[net.consumers] Banker

smithrd@gc49.UUCP (Randy D. Smith) (01/08/86)

Is anyone else out there as annoyed as I am at those ads
where the bank guy talks about how all these other companies
claim to perform "like a bank"??  I'm most bothered by their
derogatory attitude towards Credit Unions.  Frankly, I'm
extremely glad that my credit union isn't exactly like a bank.
I left my bank behind gladly in order to get the same services
better performed more conveniently and courteously by people
I can trust with my money.

Well, glad to get that off my chest.  Sorry to bother the whole
net about it, but that commercial really rubbed me the wrong way.
This (or Ann Landers) seemed to be the only way of fighting back.
--
				Randy D. Smith	(919) 279-5312
			AT&T Technologies, Guilford Center, NC
				{ihnp4,burl}!gc49!smithrd

smk@axiom.UUCP (Steven M. Kramer) (01/09/86)

When I go to banks and deal with people (I like the machines better)
I deal with tellers, receptionists, and inexperienced personnel.  I
guess I don't rate a banker.  My credit unions have people that are
friendly and offer me better services much cheaper.  So, credit
unions don't have bankers, which is why I go to them.
-- 
	--steve kramer
	{allegra,genrad,ihnp4,utzoo,philabs,uw-beaver}!linus!axiom!smk	(UUCP)
	linus!axiom!smk@mitre-bedford					(MIL)

hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) (01/14/86)

In article <153@axiom.UUCP> smk@axiom.UUCP (Steven M. Kramer) writes:
>When I go to banks and deal with people (I like the machines better)
>I deal with tellers, receptionists, and inexperienced personnel.  I
>guess I don't rate a banker.  My credit unions have people that are
>friendly and offer me better services much cheaper.  So, credit
>unions don't have bankers, which is why I go to them.

Depends on the credit union.  The last one I dealt  with  had  higher  loan
rates  than  some local banks, generally discourteous help, low interest on
deposits, and was inconveniently located so all transactions had to  be  by
phone  or  mail.  When  they  converted  to  a  "cheaper"  touch-tone phone
withdrawal system and told me I could now pay $1 a month for the priviledge
of  accessing my money or perform all transactions by mail with no standard
forms available I said "Enough!".  Which is why I go to a bank.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe)
Citicorp(+)TTI
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.             Geniuses are people so lazy they
Santa Monica, CA  90405           do everything right the first time.
(213) 450-9111, ext. 2483
{philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe

doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) (01/16/86)

My credit union just made an enemy of me...

I got my statement yesterday.  They had deducted, without any notice,
$15.  Called up to ask what's going on, they said they had a new policy
that anyone with less than $250 on deposit will be charged $15 per
quarter, starting January 1.

They refused to refund my $15 on such an obviously groundless basis as
their not having told anyone that they were going to do this.  I closed
out my membership, and certainly won't be going back.

General question:  is there anything that the average consumer can do
about this kind of situation?  It seems like every month some company or
other is taking me for $10 or $15 by this kind of monkey-business.  It's
not enough money to make going to small-claims court worthwhile, so they
get away with it.  (Somebody once joked that there oughtta be a "reverse
class action suit", where you could sue the class of people who together
have ripped you off for a tidy sum).
-- 
Doug Pardee -- CalComp -- {hardy,savax,seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!terak!doug

gadfly@ihuxn.UUCP (Gadfly) (01/17/86)

--
> >When I go to banks and deal with people (I like the machines better)
> >I deal with tellers, receptionists, and inexperienced personnel.  I
> >guess I don't rate a banker.  My credit unions have people that are
> >friendly and offer me better services much cheaper.  So, credit
> >unions don't have bankers, which is why I go to them.
 
> Depends on the credit union.  The last one I dealt  with  had
> higher  loan rates  than  some local banks, generally discourteous
> help, low interest on deposits, and was inconveniently located...
> 
> The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe)

I agree.  Some credit unions in Madison Wis are even a bit under-
handed, offering checking accounts ("share drafts") with 6% interest,
only it turns out to be 6% on your *lowest* balance during a quarter.
Even worse is their record as co-operatives.  The Rochdale Principles,
formulated by the first co-operative in Rochdale, England, over 100
years ago and subscribed to by every major co-op in the US, state that
co-ops should help other co-ops.  None of the credit unions in Madison
will loan any money to any co-operative corporation, irrespective of
its financial health.  "It's not our policy."  Feh.
-- 
                    *** ***
JE MAINTIENDRAI   ***** *****
                 ****** ******  16 Jan 86 [27 Nivose An CXCIV]
ken perlow       *****   *****
(312)979-7753     ** ** ** **
..ihnp4!iwsl8!ken   *** ***

colonel@sunybcs.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) (01/23/86)

> I got my statement yesterday.  They had deducted, without any notice,
> $15.  Called up to ask what's going on, they said they had a new policy
> that anyone with less than $250 on deposit will be charged $15 per
> quarter, starting January 1.
> They refused to refund my $15 on such an obviously groundless basis as
> their not having told anyone that they were going to do this.  I closed
> out my membership, and certainly won't be going back.
> General question:  is there anything that the average consumer can do
> about this kind of situation?

You can identify your credit union _by name_ on the Net, with an
appropriate "Distribution" field.  It's your most accessible way
to expose those knaves.
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
UU: ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel
CS: colonel@buffalo-cs
BI: csdsicher@sunyabva