I sent a check into Dell to pay off my computer last week and it cleared my bank last Thursday. A week later my account balance is ZERO but my available balance is still only 501.78 (1500 CL - 998.22 which I paid off). I emailed them and they said "When you pay off your account with such a large check we do not take it off your available balance until the check has time to clear....blah blah blah...." Now, comeone Dell my check cleared a WEEK AGO...and they still don't show it as 1500 available when I checked this morning! Anyone else heard of such a thing? I thought once you mailed a check to pay off something it came off your account and was credited when received. I've heard of no such thing of a company "holding" my payment from my available balance before and I've paid off numerous accounts. Is this just a dumb dell thing? Either way I don't plan on using their crummy account as it's 27% interest and that is why I paid it off immediately. Seems just like a stall tactic to me to hold my payment until they "feel" ready to release it?!!! I wonder if they would do that if you paid over the phone or online (of which they don't offer online payments anyways)???!
One or two of my VISA/MC cards do that too... BANK ONE did it because I "WOULD" have a CREDIT BALANCE on my account... I can't remember the other one off the top of my head... And DISCOVERCARD does it all the time...BUT only when the payment is $X,000.00 They said of the checks that BOUNCE...like 75%+ are all $X,000.00<----ENDING IN ALL THOSE "0's"
