Affinity Federal Credit Union

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: My payment is behind now because ya'll sent my ELECTRONIC payment back to my bank.
Regards,
[redacted]

A manager from Affinity Federal Credit Union spoke with [redacted] to help her understand the bill payment process, noting that it is important to choose the correct /active account when initiating a payment to a vendor.  [redacted] indicated she intends to continue to do business with AFCU.

The security flag has been removed from [redacted] account. [redacted] may call our Member Care department at [redacted] and speak with a representative or contact Member Care via email at[redacted] to obtain her account information.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: I don't need to speak with anyone at this point because I am in the process of refinancing my car. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Complaint:...

12258423
I am rejecting this response because: Nobody contacted me about this. I never agreed to a hard pull on my credit report. I called this bank immediately after I got the alret on my experian report about a credit inquiry and told them I did not agree to it. I was then sent to 3 different numbers and then left a message on the "CEO's" voicemail. Nobody ever called me back. This is why I am leaving the complaint. I want this inquiry off my report. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Affinity has been experiencing very high fraudulent credit card activity. The fraud monitoring system identified the member’s credit card activities as those with a high fraud score. [redacted] account has been credited for two ATM surcharge fees. Affinity consistently evaluates the fraud rules to...

minimize member impact. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:  Again, this all snowballed because Affinity allowed an [redacted] charge which I had gone to bank and signed paper against.  Now I am thankful they refunded 5 overdrafts, but Again, I was instructed by branch to come in and sign a stop payment request on the continual retries from [redacted]. Again I signed paper in which I have in possession which the [redacted] charges that were to be stopped. Again another 6 or 7 overdrafts totaling almost 28 overdrafts and equaling close to $520 in just overdraft fees.  This is out if control, had Affinity closed when my balance was a positive $4.98, I would not owe half my disability check. I feel the bank is responsible just as much as consumer as I did watch my [redacted] transactions, but I was also told I signed a stop payment form.   
Regards,
[redacted]

[redacted] applied for an auto loan through [redacted] which advises that they will share this information with up to 5 “partners” one of which is Rate Genius  Because the application was sent for approval the member’s credit was pulled and therefore shows up as an inquiry from Rate...

Genius.  Rate Genius and Affinity are partners.

[redacted] has received advice relative to his matter from the appropriate parties.

[A default letter is provided here...

which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
[redacted]

[redacted] can call our member service center at [redacted] to speak with a representative to confirm her payments and loan balance information. Charged-off, inactive loans are not viewable online.

Upon review of [redacted] account, Affinity verified that the [redacted] ACH debit posted with an 11/13/14 settlement date, 11/13/14 is the date it was debited. An Affinity representative left a message for [redacted] to provide the information she requested; however, to date has not received a...

return call. Affinity’s Online Banking disclosure outlines that funds must be available on the scheduled payment date. If the payment date scheduled falls on a non-business day (Saturday, Sunday, or holiday), funds must be available in the Bill Payment Account the following business day (e.g. Monday).

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
[redacted]

A staff member from Affinity Federal Credit Union called [redacted] and left a message requesting a return call to discuss a resolution to her complaint. As of this date we have not received a return call from [redacted]

I have an auto loan with this company for the past 2 years. I was medically retired not too long ago, so my bills stayed the same but my pay decreased by half. I am a full time student now, trying to get a job that will help. I have spoke to this company time and time again. I was caught up with all payments, September 20th my car is REPOSESSED for being 2 weeks late! This company knows my families story. Not only did they reposess my vehicle, but they took it to a facility over 1 hour 30 minutes away. My payment is due on the 2nd. Today is the 20th. Rediculous, No compassion, Worst place ever, definately do not recommend this place. As I can see I am not the only one either. Best thing that could happen is for everyone to pull all their money out and get a different bank, refi with another bank for car loans, mortgages, etc. Put them in a stressful financial situation and let them see how it feels.

