Complaints

This profile includes complaints for ESL Federal Credit Union's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  ESL Federal Credit Union

  225 Chestnut St Rochester, NY 14604-2424

• 

  ESL Federal Credit Union

  2255 Ridge Road East Rochester, NY 14622

• 

  ESL Federal Credit Union

  1055 Ridge Road Webster, NY 14580

• 

  ESL Federal Credit Union

  PO Box 92714 Rochester, NY 14692-8814

• 

  ESL Federal Credit Union

  100 Kings Highway Suite 1200 Rochester, NY 14617

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/14/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I bought a car for work July 1, 2025. ESL is the finance company They sent me a coupon book and a letter with the first coupon dated 10/30/2025. I tried paying by phone but found out ESL only accepts debit cards or checks. I do not own a debit card. I sent a check. Then ESL said that I owed them for the month of Sept. 2025 with interest due to missing the 1st payment. I called explaining that nowhere in their welcome packet had they billed me for Sept and I can only afford to make one payment per month. I sent a letter explaining this with my Nov. payment. ESL continued to bill me for a payment that they had not billed me for. I had no way of knowing who to write a check to without beginning info on how to pay them. In Dec and emailed the signed form. I talked to a rep over the phone to set up automatic payment. Mar 14 ESL called and expects me to make 3 payments this month because they refused to grant me autopay. I just wrote out a check for $433.66 for the Sept payment Mar 13. I assumed Jan and Feb had been removed from my checking account because I authorized them to do so. They lied to me a second time and now say that autopay will not go into effect until the back payments are paid. I faithfully attempted to pay them and they refused to deduct the money without my knowledge so I paid other people without knowing that once again this company failed to act. They accused me of being unwilling to be flexible. SSI who ditched me Aug 1, while I struggled with a new car that needed a new engine-- missed 3 weeks of seasonal work. I retired on my 62 birthday, 10/27/1962. Since Social Security changed the age to exclude my age group, my income falls under early retirement so it is only $835 SS sent me back pay for the month of Dec. and that's why I thought I had enough to pay ESL for Sept $288.96 plus $144.50 interest. I had no clue that they rejected my last 2 payments even with my $1 75 VA disability payment and a monthly amount of $150 for cleaning the church.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/24/2025

  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of the Better Business Bureau Complaint ID # ********. Based on the complaint,
  our customer explained the circumstances surrounding missing her first auto loan payment which caused her to
  incur late fees.
  We completed our investigation and shared our findings, along with supporting documentation, with our customer
  in a letter dated March 24, 2025. Specifically:
  ? The first payment date of September 29, 2024 is reflected in the ESL Auto Installment Loan Contract which was
  signed by the Borrower.
  ? The first auto loan payment ticket was included in the welcome letter we mailed on July 2, 2024 to the address
  provided by the Borrower; which is the same address provided in her BBB complaint.
  o The welcome letter explained that the coupon books are mailed separately and begin with the second
  payment; it also referenced her ESL membership number, the auto loan account number, monthly payment
  amount, the payment due date, and provided options available to make her monthly payment.
  ? Our records reflect that we communicated the delinquency of the auto loan by mailing notices beginning in
  October 2024.
  ? During a telephone call on October 16, 2024, the Borrower wanted to make a payment with her debit card over
  the phone; however, we were unable to process the transaction because that card was expired.
  ? The next we spoke to the Borrower was on March 14, 2025. During this call, she alleged that she was unaware
  of the missed payment and that she never received the welcome packet. We let her know the total amount
  needed to bring the loan current, which includes late fees.
  It is our position that ESL acted in conformance with regulatory guidelines and our internal policies and procedures.
  We encouraged our customer to contact our Loan Payment Solutions team if she has additional questions regarding
  her auto loan account, or to make a payment.
  Sincerely,
  Ernie L******
  Fraud Solution Advisor

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/27/2025

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. Regards, **** ********  Either ESL never sent out the first welcome message that they sent you or it got lost in the mail. I received the attached letter the first time I opened what I believed to be the welcome package. I explained this when I sent my first payment from the coupon book and was shocked to be billed for a payment that the company sent no paperwork. You received a copy, yet I did not. I reviewed my copy of what I signed at the car dealership. Oh. I could not read my copy. I was not worried in August or September because all lenders bill the payee. This is what I expected. When you borrow money the institution is supposed to reiterate the terms before the first payment is due.By December, I still lacked the money to make a double payment but made arrangement to auto pay ESL to prevent anymore postal errors, if that is what happened. In March I answered my phone to learn that ESL failed to withdraw my last two payments, which prompted me to contact the BBB. I resent their inability to refinance the "first payment" that I had no paperwork on. I solved my problem with ESL by refinancing the car with another lender, so ESL has been paid in full. 

