I am new to using Credit Unions, now I know why they are a dying company. I have never had so many over draft fees and rearranged dates of transactions. I honestly feel like I am being stolen from. When I've called to ask, they just tell me there is nothing they can do, and it's the merchants fault. These are the same merchants I used with my old bank and never had these issues... Taking my 5 accounts elsewhere. read more

If you want to do business with a Credit Union that actually cares about their people and their members, WeCu is where it's at. They continue to go above and beyond what is expected. Can't recommend enough! read more

I don't like negatively reviewing companies but I feel like this is more than just sitting down at a restaurant and getting food. This is where we hold our money and future. I loved wecu. I thought they were the best bank... until their update. Their system update is, sorry, but it's bad. I'm getting late fees on my credit card without ever getting a due date. How can you charge a late fee if I never got a date to pay it by? I'm not told how much I owe either. And then on top of this, they just freeze your card and don't tell you. So you go to the store and your card gets declined even though you have money on it and it's embarrassing!This info should definitely be on the app or the actual website. The new app had glitches for a couple months on my iPhone but I can handle that. They fixed it enough that I can actually read what's on the page (seriously it was just gibberish) but it's not fixed enough. Money doesn't go in as fast as it used to, it takes forever. I'm constantly having to do the math in my head. It takes forever to get customer service on the phone and one of the guys that works there is super condescending and he wasn't just having a bad day because I've talked to him twice. I've tried to cancel car payment pulls from ICU (kinda like a stop payment) days in advance just to have the pull still go through and then that leads to other issues, etc. Honestly there's so much more, I just am getting hungry now. All in all it's a little less than an okay bank after the update. They were seriously so good before!!! Try ICU if you're looking for something and new to the area, I've always had a good nonaggressive experience with them. read more

Very hard to work with these people. My 18-year-old daughter tried to open an account and was unable to do so, as she had no utility bill addressed to her. She's 18 and still lives at home. She had driver's license and passport. read more

-1 Actually. I opened an account with WECU up in getting a car loan with them nearly two years ago. Over the first three months the automatic loan payments were not going through and I would be notified that my loan was pasts due. This happened monthly and each month a teller would say it was fixed but it wasnt. I no longer get my mail at my home address. I paid off my car loan months back but have my SSI going there as direct deposit. When I opened the account I said I didn't want overdraft protection. Until three months ago, if there weren't funds in my account my debit card would be denied and I was fine with that and checking my balance at an ATM. I learned that my stimulus check should have been deposited April 29th but my balance didn't reflect it. I asked for printed statements since March and found that charges were going through with insufficient funds with a $16 fee to the total amount of $560 in three months. I spoke with a teller and then managed of the Bellingham corporate office. She said that the best she could do is reverse $240 of the $560 they stole from me by these changes to my account. I am disabled living in $1,150/mo. The stimulus money I really needed and ordered some home repairs. $560 is a lot of money, especially when many of those charges were for $2.99 movies on Amazon that went through when they had been denied in the past if there wasn't money in the account. Folks. I will be taking this issue up with the State. These practices are not legal. The Herald will be receiving my information this coming week. I strongly encourage others to supply their information there as well.....this should not happen in our home town. Thank you. read more

I've been a customer at WECU for over a decade and have had the best service and the lowest fees. Best aspects: very kind and friendly tellers and managers; excellent rates for my mortgage and HELOC; fabulous online banking, including the ability to pay my mortgage online, free transfers to other banks, free bill pay, and an easy interface; the first chipped visa card I could get in the U.S.; phone-based deposits of checks; no holds on any check I've deposited. One reviewer said WECU only allows six online transfers per month. This is false. They allow six, which is dictated by federal law. Another reviewer complained that it's hard to deposit a check received at the end of the week due to their hours. But you can download their free app and deposit the check via your phone. A reviewer said the only way to transfer funds to other banks is by wire. False. I transfer money to and from my other online banks, free, regularly. One reviewer complained that WECU's appraiser gave a low value to their house for a refi. Appraisers are independent contractors, so this isn't on WECU. I have had nothing but excellent service from WECU, including when I've had complaints. Every single time I've voiced a concern a representative from upper management has called me at home to discuss my concerns, and every single time my requests have been met. I feel that WECU takes its commitment to treat its customers well very seriously. read more

