Caution to small business owners...I would strongly caution small business owners against banking with Columbia Bank. My business account was closed after becoming overdrawn due to repeated $35 overdraft fees that continued compounding the negative balance. What started as a difficult financial situation quickly snowballed because of the fee structure itself. Although I fully paid the balance within 2 weeks after the account was closed, the bank still reported me to ChexSystems and has refused to remove the report -- making it extremely difficult to open a new business bank account elsewhere. I understand banks have policies, but there should also be reasonable consideration for customers who resolve the balance in good faith. Punishing small business owners long after the debt is paid feels excessive and harmful. If you're a business owner already navigating financial stress, be aware of how quickly overdraft fees and ChexSystems reporting can escalate into much larger problems. All I got was a sorry, don't know what to tell you, from the branch manager. read more

Beware! Umpqua destroyed my credit due to terrible business practices. I have had a HELOC for years with Umpqua and have never had a late payment, in fact my balance has been $0 for several months. In the past I have made several attempts to set up autopay to avoid accidentally missing a payment since the amount is different every month when I'm using the LOC, but they do not have that option. With no notice, Umpqua reported a $75 late payment to the credit agencies without notifying me of the amount being due at all. I had excellent credit and this one report dropped my score by nearly 100 points and I rely on having excellent credit for my profession. I later found out this $75 charge was an annual fee for having the account (I'm fine with the annual fee), but they never notified me that there was a payment due. No letter, no call, no notification, even my online account showed $0 balance due. After talking with them, I found out that I was expected to see it in a small section of the monthly e-statement. Why would I be reading through all of my statements looking for this when my balance shows $0?! I have been nothing but a perfect client that wants to pay my bills, but when they hide an annual fee and don't show it as balance due, they blast my credit instead of simply notifying me that there is a small charge due! At this point they refuse to dispute the negative credit remark despite me paying the tiny balance as soon as I knew about it. This my not be a big deal for some, but I use my credit every month for my business and this will cost me tens of thousands of dollars. Absolutely terrible, Umpqua! read more

Update on Fraud that occurred internally at the Umpqua Auburn Wa. branch. Total mismanagement of security. I do not usually write reviews like this. However this experience is absolutely insane. We put our money in banks to be secure, we trust that they have policies and procedures in place to protect our money. I fully understand that cyber/online fraud is happening at an alarming rate. I do know that people make mistakes at times and am usually accepting and more than happy to work with people. A thief walked into this branch with a drivers license not assigned to my account and without the teller checking for STANDARD policy identification verification (drivers license/atm card) was able to withdrawal money from my account. Not only did the teller allow money to be withdrawn but more than what was in the account creating an overdraft fee! I put up my first review and a day and a half later I received a call from the Umpqua community outreach manager Manny Maldanado. He was kind enough yet imho under the circumstances at times sounded a bit curt. He explained the the individual made a second attempt the next day to withdrawl more money from my account but the teller called authorities. Yay yet our laws do not police to chase or engage so the culprit got away. I spent near 6 hours of my time on the phone, driving to my local branch twice and had no way to pay anyone, accept wire transfers, get cash out etc. Total inconvenience and waste of my time losing hours that should have been spent running my business. I asked that Umpqua take this into consideration and said "You know some kind of compensation for my wasted time, stress and loss of ability to transact would be nice, maybe a gift certificate etc" Thats what I would have done as a business owner, when you make mistakes you do the right thing. He checked with upper management, called me back and said "nothing we can do" Wow not how you do business, treat your customer. You are an institution that is supposed to protect people's money and trust in you. I guess they are going to provide further training for their employee and that is supposed to be good enough. Completely disgusted with their response, policies and lack of training that would allow a teller to manage people's money this way. GO TO A REAL BANK THAT CARES AND DOES THE RIGHT THING BY THEIR CUSTOMERS! Maybe a story for JESSE JONES KING 5 NEWS read more

I love the SLU Umpqua Branch! Beautiful, welcoming building and wonderful staff (thank you Decontee for your individual, undivided attention to our banking needs). I highly recommend! read more

As a veteran, I appreciate directness and honesty, after running into a bunch of bogus banks and credit union. Dulcinea Patner, Loan Officer, gives it to me straight. These are rare trait. I would highly recommend you to consider doing business with her. read more

What's not to like about a small retail bank operation in a handy location? They don't do anything here to rise above the ordinary, but that's alright. You walk in past an ATM to a small lobby with three partitioned desks in it. These are the tellers. I had to ask if cashing a check was something they did; it seemed odd to sit at a desk for a teller transaction. I'm sure they must handle loans and other paperwork-heavy transactions sometimes, so they're just combining bankers and tellers into one person here. So, to cash a check, I had to pay a $5 fee, even though the check was drawn on Umpqua. They do this for any check over $100. Since I wanted as few bills as possible, I grabbed cash from the ATM, which charged me another $3. They got $8 out of me for cashing one check, and I was the only customer in the place the whole time. Maybe that's why they needed the $8. They did give me two chocolates on the way out, though. Nummers! read more

I moved my accounts here after a horrible experience with Chase. My banker is amazing and embodies customer service. Highly recommend.

