Author Topic: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted  (Read 2247 times)

Virgil Starkwell

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Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« on: April 16, 2020, 12:04:34 AM »
I opened a money market account with $1000 at Andrews Federal Credit Union in order to be ready to take advantage of CD offers, if I saw them. Although I never did see an offer better than any of my other banks', I did log in online once in a while to check on the account.

At a certain point, my login details no longer worked. Although I had written down my details, Andrews' site said they were wrong. I clicked the choice for password assistance to emal me a link but no email ever came even though the site indicated it had sent me one. Nothing in spam. I did the same with my username and was met with the same lack of success. I tried this repeatedly on different days and times.

So then I called and was on hold for 20 minutes until I was disconnected. I called back and was on hold for another 25 minutes until I spoke to a lady who said she could not access my account but that she could see it had been locked due to "dormancy." I would need to wait for a call back in order to open it.

Three days later, I received a call from a guy who said I needed to enroll in online access in order to access my account and thus remove its dormant state. I explained that I had already enrolled way back and had had online access until for some reason I did not. However, he insisted this was the way and he guided me to where I could enroll. I enrolled again and then I was able to access my account.

At that point I saw that Andrews had taken $5 from my account on the last day of every month it had been considered by them to be dormant. This added up to $60 and we were nearing the end of another month so I wrote to them asking them not to allow another $5 to be taken.

I received no response. Instead, another $5 was taken. The total was now $65 in fees because apparently, I had not enrolled in online access after having enrolled and having online access.

So I had to call and wait again to speak to someone. This lady offered to refund $20. I explained the situation to her and reminded her that it had been dormant because their site thought I needed to enroll when in fact I had already enrolled. She refused. I asked to speak to a supervisor. She put me on hold for 30 minutes, checking in on occassion. After that, she said no supervisor was available.

I asked her why no email had been sent to me. She said they had sent a letter. I said I had not received a letter. She said that as proof, she could forward me a copy of the letter. I said, that's not prood of having sent a letter; that's proof of having written a letter. What's the number of the registered letter, I asked. We don't do that, she said, because of the cost. I told her that made no sense at all given the fact that email is cheaper than a letter. She then agreed that an email should have been sent.

I asked her to make good on the refund offer but because I was not satisfied yet, I'd like a call back from a supervisor. She agreed.

Days later, I had no refund and no return call. So I wrote a message on the site. The next day there was no response so I wrote again. This went on for 10 days wherein I kept writing messages  until I saw, not a response, but merely a $30 refund.

Now there is a new problem: After I log on, within 10 seconds, the page displays a message saying I have been inactive and then it immediately shuttles me out.

I have arranged for an external bank to transfer my entire balance out of Andrews. Once that is done I will send Andrews a message asking that my account and membership be terminated. I am expecting resistance and probably papaerwork and probably their insistence that I fax something. Perhaps there will be no response and months from now, I will receive a phone call from them saying my account is in the negative.

stylesjl

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2020, 02:00:01 AM »
Not familiar with them myself but the reviews here seem to not like this Credit Union either:
https://www.yelp.com/biz/andrews-federal-credit-union-suitland

Themes are horrible customer service and being dinged with repeated fees. Seems to be what happened to you as well.

Virgil Starkwell

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2020, 02:12:42 AM »
I had no idea the Yelp reviews were so bad!

Now I'm worried they'll refuse the external transfer.

They need to be put down.

What should I do if they refuse the external transfer? I can no longer send messages.
« Last Edit: April 16, 2020, 02:47:38 AM by Virgil Starkwell »

reeshau

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2020, 02:56:00 AM »
I won't excuse their account setup--they do seem to have a ton of fees, including an early withdrawal fee, a "bad address" fee, and many others...

https://www.andrewsfcu.org/Learn/Resources/Account-Fees

But...the 5 dollar monthly fee is for "No account activity for 12 months or more."  You may have logged into the account, but did you actually make any additional deposits or withdrawals?  That is account activity, not just logins.

Again, it's a crummy account, particularly for a credit union.  I might expect this setup if it was one of those high-yield deals, with a minimum number of debit card transactions per month, or something.  But buyer beware--it seems, as disclosed, it was never suitable for the purpose you had imagined.

Virgil Starkwell

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2020, 03:06:49 AM »
I won't excuse their account setup--they do seem to have a ton of fees, including an early withdrawal fee, a "bad address" fee, and many others...

https://www.andrewsfcu.org/Learn/Resources/Account-Fees

But...the 5 dollar monthly fee is for "No account activity for 12 months or more."  You may have logged into the account, but did you actually make any additional deposits or withdrawals?  That is account activity, not just logins.