Nice local credit union. Good customer service for the most part. I would have given 5 stars but I had to wait a long time at the drive through and they helped someone who arrived after me before they helped me... read more

Beware... This credit union does not seem to work for their customers. In fact, it seems as though they care more about their relationship with the car dealerships than the people who get loans from them. I purchased a car back in May from a dealership that was a total disaster. Long story short, the dealership sold me a car with scratched off VIN numbers and a title in limbo. I pleaded with the credit union for help as I was making payments on a car that I couldn't drive because I did not have license plates and expire temporary's. The car dealership set up this loan with this bank, and from conversations with the car dealership, they were hostile and knew I was in contact with the bank and eluded to the fact that they are in bed with the bank. At this point that seems to be true. After 45 days of no license plates, or the bank even having a title, the bank continued to keep me at bay by acting like they were doing something. After many conversations with multiple agencies and attorney's for advice, everyone believed it very odd that the bank would want to continue to carry a loan on a car that had scratched off VIN numbers and theft history with allegedly after market parts. I even talked to another bank (who will remain nameless) that said they would have forced the dealership to unwind the deal and give me my down payment money back if title had not been produced in 45 days, which is the allegedly legal amount of time the dealership has to provide title. Instead of doing what the bank should've done from the very beginning, it seems abundantly clear that they are in bed with the more than shady used car dealership, and saw it fit that I go all the way from May to September without the use of the car. I now have a car that I purchased at fair market value that has theft history, evidence of after market parts (likely from the time it was stolen), scratched off VIN, etc. The next time I get a loan, Whatcom Educational Credit Union will be the last credit union I look to. Just know, this credit union cares more about the relationship with dealerships than the customers who take out the loan. Thanks Whatcom Credit Union for NOT stepping up to the plate and doing the right thing. You know you had the power to solve this situation. read more

WECU is amazing. the staff is always helpful no matter who is helping me or talking me on the phone or through email. I always have a great experience in any branch. I especially love the ferndale branch but sadly I moved to Bellingham so I go to the Holly branch. luckily the staff there is great. read more

I have always found the staff at the Holly St. WECU branch to be friendly, helpful, and efficent. Even as staff have turned over, the high quality service remains constant. read more

These guys are clowns. I tried to re-fi my existing mortgages. I qualified and WECU sent over "their" appraiser who came in at least 20k low on what my house was worth and I didn't get the loan. The "appraiser" spent less than 5 minutes in my house..... When I asked WECU for a copy of the appraisal that I PAID $500 FOR, they completely blew me off. (you must make a "good faith non-refundable deposit" of $500 for them to consider your application,) Shame on me for not trying another lender but I didn't want another inquiry on my credit. Fast forward a year and I want to get a Fannie Mae mortgage for a new home purchase. After several days of thinking about it, WECU says I don't qualify due to the fact that my debt to income ratio will be too high if I take on the new home and keep my current home. Long story short, I call another bank and they pre-qualify (approve) my new purchase in a couple hours.........through Fannie Mae. I'll never go back and will be closing my accounts with them at my earliest convenience. TERRIBLE!! read more

I had to call in to check on some bank stuff. I waited only 1 min to talk to a human (Hunter). He answered all my questions and was very helpful. Great customer service! read more

