What a rotten bank. I had a horrible experience with GRACE on 10/22/2021. Can't get past that hour plus of my life unfortunately, but they definitely treat CERTAIN customers with a bias and treated me like a straight up criminal for being a fraud victim. I called their corporate call center and the supervisor was "in a meeting" wink wink and of course never responded. This place sucks and I was treated like I was trying to commit fraud for using my OWN information. Also, being asked to open an account at a teller window is asinine. Asking someone with fraud on their credit to do this in front of the entire bank, unacceptable. Asking me for more and extensive RANDOM documents piece by piece is the biggest load of BS I may have ever encountered. Grace, thanks for the TERRIBLE service and ending sarcastically with "have a GREAT day," you have problems. I can't believe how shitty of an experience this was. Thumbs way down. I may recommend this joke of a bank to my worst enemy, but no one else. read more

Sold me and my information without my consent to Elin Financial. Lost my information and neither Elin and Blu could tell me what transactions were in the $300 that Elin claimed I now owed them. Bunch of clowns running the bank now and I closed my accounts. Had to pay that totally opaque number to close my unactivated new credit card, zero records available in either's customer service as to what charges and transactions made ip that total. read more

This was always a decent financial institution but in the past 3 or 4 years it has gone down hill. I was trying to close out a HELOC today and had to deal with multiple transfers before finally getting the payoff statement. That statement said to call 858-795-6100 to verify the payoff amount. It seems that phone number is no longer in service so all of the pay off statements were being sent out with an invalid phone number. I was literally on the phone for over an hour with multiple employees to resolve this. This CU is short of employees and those there seem poorly trained. How many times do they have to apologize before the company makes changes? read more

BluPeak is lame. Put a hold on a check and would not release it even after verifying funds are collected. No good reason. Bad service.

Blu Peak is the worst credit union in the world. I left Wells Fargo for them over a decade ago and since they all they have done is fleece me nonstop. I will finally be closing my account soon but do not go here!! The fact that they haven't been subject to a class action lawsuit is unbelievable. They are absolute scammers and do not deserve to be called a credit union. read more

I would like to thank the staff at the credit union for the courteous attention, they have given me for over 30 years Alfonso read more

Let me start by saying that I have had great service from staff at actual branches. When I setup my account, I requested monthly statements be mailed to me since I don't have a printer. Everything was fine until December when I did not receive the November statement, so I called the (866) number on December 18th and was told it was mailed out on the 11th, so give it more time. On December 26th I called back to let them know that I still had not received it. Turns out that I was LIED to in the first call... no statement had been mailed! Yesenia escalated my issue to a supervisor so that I would not be charged for sending out a statement. BUT instead of mailing me the statement, I was emailed an "account inquiry" that was created by said "supervisor" that showed my November activity! Again, I don't have a printer, so what good does this do me?! So I responded to the email asking that this be mailed out to me... no response, no mail, nothing! I ended up calling the branch on Fletcher Pkwy and spoke with Sheena who verified that my settings were still setup for monthly statements to be mailed AND she mailed out an actual statement to me, including the December one which had not been mailed. My advice, call your branch personnel! They will help you... the (866) customer service will not! Even when supervisor is involved! read more

After being a member of good standing with the USE Credit Union for 39 years it seems they have a screw you mentality, your error and suck it up! I tried to stop payment on a check I gave to a contractor because he didn't notice that I put his business name on the check instead of his personal name. Long story short, I stopped payment after the check had gone through. I asked USE to reverse the stop payment fee of $28 and they won't do it? ! I have thousands of dollars in my account and they won't give me back $28? Now I see why people hate banks and corporations! read more

