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This is a good reminder that the best way to get your money back from an institution that is unfairly keeping it from you is either to file suit (in CA, you can

This is a good reminder that the best way to get your money back from an institution that is unfairly keeping it from you is either to file suit (in CA, you can sue for up to $10,000 in small-claims court), or hire an attorney. Self-help and complaining online rarely works. Phone calls work even less.

gruez 5y ago
If all your money is parked in one bank account, you're probably too busy figuring out how to buy groceries or pay bills, and don't time for a daytrip to an attorney's office or courthouse.
astrange 5y ago
Hiring an attorney is a good way to not have any money since you used it to pay the attorney. (And you have to find one - for some reason there's a phrase "my lawyer" but what kind of person "has a lawyer" and why would that lawyer know how to do everything?) Just file a CFPB complaint: https://www.consumerfinance.gov https://www.consumerfinance.gov
- otterley 5y ago
  > Just file a CFPB complaint: https://www.consumerfinance.gov https://www.consumerfinance.gov "Just <do x>" is considered facile and sometimes rude, if not harmful; it implies that things are easier and/or more effective than they actually are. (The CFPB does not represent you personally, and is not obligated to act on your behalf, unlike an attorney.) > Hiring an attorney is a good way to not have any money since you used it to pay the attorney It depends on how much money is on the line. Many small-claims courts don't even let you have an attorney, and the filing fees are small and the effort to file is minimal. On the other hand, if there's a lot of money at stake, having an attorney can pay off. And there's always somewhere in between: having an attorney send a demand letter can sometimes yield good results, without necessarily breaking the bank. Getting an attorney involved doesn't necessarily imply that you're going all the way to trial and judgment. > And you have to find one You also sometimes have to find a plumber when a pipe springs a leak... Life isn't perfect, and that's why these people exist.

gruez 5y ago

If all your money is parked in one bank account, you're probably too busy figuring out how to buy groceries or pay bills, and don't time for a daytrip to an attorney's office or courthouse.

astrange 5y ago

Hiring an attorney is a good way to not have any money since you used it to pay the attorney. (And you have to find one - for some reason there's a phrase "my lawyer" but what kind of person "has a lawyer" and why would that lawyer know how to do everything?) Just file a CFPB complaint: https://www.consumerfinance.gov https://www.consumerfinance.gov

otterley 5y ago
> Just file a CFPB complaint: https://www.consumerfinance.gov https://www.consumerfinance.gov "Just <do x>" is considered facile and sometimes rude, if not harmful; it implies that things are easier and/or more effective than they actually are. (The CFPB does not represent you personally, and is not obligated to act on your behalf, unlike an attorney.) > Hiring an attorney is a good way to not have any money since you used it to pay the attorney It depends on how much money is on the line. Many small-claims courts don't even let you have an attorney, and the filing fees are small and the effort to file is minimal. On the other hand, if there's a lot of money at stake, having an attorney can pay off. And there's always somewhere in between: having an attorney send a demand letter can sometimes yield good results, without necessarily breaking the bank. Getting an attorney involved doesn't necessarily imply that you're going all the way to trial and judgment. > And you have to find one You also sometimes have to find a plumber when a pipe springs a leak... Life isn't perfect, and that's why these people exist.