  Business Response

  Date: 04/09/2025

  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of the Better Business Bureau Complaint ID # ********. Based on the
  complaint, our customer had an additional concern surrounding ESL Federal Credit Union (“ESL”) rejecting
  her February and March 2025 automatic payments toward her auto loan. Thank you for allowing us the
  opportunity to respond.
  We have completed our investigation and shared our findings with our customer in a letter dated April 9,
  2025. During a call on October 16, 2024 with our Loan Payment Solutions team, we explained that the total
  amount due to bring the auto loan current was needed prior to assisting her with setting up pre-authorized
  payments. Our records reflect that we sent her a pre-authorized payment form on February 19, 2025;
  however, we did not receive a completed request form from our customer. Therefore, no automatic payments
  were set up, submitted for payment, or rejected for the February or March payments.
  Although we acknowledge that our customer remains dissatisfied, as we previously explained, she does not
  qualify for a payment deferment, we will not be refunding any late fees, and she is responsible for the
  outstanding amount due on her ESL auto loan.
  It is our position that ESL acted in conformance with regulatory guidelines and our internal policies and
  procedures. We encouraged our customer to contact our Loan Payment Solutions team if she has additional
  questions regarding her auto loan account, or to make a payment. Once her auto loan account is current,
  we are able to assist her with setting up future automatic payments.
  Sincerely,
  Ernie L******
  Fraud Solutions Advisor
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/12/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 2/11/25, my checking account showed an unauthorized charge. There was a withdrawal for $716.10 as "withdrawal ROO". I called ESL and they said they took the money. I have been disabled and not working since 06/2023 and just deposited a check for the disability. ESL withdrew all that was available leaving the account just about empty. I do not get another check for two more weeks. I have been behind on two loans with ESL and did intend on making 2 payments, totaling $485. ESL determined this was not satisfactory and took the $716.10 and applied it to one loan, leaving the other farther behind. I spoke with multiple persons, including the fraud department, and the supervisor of loans. They were all uncooperative and implied they will do what they want. They refused to open an investigation on themselves. I am under the impression that it is not legal to take disability money without permission. It appears as it is also not allowed to take money from a joint account when both are not on the loan. It appears as the bank is to notify the member one day in advance of taking the money. Also, it appears as funds cannot be applied to a credit card, which is where the dept occurred. This is very poor judgement as the bank took about $230 more than would have been paid. The banks reason was that they don't care about the secured loan and applied all the money to the unsecured loan. The balance currently owed between both loans total about 6000, down from $17000. The supervisor said she would call me back but never did. I would like the withdrawal returned and I will make one payment on each loan.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/28/2025

  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of the Better Business Bureau Complaint ID # ********. Based on the complaint, our
  customer explained the circumstances surrounding a $716.10 Right of Offset (“ROO”) withdrawal that was applied to a
  delinquent loan account on February 11, 2025; however, he claims those funds were protected and should not have been
  withdrawn since it was his disability check. His desired resolution for ESL to reverse the ROO, and he will make one
  payment on each delinquent loan.
  We have completed our investigation, and our records reflect that we had been in contact with our customer prior to
  receiving this BBB complaint. During a conversation on February 13, 2025, our customer explained that the ROO funds
  were taken from his Workers’ Compensation disability check, and since he deposited this check at an ATM, not direct
  deposited into his account clearly indicating it was Workers’ Compensation funds, we reversed the ROO and deposited
  the funds back into his account. As a result, our customer made the necessary payments to avoid further collection and
  repossession efforts; and we will continue to work with him to ensure his accounts remain current.
  Our customer was satisfied with the resolution, and we are happy that we found a solution that met his immediate needs.
  Sincerely,
  Ernie L******
  Fraud Solution Advisor