Unbelievable, screw-you mentality that you should run away from at all costs. I've been a ten-year customer of USE; had auto loans, direct deposit, etc all done through them. Throughout the entire time, it's been a pleasant experience, and I was very sad when I moved away and we decided we'd have to choose another bank. Fast forward to today; with our accounts mostly transferred over, I closed out our auto loan. Naturally, with a ten-day payoff, there is often an average, in this case about $400. I was on travel, and I use paypal for rideshare, linked to use. I said "Hmm, I suppose it will be easier to just spend that money, vice transferring it out". My USE app and Mint both showed the $400 in my account. I get back, and there is an overdraft fee for EVERY SINGLE USE, DESPITE a positive balance showing in the account! I called them, and was told "Oh, we don't automatically release overages, so those charges are your fault; didn't you know we put a hold on the check?" I was then given an incremental attempt by the phone servicers to settle "oh, we can clear 3 of the 10 overages, oh, we can clear 6 of the 10 overages". No. You had an unclear system that resulted in a balance showing where there was none; I'm not going to be penalized for that. Bottom line: this bank is every bit as evil as a big corporate bank, and should be avoided at all costs. read more

I've been going to this branch for 10 years now and have always had a good experience with them. Everyone here is always very helpful and I couldn't feel more satisfied about where I keep my money. read more

Excellent customer service, coffee, and better rates. They go out of their way to make things work out. I had to coordinate a house down payment transfer from overseas and they set it up flawlessly with a smile. Thanks Janara and Albert! I was planning on using the debit card abroad as the 1% fee is much less than the 3% most charge. As I didn't use my debit card in 18 months it had been deactivated. I was leaving in 3 days so the call center sent me a new one FedEx. Enough said. I've had so many problems with Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Citibank I'll never use them again. Credit unions and smaller banks are definitely better. read more

I don't understand the poor reviews here. My debit card has been jacked a couple of times over 10 years and this is now (unfortunately) a common occurrence at every bank or credit union. The customer service line is 24/7 whenever the branches are closed and I have always received stellar service from whoever answers the line. Plus a text when fraud is suspected? That's pretty cool. The app is great and easy to use, and I log in often to keep an eye on my accounts, transfer funds, find a nearby CU ATM, etc. (when I don't use the app, the web banking site is good, too). The UC San Diego branch tellers are super friendly and knowledgeable, and there is never ever a wait. I have received great personalized service for both my (now paid-off) car loan and from Kathleen, the mortgage finance guru, who walked me through all the steps needed to get approved and funded in short order. I am definitely not a high-roller upper management VIP but I always feel like I get VIP service from this team. I LOVE MY CREDIT UNION! :) read more

These people hire others who don't know what they are doing. I can't tell you the number of times they refused to do something fairly easy because they had their own regulations. Recently, I tried to rollover an IRA from an institution in the Midwest and I got nothing but crap. I had to write a note and complain before they would do something. Another time I tried to cash a check and it had signatures from both of ours on the back. They refused to cash it because both of the names were not on the account that we wanted to use. There have been a number of other times when they didn't know regulations or made up their own. These people are idiots. read more

This bank is very up to date, if you are living thirty years behind everyone else. It's true there is never a line; I now suspect this is for lack of willing customers. There is coffee, which I'm sure is nice, but it would be nice if that coffee came with a fully functioning financial institution. I've given it two months, and it's been nothing but a hassle. My partner has had it even worse than I have. The banking specialists are indeed special, though not at efficiency. It took two hours, each, to open our accounts, my partner was unable to access his own money for a week thereafter, and in fact still can't because the debit card machine wasn't working that day and after two weeks they haven't mailed either the checks (that he paid for) or the debit card he was told would be sent to him. Now, right this minute, we can't even get access to our accounts because the website is down. Their customer "service" line only operates during business hours on weekdays. There is also no number directly to the branch. There is no way, therefore, to access our accounts on nights and weekends if the website is down, which from what I can tell is plenty often. Moving your money: They don't directly transfer funds electronically; the "bill pay" online generates a literal paper check with is snail-mailed to the recipient. I hope no one ever has to do anything on short notice, because this place is all about taking their time. There are exorbitant overdraft "protection" fees, over $30 per transaction. This includes the 54 cent "test" fee that was withdrawn by PNC bank when I attempted to set up the account so I could transfer funds to cover the overdraw within the same business day. They will, however, withdraw overdraft fees on nights and weekends, because you matter. My partner and I intend to close our accounts as soon as possible, and I can not stress enough how horrendous and stupid this whole debacle has been. read more

