Patelco Credit Union

I haven’t had any negative experiences with this bank. They approve my loans right away, service helpline is super quick, and the customer service is great! The only problem (which isn’t really a problem) is that I’ve had some fraud incidents on my account (which they took care of right away)…but every now and then I get cut off on a night out or during a shopping spree and have to jump through a couple of annoying (but I’m sure necessary) hoops to get my card working again.
All in all, I’ve been a member for over 10 years and absolutely love my bank.

I have been a Patelco member for 5 years.
I had to get a car loan from another company at a high rate, Patelco representative at the Santa Clara branch told me after 6-​mo payments come back to Patelco and re-​finance your auto loan. Well that is what I did and Patelco refused my application. I have money market
accounts & checking account with Patelco. Patelco has NO problem with taking your money
but when you need Patelco for services, do not count on it. I will be moving my account
to another Credit Union very soon

The customer service number: 800.358.8228, is never answered!
Still waiting for an agent to pick up the phone!
Hope that Patelco can improve this.

An under-​rated piece of establishment! If you want to jump hoops to reach a representative, wait on hold for hours while listening to music only a depressed Snoopy (the dog) would compose, and have a branch just straight-​up BURNED DOWN, then you’ve chosen the right bank!
I’ve been a member for 3 years and, day by day, I’m asking myself «why?!». Why am I going through this misery and staying with Patelco? Recently, they’ve made it very clear that I’m not valued as a customer and that I don’t deserve a shred of dignity.
The most recent nightmare came with my new Visa card application approval. Weeks of questioning and interrogating Patelco still yields no action. As I write this review, I have been on hold with Patelco for 23 minutes and 20 seconds…21 seconds…22 seconds… and counting. Still not a representative in sight.
It’s high time to switch to a different bank and Patelco is making it very very easy to do so.

Patelco used to be a great institution to work with but they have closed branches and eliminated ATMs making it very difficult to bank with them. And when you are able to make it into a branch the staff seems poorly trained and errors abound (e.g., I was issued an debit/​credit card in a branch but the person helping me «forgot» to activate it as a credit card, forcing me to come back and get it fixed). Additionally, their telephone customer service is terrible. They don’t have people there to answer phones when they say they will, and the customer service reps, again, appear not to understand what they are doing half of the time (e.g., cancelling a working debit/​credit card without telling you what they are doing). I also tried to call a branch (of the few that remain) but I couldn’t find a phone number since everything is now sent to their «call center,» where they try as hard as they can to divert your call to a robot so they don’t have to have an actual human being assist you (who, as noted, probably won’t grasp what you’re saying or know how to help). I decided to give them two instead of one star because back in the olden days (i.e., 2000 – 2005) they were great and I had a flawless experience with a car loan through them. Alas, that Patelco is no more.

Patelco used to be right next to my office. I’ve never had a better banking experience! It was so good, that when they closed my beloved branch, I kept my accounts open and didn’t change like most of my friends did. I knew the closest branch was 45 miles away, but the atm was still next door.
It’s been a year since the office closed and I’ve finally found a huge reason to consider leaving: Online banking, their app is horrible. Their phone customer service is extremely inadequate. No answers for anything, no understanding of the question and a push off to online banking. It’s finally clear that not having a branch closer is a huge inconvenience.
I’m deeply disappointed.

Dear Patelco: I’ve been a member/​customer in good standing for almost 20 years. Today I walked the 15 minutes to the ONLY Patelco ATM anywhere near where I live IN THE LARGE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO (15^th & Market), and voila, it’s gone. Like, removed and the the wall is tiled over. That ATM was the only reason I am still a member, despite the fact that it had been unable to take at least 50% of my deposit attempts, and is frequently not dispensing cash, either. It was also the only place I could get cash on weekends without having to pay $ 4 – 5 in fees imposed by other banks AND by Patelco. And again, it was often out of order so I had to pay to get my money elsewhere.
I’ve heard lots of times that Firemen’s CU is better, but for years the 2^nd Street Patelco Main Branch location was way more convenient. I guess the jig is up. It’s ridiculous that these fees are imposed by a credit union with so few ATMs, while there are bank ATMs EVERYWHERE. So long, Patelco, and thanks for … not much!

I have been a member of this Credit Union for about three years now and I figured it was time to finally pay-​it-​forward for them. I have had an amazing experience with them and even though I moved to SoCal I still decided to stick with them and bank through a shared branch because their costumer service and policies are honest and fair. If you live in the Bay Area, they should be your #1 choice. You can use all 7-​Eleven ATMs for free!
Thanks Patelco, your team is amazing!

