Complaints

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

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  Washington Federal Bank

  425 Pike St Seattle, WA 98101-3902

• 

  Washington Federal Bank

  10015 NE 183rd St Bothell, WA 98011-3421

• 

  Washington Federal Bank

  413 29th St NE Ste D Puyallup, WA 98372-7050

• 

  Washington Federal Bank

  1540 Cooper Point Rd SW Olympia, WA 98502

• 

  Washington Federal Bank

  Redmond Banking Center Redmond, WA 98052

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:01/12/2025

  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.

  I recently applied for a business credit card with this company. Upon applying, they failed to act professionally by never corresponding to my submission. After several days, I had to call this bank to inquire about the status of my business credit card application. The *** i spoke to informed me that I needed to go to a local branch to verify information. I went to a branch the following day and provide all the necessary documents for verification and was told by the teller at the branch that I would then be contacted about the determination of my application. After a few days I received an email from **** stating that my request for the business credit card was denied due to "Non-Credit Related Information Collected was Determined to be Outside the Bank's Risk Profile." I believe this is not a valid reason for denial and demand a more in depth explanation as to why my request was denied. I have excellent credit and make more than enough money to service the debt. I believe this decision was made unfairly and I demand a reconsideration as I was not offered the decency of a reconsideration upon denial. My only assumption is that I've been discriminated against throughout the application process and deserve a fair review of my information for reconsideration. I have fraud alert on my credit ***ort where if any institution is pulling my credit, they must call my phone number on file to verify that I am the person who is requesting for the credit card. They have not even been compliant in calling my phone number to verify with me about the credit request, which shows poor due diligence on their part.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/13/2025

  Please see attached letter for formal response.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/13/2025

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *******

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/17/2025

  I recently applied for a business credit card with this company. Upon applying, they failed to act professionally by never corresponding to my submission. After several days, I had to call this bank to inquire about the status of my business credit card application.

   

   The *** I spoke to informed me that I needed to go to a local branch to verify information. I went to a branch the following day and provide all the necessary documents for verification and was told by the teller at the branch that I would then be contacted about the determination of my application. 

   

  After a few days I received an email from **** stating that my request for the business credit card was denied due to "Non-Credit Related Information Collected was Determined to be Outside the Bank's Risk Profile." I believe this is not a valid reason for denial and demand a more in depth explanation as to why my request was denied. I have excellent credit and make more than enough money to service the debt. I believe this decision was made unfairly and I demand a reconsideration as I was not offered the decency of a reconsideration upon denial.

   

   My only assumption is that I've been discriminated against throughout the application process and deserve a fair review of my information for reconsideration. I have fraud alert on my credit ***ort where if any institution is pulling my credit, they must call my phone number on file to verify that I am the person who is requesting for the credit card. They have not even been compliant in calling my phone number to verify with me about the credit request, which shows poor due diligence on their part.

   

  Thank you,

   

  ***** Lemaire 

  Business Response

  Date: 02/03/2025

  We have provided a written response to Mr. ************** To protect financial privacy, we are unable to provide any additional comments or response within this public forum.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/18/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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 am unable to get into my online account for two weeks now. I have gone through ALL of the possible resolutions to try to resolve this issue. The issue remains unsettled. I have been given various excuses as to why. I am considering closing my account if this problem is not resolved soon.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/02/2024

  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.

  I am the *** for my 91 year old father on his bank account. Around the beginning of April I was the victim of identity theft. The thief was able to access my father's account at WaFd as well as my own accounts. The response from this business was slow, ineffective, and costly. First, they took a very long time to respond. I was recovering from heart surgery, and was unable to bring my father with me. I complied with their request for copies of all of his records--including the ***** of ************ we could freeze the account. The debit cards were also to have been frozen. They were not.Because my father receives his Social Security check directly to his WaFd account, it was recommended by SS that we keep the original account open until one deposit cycle had elapsed. We opened a new account, and we were supposed to receive new debit cards.We did not.I called about a month later to ask where the new debit cards were, and I was told it was an oversight, and the cards would be sent to us. WaFd then charged us $40.00 to send them to us via ****** I neither requested nor needed this expedited. In fact, I advised the person I spoke to there was no rush.On 06/02/24 I received a fraud alert from WaFd. Someone--probably the same thief--had attempted to use the (supposedly locked) debit card belonging to my father's OLD account. In every way possible this branch in ******** mishandled and mismanaged this account issue, which caused both me and my father a great deat of stress. I am not in good health myself; this experience has certainly not improved my heart condition. This is by far the worst experience I or my father has ever had with a bank. The only reason we stayed was because my father has been a customer since 1986. This bank does not provide customer service. It provides customer DIS-service.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/03/2024

  Please find attached letter for response.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/05/2024