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/28/2025

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  Regards, ***** ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/16/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Vehicle was discharge in chapter 7 not being reported correctly to ******* info can be verified in pacer

  Business Response

  Date: 01/31/2025

  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of the Better Business Bureau Complaint ID # ********. Based on the complaint,
  our customer is requesting that ESL update his auto loan account information that is being reported to Credit
  Reporting Agencies (CRAs) to reflect as Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Discharge, zero balance owed, and marked
  as closed.
  We completed our investigation and shared our findings with our customer in a letter dated January 23, 2025.
  As of May 31, 2024, we confirmed that ESL furnished the CRAs accurate account information to reflect:
  ? E-Discharged through Bankruptcy Chapter 7, with a current balance due of $12,617.00.
  CRAs individually update consumer credit reports based on the information creditors provide them; however,
  if a creditor uncovers a CRA is reporting inaccurate, or old information, the creditor must bring this to the
  CRAs attention. On January 22, 2024, our Credit Reporting Specialist submitted an Automated Universal
  Dataform (also referred to as an AUD) to the CRAs to reflect the correct account history so each CRA will
  update this information within their systems.
  ESL is required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act to accurately report payment history to the Credit Reporting
  Agencies. Since ESL is reporting our customer’s account history correctly, there is no further action to take
  place.
  Sincerely,
  Emily C****
  Vice President
  Deputy General Counsel

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/02/2025

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. I have received the letter in the mail, however as ESL acknowleged the loan was discharged in Bankruptcy and no future would take place in May 2024. However they are still reporting for June, July and august 2024 when they should not be reporting for those months. If ESL could kindly fix that would be great. Regards, ***** **********  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/18/2025

  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of our customer’s additional concerns surrounding their Better Business Bureau Complaint
  
  As a result of our secondary investigation, on February 13, 2025, we requested that the Credit Reporting Agencies remove
  this account from our customer’s credit report file due to an ESL error. We mailed our findings to our customer the same
  day.
  Sincerely,
  Emily C****
  Vice President
  Deputy General Counsel

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/27/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  ESL is HORRIBLE!! They are a complete nightmare to deal with, first of all you have to go through 50 different people to get to someone that can actually help you, i called them A YEAR AGO (dec 2023) and had my due date for my auto loan switched towards the end of the month instead of having it in the middle….well apparently the rep i talked to never actually did their job and changed it on their end so my due date stayed the same for the next year and they charged me over $500 in late fees, mind you i thought everything was fine because i was never contacted no call no text no email no letters nothing!! It got to the point where i was over 100 days “past due” and now suddenly i get a letter in the mail threatening repossession for THEIR mistake. Over the span of a week it went from “you need one payment and one late fee to get it from being repoed” so i payed… a week later i get another thing in the mail call them, “oh now you need $850 to get it from being repoed” they were very rude and not willing to let me make a payment plan, lady on phone says “can’t you borrow money from someone?” no sorry i can’t lady, unprofessional whatever, i told her i could have it by the next monday, few days later on monday i called to make the payment and now all of a sudden my car is out for repossession and i have to pay the entire balance with late fees and interest and the repo fees to get it from repo which ended up totaling to over $2,000 which i had to loan. Do not waste your time with these people they just want your money and are not willing to help you at all (oh wait sorry they did give me one late fee back as a “courtesy”, thank you)