The USE credit union on the UCSD campus is the best bank I have ever belonged to, bar none. A lot of the time, the know my name when I walk in. How many of you can say that about your bank? You will never wait longer than 5 minutes to see a teller, either. Otherwise, they will give you 6 bucks. Literally. The banking specialists are top notch. Great advice, very friendly. Helped me come up with a CD-linked loan to pay for my new car while improving my credit. Online banking for USE credit union is flawless. I have never had a single problem, and they frequently do little games like the recent 'find the treasure chest' game, where you win money if you find all of them. It involves searching through their website, thus familiarizing yourself further with all of the aspects of the site. Brilliant idea, guys. There is always coffee in the branch, and it's good. Sometimes there are cookies. I don't know what else I can say, other than I am very sad that I will move away eventually and will no longer be able to visit my favorite tellers at my favorite bank ever. read more

Every year, USE seems to celebrate my membership by inviting any number of hackers to explore my debit card and to charge it up in luxurious digs. This year: fabulous North Carolina. I decided to keep my membership because I have specific bills that have been withdrawn from the account, and reaching the creditors is somewhat akin to Shackleton's southward journey. Again, as is our anniversary tradition, I filed a dispute and was promised resolution within 24-48 hours. The branch I bank with certainly must exist in a wormhole, because it has been over a week, and charges to Jebb's Still Supply and Fishin' Gear remain on my account. USE is quite happy to lose clients over $60, but, in their favor, never forget your anniversary. Can't wait until next year. Who knows what awaits? Being shot by a teller? Again, USE-less. Happy fraud-a-versary! read more

Took 2 hours to open new accounts. Fees to open free checking accounts. Savings accounts attached to checking accounts are not optional. $200 minimum in savings or else fees apply. Fees to order checks (which do not come with new account). Cannot withdraw initial funds for a week. Asked to test new debit cards by making withdrawal from ATM. One card did not work. Received insufficient funds notice in the mail from this withdrawal. Joint checking is a separate login from individual checking. Username requirement is funky. Called credit union number and was told they could not provide UCSD branch phone number, but could transfer the line. Was transferred, no one answered. It's been a week, still cannot access any funds. Nightmare. Can't even imagine what the cancellation process will be like. read more

Janara Bahramzi at the UCSD branch is terrific. She took time to help us get a car loan. Even the dealer said this was the lowest interest rate he'd seen. Highly recommended. read more

I wanted to take time out to mention an employee at the campus branch at UCSD. His name is Albert Marquez. He is the reason I am giving this branch 5 stars. He was so nice and has the best personality. He made a stressful situation for me, less stressful with his attitude, being available and so helpful. Thank you Albert Marquez read more

This is the best bank I have ever been with hands down. They are so nice, respectful, and friendly. I have had a few issues that were resolved immediately and they went above and beyond each time. Thank you so much USE CU!!! read more

Poor handling of fraud and debit card issue. I got an automatic text when my debit card was used fraudulently, and they promptly blocked the card. I called their member services right away. I was told that it was 'automatic' that a new card would be issued and I'd receive it in 7-10 business days. I also wanted to make sure that a pending charge I made at a cafe that day would still go through, and that they'd take off the fraudulent charge, a pending iTunes transaction. I checked back 8 business days later, as I had not received the card, and when I checked the account, the iTunes charge had come through. The service rep reassured me that the card had been ordered, but I'd had have to file a dispute form for to get the charge removed. I called back today, 13 business days after the initial phone call, when there was still no card in my mailbox. I was advised that it had only been 3 business days; the card had in fact not been ordered until my second phone call! She apologized profusely, and said there were no notes from the first phone call to verify what I had been told. I asked for a callback from a manager, and the rep told me she was a supervisor. I asked if there was anything she could do for the inconvenience, She said she could cancel the one that was sent and expedite a new one, but the one that was already sent would get there sooner. I told her that they should have expedited the card the second time I called. The only thing she 'offered' was that she'd review the phone calls and implement policy changes if an issue was found. The first two phone calls were mishandled, their automatic fraud system missed a charge, and the last call did nothing to reassure me. read more

