ComplaintsforFirstmark Credit Union

• Initial Complaint

  07/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On June 1st Apple charged my debit card 2.99 for storage fee. Only 1.74 was available in the account. I do not have over draft protection and was not made aware before that reoccurring charges still are processed even if over draft protection is turned off. On June 12th I called to have my fee waived so that I can bring the account current the representative stated she put in a request to have it removed. I didnt receive any calls back and I did keep checking the account for an update. I called back July 5th to ask about the removal and they explained they could not remove the $28 fee because the account did have Apple on recurring withdrawal(which had since been removed). The 2.99 can be covered I just dont find it right to be charged $28 by a bank that I thought was for the community.

  

  Business response

  07/22/2024

  Good evening, ******************,

  Please find the attached response to ********************' complaint. We apologize for the delay as the July 5, 2024 inquiry was not identified until we received the second notice.

  Should you have any questions, please reach out to the contacts on the response. We would be happy to assist you.

  Thank you!

  *******************

  Vice ********** ********** and Legislative Affairs

• Initial Complaint

  04/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  False misleading inaccurate information . Business taking advantage of customers along with making if difficult to speak and resolve issues. I am unable to get assistance for my issue and it has cause me stress depression and suicidal thoughts. I have had to contact several people in different departments for assistance and no resolution.

  

  Business response

  05/01/2024

  May 1, 2024
  
  SENT VIA WEBSITE/EMAIL SUBMISSION
  
  ***************************
  Better Business Bureau Corporation
  *****************************************************************************************************************************
  
  RE: Complaint from Firstmark Credit Union Member Complaint #********
  
  Firstmark Credit Union (Firstmark) received and reviewed your correspondence regarding a member complaint filed with your office. We appreciate the opportunity to address our members concerns about their most recent experience with Firstmark.
  
  Our ************************** examined the members loan and insurance activity that impacted their monthly payments. In the complaint, our member shares the difficulties in speaking to a Firstmark employee who could assist with her outstanding balance questions. Our records show a lengthy series of emails, texts, calls, and multiple third-party vendor visitation attempts to the address on the account. Our goal is to ensure we provide our members with as many channels of communication as possible.
  
  In reviewing the auto loan activity, we can confirm the member began demonstrating the inability to provide valid proof of insurance between December 2022 and August 2023. When insurance coverage is not adequate or has lapsed, ******************************* (***) is applied to the loan payment to ensure the vehicle is protected. A third-party vendor,State National, provides the *** insurance coverage. As a result, the monthly payment for the vehicle can increase due to the insurance premium being added (to the payment). Our member did demonstrate proof of insurance in August 2023, but she failed to bring her account current and initial collection efforts began.
  
  On November 21, 2023,the members insurance lapsed again as reported to State National. The member was sent several notifications explaining the requirements to correct the impairment and that a premium cost of $125.00 would be charged for every month the lapse continues. According to our records, the members payments were set to recur automatically; but due to not updating (i.e., increasing) their payment amount, the member fell further behind on their loan. The member was sent a final notice on December 12, 2023, followed by a Payment Change Notice on January 4, 2024. It should be noted our ************************** attempted to call,text, and email our member during the months of October 2023 through March 2024.
  
  Our member contacted our Repossession Specialist on April 3, 2024, the day the vehicle was repossessed.We can verify the member validated her phone number, email, and address during that communication. Due to confidentiality reasons, we cannot disclose specific details;however, we can share that we have been communicating with the member about repayment efforts and releasing our members vehicle.
  
  We strive to establish and preserve a relationship built on trust with our members. We appreciate our members submission and the opportunity to resolve this issue. We encourage our member to contact Firstmarks ************************** to resolve the outstanding loan balance, so that she can gain access to her vehicle.
  
  Should you have any follow- up questions, please feel free to contact me or *******************.
  
  Thank you.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************, CIA,CCSA, CGAP, CRMA                                          *******************;         
  Chief ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* VP Compliance and Legislative Affairs
  Firstmark Credit Union                                                                      Firstmark Credit Union
  *************                                                                                 **************

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I contacted first mark ********************** union on august 7, 2023 asking politely if I can get two fees reimbursed for the amounts of $28.00 each. Agent didnt even try to reimburse the fee. I advised her to ask her supervisor and she stated *********** was unable to reverse the fee. Call was transferred to supervisor and they informed me that she was the one that decided to approve or deny and she said since it was a business account she cant refund because I have to pay this. I did inform her I paused the business due to hardship and she didnt care. She was like well I have another supervisor but shes in the restroom. Would like to be reimbursed $28.00 fees. Plus the bank needs to work on professionalism as a supervisor. Not sure if it was even a supervisor!! Member id **********

  

  Business response

  08/17/2023

  August 17, 2023
  
  SENT VIA EMAIL SUBMISSION
  
  *******************************
  Better Business Bureau Corporation
  ****************************************************************************************
  
  RE: Complaint from Firstmark Credit Union Member Complaint #********
  
  Thank you for sharing the member complaint received by your office. We appreciate the opportunity to address this members concerns about their recent experience with Firstmark.
  