Came in for a meeting with a manager. Friendly and courteous people work here. The branch is beautifully designed in green, blue, white and brown. There are comfortable lounging areas. The branch has been open for about a year. Free coffee when you come in. Get a free bag of coffee for checking in on Yelp. No parking at this building so if you get here with your own vehicle, there's a paid lot just north of the bank. There are two artists selling their merchandise at a display counter. I've never seen that in a bank. read more

Loan prepayment penalty never disclosed until escrow signing. (Not disclosed on Good Faith Estimate) $40 Fee for "free" checks -fee reversed. $40 in Fees for return mail address confusion after incorporation -not reversed. Threatening letter about not having homeowners insurance. After two calls/emails providing insurance document proof. And two calls clarifying address. Get another Threating letter saying I'll be charged over $5,000 for homeowners insurance. Don't let the cool lobbies fool you. I'm refi-ing now to get away after two years of ridculousness with these dimwits. read more

I have been coming to the SLU umpqua bank for a few months now. Let me tell you this is how banking should be done. While previously banking with a banking giant i was being charged a shopping 32$ a month for just having an account. NO MORE!!! Huy Nguyen was and continues to be one of the best financial consultants I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Friendly, informative, and never do I feel rushed or pressured into services I will not use. He takes time to make sure my needs are met and that he is there to provide nothing but top notch service the free coffee was a nice touch to just put their already fantastic customer service over the top. read more

I own a small business in South Lake Union and am impressed at the depth of knowledge that John Chambers has provided me with as my business grows. This is not your typical bank and I sincerely appreciate the outstanding service of John, Etta and Eric. Super team of really wonderful helpful people. And the free bag of coffee is pretty awesome too! :-) read more

It appears as though working with the individual bank locations is pleasant, working with their loan division is certainly not. Don't be drawn in by how pretty the banks are and how cute it is that they have cookies, tea and coffee. They refused to consider all our assets when we applied for a loan telling us that the including the assets would be "messy and difficult". They then made us pay points to drop they rate and the underwriter required us to have mortgage insurance. I asked if this would be dropped if we included all our assets and was told that it would but that we would have to start the entire process over! Gee, thanks. I am glad that you made it easy on yourselves and cost us money. When we wanted to pay the loan off, the loan officer told us it was necessary and that the building loan would simply convert to a regular mortgage and we didn't have to do a thing. I reiterated that we wanted a payoff amount and wanted to pay off the loan. Well, I am still waiting for an answer. I did the brute force thing of paying off the entire principal which then caused an account manager to call and inform me that I hadn't actually paid it off and needed to pay a bit more to close out the account. Well, yes, I know this, but no one wanted to tell me the amount until they were afraid I wouldn't pay off all the money they wanted. read more

I have been a small business owner for over 8 years and have been wanting to switch banks for many years but was concerned about the time it would take. I finally did it and I was pleased with how little time it took from my busy schedule. John Chambers and his staff were great! They were very professional and kind. The staff are genuinely interested in my banking needs. What I love is they know me by name. If your looking for a more personal experience, I would recommend Umpqua Bank. read more

They gave us a great deal with an interest rate and closing costs for refinancing on our house. BUT our loan officer was very forgetful and unorganized. She was not good at communication, either. I don't think we are going back. read more

I own a small business and have shopped a lot of banks in recent years, most of which are not that interested in helping a small business owner like myself. I mean, they say they are, but once you actually hold an account with them, you're just like a number to them, and good luck trying to get the financing they promised you when you first started your relationship. If your business hasn't earned $1M+ for the past 5 years, forget it! They consider you "high risk", regardless of how great your credit is, how much growth you've shown year after year. They just don't want to lend you ANY money unless you're a big fish. I'm not a big fish, but I do now employ 7 people (started out 4 years ago with myself and one other person), and I have expanded locations twice in the past 3 years, however, not in thanks to any support the banks have given me. I met with a relationship manager (John Chambers) at Umpqua last week and we had a really good, candid conversation about their focus as a company, their lending practices, loan options and how they really, as a community bank, are focused on small business and community growth. He explained how they sort of fill the gap between larger commercial banks, who are focused on bigger businesses, and credit unions, who normally aren't funded well enough to support business accounts at all. There was no hard selling, and he really was knowledgeable and excited to share their company philosophy, which seemed genuinely concerned with support of the local community and businesses like mine. I walked away feeling very likely to transition from Key over to them. There were even some services they offered to make my banking even easier than it is now. I'll be meeting with John again in a couple weeks and look forward to building a great long-term relationship with a bank that seem they will really value having my business. Oh, they had great coffee too, and he gave me some free bags of it at the end of our meeting! I guess you can go in anytime and ask for a bag. Pretty cool perk for when I'm taking in my deposits. :) read more

