ComplaintsforPenFed Credit Union

• Initial Complaint

  09/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I filled a FTC theft report. I also filled an complaint with the **** for the second time. Pentagon Federal Credit Union responded with Letter Dated August 23, 2023 stating fraud claim was denied and the case closed. After receiving the letter the Penfed phone number and email, I sent and email with FTC report attached and police report alone with I.D and Utility bill. I sent email on August 29th, 2023. I waited almost 30 days with no response from penned fraud department. To as of September almost a month prior to sending email with documentation to Penfed fraud department. I decided to call today to speak with a supervisor her Name Was ******* she is the Operations department supervisor. She stated that she would resubmit the case with the documents attached.

  Business response

  10/16/2023

  We received your Better Business Bureau complaint on October 12, 2023. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to respond again to your identity theft claim.
  
  We have received and responded to your prior identity theft claims, both directly with you and through the ************************************* Our Senior Fraud Specialist conducted two thorough investigations and confirmed you are responsible for the account in question. The personal identifying information used to open the account, including Social Security number, phone number, and address, all verify as belonging to you via public record. Additionally, between June 2017 and March 2018, we mailed statements and collection notices to you at the address you provided with this BBB complaint.  
  
  We charged off the account in March 2018, and subsequently sold the account to Axiom Acquisition Venture, LLC. You can contact them at ************ to discuss payment arrangements to satisfy the balance.
  
  I hope this information is helpful.
  
  Sincerely,
  VP Enterprise Fraud Operations

• Initial Complaint

  09/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have contacted Penfed (my current credit card company of over 8 years) multiple time in the last few months at their customer care phone number. I did so because I no longer have a checking/ savings account with them but opted in to use an external account (my outside bank) to make a payment on my Penfed credit card. Each time I spoke to Penfeds reps, I was given a form to fill out which I did and returned. I then was walked through setting up the external payment online, which I did. I lastly was told that I needed to wait until two small deposits were made into my external account in order to verify it before I could use the external account to make a payment towards my Penfed credit card. Each time I called in to check on this, I was told it was pending. I got multiple calls from their payment collection team because I missed my payment due to this. Penfed allowed NO OTHER OPTION to make a payment towards my credit card since I did not have their checking/ savings. I also am not local to them to visit a branch. I requested a manager for callback multiple times which they never called me, only promised to have one call. THIS CAUSED A PAST DUE PAYEMENT record on my experian and equifax credit report which dropped my credit score. I believe this was not in fault of my own, but a fault of Penfeds system as well as customer care reps who lacked the knowledge and care when I would call about this issue. I am demanding Penfed remove the past due record entry on my credit report or I will seek further legal action. They have all calls monitored and recorded from the countless times I called in regarding this issue as well as every time I brought it up when they called me about payments.

  Business response

  09/28/2023

  We received your Better Business Bureau complaint on September 24, 2023. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.
  
  PenFed offers many options for making credit card payments, including mailed check or money order payments, internal transfers from checking or savings, and transfers from external accounts. From January to June 2023, you made mobile deposits to your PenFed savings account, then paid your credit card online from the savings account.
  
  Our records indicate you made no credit card payments between June 17, 2023 and August 21, 2023, despite having made a mobile deposit to your savings account on June 19, 2023. You missed both the July and August 2023 due dates, so August 2023 was reported accurately as 30 days past due.
  
  Our Collections team made many attempts to contact you in July and August to remind you of the past due payment. We reached you on August 15th, but you declined our offer to take a payment. We have no record of you calling us until August 21, 2023, the date you paid the credit card online with the funds in your savings account. During your August 21st call, you asked to add a new external account and our team assisted you with initiating this process online. Our records confirm you successfully made a credit card payment from the new external account on September 16, 2023.
  
  Based on the information presented and our thorough review, we are declining your request to remove our accurate reporting of the late August 2023 payment, as we believe the information obtained from the credit reporting agencies is reliant on all financial institutions providing full and accurate information. While we understand this was not the outcome you desired, we hope the information in this response is helpful. Thank you for being a valued PenFed member.
  