  Business Response

  Date: 01/22/2025

  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of the Better Business Bureau Complaint ID #********. Based on the complaint, our
  customer explained the current status of her auto loan, and her desired resolution for ESL to refund the associated late
  fees, interest, and the repossession fee.
  We completed our investigation and shared our findings with our customer on January 22, 2025. Although our customer
  states she requested the payment due date changed, we have no record of this request. In reviewing the auto loan account
  history, in December 2023, our customer’s automatic payment from an external bank account was rejected and was not
  paid; resulting in the account being 1-month past due as of January 2024. Then, adding further to the delinquent status
  of the account, her September 2024 and October 2024 automatic payments were rejected due to insufficient funds, and
  no additional payments were made.
  We sent numerous communications beginning in December 2023 regarding the status of the account and explained the
  steps needed to bring the account current. We did not hear a response from our customer until November 2024, when
  the account was 107 days past due.
  Our representatives were correct when we let her know that we could not accept partial payments; we could only accept
  the total amount due, which included past due payments, late fees, and the repossession cancellation fee, to bring the
  account current and stop repossession efforts due to the severe delinquency of the account.
  On December 26, 2024, our customer paid the total amount due, and her auto loan account now reflects current. While
  we understand that our customer remains dissatisfied, it is our position that ESL acted in conformance with regulatory
  guidelines and our internal policies and procedures, and we will not be refunding any monies to her.
  Sincerely,
  Arline L. B*** ********
  Executive Vice President
  Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel
  ESL Federal Credit Union
  Customer Experience Specialist 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/18/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I use ESL Bill Pay to send payments for my bills. I use an auto-pay feature which sends out payments at the end of the first week of each month to my mortgage lender, ** ******. In July 2024, ** ****** was sold and kept their name. My September 2024 and October 2024 payments ($927 each) were returned which prompted me to call ** ****** customer service. We found out that I needed to change my account number and remittance address. I used the CHAT on 10/16/24 feature to contact ESL because when I attempted to make these changes, account number change was successful, but ESL would not allow me to edit the remittance address, which was "on-file" and even though it's not a valid address for payments, ESL knew best. I sent out the 2 returned payments in the amount of $927 each. Now I found out these payments were being returned. 10/17/24 I went to my local ESL branch on Mt Read Blvd. Within 5 minutes I was being treated as if I were too stupid to understand the Bill Pay edit process, I was ready to leave. I expressed that I was unhappy with the rep's behavior and she asked if her manager should help. I accepted. Patrick M******* tried to help in a few different ways, but found the same dead ends that I found, He gave me his card, contacted ESL Help Desk and said he would get back to me. He did, but with no resolution. In short, ESL will not be changing their ** ****** remittance address, and ** ****** will not be accepting payments at ESL's on-file remittance address. When I asked to make a phone call to ** ****** with me present at ESL to find a solution, both ESL and ** ****** refused.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/04/2024

  November 4, 2024
  Better Business Bureau, Inc.
  Attn: John, Complaint Handler
  100 Bryant Woods South
  Amherst, NY 14228
  Re: Complaint ID # 22441642
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of the Better Business Bureau Complaint ID # ********. In his complaint,
  our customer explains his frustration surrounding two bill payments towards his mortgage that were recently
  rejected since this payee’s account information and address had changed in July 2024; and his dissatisfaction
  that he is unable to update the remittance address of this payee. His desired resolution is for ESL to find a
  way that he can use the online bill payment service to make future payments to this payee.
  We reviewed our records and shared our findings with our customer during a telephone call on October 24,
  2024. Since the bill payment payee had changed in July 2024, our customer’s September and October bill
  payments were returned. We reiterated that, if a bill pay payee is paid electronically (not a paper bill payment
  check that is sent through the mail), our customer is unable to edit the payee address. In these situations
  where our customers are unable to change the address, but still need to update it, they can delete or hide
  the payee and set it up again with the correct address. Our customer let us know he followed these steps
  and created a new payee with the correct account information and address. His most recent bill payments
  to the newly created payee, in the amount of $915.00 each, were sent on October 25, 2024 and October 30,
  2024. As of November 1, 2024, neither of these bill payments have been returned.
  We are glad we were able to provide further clarification to our customer, and we will continue to work with
  him should he have any additional questions or concerns. Based on the facts set forth above, it is our position
  that ESL acted in conformance with regulatory guidelines and our internal policies and procedures.
  Sincerely,
  Michael P*****
  Vice President
  Director, Branch and Contact Center

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have a Fiduciary Account with ESL in which my Father is the beneficiary. My father passed and I notified ESL. The initial rep only closed all his accounts except the Fiduciary Account. Someone at ESL without notice or otherwise closed the Fiduciary Account. I contacted the VA who had me create this account for my father. They informed me that the bank should disperse the remaining funds to me, although only $1. I asked what happened to the residual money and did NOT get an answer to this question. I asked to run this by the Legal Staff so they could distinguish between a Power of Attorney and Fiduciary Account which survives death but was denied Legal review. Simply stating they had been coached to do this and they would not ask Legal to review. If the VA, ask for a review of the funds, which they often do. I have no access to statement, not even the closing statement. I want the $1 returned to me and access to at least one year's statement. This is unacceptable.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/27/2024