Great place to go. Working with them on a refinance for my Freddie Mac loan, which I might say is really hard to find a bank/credit union that will work with Freddie Mac loans for the home affordability program. Everyone has been really helpful and friendly. read more

After paying off the balance on my Line of Credit, for two months I checked on line and everything looked good, my balance was $0.00. I didn't know that there was still unpaid interest on the account (less than $14) that DIDN'T SHOW ON THE ONLINE BALANCE. My credit score is over 800 so you can imagine my panic when I received a notice in the mail that I was late with a payment AND $10 FEE that NEVER showed on my balance. I closed all accounts (working on the mortgage) including a Visa. They said I needed to call for the "pay off" amount for the "loan". This was a LINE OF CREDIT, not a car loan. Regardless, if there was money owed it should have appeared after two months. Do yourself a favor and avoid these amateurs. Don't let the free coffee and cookies fool you, they have the potential to really screw you over. read more

I'm a small biz owner who works closely with many other small biz owners who recently moved accounts to Umpqua due to their excellent customer service and personal touch. It is refreshing to see a bank so involved and invested in their people and their community. I have met many of the staff and the SLU location and they are all top notch folks! read more

Excellent customer service! If you are looking for a bank where they actually care about their customers and go above and beyond to accommodate you...Umpqua Bank SLU is the place. John has been so helpful to me and my business. Plus they have really good coffee...what else could you ask for? read more

I moved to umpqua for all of my banking several months ago. The move went smoothly and I have been quite pleased with the service, online banking and the bank in general. I would totally recommend the bank. read more

I want to endorse Huy Nguyen as one of the best financial consultants I've worked with. He took the time to listen to what I needed as I was setting up my business account. But to me, the proof of a great customer service is how Huy was worked with me since I've signed up. He's so responsive and truly cares - a rare commodity in this day and age. if you're sick of big banks and just being a number, check out Umpqua and specifically, Huy Nguygen at the South Lake Union branch. I live near Shoreline but made the trek because I wanted to work with Huy as I grow my business. I give him 5 stars!! read more

We left our big-name bank to get personal attention and service... and John Chambers and Umpqua Bank have delivered! We are thrilled to have a great relationship with our bank - and their hands-on approach to taking care of our needs is fantastic. I would reccomend John and Umpqua to anyone. read more

John helped us with a line of credit... went the extra mile and actually won our business accounts in the process. Its all about customer service for me. John has always made me feel like its MY money... when so often banks make you feel as though it were theirs. read more

John Chambers and all the employees at this Umpqua location are friendly, hard working and absolutely willing to go the extra mile for customer service that you just don't see that often in banking these days. I would highly recommend them to any business or individual looking for a great bank that genuinely has your best interests in mind and wants to provide the very best in customer service. read more

I had been looking for a local bank to start a savings account for my two kids and was lucky enough to come into Umpqua on South Lake Union. They were very knowledgable about all the products they offered and walked me through how I could start an account. It wasn't a lot of money that I was creating the account with but they were really nice and took the time to make sure that I was comfortable with what I got. I would recommend anyone to go in and have a conversation with them because they will make sure that each person gets a plan in place that works for them. read more

These guys are great. Every banker knows the products and they actually care about their customers. They made it simple and easy by explaining why my account was a good fit for me. Glad I switched from Goliath Bank. read more

After years of frustration dealing with banks that don't recognize me despite being a member for over a decade I have found one that acknowledges me by name, knows my children and makes me feel welcome while providing great service. The folks at Umpqua are friendly and helpful. Huy Nguyen was instrumental at setting us up with programs based on our personal and business needs. We are well taken care and pleased with the tremendous service we get, regardless of what branch we visit. read more

World's Crappiest Bank. I have had SO many problems with them. Oh, they smile and apologize when they make mistakes, or when their blundering computer system causes problems, but superficial friendliness doesn't make up for incompetence. read more

Pissed off at this bank. I filled out an online application and deposited money into the account through my existing bank. They called me to say I needed to come into the branch and verify my identity and address. I understand that I guess (though its an online app and never stated I would have to come in), but I just moved here and I don't have bills in my new address and my ID still says California. So, sorry, I cannot have an account or I have to start over only after I get a new ID (which I am not planning on doing!) Oh and by the way, it will take up to a week to get access to the money I gave them for an account that is not opened. Bullshit. read more