I've belonged to the UCSD branch for over 20 years and had great service, whether it be car loans or refinancing a home. Kathleen D. was a great help with the Refi... Thank You USECU! read more

My experience with this USE Credit Union has been the best banking experience ever. The staff is always super friendly and helpful, and they always have good promotions and giveaways going on. Best part is they are always quick and efficient. Seriously if you go to UCSD or live in La Jolla, you should go here. read more

Overall i guess I am ok with this bank. However im not happy that they charge $5 for cashier's check. It seems a bit steep. It's the only bank that I know that does that for one cashier's check a month. Another draw back is this locations customer service. A Caucasian gentleman ...I'm upset that i forgot to get his name but simply bad, privileged, type of attitude. He acted a bit extra like a diva type attitude. Leave that attitude at home honey and learn to be professional in the work place. read more

TERRIBLE customer service!!! I was recently hired as a full time employee of UCSD so I figured I would go to this branch on the campus to open an account, I thought it would be really convenient to have my direct deposit going to a branch that I drive past about 3 times every day. Once I entered the branch I quickly realized I should take my business elsewhere. It was about an hour before closing yet the representative doing new member sign ups tells me that they're getting ready to close soon, I ask "I thought you close in an hour?" and she says "We have a meeting so we're closing soon.", at which point I ask "Why didn't you put a sign on the door stating that?", she gets upset with my logic and tells me that she can give me the paperwork to take home and fill out. Upon hearing her attitude I offer to just come back another time so we don't have to rush but she tells me to come over and get the paperwork anyway, I guess she wanted to get credit for signing me up. The employee was very condescending and rude. As shes handing me the paperwork she starts explaining all of the fees I'd be paying to start my accounts there, $100 fee for checking accounts, $25 fee for savings accounts, $10 fee for this, $5 fee for that, minor monthly withdrawals for maintenance fees, RIDICULOUS!!! I've been a member of other credit unions, Navy Federal, Mission Federal, and San Diego County, and the 3 of them combined didn't ask for the money this one was requiring, thats why I prefer credit unions in the first place, no fees, but USE is a Bank posing as a credit union. Horrendous customer service+excessive fees=bad business!!! read more

Ok...I know I wrote a really great review in August. I was ecstatic because a credit union actually accepted me. But that was short lived. I have NEVER had to call a bank so many times in my entire life. First off, I was on the phone with someone setting up my accounts and she offered to send me a new debit/check card with a new chip in it...since that seems to be a new thing. I said yea sure..this was the first week of September. It's now November and I STILL haven't received that card. I had to go to the branch to get a regular debit card without the chip. Next issue...I opened up a secured credit card with them and gave them a deposit of $130. The loan officer I spoke with told me it would take 7-10 business days to get to me, which is normal so I was fine with that. This was November 6th and guess what...it's now November 23rd and I didn't receive that card either. I had to go to the branch AGAIN and get this card in person. Lastly, they messed up my pay check from work. I used the app and deposited the check on a Wednesday. The guy on the phone told me this would be cleared on Thursday...so I waited all day for my check to be cleared and finally on Thursday at 4pm I called and asked why my check wasn't cleared yet. The guy on the phone proceeded to tell me that when banks say a specific date to be cleared...they really mean the day after. What. The. Hell. No bank that I have EVER been with has done that to me. With USAA if it says the check will be cleared on so and so date then that's the date it's cleared. Same with Bank Of America, Wells Fargo and Navy Federal. Freaking ridiculous. So I told them I need at least a portion of my check to be cleared I have bills to pay, so they cleared $200 but in the process turned off my service with MasterCard. I tried to use my debit card to pay for things and it was declined multiple times. I called them AGAIN and the girl on the line kept me on hold for 15 minutes then told me my debit card number isn't in the system. I hung up and called again...another girl told me her supervisor fixed the problem and went on the MasterCard website to unlock my card. Not saying the people that work here aren't nice, they are very courteous but I'm not going to use them as my main bank. read more

