an automatic payment using my debit card from the ING account. The vendor repeatedly charged my card on days I had not authorized. Because there wasn't funds in the account (which is why I didn't authorize them to charge me then). ING decided to close my account because I had too many attempted charges without sufficient funds....all from this one merchant who was debiting me without my permission.

I had NO advance notice that this was a problem....and they proceeded to keep all of the funds in my account for over two weeks while they waited to transfer to my linked account. I could get NO ONE to return my calls about the matter, and every time I talked to customer service managers, I got nothing but the runaround. I am researching now to find out whom to direct complaints about this....I cannot believe they can legally hold over $500 of my funds, without interest, for over 14 days without my permission or any advance notice that they're going to do so.

Members' Comments onGuest's Review

• Tana08 on 7th Jun 2008

  I am not clear as to why you say there are overdraft fee since you were never charged any. If you were aware at some point that a vendor was debiting your account why didn't you take care of it?

• abracadancer on 14th Jun 2008

  I just had the same thing happen to me. Without any notice, they decided to close my account and my paycheck was just direct deposited to the ING account yesterday. Obviously, I didn't know that they had decided to close my account as I had my employer (as usual) direct deposit my pay to the ING account. I only found out about this as I was trying to pay bills online. I have two weeks of much needed pay being held by them that I can not access.
  
  I had to call them THREE times yesterday to get a clear word on why it was closed and where my much-needed paycheck is headed. They told me that it was due to a few deposits in 2005 that I had tried to make to my SAVINGS account that were declined--but for the life of me, I can't remember any and have only made deposits when I've had the funds available. I opened the checking account in 2007, so because of some questionable transactions for 3 yrs ago they--without notice--decided to close my checking account. Even with their reason for closing my checking account being so dubious (because of something that they can't clarify that *might* have happened to my savings account 3 yrs ago)--they weren't budging on re-opening my account...and at this point I wouldn't want to have an account with them, anyway. They still have my paycheck, though.
  
  They have my phone number and email--why not try to contact customers when you are going to do something so serious as put a hold on their payroll? It might be a week until I can actually have my paycheck back as I wait for them to return the funds to my other linked checking account. I had called them early in the morning and when I had called them again at 6:00pm the transfer request hadn't even been noted or processed yet. I've never dealt with a bank or vendor who was so arrogant and uninterested in Customer Service.
  
  We get reminder postcards and phonecalls for dentist appointments, late cable bills, hair salon visits--but when a bank decides to close the account where they can see you get bi-weekly payroll direct-deposited, why do they not think to bother to let the customer know?
  
  Ridiculous.