ComplaintsforNorthwest Bank

• Initial Complaint

  06/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My mortgage payments are paid directly to Northwest on a scheduled monthly basis from my credit union. The payments are scheduled to be mailed 6-8 business days prior to the due date and 16-18 days prior to the date of incurring a late fee). I have have been paying my mortgage payments through this service since the inception of my mortgage in August of 2020. My payments have been always received on time every single month since August of 2020 (and I always pay more than the minimum). In March of this year, I received notice from Northwest that my payment was not received. I checked with my bank and the payment was sent out as scheduled. Northwest charged a late fee for this. My bank sent me a letter stating that the payment was made, with the check number, amount and the date it was mailed. The payment then finally showed up 3 weeks later. Thinking this would be a one-off situation, I didn't pursue getting a refund of the late fee, as I thought maybe it was a postal error. Then, the same thing happened again in May. My payment was again "lost" in the mail and I was charged another late fee. I obtained another letter from my bank with the date the payment was mailed, check number and amount. I called Northwest asking that the fees be waived, as I clearly (as evidenced by the letters) was making the payments each month prior to the due date. They refused stating it was not a bank error, so they were not going to remove the fees. When I talked to the first customer service representative, she did state that she had other customers calling saying that payments were not received. This sounds like it is a Northwest bank error to me. Are they intentionally "not receiving payments" as a way to charge non-refundable late fees? I pay all of my bills through the same bill pay service and not a single other one has been late or not received, so it certainly sounds like an issue with Northwest.

  Business response

  06/20/2024

  Northwest investigated this complaint and sent a letter to ******* ****** today to address their concern. As of the date of this letter, Northwest Bank considers this matter resolved.

• Initial Complaint

  04/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been paying on a car loan for 3 years and the bank has not allowed me to set up autopayments. I keep having to pay over the phone which is costing me 10$ each time. Everytime I keep trying to set it up they come up with an excuse that I can't. This last time I set it up perfectly and they told me my external account had been erased and the payment didn't go through and they wanted to charge me a late fee. I believe this company is scamming and nickel and dining people every chance they get. I have every other account set up with autopsy except them something needs to be done about it and the money they've been scamming me for

  Business response

  04/26/2024

  Northwest Bank is in receipt of your letter dated April 18, 2024 regarding the above referenced complaint. Northwest investigated this complaint and attempted to contact Mr. ***** by phone on April 23, 2024. When we did not hear back, Northwest issued Mr. ***** a letter via email to address their concerns on April 26, 2024.
  
  As of the date of this letter, Northwest Bank considers this matter resolved.
  
  

  Customer response

  04/26/2024

  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.
  
  *** ****** ** ** ******** **** ****** ** * ****** ** ***** **** ** **** **** **** ** *** ********
  They done nothing to fix this matter just brushed it under the rug like all big corporations do they will keep scamming and nickel and dimming people. They are pretty much trying to justify all the fees they've given me all because I couldn't set up the direct pay

  Regards,
  
  ***** *****

  Business response

  05/02/2024

  Northwest Bank responded directly Mr. ***** and provided multiple options to make loan payments remotely, including but not limited to: by mail, through Online Banking, and over the phone with a fee via BillMatrix. A welcome letter was sent August 5, 2020 with additional information and was  included with our response. Further more Mr. ***** has not accessed his OLB profile since August of 2021 nor has an Automated Clearing House transfer been established. Mr. ***** can call ************** for further assistance in setting up the external account transfer.  

  At this time Northwest Bank considers this matter closed. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Feb. 28th I called for a payoff and requested my automatic billing be canceled. That day I overnighted my payoff to them. 3 weeks later they took another payment of $387 from my account. This charge overdrew my account and caused me to miss payments to other bills. I called to let them know and they informed me they couldn't cover the over draft since I only have a loan with them and no other accounts and that I should have known they'd still pull payments on a loan I no longer have and I needed to contact customer service. I called the number provided and was told that I needed to contact a different department and that it could take up to 6 days from the date it processed to go into my account. That payment processed March 15th. I contacted them again after that 6 day period and explained I really needed that money returned to make a bill payment and was told that the time frame isn't always 6 days and can be longer. I'm worried about not getting my money and late fees on other bills for something that I was told on my first call would be canceled.