Avoid this bank. 2.5 hours to open my accounts. I had to pay fees to open free checking, and had to keep a balance in savings. Large overdraft protection fees. Online banking and iphone app are a mess. Couldn't call my branch directly; call center refused to give me the number. When opening new accounts, I received a $25 gift, and yet had to pay $10 up front to open each account. Why not just make them free and give $15 per account? No complimentary checks with new accounts and I had to pay to order checks to use with my accounts. After realizing I made a mistake I tried to close my accounts the next week and the manager came out with an attitude and tried to make me pay an early account closing fee. This bank is no good. read more

I am not a member of this bank but I do use their ATM and walk past this bank every single day. I have gone inside in the past to break large bills into smaller bills but today, Aug. 6, 2013 around 2:05pm I withdrew cash from the ATM and then walked inside to exchange the $20s into a $100 bill and they would not do it unless I was a member. Really, what's the difference. read more

Starting last week, I had the opportunity to make use of the UCSD branch in La Jolla. I work on campus, so location can't be beat. But, better than that is the amazing service I've received. I've been working with Janara, and she's tremendous - kind, thoughtful, super responsive, reliable. Every step of the process has been easy and efficient, from my first visit into the location, through to the nice auto-email message I just received from the branch manager. Why isn't everything in life this great? read more

USE Credit Union, which I thought would be a BIG benefit over US Bank, failed to deliver. First off Bill Pay. Could not set up my utility bills with SCE or SoCal Gas Company without having to sign up on the utility first. Had a big problem with that because at US Bank you set up EPAY, and Viola ! bye bye goes the paper bills. Putting back to US Bank was even a bigger headache with SCE. Had to have a SCE representative fix that. Deleting the ebill from USE was easy. Second, Credit Card security. What Security? there is no security. The CU has more security against the members that send a prompt to your mobile every time you log on to a different computer, with a new pass code?. Have your people ever heard of asking 3-5 personal questions when logging on to your accounts from a different machine? What happens if your battery is dead on your mobile? Yet any credit card skimmer can make a counterfeit card, and USEs security doesn't catch it. I'll give USE credit for one occasion. They did catch it the first time because the schmuck that tried using my card was using it at the same time I was using mine. The second and third time were from different geographical area where I reside, and were used multiple times at the same gas station. Good Job on those alerts USE. US Bank made sure I can check anytime. And then they wait 6 to 7 days to post charges to your account. Yep I've now closed the credit card, because US Bank has showed me they at least care about security. Third, The Rewards for using their Mastercard. What a bunch of crap. Spent over $23K on the credit card, and got 9000 points in my rewards? Heck I get matched point to point for every dollar I spend at US Bank, and then some. Now I can't even read if they shipped me the gift cards because I closed my credit card out. Glad I got the email. Just may have to go to small claims to get my $75 in IHOP certificates. USE... I will never use your financial institution again, once I deplete my accounts. You can't even offer a better rate on your HE Loans over US Bank...Like John G. said. "USE-Less" read more

Great service from Janara at the La Jolla Branch. Closed accounts at other credit union Because of her dedication read more

I have been a USE customer for a while now, and have not had any of the issues that others seem to have. It's true - there are no lines, which is nice as I work on campus and have limited time, and the tellers have been efficient and personable. Several times I had to get a new ATM card because of password issues (not the bank's fault) . As for the fees, I believe most credit unions (and major banks) charge a fee when checking accounts are in overdraft, and also when having to transfer from savings to checking as a result of an overdraft, but USE seems to give a grace period and they won't charge if the amounts are very small. I like them, and I will keep them! read more