  Sincerely,
  Vice President, Collections

  Customer response

  10/05/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  It’s clearly a scam / conflict of interest. You need to do your research better as you record all calls and I urge you to review this further. Each and every time your team called me , I made a payment and they could never get my external bank account issue resolved . I was transferred at least twice per each call. I spoke to your general customer service, credit card payment team, and I’m guessing past due payment collection team. Each time they told me to wait until I see the deposits before I can use the account . NEVER did your credit union tell me I had payment options outside of this - only wait for the external bank deposits to verify the account but you can make a payment with me right now over the phone. Eventually I HAD ENOUGH. You retain these recorded calls and to tell me that you don’t see these conversations happening is clearly a conflict of interest as you hold the evidence I need to prove it. I will take this legal due to the impact it has had on my credit report and I can get all the recorded calls that way or through the freedom of information act . PenFed is a fraud and I will continue to echo that same message to family , friends and neighbors. This one issue that you have cause WILL cause you to lose customers , I will make sure of it. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I asked if PenFed could remove the inaccurate and discrepant payment history from my account. They did not take accountability for inaccurately reporting that I was 60 days past due to *******, and 30 days past due to ******** and ********** during the same month of May 2023. How is it possible to be 30 days and 60 days late during the same months. I've attached my credit report as proof of the inaccurate and discrepant reporting. They are not taking accountability for reporting inaccurate information on my credit reports. When I spoke to a representative, ****, he told me PenFed can report the account as 60 days past due even if it has not reached 60 days late yet, because the payment is late beyond 30 days. I know this to be false and a violation of the FCRA. Not only are they refusing to correct the mistake on my credit report, they are now telling me anything to get me to go away. I know PenFed has the discretion and ability to remove the inaccurate payment data but they are claiming the can not remove it. I asked if I could provide proof of the incorrect reporting and the PenFed representative stated they have access to the information already. If they are relying on the same inaccurate information as being reported to the credit bureaus, how can they fix the problem? I am requesting that this inaccurate and discrepant payment history be removed from all 3 credit bureaus.

  Business response

  08/30/2023

  We received your Better Business Bureau complaint on August 27, 2023. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns regarding your PenFed Gold credit card account.
  
  As we have received correspondence from you regarding this issue multiple times, we thoroughly reviewed your account and confirmed to you, in writing, the accuracy of the information we are reporting to the credit reporting agencies. During an August 9th phone call, our Consumer Banking Member Experience Senior Analyst explained it is not our policy to provide goodwill adjustments.
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
  
  Sincerely,
  Senior Vice President, Consumer Products

  Customer response

  09/07/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  PenFed did not address the issue or do anything about my complaint. They are still reporting my account as 60 days late in May 2023 on *******, but reporting 30 days late during the same month in May 2023 on ******** and **********. How is this accurate and fair credit reporting? They are refusing to address the issue and just provided an arrogant response saying they told me they couldn't provide any adjustment to my credit report. How is it fair that they can continue to report this payment history inaccurate and basically just tell me to deal with it? PenFed is claiming they are reporting accurately but my attached credit reports refutes their claim.   My attached recent credit reports show PenFed is inconsistent with the way they are reporting my payment history for May 2023. Instead of trying to resolve a customer's complaint they have continued to ignore me and refuse to address the discrepant information on my credit reports. As a compromise and for the sake of customer service can this payment data for May 2023 be updated to NO DATA since the reporting is discrepant? As I resolution I would accept PenFed just updating the May 2023 payment history to NO DATA since there seems to be a disagreement on both ends on how this information is being reported. I have the obvious proof though because my credit reports shows that PenFed is not reporting accurate and consistent information to my credit reports. Even though I've disputed this several times and show proof over and over, PenFed has still decided to do nothing to address their reporting mistake.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

  Business response

  09/18/2023

  We received your Better Business Bureau response rejection on September 12, 2023. We appreciate the opportunity to further address your concerns.
  
