First Citizens Bank is the best bank in Charlottesville, and probably the entire east coast…read more The professional staff and outstanding service they provide, make the otherwise dreary task of banking a genuine pleasure. I have banked with First Citizens for 15 years and NEVER had a single complaint. First Citizens is a privately owned bank that is conservatively managed and financially sound....

From the owner: At First Citizens, building relationships with customers is at the center of all we do. We…read moreunderstand there is a right way and a wrong way to do business, and we choose the right way. If you're looking for a bank that cares about you, your goals and your future, come grow with us. Visit us at our Charlottesville, VA branch or find us online.

I closed my account years ago after having regularly been locked out of it for the flimsiest…read moreexcuses. Making a purchase or withdrawal out of state without previously notifying them of my travel plans. Annual charitable contributions. Paying a friend's fines to get a bench warrant lifted off him. Once they locked my account at the beginning of a three-day weekend, with no customer service available, when I was planning to take a long trip but changed my mind at the last minute. Took them 18 hours to send an automated call to my landline, which gave me the only opportunity to unlock the account. If that had happened while I was on the road, I'd have had no money for gas, food, hotel, who knows what could have happened to me. Another time I was at O'Hare and my card stopped working. They called my home phone number instead of my cell! To see if I was in Chicago! I found out they used a third party service to monitor for potential fraud and do this sort of thing. I finally got sick of it and pulled my six figures out and put them in a bank that lets me resolve any situations like this instantly through their phone app rather than making me wait hours or days. A UVA Credit Union exec left a panicked message on my phone - finally got someone's attention! - and I left him one on his telling about all the different times this had happened, how often I was given promises and assurances that amounted to nothing, and ended by asking him: "How many second chances to you think you're entitled to?" Will never, ever go back to them.

This is a truly awful institution. I've been a member for 4 years and regret every time I have to…read moreinteract. I cannot make a payment online because my account 'doesn't have those privileges,' so I have to call. Except there is rarely anyone ever available. If you enjoy banking in the Stone Age, use this bank. Exceptionally hard to deal with and I'm not sure how you've stayed in business.

New Charlottesville headquarters for Bank of the James. This location offers 24hr ATM, Full…read moreservice Banking, Consumer Lending, Business Banking and Mortgage Lending.

I can think of so many things a bank format like this could be, and then I am dissappointed…read more Anyways, the people are friendly although sometimes they confuse me. Bank is really attractive.

If there was a negative star, by five "double not good" and yes, that's a reference to "1984", that…read morewould be my rating of Chase Bank's "local banking". In all my 40 years of banking, online banking, national and local, I have NEVER experienced such incompetence. Chase Bank CANNOT GET DONE the most simple transactions imaginable in the modern age.

Kristyn Underwood was extremely helpful, efficient, and friendly! She stayed after closing to help…read moreus with our many needs.

Waited literally 25 minutes in one line if they cant open the inside for people that need that much…read moretime then you should come up with a plan. Couldnt cash my check before going to work thanks wells fargo. Thank god i didnt start my account with them

Great customer service, takes time to listen to your concerns. Broad knowledge of available…read moreopportunities for investments and exceptional follow up by Bank personnel, specifically, Jessica and Julia!

From the owner: We are here for businesses and people like you, who appreciate a convenient financial experience…read moredelivered by the latest digital services and a broad branch and ATM network across Central Va. Unlike many of our competitors, our diversified team of financial professionals offer you our undivided attention to ensure all of your goals are being met. Our bank was founded 90 years ago on the simple truth that if you pay attention to people and to the community, you can make a difference. To this day, we strive to serve customers, colleagues and communities by listening to their concerns, focusing on their needs and paying close attention to the details that can make them more successful.

Zero stars. I have been a customer since 1996 and have never experienced poorer customer service…read morethan I have at this location. I have been unable to access my vault (have had an appointment cancelled on me and have been unable to be seen by a banker on three occasions). Unfortunately, I need to empty it to close the account but who knows when that will be. I'm livid. Do not go here if you can avoid it!

Unethical business practice. I had an out-of-state check recently deposited to my account. I…read morereceived $400 cash the first day and the other $820 Was released the next day. Normal practice. Thinking that Wells Fargo bank would act in good faith, I went ahead and paid some of my bills with those funds. Two days later, after the funds had been released, and I paid my expenses from my checking account, I mysteriously had a -$995 balance in my account. I called the bank only to find out that they reversed the immediate release of the funds AFTER RELEASING IT TWO DAYS AGO, And put a 10 day hold on it. Of course, now I have all kinds of transactions that have a negative balance. Wells Fargo bank never communicated this information to me. Now, they are telling me I have to wait 10 days with a negative balance in my account; I can't buy groceries, can't buy gas to go to work, etc. THIS BANK DID NOT ACT IN GOOD FAITH. They release the funds and I spent the money on bills. I trusted their actions. I did not expect that they would turn around two days later (after somebody changed things). By the way, the check is from a retirement fund and it is good - plenty of funds are there to cover it. I hate this damn bank and I've been a customer for seven years. Enough is enough. Several months ago, tens of thousands of people did not get their direct deposit pay because there was a technical glitch with their system. It was not showing that it was available on payday. They could not get it fixed for two days. This bank has got major issues and I have had it. Online banking is down all of the time. I have had it!!

After decades at Wells Fargo, BBT and Bank of America - with increasingly declining service and…read moreconsistently rising fees, we migrated both our business and personal accounts to Virginia National Bank (Charlottesville area branches). We have had a very positive experience banking there for the last year or so and appreciate the friendly, personal service; it seems VNB is better at retaining staff than the other large banks.

I am a financial coach and recommend clients never use this bank, from my personal and business…read moreexperience as well as other businesses. This is not the bank you want to bank with, and there are plenty of other options. Reasoning: Unexpected fees, poor service resulting in mistakes on accounts, dysfunctional online banking (you cannot access monthly statements online with economy checking) and finally, fee policies that functionally act as a "tax on the poor" (ie anyone with under 1k in their checking.... even though most banks offer free checking, as they should). Banks use your money to make additional money for their business, VNB then greedily charges you excessive fees on top of that for their poor service. Skip VNB, (and while you're at it, skip Wells Fargo and Bank of America).