A Familiar Mistake (and the Fee That Follows)
I mentioned earlier that a service provider might be more lenient with you if you’re a loyal customer. They may be more lenient when things go sideways. Well, here’s another chapter in that ongoing saga—this time, starring yours truly, an online bill payment, and a $42.50 NSF fee.
One of my daughter’s tuition bills came due. Like a responsible Dad, I scheduled an online payment for the exact due date. I’d done it dozens of times before, no issue. Except this time, I chose the wrong account to withdraw the funds from—and that’s when the chaos (and fees) began.
I checked online and saw that the payment was sent out, but then bounced right back. Immediately, my account was hit with a lovely $42.50 NSF Bill Payment fee. Not only was I out the fee, but the tuition hadn’t actually been paid. Great combo, right?
Step One: Breathe. Step Two: Pay the Bill (Correctly This Time)
I took a moment to calm down. Rule number one: never call customer service while you’re steamed. You’re not going to get anywhere ranting, especially when you’re in the wrong. After cooling off, I went ahead and paid the tuition manually—this time from the right account.
Tuition paid? Check. Now I just had to deal with the fee… and maybe the school’s wrath for the late payment. (Still waiting to hear on that one. Fingers crossed for mercy.)
Step Three: Ask for a Break on the Fee
I remembered from a previous episode (when the bank ate my bill payment). Sometimes you can ask your bank to reverse a penalty fee. This is possible if you’re a generally good customer and you admit your screw-up. So I figured: why not try again? The worst they can say is "No", and I was already living in No-ville.
My strategy was simple: own the mistake. I called myself an idiot, emphasized that it was 100% my error, and just laid it all out. I got a polite young man on the line who listened while I explained what had happened. I even asked a few nerdy questions about how the university might view the payment. He sidestepped those questions, but I appreciated the effort.
Then I asked the big one: could they please waive the $42.50 NSF fee?
Victory (and More Fees to Come?)
He put me on hold—either to consult his supervisor or grab a coffee—and came back a few minutes later with good news: the fee would be refunded. One less fee to worry about.
Now, all that’s left is finding out whether the university decides to ding me for a late tuition payment. And yes, I plan on calling them too. Begging once worked. Why not go two for two?
Conclusion: If You Don’t Ask, the Answer Is Always No
When it comes to fees, especially banking ones like NSF charges or overdrafts, remember this golden rule. If you don’t ask, the answer is already no. Be polite, be honest, be humble—and you just might save yourself some money.
A friend of a friend taught me this mantra: Let them say no. In other words, don’t do their No for them. Since then, I ask a lot. Sometimes I feel self-conscious and sometimes I get a nasty answer (in which case I don’t do any more business – No is one thing; nasty is another) but the majority of the time I’ve been pleasantly surprised. This includes big corporations like Bell and banks, who I usually associate with “no” but who in fact gave great service and a $ break.
In most cases, banks will reverse fees unless you have a history of incurring the fees. It is just a matter of asking for the reversal.
Wish I’d said that 😉