  In addition to your prior BBB complaint, we have also responded to your CFPB complaint and correspondence addressed to our President, confirming the accuracy of the information we furnish to the credit reporting agencies for your PenFed Gold credit card account. We are reporting the account as 30+ days late in May 2023 to all three reporting agencies. If you have any concern regarding how one of the credit reporting agencies is presenting that information on the consumer version of your credit report, you will need to address your concern directly with the specific credit reporting agency.
  
  I hope this information is helpful.
  
  Sincerely,
  Senior Vice President, Consumer Products

  Customer response

  09/21/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: there is no resolution being offered. The credit bureaus told me the information is coming from PenFed but now PenFed is blaming the credit union. No one is fixing the problem even though I'm showing proof of the discrepant reporting on my credit reports.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I contacted PenFed customer service on 7/16/23 as I no longer could access my online account. I was told my account was locked due to potential fraud concerns and that I needed to call back the next day. I called again multiple times on 7/17/23, as either the phone system or the CSR I was working with hung up on me. I finally got through to someone helpful named *****. She informed me that I would need to submit personal documents containing sensitive information to prove my identity to PenFed's security team. I declined and explained that I wanted to cancel my membership and close both my credit cards anyways, so I shouldn't have to submit any personal information. She spoke with her supervisor, and told me I wouldn't have to do that, and that she would cancel my membership and close my credit card accounts. Fast forward a few weeks later, and I can see nothing has been closed. I reach out to customer service again via chat on 8/5/23. I'm informed nothing has been closed and that I need to send in the personal documents to prove my identity. I explain the situation, and that I spoke with ***** prior to this. He says I will get a reply within 48 hours. And naturally, I received nothing. I'm done calling and wasting my time. I'm not sure why this is so difficult or why any scammer would attempt to have credit card accounts closed. It just sounds like maybe we're being a little unreasonable and stubborn, as nothing about this is logical. I am not providing any proof of identity, you are not getting anything from me. I am not handing over sensitive information for a company I don't want to even have a relationship with anymore. Cancel the membership and the two credit cards I have with you. Please ensure to notate to credit bureaus the credit cards were closed by request from account owner.

  Business response

  08/29/2023

  Dear member, 
  
  We received your Better Business Bureau complaint on August?25,?2023. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns. 
  
  Security is one of our top priorities. We take seriously our responsibility to protect our members accounts and information, as well as our financial institution as a whole. 
  
  We regret our identity verification requirements led you to request to close your accounts and membership. I apologize for our delay in completing your membership closure request until August 19, 2023.  
  
  We hope this information is helpful.  
  
  Sincerely, 
  Vice President, Enterprise Fraud Operations 
  

  Customer response

  08/31/2023

  [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.]
  
  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

  08/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  PENFED Credit Union and Friends, are trying to steal my money and are trying to ruin my reputation in the community, by trying to give me the appearance, of lower intelligence in the community. PENFED Representative, communicated on the phone last month, that my, total balance, was less than $100.00 and that my minimum payment was $1.41, so I sent them more money, so I sent them $141.00, then they tried to take advantage of me, by sending me a USPS MAIL, PENFED statement, with over a $1300.00 balance on it.

  Business response

  08/25/2023

  We received your Better Business Bureau complaint on August 20, 2023. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns but regret you feel our prior responses to you on June 16 and July 6, 2023, did not fully resolve the matter.
  
  In review of your account history, we can confirm you made a large payment on June 28, 2023, which brought the account balance to $0. However, you subsequently completed multiple purchases and payments bringing the balance to $1,363.31, as shown on your most recent statement produced on July 26, 2023. We received another $25 payment from you on August 21, 2023, which brought the balance to $1,338.31. We are unable to find record of a call stating your balance was $100.
  
  As stated previously, you must also update your contact information on file to establish your PenFed Online account so you can view your statements online moving forward. Our Member Service team has already advised that we require a copy of a recent phone bill confirming your new phone number and our records show we have not received it yet. We do not accept screen captures. You can upload a copy at home.PenFed.org/s/document-upload.
  