  Firstmarks ********************** reviewed the members activity related to multiple fees charged to their account. In reviewing the activity, we can confirm the members account was charged a $28 fee in multiple months. Due to confidentiality purposes, we are not able to disclose specific details.
  
  Firstmarks Membership Guide states that transactions are processed in the order they are received. In this case, the member was assessed a $28 fee for a withdrawal that processed the same day an ACH credit was later received into the account. The member called into our ********************** to appropriately request a refund of the fees. Our *********** representative should have reviewed the account more thoroughly to identify the cause and provided a refund for both months. We provided coaching and training to the staff member; ongoing training ensures Firstmark provides the best experience and outcomes for our members.
  
  Our *********** Manager spoke with the member and provided a refund for both months fee. The member was satisfied with the resolution.
  
  We strive to establish and preserve a relationship built on trust with our members. We appreciate our members submission and the opportunity to resolve this issue for our member. Should you have any follow up questions, please feel free to contact us.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************, CIA,CCSA, CGAP, CRMA                                           *******************                             
  Chief ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ******************************************                                                                     Firstmark Credit Union  
  *************                                                                                 *************

• Initial Complaint

  07/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have an auto loan with firstmark. My payments are supposed to be $495 a month. Ever since I've had the car they keep randomly raising my payments up saying that I don't have car insurance. I have provided proof of insurance the declarations page two first **** about 30 times. I've sent it an email. I've sent it to their processor of the insurance claims. I sent it to the people who answered the phone to take payment information. My co-signer and myself even went up to speak to a manager in person and handed it to him in person. Now they're trying to tell me that my car payments are $900 and something dollars a month again saying that I don't have car insurance. This is being reported to the credit bureau which is affecting my credit score for false information. I have had insurance ever since I've had this car full coverage and I have provided it. I really need a resolution to this issue. This is affecting myself and my cosigner. I need the information to be changed with the credit bureau as well as it is inaccurate.

  

  Business response

  07/26/2023

  July 21, 2023
  
  SENT VIA EMAIL SUBMISSION
  
  *******************************
  Better Business Bureau Corporation
  ********************************************************************************** 78754
  
  RE: Complaint from Firstmark Credit Union Member Complaint #********
  
  Firstmark Credit Union (Firstmark) received your correspondence regarding a member complaint filed with your office. We appreciate the opportunity to address this members (primary and co-applicant) concerns about their most recent experience with Firstmark.
  
  Firstmark s ****************** has reviewed the members loan and insurance activity that impacted their monthly payments as well as their credit report. In the complaint, our member states the monthly auto loan payments were randomly increasing due to a lack of insurance coverage. In reviewing the 2022 auto loan activity, we can confirm the members initial insurance deductible was not adequate for loan coverage with Firstmark. When insurance coverage is not adequate, ******************************* (***) is applied to the loan to ensure the vehicle is protected. As a result,the monthly payment for the vehicle can increase. Once the coverage was adjusted and the proper documents were submitted by the member, our ****************** provided a full premium refund and reversed all late fees.
  
  In 2023, the member switched insurance carriers and our loan records did not reflect the change. Firstmark contracts with a third-party vendor to track insurance coverage,as well as communicates with our members, in part to update this valuable information when necessary. When there is no response and all attempts are exhausted, the company applies *** to the auto loan, which can increase the monthly payment significantly. In this case, the addition of the *** premium impacted their monthly loan payment again.
  
  Our member was contacted by our Director, Consumer Lending on July 18, 2023, to discuss this recent issue and resolve the increase in their monthly payments. Due to confidentiality,we cannot disclose specific details. However, we can share that all *** premiums have been refunded and the insurance coverage is now current. We will also contact the credit bureau to ensure their report is accurately adjusted.
  
  We strive to establish and preserve a relationship built on trust with our members. We appreciate our members submission and the opportunity to resolve this issue for our member. Should you have any follow up questions, please feel free to contact me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************, CIA,CCSA, CGAP, CRMA                                           *******************;         
  Chief ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* VP Compliance and Legislative Affairs
  Firstmark Credit Union                                                                      Firstmark Credit Union
  *************                                                                                 **************

• Initial Complaint

  06/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Recently our business account was unexpectedly closed and I had to open a new account. I worked with **** to get the new account set up and during the process he advised I would need to unlock my credit file with Equifax so he may do a soft credit check. When he asked me to do this I asked him if it was going to show up as an inquiry on my credit file to which he replied no. **** advised this credit check is a soft check and it would not show up as a hard credit check. Unfortunately, this was not the case and I now have a hard credit check on my Equifax credit report. Once I was notified by ******* I reached out to **** who said he would get with the department that handles these problems to fix the issue. A couple weeks after this, I returned to the bank and asked **** about it and advised him it had not been removed, **** stated I would need to discuss it with his manager to have the problem resolved. I asked for ****'s manager ***** to work with their department that can resolve this error and have the credit inquiry removed from my credit file. This is the response I received from ***** "Dear ******************,Thank you for sharing this information with me. Unfortunately, as the previous account had to be closed, the only way to reestablish a membership is by new application with a credit bureau inquiry. I apologize that **** incorrectly stated that this would be a soft pull. He has been coached about this misstatement.I understand your concern for how this may affect an impending vehicle purchase. While excessive inquiries can contribute to a decline in score, a single inquiry should have no major impact.I would be happy to discuss this or other matters further with you. Please contact me with any additional questions or concerns.*********,********************** Financial Center Manager"

  

  Business response

  07/05/2023

  Our response is attached.  

