This is an honest review of Blue Eagle as a whole, not just this particular location…read more
What I really like is the friendly, kind and polite staff. The staff really are amazing. I've personally worked with Mary, Becky and Kari, and I appreciate all of them and their kindness. Sam is also great and answered my email very quickly. I've never had any complaints about the staff.
Here's what I don't like about Blue Eagle. First, they seem very strict and picky about who they will help with lending products. I applied for a credit card and a loan and was denied for both without a cosigner because of my credit utilization. I can respect that, and I was still a pretty new member at the time, having only joined in May. I had originally applied at the recommendation of another Blue Eagle member I know.
After that, I joined a local bank called RidgeView Bank in Roanoke. They asked me what services they could help me with, so I applied for a credit card and was approved almost instantly. They told me they don't necessarily see high utilization as a reason for denial, which I actually didn't mention to them until after they approved me.
Since my original application with Blue Eagle, my utilization has also decreased significantly -- by more than half. So after RidgeView approved me, I came back to Blue Eagle and basically said, "Hey, another local bank has given me an offer. Is there any way we can work something out on the credit card?" I would much rather continue building my relationship with Blue Eagle than have to start over with another local institution. I'm even willing to accept a lower amount or whatever reasonable terms Blue Eagle could work out for me.
Sam answered my email and forwarded it to Kari, who assisted me. I usually work with Mary, but Kari was great as well, and Sam was too. Five stars for both of them.
Unfortunately, the underwriters still will not approve me. My original denial was due to my credit utilization, while this time I was told the issue was that I had opened more than a few accounts within the past 24 months. I understand that Blue Eagle has its own underwriting standards, and I'm not mad about the decision, but I had hoped there might be more flexibility to figure out an option that could work for both of us, especially considering my utilization has decreased significantly and I'm willing to accept a lower credit limit or other reasonable terms.
I haven't made any final decisions yet, but RidgeView is also wanting to look at refinancing my car. I would really prefer to keep my relationship with Blue Eagle and keep my car there. Before I make a final decision about that, I'd like to give Blue Eagle the opportunity to see if there is anything they can work out with me.
Unfortunately, based on my lending experience so far, I would not currently recommend Blue Eagle to family or friends for lending products. That's disappointing for me to say because I genuinely like the employees I've worked with and would prefer to continue doing business here. I hope my experience changes in the future because I would be happy to reconsider that opinion.
So, bottom line: I would recommend Blue Eagle if you are looking for general banking such as checking and savings because the employees have been wonderful. When it comes to lending, however, my experience has been that their standards are considerably stricter than I expected from a credit union.
I'm still willing to work with Blue Eagle and would genuinely like to find a solution that works for both of us. If someone from Blue Eagle would like to reach out to me to discuss whether there are any other options available, I would be more than happy to speak with them. If they are unable to meet my needs, though, I will have to consider moving more of my business to an institution that can.
