tret, that’s all well and good for the bills, but how do you pay for everything else? you either have to write a check or withdraw cash from the bank (and i’ve found reasons to stress in both of these).
The advice to go to a credit union and to buy checks from a check making company instead of the bank or credit union is very good. All banks are bad, especially the nationwide ones. You can find a good one, but if you move and stay with the same bank, but different branch, watch out. I’ve been with Bank of America and for the most part, they’re fairly good; also been with Wells Fargo and they are ABUSIVE to say the least. I’ve been with some local banks and they are mostly ok, but inevitably they’re bought out by the larger, Wells Fargo, BofA, Washington Mutual, etc. Heck, even the larger ones merge and create HumongoBank.
I’ve found the larger the institution, the more conniving and obfuscating they can be. Passing the buck is the only game in town.
I no longer use a bank, but am a member of 3 credit unions. I have my house financed through one and we’re thinking of buying a car next year, so I’ll probably finance that through one of the 3. No better way to go, IMHO.
About the only thing banks can provide that credit unions can’t is the Cashier’s Check or Certified Check, not that there’s much occasion for that. 
Sorry, i wasn’t very clear, I wasn’t saying you could get away from the bank, and I guess it was Off topivc from the OP. With online bill paying you still need to have your money in a bank, it just removes a lot of the hassle of dealing with banks wrt to checks. Yes, you need cash or credit card or checks for everyday purchases. I use a CC that I payoff every month for that specific purpose. I never take my checkbook anywahere.
and how does one join a credit union? don’t you have to be a member of something or other (like a teacher’s union)?
abuse angel
I found a link. Haven’t tried it yet, but I believe you can search for some in your area. All of the 3 I joined are from different times. One is from my work, one is from a previous job I held and one with my mother-in-law’s influence. She was a member and could sponsor other members, so she sponsored my wife and I.
Generally CU’s are based on a common theme: members of a church, employees of a union or company, members of a group such as stamp collectors or whatever. You might check with friends and relatives and most CU’s allow sponsoring.
Word of warning: There’s usually a deposit required which stays in your account and usually gains interest. Two of the CU’s require $50 and one requires $25. Also, no bouncing, at least at first. Usually o/d protection is available via a credit card or a loan direct from the CU. You may have to wait a bit on that, like after 60 days or so.
Good Luck.
PV 
The criteria for joining a credit union is getting very loose anymore. For the state University one near me, you have to either be a U employee, or have one in your family. (That’s pretty tenuous sometimes, I’m sure).
For mine, you need only “live or work in [local tri-county area]” .
Thanks everyone so much for your advice!
An update:
I visited the bank manager again a few days ago and he was not sympathetic at all. He refused to aknowledge that he held the power to rectify this situation. All he would do is give me the number to the WF loss prevention department. I’ve already talked to them numerous times and their response has always been, talk to the bank manager.
I have not been able to find a smaller bank in my area (southern California) that does not belong to chexsystems. If anyone know of one, I would be very appreciative. I also learned that if you apply at 3 banks that belong to chexsystems and are turned down, that puts another mark on chexsystems for 90 days.
What really irks me is that if WF doesn’t want my business anymore, fine! I don’t really want to be affiliated with them either. But to say that I can’t bank anywhere for three years seems to be an unfair business practice and a restriction of trade. I spoke with a lawyer who would be happy to take my case except that he lives 2000 miles from me. He is trying to put me in contact with someone in my area.
At this point, I am considering an internet-based bank. As far as I can tell, they don’t use chexsystems. Has anyone had any experience, either good or bad, with internet banking?
musicguy -
I had virtually the same experience as you did, but with Bank Of America rather then WF. I’m also in So. Cal., and no, there really aren’t any banks around here that don’t use ChexSysterms, at least not that I’ve found.
ChexSystems is evil. Sure, they help prevent people with a history of fraud from opening new accounts, but their line is very thin, and many, many people like you and myself end up on their lists. And, unlike credit card companies, they’re not regulated at all. There is no burden of proof on their part. There is almost no recourse for correcting mistakes and removing ourselves from their lists. Learn more about their evil ways, and get a list of banks that don’t use ChexSystems, at ChexSystems Bites.
So yeah, I’ve gone internet banking. And to be honest, I’ve been pretty happy with it. I use TD Waterhousebank. None of the crappy random fees that I’ve gotten from every brick and mortar bank. They reimburse me for my ATM fees (since they obviously don’t have ATMs of their own). The drawbacks are there too, though. Mailing checks in to deposit them, while it’s been reliable, obviously takes longer. It takes about a week to a week for checks to clear. And when a rogue ATM machine ate my ATM card, I was helpless for a few days until they FedExed me another one, not having a real branch to walk into and withdraw money. But on the whole, I’ve been pretty satisfied. Good thing, since thanks to ChexSystems, I don’t have much of a choice.