Security Service’s (SSFCU) $6 Power Protected Checking Fee

I’ve been a member at Security Service Federal Credit Union my entire banking life.  I’m 37 now so that should put me around 20 years.

The reason I’ve never switched is because I loathe banks like Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and etc.  These banks are constantly trying to put the screws to their customers, finding every which way to fee them.

I didn’t think I had to worry about that with SSFCU – they’re safe, they’re a credit union, right?

Well today I look at my account and see a -$6 fee.  Here’s what it looked like on my online statement:

6.00 POWR PROT ACCT FEE PWR PROT FEE

I had never seen this before but sure enough, my account had it as a recurring fee as far back as I looked.

And I KNOW for 100% certainty that I never would have signed up for a $6 debit on my account every month.

I called Security Service and was told that they had sent out multiple notices that this would be happening and that I didn’t opt out.

Here’s the big problem: it’s not up to me to opt-out, it’s up to me to opt-in!!!

In other words, you don’t get to decide to arbitrarily charge me and then leave it up to me to fight the charge.

YOU, SSFCU, have to sit there and wait and pray and try to convince me to sign up for this BS.

Access to my checking account is not a license to put your hand in my money without my informed consent and acceptance.

I get a lot of notices from SSFCU and amazingly, guess what, I do not read the vast majority.

I will say that I should have noticed this $6 debit sooner but I will also say I never expected SSFCU to pull this type of BS so I didn’t feel the need to be constantly scanning all of my transactions.

I log into my account a few times a month and as long as the balances look about right, I’m good with that.

And of course, security service, banks, and companies everywhere (like Google and their ultra tricky privacy settings) know exactly why they try to make everything an opt-out:

Because most people will never know.  The ones that do might not get around to it.  Some will never figure it out.  And others will give up because they don’t have the energy to do XYZ.

I called Security Service’s San Antonio branch and was able to get some of the charges removed.

But this has nothing to do with a manager or an employee of SSFCU.  This enactment comes straight from the top and it’s a very ugly and unbecoming policy.

This review reflects poorly upon Security Service because of how they have interacted with me as their customer.

If it were an easy process for me to switch banks, I’d already be gone.

1 thought on “Security Service’s (SSFCU) $6 Power Protected Checking Fee”

  1. Hi Kris, I can’t believe these shenanigans. They got me too.

    I just discovered this charge has been ongoing since Jan 2017.

    I’ve sent them a secure message instructing them to issue a refund.

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