I am surprised to see all of the poor ratings for Patelco from other (former) customers. I have been a member for over 25 years, and I have always been happy with their service, their online system, and most importantly, their reasonable (or lack of) fees. My wife and I have all of our accounts with them, as well as our mortgage and HELOQ. I would NEVER go back to a bank again. I understand that some people have compared Patelco unfavorably against other credit unions, such as Redwood Credit Union in Sonoma County. However, I don’t think that ANY bank can compete with Patelco, or any other credit union, for that matter.

Never had an issue with them. Always friendly staff, there’s free (and pretty good) coffee machine in the lobby. Lines are almost always short, so if you want to get bills other than a $ 20, it won’t take long.

Online banking is becoming a problem. I log in normally almost every day but this morning I attempted to log in around 11:30 and was mysteriously directed to a security page where I was told that I needed to do Multi-​Factor Authentication. I have no idea how I brought this on. I selected the email option then sat back to wait for the access code. After about ten minutes of nothing I called the support line to complain and the lady got me logged in.
The email finally arrived in my inbox at 12:06 PM. Basically a thirty-​minute delay. This is miserable service.
I could have walked to a branch faster.

Easiest time I ever had opening a checking account. Filled everything out online, walked into the branch, showed my ID — done

Super convenient location for my credit union banking needs. While I’m not a member of Patelco Credit Union, I am a member of the credit union network that allows you to do your banking at pretty much any credit union across the country. This location is tucked away on 2^nd St (away from all the busyness of Market St) and the staff is very nice.
Generally, it’s not super busy but if you’re going on a Friday be prepared for a little line at the tellers. Not a big deal to me, but could be if you’re on a time crunch.

I am really suprised to see the negative feedback – I have had great experiences here consistently (and at other Patelco branches, like san bruno & Berkeley) .
My car loan has a great rate! They coordinated with the dealer and I didn’t have to do much for it but get preapproved. The interest also ticks down a qtr point each year I make consistent payments.
My credit card is solid. I am paying no interest for a year, then a super fair rate after that. It also renders cash back. hollaaa
The online banking app works for me the vast majority of the time. It also allows mobile deposit – I was impressed by this for a regional credit union. I think once I couldn’t get a mobile deposit to go thru, which can happen, so I just visited a co-​op ATM close to my house. No biggie – sometimes if the check doens’t produce a good scan, then i guess it is what it is.
Speaking of co-​op, you also get the co-​op credit union atm available to you – I am able to use a bunch of ATMs around town. SF Fire CU doesn’t charge out-​of-​network atm fees, I hear, but it applies for me so infrequently that I don’t mind the occasional fee. I often get cash back when making purchases, so between that and the co-​op network, it’s nearly moot.
When I call, I get a person, who helps me, and actually does follow up when they say they will.
When I visit, the tellers remember me and continue on with our running jokes.
When I inquire about a fee, while I don’t expect it, sometimes they work with me on removing it.
When my debit card was compromised, (only a month after my amex! eek!) however it may have happened, it was caught right away and I was not at a personal loss.
Suggestions:
When paying bills on the go, using the iOS mobile app, i wish that it would allow me to cue up more than 30 days of history. Sometimes I pay a bill long before it is due, and the next month I might be closer to the due date, and sometimes the spread between the two payments in this scenario is greater than 30 days, so I can’t spot check what my payment amount was last made, in order to replicate it (think car note) so I have to do additional research. A 45−60-day payment/​activity history would solve this for me.
I have recommended three different people to join Patelco thus far and plan on more int he future. A++

IF you are ever tempted to join Patelco Credit Union, RUN! Take a cold shower, take a long walk… ANYTHING, but don’t give in to the temptation.
I have been a member for 20 or more years and I have watched their customer service AND their competence go downhill at an alarming pace.
One of the points emphasized to draw new customers in is the protection offered by their fraud department. Well, the fraud department is a failure! Someone created a phony online payment that EMPTIED MY ACCOUNT all at once. I had never made any previous transactions that even vaguely resembled that large payment. However, I was told that the transaction «did not meet the fraud department’s parameters for a suspicious transaction» and that is why they let it go through without contacting me.
NOTE: After speaking to a number of confused-​sounding employees, I was contacted by a manager who was able to reverse the charge in a way I consider equitable. I am less frustrated now, but I cannot forget nor understand the lapse of security that allowed this transaction to pass through unimpeded.
ANOTHER NOTE: Yes, the level of overall customer service is lower than it was when I first joined this Credit Union. However, as my alarming situation progressed, I decided to add another star to my review. They shoulda-​woulda-​coulda done better in the initial response to the huge online payment request, but as I became more and more of a squeaky wheel and asked for action, I got it. The Card Services manager went the extra mile to protect my interests. She is still «on the case» and has kept contact with me to resolve it.

