After about 25 years, this branch, its staff and the way corporate failed to resolve our issues have caused us to move all our banking away from Key, including a few checking accounts, savings, safety deposit box, business account, credit card, etc.
We applied for a HELOC in December. After multiple requests for our information (because the relationship manager couldn't seem to provide a document request checklist), they submitted the loan application to underwriting for 2X the intended amount thereby attempting to tie up all the equity in our home. We did not want this and had extensive conversations with multiple people about "the number". We only found out they submitted the loan application to underwriting for so much, because the approval letter had a "smaller" qualified amount. This smaller amount was still larger than our intention, and we had to ask them to adjust the loan documents to reflect the correct amount. Our credit scores each dropped 30 points after this qualified approval. The reason - "open real estate account balances too high compared to their loan amounts." This appeared after the Key HELOC application, so one can reasonably presume it is related. We never did move forward with a HELOC, so our debt ratio did not change. Our credit score has not returned to normal and Key is refusing to remove the credit inquiry. So - any HELOC we do get may well be more expensive due to this hit to our credit scores.
Then, the loan documents were emailed to us from Outlook with no encryption. We wanted to make sure the loan amount was corrected. The branch manager was sure to include "Confidential" in the header and label the message "Loan Docs" just to make it even that much more tantalizing for the curious hacker. We now have LifeLock. We will be out $1,500 or so over the next 3 years while this passes through. It has taken months to get verbal promises of action from the "Executive Offices" only to have the staff member leave with no resolution and no action. I have spent dozens of hours moving our banking to another institution, because I refuse to work with Key any longer. I tried - having spent until now (5 months) - working on a resolution with downtown. The local staff were supposed to have training to ensure no one else gets their identities put at risk, but I cannot say they have. I do know we are getting hit regularly with increased warnings and identity attacks.
Good luck if you decide to work with these folks. Be safe. If all you need is a local bank to write household checks, this is probably fine. This branch, with the exception of the counter staff, are not professionals. They are arrogant, ignorant and negligent. And, if the Executive Offices wants to respond to this post, you have all my contact information. Just pull Ester's files. I had been working with her since Jan/Feb. I'm still waiting for you guys to do ANYTHING to help! read more
