Wachovia will be missed
Despite what it seems, this site is not dedicated to brooding over and complaining about rogue banks, rapacious credit card companies, and shoddy credit bureaus. It just so happens that—and you don’t have to be a marketing guru to know this—people are more likely to tell others about bad experiences. This site is no different.
However, from time to time, I like to take a break from the woebegone stories and give praise to a company that has treated me well consistently. One such company is Wachovia, the fifth largest bank in the U.S. But perhaps my kudos are too late because Wachovia will soon be acquired by Wells Fargo.
Wachovia hasn’t always gotten it right, but it has gotten it right most of the time. In fact, I cannot remember when it got it wrong. Over the ten years or so that I have had accounts with Wachovia, the bank has been responsive to my needs, top-notch in its customer service, and patient with my hundreds of questions. I have never had any major problems with the company.
So, farewell, Wachovia. I will certainly miss you. Thanks for all the good years.
Do you have any words of praise for a bank or a credit card company?
Greetings! I’m Kevin D. Johnson, a business owner who has recently assumed the role of consumer advocate and internet activist. Atlanta, Georgia is my home.
Upon returning from my wonderful honeymoon in Jamaica in October 2008, I received what I thought was an ordinary American Express bill, but to my surprise it was a disappointing letter informing me that my credit line was reduced by about 65% for a highly suspicious and discriminatory reason. Considering my excellent credit score and pristine payment history, it just didn’t make sense. However, what does make sense are the unfair and insidious policies that I have uncovered when asking why. It is time to change them.
I created this web site to document and share my challenging journey to change what is wrong, unfair, and unjust in the credit card industry. The ultimate goal of this web site is to inform consumers of ways to stand up for themselves against treacherous business practices and to educate consumers about how to improve their credit. Finally, I hope to encourage a more open dialogue with credit card companies about their policies–good and bad.
I am proud to say that this blog's unyielding demand for change led to an important 
Wachovia took a chance and gave my son his first loan after he had returned from Iraq after 14 months of service with absolutely no credit history what-so-ever. In fact, at 22 years of age, they called him "a ghost" because he lacked any credit of any kind. As a result, they gave him a start at developing a good credit history and provided him with the advice he needed to get off on the right foot. Thanks Wachovia for taking a chance on a American veteran.
Posted by: Linda | February 24, 2009 at 03:07 PM
Wachovia was there when I need to re fi an 20% mortgage that was going up up up!!! So thank you Wachovia!!!
Posted by: Taylor | February 09, 2009 at 01:10 PM
Yes. I will miss WaMu too. Those were the days. =(
Posted by: Kevin D. Johnson | February 08, 2009 at 11:17 AM
When I first moved to the state of Washington in 2003, I opened accounts with Washington Mutual (WaMu). They were a terrific bank with excellent customer service. If you had their Mastercard, you had free access to your FICO score every month, and there were many benefits with their accounts. Now JP Morgan Chase has taken over, and I'm closing my accounts and moving to another bank. Chase has taken away all the benefits, changed the cash back system to a points system, and customer service is an oxymoron. When I called the other day about an issue, the woman was sarcastic and basically told me that they can do whatever they want. So now I look for a bank that will treat me the way WaMu treated me. RIP, WaMu, you will be missed.
Posted by: Carole | February 08, 2009 at 09:40 AM
Even if Wachovia survived, would they lend credit during these trying times?
Posted by: Kumar | February 07, 2009 at 05:18 PM
i haven't heard too much about wachovia so i guess they are good. its too late anyway now.
Posted by: DLF | February 07, 2009 at 03:01 PM