Eventually you will get slammed with fees. All buyers beware, you will have OD protection with Affinity FCU but as happened to me, there will be 3 or 4 small checks pending clearance that will add up to $89.00. If your balance is $87.50, they will accept all 4 checks for Over Draft and change a $31.00 OD fee for each check overdrawn, since the initial $31.00 OD fee will cause the account to be short for the other checks as well, regardless of having Over Draft Protections that you signed up for. Your eventual Balance will be negative -$125.50, Negative $1.50 check balance and negative -$124.00 for 4 OD fees.

Review: In or about January 2010/11, I applied for an education loan with Affinity for attendance at [redacted] I do not recall if I filed directly with Affinity or with a subsidiary thereof, however, my application was strictly for educational use. I was approved for $8,300. Upon graduation in May 2012 (with my classes ending in August 2012), my loan payments in an approximate amount of $83/mo became due and I immediately began to make monthly payments. A short time later, I realized that Affinity was reporting my loan as a credit card/revolving account/line of credit to all three credit bureaus. In fact, at one point, [redacted] entered a negative remark citing my account "over the limit" due to the interest that had accrued for that period of time. The reporting of my loan account as a "credit card/revolving account/line of credit" has had a negative impact on my credit score in that it falsely represents a "maxed out" credit card when it is, in fact, an educational loan. Since late 2012, I have been in contact with Affinity on NUMEROUS occasions both via telephone and e-mail. On several occasions I was told that Affinity recognized the situation and would rectify the matter only to find out the following month, the account defaulted back to a "credit card/revolving account/line of credit." On May 17, 2013, I received an e-mail from [redacted] advising that notice has been sent to all credit bureaus and to [redacted] requesting that Loan #[redacted] be shown as an education loan. On June 17, 2013, I reached out to Affinity because the account was again reported incorrectly and requested the problem to be fixed. On June 18, 2013, I received an e-mail from Affinity advising "I spoke with [redacted] and she informed me that our Education Loan is our product and it does not conform to state education loans. It is a Line of Credit and is reporting correctly." On July 10, 2013, I wrote to Affinity advising of the adverse impact that the reporting has done to my credit. Although I was advised that it would be corrected expeditiously, it has not done so. The customer service, save for one professional and outstanding employee, [redacted] has been lacking. Return calls/e-mails have been scarce and requests for assistance has been limited. It also does not seem that all Affinity employees are on board with its reporting practices as in the beginning stages of my complaints, Affinity representatives conceded that my account should be accurately reported to the credit reporting agencies as an installment loan. It was not until July 18, 2013 that I was told that it was not Affinity's policy, notwithstanding the fact that over the course of several months, I have been told otherwise.Desired Settlement: I have suffered a great deal of headaches and inconveniences as a result of my dealings with Affinity. As I am set to enter a new phase in my life by getting married in October and looking for homes, we have been interested in applying for mortgage loans or possible for other lines of credit/loans needed as a result of my change in circumstances. I have been prevented from doing so because of the drastic measures I had to go through in order to rectify this matter and, as such, our application process has been delayed. As a result, we are forced to stay in my apartment another 6 months. It has been a long and arduous battle

At best, the account should be completely "written off" by Affinity or extremely discounted. At the very least, I would like the account to properly be reflected as an installment loan to all three credit bureaus. In addition, Affinity's reporting practices should be investigated as they are not in conjunction with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: The matter was resolved after several months of frustration and aggravation. As such, my credit score did not reflect the higher score in a time where I needed it to. At first, the matter was ignored and not taken seriously. It was not until recently, after I sent my July 10, 2013 correspondence, that Affinity actually stepped up to permanently resolve the problem. The matter has since been corrected, but after a long battle with Affinity. They were unwilling to compromise or help me with my situation until I threatened action against them. This has been very strenous and an unnecessary battle that should have never been fought in the first place. Affinity should suffer sanctions for this long-winded inconvenience and also permanently change their business policies so that consumers do not have to experience what I did. I am still unhappy with Affinity and I resolve to NEVER use their services again. I have a great credit history that was adversely impacted, albeit temporarily, due to the negligence of Affinity who refused to provide results for the first several months of contact. They should have conceded that it was an installment loan and not a resolving account from the start.

