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  • Report:  #1208695

Complaint Review: Credit Vantage Union - Saint Louis Missouri

Reported By:
ACB - Missouri,
Submitted:
Updated:

Credit Vantage Union
3860 South Lindbergh Boulevard Saint Louis, 63127 Missouri, USA
Phone:
(314) 298-0055
Web:
www.vcu.com
Categories:
Tell us has your experience with this business or person been good? What's this?

Their business model is completely unethical. Vantage Credit Union (VCU) charges $30 fees up to 3 even 4 days after depositing a check. 

I deposited a $750.55 on 1/10, the statement shows a positive balance on my statement but VCU withdrew $90 (3 times $30) in NFS fees on 1/12. 

I deposited $663.14 on 2/6 on 2/9 VCU charged $120 (4 times $30) in NFS fees. 

I have never been to a bank where funds were not available close to immediately. Their response when I went to talk to them. "Well you deposited in the ATM inside our lobby; funds are available faster if you use the deposit lock box in the same lobby". Really??? It's 2015???

This is completely unacceptable, no financial institution I have ever been to takes this long to process a check. I am a single parent with 2 jobs, I live paycheck to paycheck, and I work longer hours than anyone at that bank. For some reason even though I have a positive balance on my statement, they took out a total of $210 in fees. Their only response was "it's not our fault and the only thing we can do is reimburse you one of the $30 fees". 

My friend who had introduced me to this credit union said she loved them, and has been with them since 1999 (15 years). She came with me to talk to them because recently she had had a similar issue happen to her. She told the banker she would be closing the two accounts she has had with them for 15 years. She was furious. 

For being a credit union, we both came to the conclusion that VCU does a disservice to the community by charging these enormous fees due to the fact they arbitrarily decide to withhold funds in your account for up to 2 business day, meaning that it can be up to 4 days if you happen to deposit around a weekend!!!! 

Again it's 2015, these are unethical business practices and do not provide the service to the community they claim to service. Look online at reviews on Credit Karma, Ripoff report and you will see that I am far from being the first person this happened to. Not only that but they are up to 18 complaints now on the BBB (including mine). Read each and everyone of them before you decide for yourself. 

My advice, if you are middle class avoid at all cost because it WILL cost you!

Check USAA - they are incredible and up to date with all of the technology you would expect from 2015, like processing your check from home and making the funds available IMMEDIATELY, what an AMAZING concept!!!! ( :

 



3 Updates & Rebuttals

ACB

Missouri,
Yes funds are available immediately

#2Author of original report

Fri, February 13, 2015

Oh and by the way I have been with USAA for a year and yes the funds ARE available immediatly; hence why they never heard a complaint from me. I know of countless others as well, Commerce Bank, First Community Credit Union... and that's called service!


ACB

Missouri,
I'm so glad you know better than everyone else

#3Author of original report

Fri, February 13, 2015

Ha ha ha ha. Please let me laugh... or should I say HA HA HA .... PLEASE LET ME LAUGH BECAUSE APPARENTLY CAPS IS YOUR STYLE.  Your tone sounds ridiculous and quite frankly your response sounds exactly the same verbatim as any other rebuttal on this site. Is this an automatic response? I got bored halfway through. I'm sorry, who is whining??? Sounds like it's you. You sound worse than a 5 year old.

Yes, point the finger all you want if that makes you feel better about your proud egotistical self. Yes I know, you are clearly better than everyone else. Hence why you allow yourself to judge other on their personal experience. The point is, this bank is pathetic and in the prehistoric ages - it will die with it's time.

An amazing bank is USAA and clearly the experience, numbers and reviews show - it lives with the demands of its customers. So you can shove your comments and your nasty little pedantic tone wherever you see fit and enjoy the rest of your life high up on your pompous pedestal. I won't be reading your ridiculous response because all I really need to do is browse this site and see the same repetitive response on every post. I said my peace, they lost my business and a 15 year customer in the process over $210. What a shame for them. Or should I say WHAT A SHAME FOR THEM.

This is clearly not an isolated issue and probably why VCU will continue to loose its valuable customers. You can keep calling us idiots. but "the brands that survive will be the brands that make life better. A new study of consumer engagement finds that companies that aren’t making a difference—to the world and to consumers—aren’t going to be around much longer. Instead [they need] to create impact'.