  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of the Better Business Bureau Complaint ID # ********. In his complaint,
  our customer explains he has a Veteran’s Affairs (VA) appointed Fiduciary role on his deceased father’s
  account; however, ESL is not providing him the information and documentation he has requested. His
  desired resolution is for ESL to send him the $1 remaining in his father’s account, and provide him at least
  one year’s worth of his father’s statements.
  We reviewed our records and shared our findings with our customer during a telephone call on August 21,
  2024. We reiterated that his VA Fiduciary role was void upon his father’ s death, and no information or
  documentation could be shared with him since we did not have the proper paperwork on file. We let our
  customer know that he can submit a Surrogate’s Court form 1310 30-days after death to close his father’s
  ESL account and receive the $1 remaining in the account; and we will send him his father’s statement(s)
  once we receive a signed letter specifying the requested month(s).
  We are glad we were able to provide further clarification to our customer, and we will continue to work with
  him via email to complete the process. Based on the facts set forth above, it is our position that ESL acted
  in conformance with regulatory guidelines and our internal policies and procedures.
  Sincerely,
  Tina M. K****
  Senior Vice President
  Director, Payments and Branch Service Support
  ESL Federal Credit Union
  Customer Experience Specialist 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/27/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  The response is INACCURATE either by lack of knowledge or lack of communication with Ms. H***** at ###-###-####.  Ms. H***** explained that I could receive statements by e-mailing her directly.  She stated that State law required closure not that the Federal Fiduciary was void at death.  I explained that the Federal Government may need a closing statement so I definitely needed a copy of statements.  This response implies I do not have to comply with my agreed upon duties as a Federal Fiduciary.  Although I didn't mention to Ms. H***** as she met what I would need, Federal Law overrides State by the Supremacy Clause so they MUST comply with Federal Law also.  See ****************. I agreed with Ms. H*****'s response since it met what I would need but this response dilutes the agreed upon agreement.  It seems to attempt the reinforce the original "public" response instead of meeting the agreed upon obligations which Ms. H***** stated so I could comply with my Federal requirements.

  As for the $1, the Federal Government requested that I get the $1 for estate expenses.  Since it is small amount, I have no problem with them retaining it until after 30 days.  Ms. H***** and I agreed upon this also.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *******
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/04/2024

  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of our customer’s additional concerns surrounding his Better Business Bureau
  Complaint ID # ********.
  We spoke with our customer on August 27, 2024, and provided clarification. As agreed, our customer will continue to
  work directly with our Deposit Operations Manager via email to request statements and finalize the process of closing
  his father’s account. Our customer let us know that he is satisfied with that outcome.
  Based on the facts set forth above, it is our position that ESL acted in conformance with regulatory guidelines and our
  internal policies and procedures.
  Sincerely,
  Tina M. K****
  Senior Vice President
  Director, Payments and Branch Service Support

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/21/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On apx June 18, 2024 I went to the bank to deposit a check into my spouses (**** ** *******) savings account. The bank teller told me he had no account with them although I had his ATM card with me. They informed me that they closed this savings account due to inactivity however I know I've been spiritually depositing moneys in it. They said a notice would have been sent out and we received no such notice. I want to know why is his account closed and why didn't we receive any notification which they stated we would have gotten. Due to the fact that I also have an account with ESL they said "maybe the monies I was wanting deposit d into his account was deposited into my account instead.". I know this to be untrue. I want to know where is his money that was in his savings account and how do we get it back. This is not the first time I have had dealings with ESL and them "misplacing" monies and documentation.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/12/2024