Kathleen Dallas-Orr was phenomenal helping my Fiancé and I with our home loan. We are first time home buyers and had so many questions. Kathleen answers all our questions and put our fears to rest. Using the USE preferred agent we got 20% off the commission cost. Kathleen also recommend a agent that works great with first time home buyers. That made our experience buying our first home so much easier and fun. Kathleen has also in the past help me with financing a car. I highly recommend going to Kathleen and the whole team at USE Credit Union for all of your home and car financing needs. read more

One very important point that is not obvious but extremely important. USE does not use a feature that commercial banks do everyday; that is timing transactions in order to gain pennies on the dollar, but when you add million of customers, it adds to millions of dollars using clients money. All that happens when you deposit a check or make loan payment. Everything at USE shows up on your computer screen the same day, not the next day or longer. USE faithfully deposits everything the moment you do it, and payments are posted the same day they are made. Thank you USE. :-) read more

Staff always provide friendly service and are very helpful everytime I visit. Never have to wait long to be seen, and the free coffee is a bonus too. As a student at UCSD, the location is very convenient. Would recommend this bank to anybody. read more

Nobody likes change, especially changing financial institutions. However I was not thrilled by the "customer service" experience I was having with my big bank, not did I care for feeling like a number. I opened a checking with USE and slowly transitioned my banking. One day while I was making a deposit, Max Henderson asked if I knew about their credit card offers which I really hadn't thought about, but turns out They literally have lowest rates out there so I went ahead and applied. That snowballed into refinancing my car loan from 7% to 2.9%. Everyone in the branch is really courteous and helpful. It truly has been one of the best changes I've made. I'm a human again when I need to enter a financial institution, and that's so refreshing. Their app is not the most sophisticated but it works easy enough to transfer funds and make my payments. Thanks Max, and USE, you really did make a difference in my world with just one question! read more

Excellent customer service. Problems are always addressed immediately. I've been using USE CU for 10 years throughout undergrad (UCD) and Med school (UCSD). The UCSD branch has been very convenient for me; I'm able to walk in between classes or before heading to the hospital, and I am always helped right away. Not sure where the negative reviews are coming from, but there is NO substitution for the personal service and welcoming atmosphere that a credit union provides. Thanks USE! read more

I read some of the negative reviews of USE Credit Union today. I usually never write a review online myself but since I've never had anything but good experiences with USE CU I thought I'd post something positive. I've primarily used USE CU Union for Auto Loans as they seem to have the lowest rates around. I've financed 4 cars through USE CU in the last 5 years. My two loans currently are at 1.99% for 72 months and I didn't have to make a payment for 90 days. Only the interest on the loan accrues during that time which was only about $135. I'm a teacher and bought the vehicles in the summer, so it was quite nice not to have to make a payment for 3 months. The experience obtaining the loan was great also. The only document the loan rep required was a pay stub. They approved the loan the same day and funded it the next. I was also able to E-sign my loan documents, so I never had to even go into the branch for these last two loans. USE CU has also gave me a very low interest Visa Platinum card with a high limit without even asking. I'd highly recommend USE CU for Auto Loans. I've never used any other of their services much but when I do call their call center and the Reps are very helpful. Don't know much about if they have long lines in the Branches. I give them 5 stars! read more

I like the USE Credit Union because it is a credit union, not a bank, which means that they are working for you, not against you. The online banking is good and includes FinanceWorks, which is a bit like mint.com (it's from the same company) and can be used to manage your income and expenses by category, and offers various graphs and simple analysis. FinanceWorks is excellent and saves a lot of time, I hope they keep this. It's a bit like Microsoft Money. There is also a decent Android app. Regarding this particular branch, this is basically a branch for people who study or work at UCSD or UC Health, and very conveniently located, saves me a lot of time doing my banking there. The staff is very helpful, knowledgeable and professional. I highly recommend becoming a member of the USE Credit Union if you are studying and working at UCSD. read more

Kathleen was great! She was really quick with responding to our questions, and following through with all the necessary paperwork. We had to close in less than 30 days and she made it possible. We even got a really nice low rate! She was very helpful in walking us through what we needed to provide. She works so hard and was even responding late into the night! Thank you! read more