If I could give Patelco zero stars, I would. Long story short, I’ve been battling with Patelco over incorrect reporting that they have done on my credit report. When I went to apply for a mortgage recently (with another bank) I discovered that Patelco had been reporting to the credit agencies that I had a car loan with them in 2009 for $ 75K, and that I defaulted on it. Umm… what?! The last car loan I had with them was paid off back in 2008, and it was never for any amount approaching $ 75K! Not only that, but the entire thing was paid on time and in full. So I reported to the credit reporting agency that this report was false. Patelco comes back and says no, it’s accurate. WTH? So I hired a lawyer, who battled with them for a good 6 months. Bottom line, Patelco took the attitude that if I wanted to prove them wrong, I could sue them. Okay, first of all, how am I supposed to prove that I never had this loan with them? Wouldn’t it be contingent upon THEM to prove that I did have this loan? After speaking with my lawyer, I realized I’d have to pay thousands of dollars to sue Patelco to clear this up. At this point, my only recourse is to report them to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which I’m doing.
It’s just totally unbelievable to me that a CREDIT UNION would behave in such a blatantly illegal and immoral way. Stay far, far away from Patelco. They’re incredibly disorganized, and it can and will end up affecting your credit report and your wallet!

Dixie helped me with my car loan in SF, and was great. Thats where the good news ends.
Due to issues at the Pleasanton Corporate operation though, I don’t plan on using Patelco again. I wanted to sell my car and paid it off at a branch in order to have the title sent to me. So far so good. Turns out that somewhere in their ‘normal’ process of releasing a title, the ball was dropped and they kept telling me that the title had been released to DMV, and DMV kept telling me that Patelco had not released it yet. Finally after a lot of calling and very patience-​trying conversations, someone at Patelco figured out where the problem was on their end.

The Height of Incompetency!!! Watch Your Wallet!!!
Quickly why they totally suck and don’t understand their Clients:
1. ATMs are Frequently Down or Under Repair.
2. Customer Service borders on nonexistent.
3. This short story details how bad of a financial institution they are:
Monday, 3 Feb. 2014 receive replacement ATM card in mail — activate it immediately because the notice says that as of Wed., 5 Feb. 2014 former card will be deactivated.
Oh yeah, what if I was away on business or on a holiday — Guess Patelco doesn’t care… I mean they gave me two days notice.
Tuesday, 4 Feb. 2014, I go to deposit some cash into the ATM before I go on a vacation The new card doesn’t work… and of course the branch is closed at 5p.m.
It’s 5:04 p.m. I knock on the door at the 2^nd Street branch. The guy inside gives me one of those signs where he makes a horizontal cut across his neck to signify they are closed. I knock again, waiving my ATM card — hoping he is aware that his customer is having a problem. He turns his back. It’s cold outside.
I call Customer Service — 16 Minute wait — getting colder outside.
The agent then tells me I need to wait a 3 – 7 days for my new pin number. They can’t release over the phone. I tell him I am leaving on vacation. He tells me to go to another branch. Oh WAIT! He discovers there aren’t any other branches in SF. Then he tells me to use my old ATM card — OH WAIT… I destroyed it per the instructions — isn’t that what most people do when the get a replacement card? Then he tells me to just come to the branch in the morning. I tell him the branch doesn’t open till 8:30 and my flight is at 8:00 a.m. OH WAIT! he hangs up on me.
By this time the three staffers of the branch are locking the doors — all three look at me and walk away.
Read other reviews, most say Patelco has improved. Why do business with a credit union that is working its way up from «Horrible» to «Slightly Less Horrible». That isn’t improvement that’s just poor management.

I’ve been a member for over 10 years and have finally reached my last-​straw point with this institution. It’s only been over the past 4 years that I’ve received deplorable customer service. From ridiculously several-​day holds placed on check deposits to dealing with young, inexperienced-​sounding phone representatives who’d rather give you attitude than actually help you I’m exercising my option to get rid of the negative garbage that banking with this institution has delivered to me.
I never thought there could be any experience worse than the one I had while banking with Bank of America, but congratulations Patelco! You now occupy that no. 1 spot.
I have another account at a different bank. I am by no means wealthy. But at least at my other bank, they treat me like I have a million dollars there. In other words, they seem to know the importance of customer service (something that Patelco negates if your account is below a certain balance).
Just horrible!

Granted, I shouldn’t let my account get overdrawn, but, Patelco continues to pay out charges even if your account is overdrawn, and there’s no way to turn this «feature» off. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars in fees related to this. When I called to try to fix the problem, they told me there was nothing they could do to change how my account acts on overdrafts. Other banks let you turn off overdraft protection to avoid this.
Despite freely paying out ACH payments when there was no money in my account, they returned my rent check last month, because they’d put a 10 day hold on a large deposit I’d made well in advance of writing my rent check. So rather than cover a check as a courtesy while they’ve got a crazy hold on a deposit, they bounced it. I had to deal with an angry landlord, and pay a late rent fee.
Banking with Patelco for six months has cost me so much money it’s unbelievable. NEXT.