My wife opened an account with United Heritage when she worked at the airport when there was a branch there. She is not a native English speaker but I read that United Heritage prides themselfs on personal serivce so I thought they could help her through the process. My wife retired from her job and kept her account open but with not a lot of money in it. I don't read her mail unless she asks me to. She showed me a letter from them stating they were closing her account and reporting herto the credit agencies. I had not remebered seeing any letters from United Heritage for quite some time.
We looked up the address of the nearest branch and went there. There was a United Heritage sign outside it didn't say anything about being a drive through only, like I have seen at some banks. The people inside said they weren't United Heritage that they only rented a drive through lane to them and suggested we drive all the way across town to speak with a represenative. Finally they said they would ask the drive through lane teller if he would help us.
After a long wait he finally saw us. I showed him the notice that her account had been closed and that United Heritage wanted $30.00 and was reporting her to the credit agencies. I told him we had no way of knowing this since my wife had not recieved any statements, that this was the first she knew about it. He researched it and said they had been charging fees for some kind of premium service which my wife knew nothing about. The account had been overdrawn for about 6 months. he insisted on us paying him the $30.00 which luckily I had enough cash in my wallet to pay him. He wouldn't take a credit card or debit card from a bank.
It must be way too much trouble for United Heritage to notify my wife when her account first became overdrawn due to their fees. My wife closed all her accounts and he said he was sorry to see us go. I told him we would be very happy to never see him again. He said it was my wife's fault since she had been getting statements. Wrong. She had never received a statement or a notification except for the one closing her account and stating they were reporting her to the credit agencies.
United Heritage should be ashamed of themselfs if that is possible. They advertise personal serivce and deliver terrible horrible excuse for service.
By the way United Heritage charges extemely high atm fees.
#2Author of original report
Fri, August 21, 2015
My wife never received any statements from United Heritage. I don't read her mail unless she asks me to but I do hand her mail to her when it arrives and this notice was the first thing I've seen fom United Heritage. The notice was that her account was being shut down because of $30.00 and threats to report her to the Credit Agencies.
It would be almost comical if it wasn't so pathetic of you asking what personal service is. You are the one flying your ad for personal service in your website. I don't expect you to deliver statements to my house, just a notice or statement showing that her account was overdrawn in the first month it happened, not six month later with threats in it. Your suggestion of coming to my house is ridiculous and unwelcome. You are not welcome at my house.
As far as your question of why she had an account at United Heritage, I didn't know you required a justification for having an account. I don't care what most people do. We are not most people. Your reference to most people is indicitive of your non-personal and non-caring way of dealing with your shrinking customer base.
You are correct on one matter though. It is time to help my wife more. I need to help protect her from Rip-Off Artist like you.
Robert
Irvine,#3Consumer Comment
Tue, August 18, 2015
I am trying to figure out what the RipOff here is.
You state that your wife went to this Credit Union because they were in the airport she was working at and they provided "Personal Service". Okay, so when she left her job exactly what did you expect? Did you expect them to "personally" deliver statements? Did you expect them to "personally" come to your house?
No, they did what every other bank and Credit Union does...they send out monthly statements. Which even though you try to deny it, you were receiving them. After all what do you think the letters from the Credit Union you were no longer receiving were?
Now, you do not read your wife's e-mail unless she asks. Okay, so how do you know that they didn't notify her of the charges and the overdraft status of her account? Perhaps she didn't "understand" a few of the other notices. Perhaps it is time to help out your wife a bit more.
FYI here is probably what happened. Your wife had a small balance, but had a service where a monthly fee is taken out. During the time the balance covered the fees her account was in "good standing" and she was receiving monthly statements(showing her declining balance). Now, even though most of the world uses the same number system we do and it is pretty much basic math to balance a checkbook she failed to mention anything to you.
One month she became overdrawn and most likely received a few more statements showing the OD balance. She may or may not have received additional notices. All of which she failed to respond to or mention to you.
Now, per Federal regulation a bank must "charge off" a negative balance after about 6 months. As such they sent her one final notice, and this notice is the one she showed you.
Also, just a final note. If your wife retired and no longer used that account why would she still keep it open? Most of the time Checking Acccounts provide no interest(or very minimal interest). So why didn't she just close it out and withdraw all of the money when she retired?