You don't want to be a BB&T customer

Over the last 4 or so years, I've had a pretty non-eventful relationship with BB&T as they serviced my car loan.

But I'm at the end of the loan now, and while my account has been on autodraft for the ENTIRETY of the loan, I received a post card the other day telling me that the last payment couldn't be made via autodraft and that I'd have to "pay the amt due to avoid extra charges."

The following is my attempt to pay:

1. Looked on the postcard for an address to which I could send payment. Nothing here.
2. Looked on the postcard for a phone number to call to ask about payment. Nothing here.
3. Called the 800# on the BB&T website. No option to talk with a CS rep.
4. Called the 800# on the BB&T website and tried to use the account info area to break through - but I don't have a PIN (haven't needed one for the entirety of the loan). So I can't see what other options might be available to me. No dice.
   
5. Called the Loan-specific 888# on the BB&T website. Nope, still need the PIN.
6. Looked online to see if I could pay the last payment that way. Nope.
7. Called the 800# again to see if there was a "request a PIN" option. Requested a PIN - it'll be sent via US mail in 7-10 days. So effectively, nope.

So tomorrow I'm going to have to GO TO A BRANCH to pay off this loan... and believe me, I'm going to pay it off in full.

I expect that this is a tactic to:

• get additional interest fees from unsuspecting customers
• force customers to come into a branch to get an upsell

What's it's done is SO turn me off of BB&T that I vow to never use them for anything else ever again ... and encourage you to transfer anything you have with them to another more attentive, customer-focused bank.

Oh, and if any of my readers happen to be BB&T employees - feel free to pass this note along to anyone SVP or higher in charge of customer service. This was EXACTLY the type of experience that causes people to hate banks!