After a debate about why I could not access funds from a business check from a well known higher ed institution (what prevented them from simply verifying funds?) and being told I would have to wait several days for the check to "process" I looked into other options in Fairhaven. I had very little experience and understanding about the difference between a credit union and keybank for example. Immediately upon entering the bank I noticed a major difference. At WECU in Fairhaven there were no "booths". Instead there were desks and the tellers gave me as much time to answer my many questions as needed without feeling like I was asking too much. There were several situations as my small business began to grow when I had questions about the nuances of credit for sole prop. vs. LLC or S-corp, the need to access cash to pay my vendors with a check that was written from well known, verifiable organizations immediately. The manager of the branch ALWAYS took the time to meet with me and offered recommendations. He not only helped me understand how to structure the accounts for my business, he also took the time to discuss my less than good credit at a personal level. I was so suspicious during the early days of my relationship with WECU because they were so good to me (what was the catch). I learned that there is no catch - the credit union had an entirely different approach to customer relationships than the other banks I had worked with in the past. Some added benefits of working with WECU are the no-charge ATMs they make available. Even when there is a charge on the ATM side - WECU does not charge because I am a member. I give my highest recommendation to the WECU Branch in Fairhaven to any small business owner and even to those who simply seek a basic savings and checking account. Their transparency, commitment to "members" and overall service in genuine and seriously lacking in previous banks that I've worked with. I recommend WECU over ICU due to an overdraft fee that I paid to ICU a year prior which still went to collections. I had to do the leg work to gather the documentation demonstrating the I paid the fee that ICU had overlooked. I understand and I'm ok when people make mistakes because we are all human, but I did not appreciate the attitude of the few I dealt with at ICU regarding this fee that was paid in advance of it going to collections. To be fair this is only one negative experience with ICU and may be an isolated incident. Regardless, I would never consider working with another financial institution other than WECU or a WECU endorsed organization. They clearly prioritized my needs in a fair way that balances the needs of other WECU members and strong adherence to the ethics that permeate the organization. Woohoo! As good as it gets! read more

This new computer system is a mess. At this point they should have it figured out but they don't. Went to deposit a check for a nonprofit I am a signer for and it took me an hour. The check was for a the small amount of $200.00, less than 10% of our total deposits in the account. In the end it turned out they were confused because I am also a signer on another account and they needed to investigate if the two accounts were linked. They aren't. Could have just asked. They told me I ordered checks, I didn't order checks and then they couldn't tell me where they were shipped. I will most likely try to get our accounts moved. How can you trust a bank that can't handle a computer upgrade? read more

I came to WECU after what was my last straw with WAMU. I was tired of WAMU's fees and foreign customer service. I couldn't be more glad that I made the decision to change banks. WECU is an ethical business with fantastic customer service. I can't help but feel very loyal to WECU. They helped me climb out of my credit card funk which vastly helped improve my credit rating, reduced my monthly bills, and reduced my stress. It wasn't credit counseling either. I love WECU and refer people there often read more

Easily the worst representation of a credit union I have come across. In my five plus years spent with them I can't say I have any examples of standout customer service to reference. They do not link with any other credit union locally or nationally, and charge you fees for transferring to other banks, even other credit unions as they can only do it via wire transfer. Unlike most banks that allow double the amount of transfers from savings to checking, they only allow three transfers per month, then you have to transfer at an ATM or in person at a branch. The fact all branches close at six and on Saturdays makes it almost impossible to deposit checks if you're paid at the end of the week. Moreover, their online deposit is futile as it has to be processed by a person, so it ends up being easier to just wait it out until you can get to a branch. When I tried to replace a lost card it took two weeks for it to even get to me and another week for a letter with my PIN in it to arrive, which would have left me without funds had I not had a credit card with Bank of America. When I tried to set my pin over the phone, I was told I had to come in person and reset it, when most banks allow you do it at an ATM. When my schedule finally allowed me to get in before 6pm I was told the PIN wouldn't even work until late in the evening. When I finally closed my account I was completely misinformed that I had to send a letter with my signature to close it, and it took five phone calls over the course of three weeks to be informed that they do, in fact, have a way to close accounts electronically. Overall a very stressful and tedious experience that yielded more work on my end than benefits from them. I would not recommend this bank to anyone as I have also heard they make car loans a pain when dealing with other banks. North Coast Credit Union or ICU would be far better options. Don't be fooled by their ubiquitous presence in Bellingham, do your research before joining. read more