  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of the Better Business Bureau Complaint ID # ********. In her complaint, our
  customer questions the accuracy of deposits she states she made into her husband’s savings account; the status
  of that account since we told her it had been closed; and she claims the account was closed without her or her
  husband’s knowledge. Her desired resolution is for ESL to determine where her funds were deposited.
  We reviewed our records and shared our findings with our customer during a telephone call on July 3, 2024.
  Although our customer believed she deposited funds into her husband’s savings account, we confirmed that all
  deposits she made went into her sole accounts as intended per copies of each deposit slip. No funds were
  deposited into her husband’s savings account.
  While on the phone, we also spoke with our customer’s husband, and explained to him the reason for closing
  his savings account. We let him know that we mailed a final account statement to the address of record notifying
  him of the account inactivity prior to closing the account.
  We are glad we were able to provide further clarification to our customers; both were satisfied with our
  explanations, and we scheduled an appointment to assist them in establishing joint accounts. Based on the
  facts set forth above, it is our position that ESL acted in conformance with regulatory guidelines and our internal
  policies and procedures.
  Sincerely,
  Michael P*****
  Vice President
  Director, Branch and Contact Center

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/08/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Apr.9th-my 401k check was deposited into account Apr.10th- account on hold put message through the bot they told me to call the fraud sept. Gave me phone# talked to Maura accused me of stealing this man’s money out of his account called me thief and said she would call me back as I’m hysterically crying telling her I didn’t steal nobody’s money. Fwd to May 23rd- a bank supervisor Amy said she had never seen this before”withdrawal reverse unauthorized internal transfer” was next to my deposit made on Apr.9th. Told me that I need to contact fraud investigator on my case. The lady wasn’t in the office was out until Tues after Memorial Day. Called in the morning they transferred me to Maura again. Wasn’t getting anywhere with her wanted her supervisor Gladice talked to her 2 days later. Busy woman she was. She said there was nothing she could do. Wanted to speak to her supervisor his name is either Brian or Ryan. He tells me there is no Maura that’s in his fraud department. He named everyone’s name told me he was going to get hold of me on Wednesday called him no call from him until June 6th. Missed his phone call was on hold for 15mins to just get voicemail. Called on June7th nothing from him. I want my money back cuz they had a fraudulent woman having access to people’s bank accounts. The proof is on recordings on the phone calls that ESL bank has

  Business Response

  Date: 06/27/2024

  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) Complaint ID #********.
  We completed our investigation and shared our findings with our customer during a telephone call on June 12, 2024, and
  we emailed a letter to her on June 27, 2024. For our customer’s reference, we enclosed a timeline which detailed the
  circumstances surrounding the negative balance in her ESL checking account and our interactions with her, along with
  supporting documentation. During several interactions, we let our customer know that it was our determination that she
  fell victim to a scam, and the funds that were sent to her in February 2024 were fraudulently transferred from, and ultimately
  returned to, an unrelated party’s account. She is responsible for repayment of the negative balance in her checking
  account since she withdrew the funds prior to us reversing the unauthorized transfer, and we will not be refunding any
  monies to her.
  In listening to recorded calls we had with our customer, our representatives were initially unsure who she was referring to
  within our Fraud department since the names she provided were incorrect. After reviewing our system notes, we were
  able to transfer her to the appropriate Fraud employee for further assistance. We did not find any evidence that supports
  our customer’s claim that an employee within our Fraud team is fraudulently accessing customer accounts.
  With respect to our customer’s concerns about her calls to the manager of our Fraud team going unanswered, during
  conversations with her prior to receiving this complaint, our Fraud manager explained that her calls were received during
  a time that he was unavailable or after he had left for the day. Our Fraud manager returned each of her calls in a timely
  manner; at times having to leave our customer a voicemail or other instances whereas her voice mailbox was full, which
  we believe contributed to the delay in connecting with one another.
  While we empathize with our customer’s situation and acknowledge how frustrating this has been for her, our internal
  investigation into this matter has shown that ESL acted in conformance with regulatory guidelines, and our internal policies
  and procedures. Since we are not currently reporting her checking account to the Credit Reporting Agencies, there is no
  further action required and we will not be making any updates to her credit report. We encouraged our customer to contact
  us to discuss repayment of the negative balance in her checking account.
  Sincerely,
  Tina M. K****
  Senior Vice President
  Director, Payments and Branch Service Support