  Our Member Service team can assist you with the requirements and instructions by calling us at ************.
  
  We trust this response provides clarity to your concerns.
  
  Sincerely,
  Senior Vice President, Operations Support

  Customer response

  09/02/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  PENFED Credit Union, has failed to provide a PENFED Credit Union Statement, showing all alleged purchases by ******************************

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

  Business response

  09/06/2023

  Please refer to our prior responses on June 16, July 6, 2023 and August 25 about this issue. We encourage you to contact our member service team at ************ for assistance and we have nothing further to add.

• Initial Complaint

  07/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I am unable to remove my old ****** external account that is setup in the PenFed online bank account. Any time I try to remove it, it will error out. I can't add a new external account either...... so I can't pay bills.

  Business response

  07/27/2023

  We received your Better Business Bureau complaint on July 16, 2023. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.
  
  I am grateful for the trust you have placed in PenFed to meet your financial needs. For security purposes, an external account cannot be deleted through PenFed Online. Instead, members must call PenFed so a representative can delete the account. I apologize for any inconvenience this caused you.
  
  Thank you for speaking with us on July 25, 2023. We deleted your external account per your request.
  
  I hope this information is helpful and our actions have resolved your concerns. Thank you for being a PenFed member.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Senior Vice President, Operations Support 

  Customer response

  07/30/2023

  [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.]
  
  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

  07/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 6/30/23, I initiated a Bank to Bank transfer from my ** **** checking account to my PenFed credit union checking account. The funds left my ** account on 7/3/23 and were displayed as a balance in my PenFed checking account (but not available) the same day. On 7/5/23 Pen Fed started rejecting automatic ACH debits from my PenFed accounts for unavailable funds at $10 each. I immediately called and was told the funds would not be available until 7/7/23 but if I provided proof that the funds cleared my ** account they would release the funds. I printed and forwarded my online activity from my ** account but Pen Fed would not accept it. IT'S A SCAM!!!!!! They're holding my money and charging me fees. On the same day I made several other external transfers that were immediately credited to my account. If I uploaded mobile check deposits, the funds would be available. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE! SCAM!!!!!!!

  Business response

  07/24/2023

  Dear member,
  
  We received your Better Business Bureau complaint on July 14, 2023. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns regarding your recent ACH transactions.
  
  ACH deposits initiated through PenFed Online are made available by the 5th business day following the date of transfer.This is disclosed in your transaction confirmation and also mentioned in our Membership Disclosures that are available on our website at ************************************************************************************.
  
  The two deposits you initiated on June 30, 2023 were available on July 7, 2023, as per our policy. Our hold policy is to protect our members and PenFed from potential losses and may vary for external transfers, direct deposits and mobile deposits based on the inherent risk of these transactions. Unfortunately, we were unable to accept the transaction history you provided as evidence the funds had cleared your other financial institution. 
  
  As a courtesy, on July 14, 2023, we waived the two associated fees that posted on July 3rd and July 5th.
  
  I hope this information is helpful for planning future ACH deposits. Thank you for being a valued PenFed member.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Senior Vice President, Consumer Products
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On June 29, 2023, I attempted to perform an domestic external third party wire transfer for $850. The first person I spoke was ******** and she didnt perform any of the required 2-part identity verification to perform my wire transfer. I was very precise and explicitly explained that this was a new wire transfer, but ******** ignored my instructions. I also explained to ******** that I perform this type of wire transfer monthly, but again I was ignored. ******** said that she also did not need the routing number or account number for the wire because she had that information already. ******** disregarded every account detail that I tried to give her. When I asked for the reference number, she gave me an old(already used) reference number which was from June 1st. The reference number she gave me was ***-***-***-***-***, which is wrong since it was already used in my previous wire transfer request. ******** lied to me stating that my wire transfer went through successfully. I would like PenFed to investigate to see why ******** cannot do her job correctly. Perhaps she needs some additional PenFed training. I would also like a supervisor to call me to explain what I need to do to have a successful domestic third-party wire transfer in the future. This is the second time that something like this has occurred. On March 30, 2023, I had this same type of wire transfer that was “stuck” and never went through because another PenFed employee did not perform a 2-step identity verification on me. I also wanted to inform PenFed that I will be withdrawing my $20,000 from all of my checking and savings accounts because I will be banking with someone else in the future.