  Thank you. 

   

  ********************;

  Chief Risk Officer 

  ************** 

   

• Initial Complaint

  08/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I paid off my van in full in Jan 2022 and still have not got my title or a release.Getting no help from anyone.keep getting pass from one person to another. I need my title I want to trade it in and get new van.please help

  

  Business response

  09/01/2022

  
  September 1, 2022
  
  SENT VIA EMAIL SUBMISSION
  
  ******* ********
  Better Business Bureau Corporation
  **** ********** ***** ***** ***
  ******* ** *****
  
  RE: Complaint from Firstmark Credit Union Member
  
  Firstmark Credit Union (Firstmark) has received your correspondence regarding a complaint filed with your office by a member of the credit union. We appreciate the opportunity to address our member’s concerns regarding the release of his vehicle title.  For your consideration, please note the following summary of actions taken by Firstmark:
  
  On August 22, 2022, our member submitted a complaint with your organization stating Firstmark would not release his vehicle title. Firstmark’s Risk Management, Loss Mitigation, and Lending teams began researching his claim to better understand any possible delays. It was discovered that our member had an outstanding debt owed to the credit union dating back to 2018. This caused the delay of releasing his vehicle title.
  
  Further research determined additional correspondence took place between our member and the Loss Mitigation team between 2018 and August 29, 2022. In each communication, the member was advised of the outstanding debt and to set up payments to resolve the issue. In the communications, he was advised that the credit union had the right of offset to help resolve the outstanding balance. This delayed the release of our member’s vehicle title.
  
  On August 29, 2022, our member and our Loss Mitigation team settled on a good faith payment that allowed the release of his title. Our member stated to us that he is satisfied with the outcome.
  
  We strive to preserve a relationship built on trust with our members, and desire, above all, to be a partner along their financial wellness journey. We appreciate his membership and the opportunity to resolve this issue. Should you have any follow up questions, please feel free to contact me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ****
  Chief Risk Officer

  Customer response

  09/02/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 17753691, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** **** *****

• Initial Complaint

  03/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In July I was charged 3 times from ********.com I called the credit union as it was pending and they told me to wait until it went through. When it went through, I called back and was told that I didnt have proof. I was told if I could get something from ******** saying it was fraud then I could get it credited back to me. I got an email from ******** with the information I needed so I called back and spoke to ****** in late august. She said to email her all the information, which I did. I still havent heard back from them.

  

  Business response

  04/13/2022

  ******************** -

   

  Please see the attached response to ********************** complaint.

   

  Please let me know if there is anything I can provide further.

   

  Thank you!

   

  *******************

  Customer response

  04/14/2022

  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

  12/30/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  First**** Credit Union (FCU) received a notification from a “third-party” that I did not have insurance on my 2018 Jeep and they repossessed it. They then realized their mistake and because I fought their mistake and fought their wrongdoing and I unintentionally hurt their feelings via my words, and I was “punished” for it. It is suspicious that, in ONE DAY, in a matter of approximately six hours, in order for me to retrieve the Jeep, the fees would be estimated from approximately $1600 (by Mr. *******) to over $42,000 (by the supervisor)!!!! The supervisor combined the amount I owed on my personal loan and my Jeep which equaled to over $42,000; she overruled Mr. *******’s estimated $1600-plus for retrieval. Of course there is no way for me to pay the sum amount of my personal loan and sum amount of the Jeep to retrieve the Jeep; this is outrageous. In my opinion, they are operating like- I have heard- a title loan company operates. On 11/30/2021, FCU reached out to me via text message indicating that the Jeep was in review with their management for possible repossession. I have record of this and subsequent text messages. I responded and stated that my father had been in the hospital and that I was in need of assistance of payment arrangements to which FCU replied and stated to call in order to review options. I called that same day and spoke with Ms. ********. On that phone call, it was my understanding that she would process a skip-payment for a personal loan I had with FCU and process a payment of $235 for the Jeep to keep it out of review for repossession (which was the whole reason for FCU contacting me in the first place on 11/30). On 12/21/2021, the Jeep was repossessed. I called and FCU immediately indicated that I did not have insurance, which I did.

  

  Business response

  01/10/2022

  Good afternoon -

  We will be responding to this complaint in the coming days. We are gather contact and payment information to help formulate why this occurrence happened.

  Thank you!

  ****

*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. ↩