  Business response

  04/02/2024

  Northwest Bank investigated this complaint and attempted to contact ******* ****** on April 02, 2024, to address their concerns. A voice mail was left with contact information for Ms. ******. 
  
  As of the date of this letter, Northwest Bank considers this matter resolved.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  To whom this may concern, I’m showing an incorrect item just reported on my credit report from Northwest bank, they submitted on my account a charge off in error, this is incorrect as recorded. Northwest has received a final payment of $15,500 in Jan 2024 to close out the account as this was the number reported to me from Northwest. I’m needing some help from BBB to clear up this item as I have tried to get a resolution with no help from Northwest

  Business response

  03/13/2024

  Northwest Bank is investigating this complaint and will contact Mr. ******** to address their concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  02/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On February 21st, 2024 Northwest charged me $300.00 dollars for a settlement of $600.00 dollars I thought was received from Senior Life Insurance Company. I was not aware that the decision was reversed and the bank had credited me an additional $300.00 so once the decision was overturned and I wasn't notified by the bank my checking account was minus $300.00 in which I owe. I went to the bank on February 22nd,2024 and was told they will take the money once my Social Security check is deposited and not the whole situation. Wouldn't let me close my checking account and told me a another bank would not open a new account until the balance is paid. I won't be able to pay my bills.

  Business response

  03/07/2024

  Northwest is in receipt of your letter dated February 26, 2024, regarding the above referenced complaint. Northwest investigated this complaint and attempted to contact ********* ***** on February 27, 2024, and again on March 1, 2024, to address their concerns. As of the date of this letter Ms. ***** has yet to return our call.

• Initial Complaint

  01/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have a loan through Northwest Bank and have been paying on it since 2019, in that time I have never missed a payment. In October i realized i was out of loan payment slips to send in my payment. When logging into their mobile app to find contact info I was informed that I could now link an external account to make loan payments directly through the app, with the payment transferring directly from my checking account. I submitted all account info and waited on the trial deposits required for account verification. After three days the deposits were made and I logged into app to verify and make payment. I initiated a transfer of $600 from my checking account to the loan, after i completed it I got a confirmation screen saying the transfer had been initiated. Early November I receive a notification from a credit monitoring service saying Northwest had reported that I was over 30 days late on my account. I immediately called and explained that I had made the payment through their app. They told me they had never received it so at that time I made that payment and the next payment due at the same time. I asked them if they could remove the 30 day late mark on my credit since their app had told me it had been initiated, they told me if I did not have a screenshot to prove it then I was out of luck. When I asked why I wasn't emailed regarding my account like every other bank I use does they informed me that a letter had been sent and claimed that voicemails had been left. (i never received an voicemails or a letter in the mail). In later calls it was realized that they had an address on file that I haven't lived in for years, but even though it was a security question to access my account I was never informed that I was giving the incorrect address over the years when calling in to service my account. Had they informed me, it would have been changed and I would have been notified long before the 30 day delinquency and wouldnt be filing this complaint

  Business response

  01/10/2024

  Northwest Bank (Northwest) is in receipt of your letter dated January 3, 2024, regarding the above referenced complaint. Northwest previously investigated this complaint and spoke to Mr. ************ on December 20, 2023.  Furthermore, a complaint was filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on January 2, 2024, and we will respond in writing to Mr. ************ on or before January 18, 2024. 

• Initial Complaint

  12/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My card was restricted. They mixed my card. I can't sign into my mobile account.

  Business response

  12/28/2023

  Northwest Bank (Northwest) is in receipt of your letter dated December 22, 2023, regarding the above referenced complaint. Northwest investigated this complaint and spoke to Ms. ******* on December 27, 2023, to address their concerns.
  
  At this time Northwest considers this matter closed.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  12/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Was charged with an high amounts of overdraft fees. Went to bank and they were rude and said there was nothing they could do.

  Business response

  12/26/2023

  Northwest Bank (Northwest) is in receipt of your letter dated December 17, 2023, regarding the above referenced complaint. Northwest investigated this complaint and sent a written response to Mr. ***** via email on December 26, 2023, to address their concerns.
  