  Business response

  07/25/2023

  We received your Better Business Bureau complaint on July 10, 2023. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.
  
  We regret we fell short of meeting your service expectations and would like the opportunity to discuss your concerns about your recent wire transfer request in greater detail. We understand a Member Concern & Escalation Analyst has been attempting to reach you. They have left call back instructions in a voicemail and look forward to speaking with you to discuss your concern. We encourage you to return their call.
  
  Thank you for being a member of the PenFed community. We value every opportunity to assist you with your financial needs should you allow us future opportunities.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Manager,Executive Correspondence
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I applied for a credit card with PenFed CU. I received the card in the mail but could not activate it. I then received a form asking me to fund a share account -- I filled out the form and sent it back with a check. I repeatedly attempted to create an online account and to activate the card. I was never successful. I sent ~6 documents to the credit union at their request, including copies of my retired military ID, driver's license, bank account statements, social security statements, and utility bills. They still would not allow me to activate the card and/or set up an online account. I then asked for the account to be closed and to have my money returned to me. The email I received in reply asked me to upload 2 more documents, one of which included my military ID or Driver's License (which as noted was already uploaded) and a notarized statement from the Social Security Administration (they already have non-notarized SSA forms). I am only seeking $5.00 back -- realize that it's not a lot of money but it's my money and this whole process has really been quite excessive.

  Business response

  07/06/2023

  We received your Better Business Bureau complaint on June 30, 2023. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.
  
  We are committed to providing superior service to our members in every interaction. I regret the service you received was not reflective of this commitment. On June 30, 2023, we closed your accounts and membership. We sent you a check for the $5 balance by ***** to your address on file.
  
  We are sorry you decided to end your relationship with PenFed. We hope you will find a reason to return to us in the future.
  
  Sincerely,
  Senior Vice President, Operations Support

  Customer response

  07/10/2023

  [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.]
  
  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

  06/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Applied for auto loan on 1/26/22 with a $200 voucher incentive program if you signed on before 1/31/23. First payment due 4/1/23. I called before April asking about the voucher so it could be applied to my payment. Was told that the funds would be transferred and to be patient. It could take some time. I made the first payment late because I was waiting for these funds. Second payment due 5/1/23 and still no $200 voucher. I was told, again, that the funds were being transferred and to be patient. I waited and eventually paid the May payment without the voucher to avoid being 30 days late. I was told twice to be patient and the funds were being transferred. I called on 5.31.23 to inquire on the funds and was told that I was now ineligible for the $200 promotion because the promotion required that 2 payments be made by 5/1/23. I was encouraged to be patient in April and May which in turn made me ineligible. At no point was this stipulation conveyed to me. I would like this $200 transferred to my Pen Fed account so I can apply it to my loan as I was informed when I signed up. This seems deceitful and intentionally frustrating in order to sway customers into dropping the issue.

  Business response

  06/29/2023

  We received your Better Business Bureau complaint on June 26, 2023. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.
  
  Thank you for choosing PenFed for your auto lending needs. I apologize that we did not clarify earlier that to qualify for the $200 cash bonus, your loan needed to fund by January 31st, 2023. Because your loan did not fund until after that date, we did not initially provide you with the $200 bonus.
  
  I appreciate you taking the time to speak with our Member Concern and Escalation Analyst on June 13th, and explaining that our Member Service team had provided you with incorrect information, we credited your PenFed share account with $200.
  
  We strive to take perfect care of our members but when we fall short, we appreciate the opportunity to make it right.
  
  Sincerely,
  Senior Vice President, Operations

*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. ↩