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/20/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Complaint Against ESL Federal Credit Union for Violation of FCRA Laws To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to file a formal complaint against ESL Federal Credit Union for their violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) in relation to my loan account with them. Despite my prior communication with ESL Federal Credit Union, they continue to report a false late payment on my consumer credit report, which is not only inaccurate but also a breach of FCRA guidelines. As per the FCRA (15 U.S.C. § 1681), creditors are required to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the information they furnish to credit reporting agencies. Specifically, Section 623 of the FCRA mandates that furnishers of information to credit reporting agencies must correct any inaccuracies promptly. ESL Federal Credit Union has failed to comply with these legal obligations by continuing to report an erroneous late payment. I have previously communicated these issues directly to ESL Federal Credit Union, clearly outlining that no loan terms or agreements exempt them from adhering to the FCRA. Every FCRA law mentioned in my prior correspondence with ESL Federal Credit Union pertains directly to my loan account, and they are legally bound to follow these regulations. Despite this, the inaccurate information remains on my credit report, adversely affecting my credit standing and causing undue stress and inconvenience. This persistent inaccuracy is a violation of my rights under the FCRA, and it is unacceptable that ESL Federal Credit Union has not taken the necessary steps to rectify this issue. I seek the BBB's assistance in resolving this matter. I request that ESL Federal Credit Union be held accountable for their non-compliance with FCRA laws and that they be compelled to correct the false late payment on my credit report immediately.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/29/2024

  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) Complaint ID #********.
  While we understand that our customer remains dissatisfied with our credit report dispute findings, which we shared
  with our customer on April 24, 2024, May 17, 2024, and May 22, 2024, it is our position that ESL acted in conformance
  with regulatory guidelines and our internal policies and procedures.
  ESL is required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act to accurately report payment history to the Credit Reporting Agencies.
  Since ESL is reporting the loan account history correctly, we will not be removing the late mark from his credit report,
  and we consider this our final communication on this matter.
  Sincerely,
  Arline L. B*** ********
  Executive Vice President
  Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/29/2024

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. This response from the company does not comply with FCRA law. ESL has not followed any guidelines by not proving me proof of my state they were supposed to send out to me regarding my payment for the month of august. ESL violation and are continuing to not prove the issue of what I'm asking which will soon put them in a possible legation. I ask the company to provide me proof they mailed me out a state immediately.  Regards, ******* *****

  Business Response

  Date: 06/10/2024

  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of our customer’s additional concerns surrounding their Better Business Bureau
  Complaint ID # ********.
  While we understand that our customer remains dissatisfied with our credit report dispute findings, which we shared
  with our customer on April 24, 2024, May 17, 2024, May 22, 2024, and June 4, 2024, as well as during multiple
  telephone calls and through email, it is our position that ESL acted in conformance with regulatory guidelines and our
  internal policies and procedures.
  The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is a federal law that governs how debt collectors (including financial
  institutions that collect their own debt) operate and prohibits debt collectors from using unfair or deceptive practices to
  collect debts. FDCPA requires financial institutions to provide its customers a Final Demand Notice when a loan is
  severely delinquent and/or when a customer has defaulted on their obligation to repay the debt. Loan late payment
  notices are not required under FDCPA; however, ESL mails reminders to our customers as a courtesy when a payment
  was not received on the due date or within the payment grace period. On June 4, 2024, we emailed our customer and
  enclosed a copy of the September 7, 2021 45-day Past Due Notice for the July 2021 personal loan missed payment.
  Additionally, we informed our customer that we listened to a recording of the telephone conversation we had with him
  on August 24, 2021 and that, during that call, we also made him aware of the missed payments for July and August
  2021. During the August 24, 2021 call, our customer stated that he understood that the payments were missed and
  promised to make a payment to bring the account current.
  ESL is required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act to accurately report payment history to the Credit Reporting Agencies.
  Since ESL is reporting the loan account history correctly, we will not be removing the late mark from his credit report,
  and we consider this our final communication on this matter.
  Sincerely,
  Arline L. B*** ********
  Executive Vice President
  Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/20/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  My name is ****** ****** (ESL Member Number *********), and need your assistance regarding poor customer service and misleading information provided by ESL Federal Credit Union staff that has negatively impacted my credit. I suffer from severe ADHD and my father, ******** ******, assist me with my finances and is a firsthand witness to what has transpired in this complaint.  
  In mid-December 2023, I contacted ESL, with my father present in the car, to request a brief deferment of my car loan payment due to my fiancée's unexpected layoff. I was told by the representative of ESL covering for my loan officer, Mr. L******, that my request for a 60-day deferment was "not a problem" and my payment could be moved to the end of my loan term. As a matter of fact, the representative had offered a 90-day deferment but I didn’t want or need that long of an extension. However, in January 2024, Mr. L******, back from his vacation, contacted me stating I was now delinquent on my loan and it would damage my credit if I didn’t immediately pay around $180 to remain in good standing. In fear of damaging my credit report and shocked of the immense lack of internal communication at ESL, I immediately paid about $180 to Mr. L******. Mr. L****** stated the payment would keep me in good standing until my February payments resumed. Furthermore, on February 9th I personally paid ESL around $1,400 and an additional $700 payment will be made on February 23, 2024. That’s well over 2K in car payments in one month alone. However, due to ESL's internal errors, lack of training and communication, I now have a 30-day late payment on my credit report from December 2023. This has caused me to be rejected for a mortgage loan to move for my fiancée's new job in Florida.
  Mr. L****** has since refused to correct the errors caused by his staff's misinformation and lack of training while he was away from the office. I request that the BBB assist in getting ESL to retract the inaccurate late payment from my credit report with all three credit bureaus. It is damaging my credit and finances through no fault of my own. I clearly made every effort to stay current on my obligations and was transparent in communicating with ESL my circumstances of a very temporary hardship due to loss of a job and significant income.
  I look forward to your assistance in resolving this issue with ESL Federal Credit Union before I escalate to the banking commission and the NYS Attorney General’s Office for further assistance.  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/07/2024