  At this time Northwest considers this matter closed.

  Customer response

  01/01/2024

  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.
  
  *** ****** ** ** ******** **** ****** ** * ****** ** ***** **** ** **** **** **** ** *** ********
  
  Regards,
  
  **** *****

• Initial Complaint

  12/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 12/14/2023, Northwest Bank withdrew a Right of Offset out of a joint account claiming they can without notification. I received no notifications regarding this as I was not the defaulting account holder. I called them to ask what the Offset was regarding, and they told me it was for a closed overdrawn account, that was not mine. They claimed to have notified the other party; however, DID NOT notify both parties, individually. This Offset has now set a chain reaction of the joint account causing overdraws on Autopay bills. Northwest Bank acted irresponsibly and unethically by not notifying both parties individually, which resulted in fraudulent charges on the account by the bank. I informed the customer service representative about this and he spoke with a supervisor. The supervisor said they can withdraw amounts on accounts the party is attached. This issue may have been better resolved had they reached out to BOTH parties. Sending a letter with both party names is not effective and cannot be considered effective communication. Jeremy - supervisor, refused to work with me on this issue.

  Business response

  12/26/2023

  Northwest is in receipt of your letter dated December 25, 2023, regarding the above referenced complaint. Northwest investigated this complaint and contacted ****** ** **** on December 26, 2023, to address his concerns. As of the date of this letter, Northwest Bank considers this matter closed.

• Initial Complaint

  12/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been charged thousands of dollars in overdraft fees by this bank, even when I had thousands in savings that should have been transferred over to checking. I won a lawsuit about two years ago and the money was put into northwest savings bank. I had went thru a completely traumatic experience during this time and was very depressed and got addicted to online gambling. During this time I had $150,000 in northwest account. I was locked out of the account for awhile but knew I had money, yes I know this sounds insane bc who would be so dumb right?! Well it can happen to literally any body. Hence I’m very embarrassed about this so this is why I haven’t actually went into my local bank to discuss, but did email about this. This bank has charged me in just 6 months time $5,000 in overdraft fees, and I literally had the money to cover the transactions sitting in my savings account… i hate to see how much they charged over the 16 months or so in question, but almost all of these transactions there was money sitting in my savings that would of covered it. I feel like someone should of noticed this, I believe when I set up this checking that the money from savings would be transferred over to checking if there was not enough to cover it. I just am very upset over this, it really seems like unfair practice taking advantage of someone bc they know they can. I know I should of been smarter about this situation but sometimes we have reasons…. But I do feel the bank took advantage of me and could of done better. There was multiple $37 overdrafts, about 15 a day sometimes… that’s a tremendous amount for one day. I feel this is almost criminal, taking advantage of their customers vulnerability to line their pockets. I want something done with these banks taking advantage of their customers, there is no way even 5 overdrafts should be allowed in one day let alone 10-15. Shame on them.

  Business response

  12/12/2023

  Northwest is in receipt of your letter dated December 10, 2023, regarding the above referenced complaint. Northwest investigated this complaint and mailed Ms. ****** a letter on December 12, 2023, to address their concerns. 

  Customer response

  12/13/2023

  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 believe as a business that is supposed to be for the small towns etc, they should be trying to help, not hurt people. I feel like some of these overdrafts should be refunded, I do not want to change banks, however I will be doing so if the bank can not at least refund me some of these fees. I understand they are in business but I also feel like banks should not be able to do this either, especially when maybe technically the savings I had transferred money to (I was unaware) had money in it, and I did believe that they were tied together and if there was not enough in checking it would transfer. If this business was out for the customer, I wish I had been notified that these two accounts could have been linked to protect myself. Yes I understand I should have been more careful, but I also feel the bank could be a little more considerate and understanding. I’m asking for some of these to be refunded to my account, or I will be looking into another bank that does not have so many fees and is easier to work with. Thank you for your time. 
  *** ****** ** ** ******** **** ****** ** * ****** ** ***** **** ** **** **** **** ** *** ********
  Regards,
  
  ******** ******

*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. ↩