This bank is absolutely the worst I've ever dealt with. Nobody knows what they're doing and every time I need to do something with my accounts, they've gotten it wrong and cost me time I didn't have and excessive amounts of money. Customer service is poor,rude, unprofessional and incompetent even at the manager level. I ended up withdrawing all funds from all accounts and closing them. Never once have I gone without completely unnecessary and pointless hassles. One week they promised my funds to be available in 5 business days. I came back on the fifth business day only to be told that my check had not been processed by the bank and that it would not be, even though the funds were available to be deposited from the issuing account. read more

Sine their update a few months ago there have been a lot of problems with online banking. Most recently, the credit card statement is due to come out 2 weeks after the cutoff date. Also, very frustrating to get erroneous information over the phone depending on the representative. Have to call back to verify the info but just get different information. Have been a customer for 5 years but I am switching c.u. read more

when i first signe dup for my first debit card in september i was super excited. not a week later they deposited 400 dollars into my account. I was like "Oh must have finally gotten my paycheck" and started t budget. nope. two days later they took out all of the 400 dollars. A month later i had found out that an account that i had locked away in savings with 500 dollars was at 0. because apparently they were using that instead of the money i had in my regular deposit. And I had thought i was just using the money i had got from my job. A couple months later they deposited more money that was not mine into my account again and took it out again. And then in january after not using my card since october I had found out a place called "superior credit" which i had never used or even heard of before overdrafted 150 dollars from my account. I have a debit card. I have no idea how that could have even happened. Now it's february and i just got y new card. I spent 45 dollars online for costuming supplies and checked my balance and had 16 dollars. I went for a walk to get food. and my card was declined and i was told it was "expired" by two different stores. really WECU? read more

I'm surprised that after so many years (15+) and paying into the credit union, with a great credit score and history, they were unable to provide literally any financial assistance/personal loan to me between jobs (despite hearing yes twice from different loan officers, them calling back to say actually no. Very unorganized and unprofessional. To me, that is pretty much the function of a bank and caring for members! I have withdrawn my money and will be leaving the institution. read more

Kind of sick of waiting three days after I make a deposit for it to come through. ALSO kind of sick of Laura (no last name provided, she swears we don't need it because she's "the only Laura that works for wecu") giving me different times for when the checks are supposed to be done EVERY time I call. Get your act together. We trust you with our money. There is NO reason you shouldn't be able to tell me where it is. read more

Great local Credit Union. Thorough, helpful and professional customer service and it's easy to get through to a human on the phone. Their online system is great - and getting better! Thanks WECU for your dedication to your local community. In my mind WECU sets the bar for local community credit unions. Keep up the good work. read more

I have contacted WECU over 20 times regarding my credit card not working in ATM machines abroad (notably in Germany). I tried and tried to use my debit credit card to get Euros from ATM machines, but was always denied. WECU does not care about its customers, as evidenced by no response to my inquiries. Again, and again, and again I wrote to WECU, but they refused to answer my inquiries. And I have over $150,000 deposited in WECU! I have been with WECU over 20 years, but not answering my inquiries annoys me because I am really an excellent WECU customer. read more

I have banked with WECU since the 1976. The recent 'upgrade' has been soo poorly managed and executed that I am considering leaving along with all my family members. Front line employees have not been given proper tools or training. Instead condescending responses such as "change is hard" are offered. I work in technology, I do almost everything online... account upgrades are frequent... it's not change but incompetence that has people posting negative reviews. Right now the 'Do good, Feel good' slogan seems ironic at best. read more

Sad update by WECU to their online "system". Two months in still no statement, no response to queries, notified I have a message from bank but message doesn't open, can't download transactions to financial software. Poorly managed update ruined this organizations reputation in the community. Why? read more