I have been with Umpqua for the last 3 years and I have consistently praised the bank, even recommending it to friends. As of today, this will no longer be the case. I was hit with a staggering number of overdraft fees over the course of an entire week. I needed to purchase an airline ticket online, but could not access my account online because I needed to reset my password which Umpqua ridiculously requires you to call in order to do. I, however, was at work, so I decided to purchase a ticket and once the transaction cleared I simply assumed I was fine. I went about the rest of the week buying a bagel here, a coffee there. Come Friday, a full seven days after I purchased the airline ticket, I received an overdraft notice in the mail for the purchase,... and three more on top of that. Well, it was past business hours so I couldn't call to get my password reset and log on to see the total damage. I finally managed to get that taken care of the following Monday and looked at my account to find that I had been charged $350 on 10 overdrafts to cover the combined value of barely more than $50. That's a loan at %700 interest! No attempt was made to contact me other than the tardy mailer, and more troubling, they did not stop a single transaction from going through over seven days . When I went to the bank, I got the usual nonsense about how I should have opted out of overdraft payments if I didn't want to allow them to charge me $35 for a cup of coffee. They reversed three and told me that was the very best that they could do. I plan on taking them to small claims court for the rest. I gave the two stars because up until this time they had always done right by me. I should also add that this was the first time I overdrafted with them. So much for customer loyalty. read more

Horrible customer service. I called the branch to ask a question about paying off a home mortgage. The agent (who wasn't in the branch I called which is a really good first warning), said it was no problem to pay off the mortgage in the branch. Thus, I drove to branch, and witnessed utter confusion from 3 tellers and the 3 phone bankers they had to call to figure out how to pay off a home mortgage. They couldn't figure it out and sent me out the door to mail a check back to them. After witnessing their various missteps for an hour, they do not have their systems nor act together whatsoever. read more

It's been a complete pleasure working with the Umpqua branch at South Lake Union for both my personal and business banking. From the beginning, the staff has been courteous and helpful. The manager, John Chambers, has been especially responsive and professional. John has made our banking experience personable, and his financial experience is invaluable. I would recommend to any business owner to work with John and his South Lake Union branch if they are looking for a dedicated, caring, and honest banking experience. read more

Umpqua Bank and its South Lake Union location has changed the way I think about banking in a positive way. The staff of Umpqua Bank has helped me in all aspects of my business account and we've made a great relationship due to the highest quality of customer service. Huy Nguyen has been an incredible help to helping me take advantage of the great services that Umpqua Bank offers. I love how they support local businesses in Seattle and give back to the community as much as possible. It's amazing to be a part of a bank that truly cares about their customers. For those that are looking for a better overall experience with their bank, I highly recommend visiting Umpqua Bank at the South Lake Union location and talking to any of the staff there. read more

Umpqua is a WONDERFUL bank that takes great care of all it's clients. My business partner did extensive research on banking options before deciding that Umpqua was the right choice for us. No fees for a small business makes a lot of difference!!!! I love walking to my local branch to make a deposit to get a chocolate :). The different branches help the community and recently provided free ice cream for my daughters pre-school fair - how cool is that? Thank you to John Chambers and Umpqua bank :). read more

Started banking at umpqua because they offered free checking. Now just after I spent $150 on checks they decide to charge me $10/month for the privedge of holding my money interest free! They are not the worlds greatest bank, there just another pos bank! read more

This is the worst bank to try to get a mortgage. The loan officer strung us along for 4 months, would not give us written documentation, and tried to convince us to not do the loan. We wanted to get approved for both a construction and a conventional loan but the loan office only approved us for the conventional. When we finally decided we want to do the construction he just won't put through the paper work. I found out after going to another loan officer from Umpqua that due to a bankruptcy 7 years ago, and it still showed on our credit report we could only get a conventional loan. I talked with the branch manager and said that this was a bad poilcy because in that 7 years time, I have rebuilt my credit (credit score of 700) increased my income by 30K and have no other debt. Go figure..... Due to being strung along has costed us to find another mortgage company which has higher fees, and interest rates have increased and now putting us behind in starting construction. The manager couldn't understand how it was their fault, even though I told him that if they were upfront to begin with I would have gone somewhere else; thus I would have been building. Umpqua Bank LIES.....don't use them read more

We have four business accounts with John Chambers, and we recommend his services to anyone looking for banking help, whether that's for checking accounts, lines of credit, or loans. Whenever we have a question or need help with anything, John is always there for us. In addition to being an expert at what he does, John is a banker that is fun to work with. He is personable, trustworthy and reliable. And as an added bonus, the Umpqua brand is awesome. Just like John, the bank takes care of its clients. read more

Huy Nguyen is an awesome banker! He really goes the extra mile to make sure you're completely taken care of. Highly recommended.

I have a small business for a book I authored and my account is with Umpqua. I have found all the employees there at Westlake to be extreemely helpful and go out of their way to provide excellent service. The manager there even mentioned something to me in passing that really helped my car's CD changer that was having problems, amazing as that sounds! A very nice place to bank! read more