  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of the Better Business Bureau Complaint ID ********. Based on the complaint, our
  customer shared her dissatisfaction with the service quality and the misleading information provided by ESL
  surrounding her requests for payment extensions on her auto loan, all of which has negatively impacted her credit and
  her ability to be approved for a mortgage. Her desired resolution is for ESL to remove the negative late mark from her
  credit report.
  We reviewed our records and shared our findings with our customer on March 7, 2024. During each interaction with
  our customer, we clearly communicated that she did not qualify for an extension since 12-consecutive months of on
  time payments were required; our customer had only made 2 payments toward her auto loan. We also explained the
  importance of making a payment prior to being 30-days past due, since payments made after 30-days would negatively
  impact her credit. We provided our customer with a timeline detailing our interactions with her and the loan status.
  Although our customer promised to make payments on certain dates, the loan was 34 and 57 days past due when the
  payments were made. ESL is required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act to accurately report payment history to the
  Credit Reporting Agencies. Since ESL is reporting the auto account history correctly, we will not be removing the late
  marks from our customer’s credit report.
  Based on the facts set forth above, it is our position that ESL acted in conformance with regulatory guidelines and our
  internal policies and procedures.
  Sincerely,
  Mehul M******
  Senior Vice President
  Chief Lending Officer
  Director, Risk Management
  ESL Federal Credit Union
  Customer Experience Specialist 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/07/2024

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. Completely unacceptable! You failed at the very basic duty with repeated internal failures and now the consumer's credit information gets ruined and you say "ups, sorry"? Are you kidding me? What kind of nonsense is this? You screw up and blame the consumer? Please repair YOUR internal error and erroneously claiming to the credit bureaus that I was late in payments ASAP or I will have to seek the assistance of my NY Attorney General. Enough defrauding the innocent consumers due to YOUR careless and fatigued staff that don't care about their basic duties and affect the innocent customers by default. .  Please advise. Regards, ****** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 03/13/2024

  
  To Whom it May Concern:
  Thank you for forwarding a copy of the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) Complaint ID #********.
  While we understand that our customer remains dissatisfied, based on our findings that we shared with our customer on
  March 7, 2024, it is our position that ESL acted in conformance with regulatory guidelines and our internal policies and
  procedures. ESL is required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act to accurately report payment history to the Credit Reporting
  Agencies. Since ESL is reporting the auto loan account history correctly, we will not be removing the late marks from her
  credit report, and we consider this our final communication on this matter.
  Sincerely,
  Mehul M******
  Senior Vice President
  Director, Risk Management