Extremely disappointed in services received. I recently had to do a stop payment on two individual checks and was told that both checks would be back in my account within 2-3 business days. I had to rewrite the checks (their online bill pay mails checks to addresses instead of transferring to accounts which is never explained to you online) and post date them for when I was told the money would be back in the account. 5 days later I check my account and I have several overdraft fees as they for some reason decided to wait FIVE DAYS to stop payment on the second check (also - no phone call telling me anything). So now I have overdraft fees and a negative balance AND I have to wait another 2-3 days to get the second check back in the account. I phone in to see what they will do about it and 1. They have no idea why they didn't complete the second stop payment for 5 days 2. Won't reimburse me for my overdraft fees until I have a positive balance and 3. Cannot put credit in my account for the check because that's reserved for when a third party takes money out of your account (so if the bank takes money out they can fix it?). The entire time I got a lot of apologies but no one did anything to actually solve the problem. I was transferred about three times and not one person actually did anything to help me out. The second the money gets back into my account I am leaving WECU and going elsewhere. read more

I recently had the pleasure of banking at WECU for five years. How do I say this....Wow Excellent Custumer Understanding. WECU is the bomb. Not only did the tellers remember me...(not just due to my NSF fees sighs) but they were always fun and cheery. On the backside of WECU they did everythign they could to help my small business stay a float and functional. I love WECU and now that I bank at a regular bank again. .....ewwww.....I love them even more. Dear WECU...you are....the bomb. read more

Ever since WECU's poorly managed roll out of their new and "improved" online banking, there has been nothing but problems. Call them on the phone, their hold times have gone through the roof. Knowledge of the services they offer is abysmal. 1 feature I attempted to use was their new Paycheck Distribution. Checked with customer services, which was a 20 minute wait to speak to someone, and completed everything they said I need to do. It does not work. I counted on the transfers to happen but they never did. Odd you cannot count on a bank to perform the basics. I call back to see what happened, more long hold times, only to have to explain the the customer service rep, what the feature is and how to find it on their web site. Customer services calls someone else, yes more time on hold, only to be told that they have to check with their software provider, but thinks that only certain kinds of direct deposits will work. It has been months since they rolled out the new services. Maybe they should have done some testing. WECU use to be a very good Credit Union but now they have outgrown their ability to provide good service. Their new services was geared towards their commercial customers so now they are not as concerned with their general members. read more

I have been with WECU since I moved here in 2001. WECU has seen me through financially stress, a "new" car, and recently: a mortgage that been paid off. Each branch demonstrates a sincere interest in its members and their needs. In my opinion, Credit Unions have demonstrated their dedication to their members' needs and interests. WECU is outstanding in this area. read more

The worse experience with their Loan Dept I've ever had. The rep had terrible follow-up and communication regarding my loan applications. Status letters came months later with no explanation. Avoid this credit union at all costs. Why my fellow Bellingham residents like this place is beyond me. They get an F- read more

WECU use to be helpful and friendly. Not anymore..... Don't expect to get an answer over the phone or help in a timely manner. Time to start looking for a new place to bank. It was nice to keep it local but we the performance is low it is time to move on. read more

I have been a member at of WECU since it was a window started by a woman named Sharon. I am in the process of finding a new bank. WECU has gone as low as it possibly can in service. My purse was stolen on November 9th. To this day I still have not had my credit card replaced.The employees have no idea how to work the system they are using. Someone sold WECU a bill of goods equivalent to swamp water in Florida when they bought that system. (Don't bother calling no one answers the phone). The recording says they are experiencing high volumes. Obviously to them, they are the only one's who are busy. There is no receptionist at the Holly Branch. Some kiosk that no one can see. I've been there twice to try and get a credit card. First, I was told it was sent to me and activated and there is a charge on it. Of course, I had to go down there and wait to talk to someone since they don't answer the phone. I was told it's been and has been "activated", then I was told it hasn't been "sent" because the system failed. Then I was told the employee can make me one "now". After 35 minutes of staring at the screen I asked her, "what's going on?" "I have never done this before, I don't know the system". Well great! Here it is 5 weeks later, no credit card. If you make one error putting in your password you get immediately locked out and prompted to call them. Ha, ha! Clown Car! Oh, and i was advised by the owner or someone answering my other review to call the 800 number. What a joke it's still the same number. Not sure what that guy knows about his own company or if it's suppose to make him look good to people reading the review. It's a pain to have to change banks with auto payments etc. This place is fine as long as you never have a problem. read more

