Originally Posted by stereoman
Maybe that's the case when the debit card is issued directly to the individual by a bank rep, kap. But here we're talking about a contractual agreement between the banks and the several states. Isn't it just remotely possible that the individuals in question have never seen the contract between the state and the bank? Is it possible that the state's unemployment officer only explained to the recipient that they would get their benefits through the debit card without going into all the nuances of what the individual would be charged for letting the bank handle their unemployment benefits?

Originally Posted by Scoutgal
Not huge amounts of money, and doable for most of the people.
Yes, for most of the people. But we're not talking about most of the people here, we're talking about unemployed people, people who have just been laid off from their jobs, people who may not have been given a choice as to what bank their unemployment benefits would be coming from.

Granted we're talking nickels and dimes here, but those nickels and dimes add up fast when you're unemployed.

So then the problem is not with the bank but with the government offical that gives out the cards. Isn't it their responsability to tell the unemployed person what the rules are when using those debit cards?

A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials. ~Chinese Proverb

The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. ~Jon Hammond