BANKS: They're hard to beat, folks

The new law on overdraft protection, that passed back in August, is not being respected by banks. I received a letter in the mail last year informing me if I didn't sign and return it that I would not have the protection. If I don't have the money, I don't want it covered.

Since I didn't respond they called it "partial agreement" and covered a charge. Yet, online their site asked repeatedly if I wanted to sign up and I always responded "No." When I told the bank that they had "never heard of that before" I got refunded from a charge I did not authorize and the bank won't take away the overdraft fee.

Clearly, banks have won again in this country. I did not authorize a charge and contacted the company and got my money back and the bank shouldn't have covered it in the first place, and I'm the one who gets stuck with a charge.

WILLIAM CARLSTAD

Coeur d'Alene