I have been so impressed with WECU!! Prior to this I had been with a much larger banks and monthly fees kept going up and up. WECU not only does not have fees but I can deposit my check with a picture on my phone which is great because many times I am out of state! Customer service has always been outstanding!! read more

WECU's overdraft fee seems ridiculously low until you go through bank statements to realize that they charge them even before you have overdrawn your account. They take out withdraws before making deposits at every chance possible. Unless you are able to consistently keep a high balance in your account, don't mind throwing money away, or spending a lot of time on the phone arguing with them, I recommend finding a more honest institution. read more

They totally messed up my home mortgage process. They didn't verify my employment until days before closing, didn't have the paperwork done on time and didn't bother to notify me it would be delayed. Not only did they lack the skills to organize the loan in a timely fashion, they wouldn't return my calls. I had to go through friends of friends to get a supervisors number, and when I spoke with him, he didn't do anything to actually help the situation. I will be removing all my banking accounts from wecu because they do not treat me as an actual person that matters to them at all. It is a small town Wecu and I have heard many bad stories concerning your loan department. We CU I think not. read more

They just changed over to a new system of some kind and it is wreaking havoc on the members accounts. If you sit in the Holly branch and wait for someone to help you then you will see all the other people who have trouble with the "new" Wecu. They combined all of our accounts in one account even if we didn't want them to do it. I have spent hours trying to straighten it out. I have been a member for 38 years and I'm ready to move to a different credit union. This is a place to stay away from. I would go to ICU or North Coast. read more

Over the past few months since I wrote my last review of WECU- things have changed and for the better. I've had a few situations that I needed help with and to my delight, the employees that I dealt with have been nothing short of kind, understanding and extremely helpful. I did have one negative encounter, but it was quickly, respectfully and honestly rectified in no time at all. I have had a sense of security and peace now when dealing with WECU. The people at the call center have shown remarkable service! So- I must say that I am redeemed! I think overall the costumer service does vary with the branch you go to the most. But that being said, overall- I have decided to stay with WECU and I hope that others considering banking with them do give them a chance. I look forward to dealing with them in the future when it will come to my banking needs. Oh, a "shout-out" to the account control people. I thank you for your kindness and help. read more

WECU worked very hard to get us the funds needed to expand our business. Wade was wonderful to work with and he even stopped by after we opened and left me an unexpected little gift. The management of WECU is very receptive to suggestions and they will most likely get better and better with that attitude! read more

I have had nothing but problems with WECU since I joined. Just a simple thing like taking the privilege pay off my account too 4 trips into my branch, 3 phone calls and re-signing the same document 4 times. Each time I talked to someone, I was told that I had only requested to have it partially removed, whatever that means, even though I made it very clear I wanted it completely removed on each visit/call. I should have found another credit union after seeing how inept they apparently are, but the tellers and phone reps were always super nice and cheerful, and seemed to be trying their best to help me. Fast forward to multiple unsigned cheques from a very well known scam company being allowed to clear my account. No red flags were raised, nothing. I just happened to find a strange transaction and looked into it myself. The first time it was dealt with asap, I was told the money would be returned, no big deal. A month later, same thing. This time the phone rep told me to go in and close my account, and re open a new one since the security had been compromised. I went in to do that, and the teller told me it wasn't necessary, and she would see to it the money got returned. A few weeks later it still hadn't been, so I called again, and was put on hold for over 25 minutes, then was finally told that since this was the second time it must be my fault, and they were not responsible. I called again and got transferred to someone at Lynden, who very rudely informed me that she had told me the previous month I had to get a police report and close the account. I don't like being taken advantage of or lied to like that, I kept records of what each person told me, and I know for a fact she didn't say anything of the sort. She got so condescending and snippy that I pretty much ended up hanging up. I cannot believe that I was treated that way when they let unsigned cheques clear my account, no security flags went up, each person gave me conflicting information and I was working very hard to be polite. Disgusting customer service when you actually have a real issue. read more

After two attempts waiting to open an account (someone will be with you shortly, someone will be there soon, please wait another couple of minutes, etc, etc...) I concluded that WECU is actually short for "We can't be bothered." read more