 

Complaint 01/23/2013

Charged $486,for NSF fees. I have overdraft protection linked to my savings account with over $10,000 balance. Total charges were less than $2,000.When I opened my accounts with Vantage Credit Union back in 2009, I was asked if I wanted to op out for Overdraft Protection. I did. I was told if I made a purchase for an item and the funds were not in my checking account...the item would be paid and the funds would come out of my savings account. This has been done a few times, I was charged $2.00 for NSF transfer. Last month in November, I was in San Diego with my mother seeking treatment for lung cancer. While out of town, I tried to transfer funds from my saving to my checking but was not able to do so. I knew if I charged items the funds would be transferred from my savings automatically...so charge everything. After awhile, I was not able to charge items. When returned from San Diego, I emailed Vantage to see why I was not able to transfer funds and why I had $30 NSF fees. They told me I'm only allowed to make 6 transfer per month, after 6 transfer...they legally can charge me a $30 fee per transaction. I explained to them that I have overdraft protection. They credit me two fee's. I called the Bridgeton office and explained my situation and asked them to waive all fee's, I have been a loyal customer for years, I had a balance in my savings account of over $10,000.00 and a CD account with over $7,000.00. I explained that I had the funds in my account,but was not able to transfer the funds to my checking...I also have over draft protection, Please waive all the fee's. I was then told that the fees would not be waived and that Regulation D prevents me from transferring my money from my saving to my checking...I was advised to apply for over draft protection to prevent NSF fee's. I went into the Lemay Branch to talk about this issue. The teller told me I have "over draft protection" and didn't need to apply for it. This month (December) I traveled to Florida, when I returned, I checked my banking account balance...and I see I was charged 5 more NSF fee's in the amount of $30 each!! I tried to transfer funds...again, I was not able to do so. I called the bank...they told me, I reached my transfer limit. I explained that I have overdraft protection...I'm told "yes, you do. this is why we processed the transaction and charged you $30 per transaction". This makes no sense to me. I have three $2.00 fee's and then the rest are $30 each. I have over draft protection and feel that I should be charged any fee's at all. I have a substantial about of funds my savings account that covered my charges. It's not like I had $0 in my accounts and the bank paid my charges,not at all...funds were in my savings account of which I was denied access to transfer those funds to my checking account. - See more at: http://www.bbb.org/stlouis/business-reviews/credit-unions/vantage-credit-union-in-bridgeton-mo-300297800/complaints#breakdown

 

Complaint 04/25/2012
This complaint is for Vantage Credit Union. On 4/3/12 I deposited $286.32 at 4:20pm. I saw no holds on my account whatsoever. Later that night I was charged $30.00 for overdraft fee for the same date even though I beat the overdraft being posted. Now I see a check amount on hold for $86.32. I only wrote one check for the electric bill & did an electronic payment for my *********** bill. I would like for my overdraft fee reversed and would like to know what the $86.32 is for that is on hold & due to be released on 4/5/12? My account did not show any checks on hold before I made the deposit. After I made the deposit later that night I was charged a $30.00 overdraft fee. Check XXX was for my electric bill & was for the amount of $100.00.

 

Complaint 04/23/2012
I thought surely this was a mistake so I reviewed my account and counted 18 nsf's. All of them are $30 each. I deposited 3 checks on 03/24/12 in the amount of $1060.27 combined. (name) the manager @ Vantage Credit Union stated to me she could not do anything or waive the nsf fees because it was my fault and it takes 24hours to deposit the funds. The funds did not clear until Wednesday according to her. I am very frustrated and upset about this because I have been a member for 8 or so years now. I am most likely going to switch banks because of this. I would also like to mention that we went to another bank and informed me after 24hours $100 of the funds deposited is available for use. Now my account as of today is -$392.00. Everything has bounced and rent will not be paid until next week and that is $615.00 not including late fees, utilities, cell phone, that has to be paid this month and with a family of 6 this is going to put us under and this is unacceptable for the bank not to help or clearly see that this was a mistake on their part. Since when does it take 4-5days to clear a check/deposit??

 

Complaint 6/9/2014
Horrible experience - Vantage charges lots of hidden fees for accounts. Ask to see the fine print on everything - including asking for paper statements and opening accounts.  Find any where else to bank.