Again, it's a crummy account, particularly for a credit union.  I might expect this setup if it was one of those high-yield deals, with a minimum number of debit card transactions per month, or something.  But buyer beware--it seems, as disclosed, it was never suitable for the purpose you had imagined.

It was a money market (savings) account with limited monthly use. Savings accounts shouldn't require use. And it was their site's fault I could not access it. It was over a year...so what? It seems to me they have a way to steal from dead people. What does quietly taking $5/month after saying they mailed one letter actually accomplish?

reeshau

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2020, 03:35:37 AM »
I won't excuse their account setup--they do seem to have a ton of fees, including an early withdrawal fee, a "bad address" fee, and many others...

https://www.andrewsfcu.org/Learn/Resources/Account-Fees

But...the 5 dollar monthly fee is for "No account activity for 12 months or more."  You may have logged into the account, but did you actually make any additional deposits or withdrawals?  That is account activity, not just logins.

Again, it's a crummy account, particularly for a credit union.  I might expect this setup if it was one of those high-yield deals, with a minimum number of debit card transactions per month, or something.  But buyer beware--it seems, as disclosed, it was never suitable for the purpose you had imagined.

It was a money market (savings) account with limited monthly use. Savings accounts shouldn't require use. And it was their site's fault I could not access it. It was over a year...so what? It seems to me they have a way to steal from dead people. What does quietly taking $5/month after saying they mailed one letter actually accomplish?

*should* is one thing...and I agree, it's ill-matched with an account that allows a maximum of 6 withdrawals a month.  But were you aware of the fees as disclosed?  They are dated 2018.  It seems you could have foreseen trouble ahead.

Virgil Starkwell

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2020, 03:46:34 AM »
I won't excuse their account setup--they do seem to have a ton of fees, including an early withdrawal fee, a "bad address" fee, and many others...

https://www.andrewsfcu.org/Learn/Resources/Account-Fees

But...the 5 dollar monthly fee is for "No account activity for 12 months or more."  You may have logged into the account, but did you actually make any additional deposits or withdrawals?  That is account activity, not just logins.

Again, it's a crummy account, particularly for a credit union.  I might expect this setup if it was one of those high-yield deals, with a minimum number of debit card transactions per month, or something.  But buyer beware--it seems, as disclosed, it was never suitable for the purpose you had imagined.

It was a money market (savings) account with limited monthly use. Savings accounts shouldn't require use. And it was their site's fault I could not access it. It was over a year...so what? It seems to me they have a way to steal from dead people. What does quietly taking $5/month after saying they mailed one letter actually accomplish?

*should* is one thing...and I agree, it's ill-matched with an account that allows a maximum of 6 withdrawals a month.  But were you aware of the fees as disclosed?  They are dated 2018.  It seems you could have foreseen trouble ahead.
You have a point about it being a red flag. However,
1. Those fees buried in the small print are atypical of banks, going beyond their scope and failing the reasonability test.
2. The fees were the direct result of what they admit is their technical problems (which continue) with their site.
3. They did not follow their own rules by actually sending a letter.
4. They admitted they should have sent an email.
5. They took yet another fee days after the access issue had been fixed.

Anyway, what should I do if they refuse the external transfer? Right now, they're up to their old tricks: after I sign on and navigate to messages, a window opens that says I've been inactive and then it immediately whisks me out.
« Last Edit: April 16, 2020, 03:53:29 AM by Virgil Starkwell »

reeshau

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2020, 04:23:45 AM »
What's to refuse?  I assume the other bank will just do an ACH to it.  That wouldn't be any kind of special transaction.  Otherwise, just spend the money instead of using your regular checking:  make a mortgage payment to it, or something.  The day you drain it, send them a registered letter saying you would like the account closed.

celerystalks

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #8 on: April 16, 2020, 05:32:50 AM »
I won't excuse their account setup--they do seem to have a ton of fees, including an early withdrawal fee, a "bad address" fee, and many others...

https://www.andrewsfcu.org/Learn/Resources/Account-Fees

But...the 5 dollar monthly fee is for "No account activity for 12 months or more."  You may have logged into the account, but did you actually make any additional deposits or withdrawals?  That is account activity, not just logins.

Again, it's a crummy account, particularly for a credit union.  I might expect this setup if it was one of those high-yield deals, with a minimum number of debit card transactions per month, or something.  But buyer beware--it seems, as disclosed, it was never suitable for the purpose you had imagined.