Regards,

Review: As I do each month I made a payment of $35.00 to [redacted] to cover my [redacted] payment via check from my Affinity checking account. I used their Automated service and scheduled the payment for 11/14/2014. I also subsequently scheduled another payment for $65.00 to [redacted] for the same date. The capital one payment posted correctly.I checked my balance at Affinity on 11/13th and noticed that I was charged a $25.00 insufficient funds fee for the $35 [redacted] transaction. I haven't been charged any insufficient fees in more than two years. I was troubled to see that transaction post on the 13th because It wasn't scheduled until the following day, as I knew my depoit wouldn't clear until the 14th. I contacted [redacted] and they confirmed that the payment shouldn't post until the 11/14 They advised me to contact my credit union. I contacted Affinity and they told me it was [redacted] error, and they advised me to contact [redacted]. I called [redacted] again and they advised me to contact Affinity. As you can imagine I very quickly beame tired of the back and forth. I called Affinity and spoke with A supervisor named [redacted] who advised me that the error is probably on [redacted] and that she can only remove the $25.00 if it was an error of Affinity. She advised me YET again to contact [redacted]. I believe Affinity posted the transaction early. This has happened before with their 'new' system. I asked her to please help me and waive the fee so that the issue can be resolved, and going forth I would only make payments in the [redacted] store, if she believed it to be [redacted]'s error. I then advised her that I would like to see documentation that shows when [redacted] sent the payment over to them for posting. She claimed she couldn't see the date that [redacted] requested the transaction to post. SHe said I already know the error is more than likely on [redacted]'s end but I will try and check to see if back office has a date. Awaiting resolutionDesired Settlement: I would like for the $25.00 Insufficient funds fee to be waived. [redacted] has stated that they cannot waive an insufficient funds fee that a bank incorrectly charged. I believe Affinity posted the transaction early, as their 'upgraded' system is flawed. I have had other issues with their system as well. I plan to close my membership shortly.

Business

Response:

Upon review of [redacted] account, Affinity verified that the [redacted] ACH debit posted with an 11/13/14 settlement date, 11/13/14 is the date it was debited. An Affinity representative left a message for [redacted] to provide the information she requested; however, to date has not received a return call. Affinity’s Online Banking disclosure outlines that funds must be available on the scheduled payment date. If the payment date scheduled falls on a non-business day (Saturday, Sunday, or holiday), funds must be available in the Bill Payment Account the following business day (e.g. Monday).

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Regards,

[redacted] I requested an email with proof of the posting date, sent from[redacted] I haven't received this as of yet. The supervisor who called me back onlyreiterated the same information she constantly stated when I originally spoke with her. The credit union has madeno attempt to email me the proof I'verequested.

Business

Response:

Email has been sent to the member verifying posting date.

Review: I had gone to this Credit Union on numerous occasions to blovk certain business from using debt card. Again bank allowed certain consumer to use my account, I went to bank to freeze card and replace again. I waited in line and they proceeded to take the person behind me and ignore my presence. Being disabled I cannot stand in line for 30 minutes. I went the following day they were closed. The day after again I made a deposit, only to realize that they again charged me almost a hundred and $200 for rejecting incoming charges. even though the fact is the consumers screens at home do not represent the real screen at the bank. Our screens are very different from what their screens are which should be addressed as to us it looks like there's money and to them there's not. However I had seen that they rejected the incoming charges and we're charging me $30 per. I again deposited and came back to home and realized again there were 12 more overdraft fees for retries of the original charges that they had already overdrafted me for. I think taking almost $400 from a single disabled woman is out of control and this needs to be addressed. I was told by headquaters to fax a signed letter stating account was to be closed when there was still a very small positive balance and they continue to charge me for thr reattempts from the orignal consumer checks that were made and charged over draft fees. They did not pay the charges only rejected. I feel since I had done as asked and blocked, then when putting in money to cover these outstanding debts, the bank was immediately taking my money as overdrafts which in turn caused many more overdraft fees. This us unfair they take the money I desposit to cover my debt bills before bills is paid.Desired Settlement: I would appreciate they refund most if not all since there overdraftin me as I was trying to cover outstanding bills in unfair and unethical

Business

Response:

ID #[redacted] Research showed that beginning on October 14, 2015 the member had a number of [redacted] transactions/transfer debits attempt to clear her account against insufficient funds. [redacted] submitted a number of the debits a 2nd time to try to collect, which again attempted to clear the account against insufficient funds. As a courtesy $150.00 (five of the $30 fees) were returned to [redacted] account since the transaction amounts were less than $10. Account activity should be monitored by the member especially as it relates to the [redacted] transfers she initiates.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: Again, this all snowballed because Affinity allowed an [redacted] charge which I had gone to bank and signed paper against. Now I am thankful they refunded 5 overdrafts, but Again, I was instructed by branch to come in and sign a stop payment request on the continual retries from [redacted]. Again I signed paper in which I have in possession which the [redacted] charges that were to be stopped. Again another 6 or 7 overdrafts totaling almost 28 overdrafts and equaling close to $520 in just overdraft fees. This is out if control, had Affinity closed when my balance was a positive $4.98, I would not owe half my disability check. I feel the bank is responsible just as much as consumer as I did watch my [redacted] transactions, but I was also told I signed a stop payment form.

Regards,

Business

Response:

A staff member from Affinity Federal Credit Union spoke with the member on November 12, 2015 letting her know that we are continuing our research and will have a conference call with her regarding the issue.

Consumer

Response:

Review: 10870213

I am rejecting this response because: I was personally driven to the branch office of branh that called me. When I went in I asked for supervisor to a woman who sits behind the glass room and I was told that she nor no one in the bank could help me, I explained the phone call I received and she still said no help. Upon speaking to the people who called my house phone, I was told they were simply going to explain the practices of their bank and [redacted] and when I asked if that meant receiving any of my children support the answer was more referred to as every their practices not on my return. As you can see by the attached letter this bank will obviously overdraft a person while there's money in there. I specifically made a deposit into my savings of $30 to bring my account to $202 the charge of $200 came in and left me $2 instead I was overdrafted again another $30 which left me with one so $172 even. If we add $172 and $30 it must be coincidence that enough money was in there. I think this institute should really be investigated, they take thousands from people. Thank you[redacted]

Regards,

Review: My purpose for using Bill Pay was to make my life easier and not worry about my car payments being late however in this case it was a nightmare! When I left the local branch in Cedar Knolls on 7/21/15 after speaking with Betsi R[redacted] I felt like I was walking through a fog she was helpful but it didn't resolve the anxiety and frustration I was feeling. I received an e-mail on Monday, June 22, 2015 after I added payee on my Affinity Online Bill Pay account and confirmed my account. July 10, 2015 rec'd an email for the summary of account activity for 7/10/15, payment amount, funding account, payment type, payment option, sent on, and confirmation number; looked it over and everything seemed fine and I was relieved that was one bill less I had to be concerned about this month. However I wanted to make sure that everything was correct so I checked it over again, even asked a teller at the local branch and was told that the payment would be withdrawn later that day, I thought great. I read my email on 7/10/15 from Raul G[redacted] and thought to myself oh no this is not good but I should be ok as long as I delete the closed account but I was unable to do that so I quickly went to the site for my car and made a payment on 7/13/15 (included late fee) as long as they received the payment I'm happy, plus according to Raul G[redacted] "In order for your bill pay to be deducted correctly, the funding account has to be updated, Please sign into......". However, that was short-lived because on Aug 1, 2015 when I receive my monthly pension I noticed that $196.36 (car payment) was deducted from my current account from a closed account even after receiving an email on 7/10/15 and 7/14/15 (unable to complete electronic withdrawal from your funding account, your bill pay funding account has been BLOCKED). Once the second payment was deducted there was nothing I could do and at that point and I was defeated. I could have paid another bill with that money[redacted]Desired Settlement: This would be nice however, I'll be receiving a letter stating otherwise. Just wanted to put it out there especially after reading the other complaint. I will still use Affinity Federal Credit Union because they are much better than banks and the representatives are friendly and helpful!

Business

Response:

A manager from Affinity Federal Credit Union spoke with [redacted] to help her understand the bill payment process, noting that it is important to choose the correct /active account when initiating a payment to a vendor. [redacted] indicated she intends to continue to do business with AFCU.