 

Complaint Jan 10, 2014

Warning,  this credit union is a bad choice. They will give you a bad experience. They have high rates and use bad business practices.

 

Complaint 03/23/2013

We are long time customers of VCU and are transferring every loan and account to another bank.  The fees charged by VCU are ridiculous.  Did you know they charge you $2.00 when money is automatically transferred from one of your accounts to another to cover checks?  Did you know you are charged .75 cents every time you use your debit card at a register?  Did you know you get charged an ATM fee to use your card at ATM's that are not credit union ATM's in addition to the charges the ATM already charges?  On top of that...VCU charges a $30.00 NSF fee BEFORE THE TRANSACTION CLEARS.  That's right.  If your transaction is PENDING..and you transfer money to your account because you notice if  that PENDING TRANSACTION is presented you will get a negative balance, they charge you the $30.00 fee anyway!  YES THEY DO!!!  TRUST ME.  I had several pending transactions when I noticed my account was going to fall negative when those pending transactions cleared.  So I transferred $400 dollars from one account to another.  When I went online again to look that all was ok...I got charged 2 $30.00 fees.  When I called, they said it is because the money was PROMISED when I didn't have the money to promise...so they charge a fee.  I tried to explain that with technology as it is...and using online banking...that is unfair.  Since the transactions were pending...and I put money in on time for the transactions to clear that is not fair.  That is why technology is helpful so people can avoid this.  You know what her answer was...use a paper ledger to keep track.  Really?  A paper ledger?  This is 2013...I would think using technology is more exact and more helpful.  You know what her comment was again?  Yep...technology is helpful.  That is how we knew you were promising money and could charge you the $30.00 charges.  THAT'S IT!  We are done!  To make matters worse...the account I used to transfer money has over $10,000 in it!  Why would I let myself be charged $60. I figured pending meant just that..pending.  What would have happened if one of those PENDING fees was never presented but they had already charged me the $30.00 fees.  I doubt they would have refunded it!



Complaint 02/19/2013

I noticed that a $30 charge was on my account. At the time I was in between checks so I was broke. This charge over drafted my account. So I ended up owing my bank $30 plus the $38 overdraft charge from the bank. They have me this Vantage funding number to sort things out. I called and they told me the only way to get my money back was to apply for a loan and be denied. I decided to just work with them to get things over with.

Not realizing I would never really get my money back. I never heard back about the loan, so I called back. They said that the money would be in my account within 5 days. I waited over a week and never got my money returned. I know this company might not think that $30 is a big deal, but it can be. My car broke down so I was staying with a family member to be able to walk to work daily. Saving every penny I had from my checks to save a car was my only option. Then to find out that I owe my bank $30 from vantage funding and $38 as an overdraft charge was frustrating.

It’s easy to take something from someone that you didn’t have to work for. If it were the other way around I’m sure they wouldn’t be happy neither.

 


Tyg

Pahrump,
Nevada,
Availability....

#4General Comment

Fri, February 13, 2015

 DOnt tell me YOU are one of those people who NEVER reads what they are signing BECAUSE it clearly states in the paperwork YOU signed about the availability of funds when you deposit them. SOmetimes it takes up to 72 hours for a deposited check to clear. It doesn't matter WHAT year it is, THAT is how the banking system is setup. So YOU spent money you REALLY didn't have BECAUSE YOUR deposited check DID NOT clear immediately. The ONLY way to keep this from happening is to cash said check then deposit CASH with the teller. It CLEARLY states on EVERY ATM that the availability of funds differs from bank to bank. YOUR need to spend is what has caused this and NOT the bank. YOUR CHECK DIDNT CLEAR BY THE TIME YOU WANTED TO SPEND MONEY!!!! YOU can stop playing the victim BECAUSE YOU AGREED TO ALL OF THIS!!!!!! But we ALL know how this is going to go. YOU are going to continue to play the victim even though you KNOW about checks taking time to clear. YOU are going to cry and WHINE to whomever will give you the time to do so until YOU are told NO they are NOT going to refund the ETF BECAUSE YOU were ACTUALLY overdrafted. Until the check clears the money IS NOT all your to spend. YOU have done this all to yourself. Don't be surprised when YOU do the exact same thing at the new bank YOU are going to go to. THEY ALL have the very same policies in place. I cant wait to read what excuse YOU are going to give when it happens at the new bank.

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