I remember a time when banks were a place people could safely store money they weren’t using.  Sigh. Times have certainly changed. 

frugalnacho

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #9 on: April 16, 2020, 07:27:01 AM »
Just make a new account and close this account.  It sucks to get swindled out of money by an unethical company, but at this point it's probably best to just suck up the loss and move on.  Stop spending mental energy on it.  I know, it's the principle of the matter and you don't feel right just letting them "win" by keeping those fees, but it's probably not worth the effort to get them back, and in the end shutting your account down and cutting all ties with them will hurt them more than getting them to refund the remaining $30 or $35.  You've probably already dealt with more than $35 worth of stress from the situation, so just let it go an make a new account at a better institution.

Virgil Starkwell

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #10 on: April 16, 2020, 07:34:13 AM »
Hey, I agree with everything people have said here: I should have seen the fees, I need to get out, etc. I arranged an ACH transfer with a different bank and hopefully, Andrews won't refuse it. That's my concern. After that I'll

[...]send them a registered letter saying you would like the account closed.

Now I know to check Yelp, too. Although I'm American and grew up and spent most of my life in the US, where I reside now one cannot post honest reviews of businesses without fear of being sued for defamation.

Dicey

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #11 on: April 16, 2020, 07:43:19 AM »
Hey, I agree with everything people have said here: I should have seen the fees, I need to get out, etc. I arranged an ACH transfer with a different bank and hopefully, Andrews won't refuse it. That's my concern. After that I'll

[...]send them a registered letter saying you would like the account closed.

Now I know to check Yelp, too. Although I'm American and grew up and spent most of my life in the US, where I reside now one cannot post honest reviews of businesses without fear of being sued for defamation.
Speaking of defamation, your thread title is a bit extreme. "Andrews FCU Fucked Up My Account and Won't Fix It" is equally attention grabbing and less likely to get you sued...

My advice is to report them to the appropriate regulatory body, move the money, and then let it go.

Virgil Starkwell

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #12 on: April 16, 2020, 07:48:33 AM »
[...]"Andrews FCU Fucked Up My Account and Won't Fix It" is equally attention grabbing and less likely to get you sued......[...]

LOL!


frugalnacho

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #13 on: April 16, 2020, 08:02:54 AM »
Hey, I agree with everything people have said here: I should have seen the fees, I need to get out, etc. I arranged an ACH transfer with a different bank and hopefully, Andrews won't refuse it. That's my concern. After that I'll

[...]send them a registered letter saying you would like the account closed.

Now I know to check Yelp, too. Although I'm American and grew up and spent most of my life in the US, where I reside now one cannot post honest reviews of businesses without fear of being sued for defamation.

Make sure you actually close the account and don't just transfer the money out.  If the account is still open you'll continue to accumulate fees, which will push you into the red and you'll then get compounding fees because your account is in the red.  Get some type of confirmation or proof the account is closed so you don't get surprised in a year by an account with a negative $200 balance when you thought it was closed.  That's exactly the type of thing a shady institution would try to pull on someone. 

Neo

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #14 on: April 21, 2020, 09:25:05 PM »
They service 5 of my mortgages. Never had any issues with them.

Virgil Starkwell

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #15 on: April 21, 2020, 09:44:16 PM »
Their Facebook page (1.9 out of 5) is riddled with disparaging remarks about them, as well.

Anyway, all's well that ends well. After writing to Tonia V., the member advocate who responds to negative reviews, she magically made all of the fees disappear and confirmed in an email that she'll be closing the account. If only Tonia ran everything there...

nalor511

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #16 on: April 22, 2020, 12:13:37 AM »
They service 5 of my mortgages. Never had any issues with them.

Wow, I feel lucky to have never had any problems (knock wood) in my 4 years of business with them. I guess my monthly interest credit avoids dormancy. Were you not earning monthly interest?

If you write a heartfelt letter via mail to the executives, you should get your funds back. But it's a good idea to check on your accounts once in awhile anywho.

They have also changed their login system very recently, so perhaps when they couldn't contact you, they are indeed correct that you never got an account in the new system. Doesn't help the frustration, of course, but at least helps you know how this happened. Maybe if you point this out you may have better luck.

They even offered me an interest free 5k loan for the Covid19 lockdown.

Virgil Starkwell

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #17 on: April 22, 2020, 12:17:21 AM »
I guess my monthly interest credit avoids dormancy.

Mine didn't.

nalor511

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Re: Andrews Federal Credit Union is not to be trusted
« Reply #18 on: April 22, 2020, 11:32:43 AM »
Understood. Sounds like you got your $ back. Sorry Andrews didn't work out for you. Glad they made you whole.