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/07/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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 September 25th, 2023, at 5:08 p.m., I received notification of three UNAUTHORIZED Zelle transfers from my bank account to an unknown recipient. The first was for $60.00 at 1:14 p.m., the second was for $305.00 at 1:23 p.m., and the third was for $2,490.00 at 1:25 p.m. (information on the times came from their documentation). (PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE NOTIFICATION TIME AND THE TRANSFER TIMES). I immediately contacted the bank to stop these payments, but unfortunately, their procedures were ineffective despite my repeated requests to halt all transfers. They asked me to go onto their website to stop the transfers. The bank's website could have been more user-friendly, and I could not find the option to prevent the third payment, which was still showing as pending; the first two went through. I visited the local branch the next day to find out the transfer went through, and the main office failed to take action. The bank sent over paperwork showing the used ** address, and I sent them screenshots of my ** address, which is different, by email. I requested that the bank provide me with the necessary information to prove that I did not initiate these transfers. They still need to do this and keep sending me the same documentation. This situation has caused me significant stress and frustration, and I urge the bank to take responsibility for this error. I hope that the bank will resolve this issue promptly and take measures to prevent a similar incident from happening in the future. I am attaching copies of the ** address for my devices and what the bank has sent. I reiterate my request for a swift resolution to this matter.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/15/2024

  Please find response attached

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/20/2024

   
  Complaint: 21677893
  
  I am rejecting this response because: In the past, they have sent letters denying my reimbursement, claiming the transactions were made from my computer or phone. They have never clarified which system made those transfers. However, I have provided documentation to show that I was not using my computer or phone during the transactions. The question remains: If I had made those transactions, why would there be three instead of one or two? Additionally, why would I have called to stop the transactions four hours later when notified and then visited the branch office the following day to close my accounts and file a dispute?
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business Response

  Date: 06/11/2024

  No new information has been received and the client has been notified of the decision.  We consider this issue closed.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/23/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  This bank (WaFD) took over my mortgage from *************************** Savings. I have been trying to set up an external account from my ***** Fargo account to transfer my mortgage payment to them. I have been trying to do this since 3/20/24. I have called, sent emails, and followed their process of sharing my ***** ********** statement through their document-sharing software. It is still not done. Anytime I call, someone tells me a different turnaround time. They are going to cause me to be late making my mortgage payment. My next one for *** is almost due.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/19/2024

  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.

  I opened an account with WaFd in November 2023 for a Second Chance checking.I did enjoy having the account at ******************. WaFd Staff were helpful and courtesies. ***** at the downtown location was very helpful in opening my savings after I had opened my initial checking account at the Crown Hill location.In early February someone (not myself) deposited a check into my checking account without my knowledge. When this happened the treatment, I received from WaFd completely changed. Initial my on-line account was frozen. I called customer service to find out why this had happened. After waiting for ************************************************************ and that I need to talk to someone at the branch. I was transferred to the Crown Hill branch and was questioned and ask if I had any knowledge of the check which I did not. They wanted me to come into the branch which had the same hours I worked and was difficult to get in. I decided the next day to take time off from work and try the Downtown Location. They were less helpful in person and wanted to wait to close my account and never got a resolution on that day. After emailing the Downton location the next day I finally got a copy of the check that was deposited. It was clear that was not mine since the endorsement on the back did not match my signature. Downtown and Crown Hill, approach to me was handled very badly. Both staff at each of the locations treated me like I was the one who had completed the fraudulent actively. It was very disappointing to be treated as if I was found guilty without all the facts. Especially since I knew nothing about the check in question. It was a very unpleasant experience from beginning to end. After I waited almost a week, they decided to close my account AND NOT Open a new one. I was accused of being rude to the staff (by the Downtown Mgr) when I was only trying to get answers and be more direct with the staff. I never made the deposit and was never given any option but to close my account. I never was able to regain access to my own original personal account or try to have anew opened on my behalf. I was NEVER the one who had caused the ***** alert to be put on my account and I was told by the Branch Manager at downtown that she thought that I may not be a good fitIf youre looking for a second chance checking DO NOT GO TO WAFD

  Business Response

  Date: 03/20/2024

  Please see attached letter

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/13/2024

  Type:Billing 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.

  Washington federal bank locked my online account so I can no longer look at the balance in my account. They have stated this is because someone was trying to login using a VPN. There is no written policy that states customers cannot use VPN's for connecting to the user bank accounts. Further, the online bank account has two factor authentication, so even if someone somehow was using my username and login, I would still have to enter the number authenticator thats sent to my phone in a text message. WAFED locked my account 3 times. The ****************** two times they didn't tell me not to use a VPN. After calling them each of the first times they reactivated my account. The third time, they locked my account for 30 days and refused to unlock it. I want my online account unlocked so I can verfiy that I'm not over drawing my bank account. This is absolutely ridiculous. I basically now have to change to a different bank. Thanks,****

  Business Response

  Date: 03/14/2024

  Please see attached letter.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/14/2024

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/08/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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 am very disappointed in the corporate staff and policies of WAFd Bank. They refuse to send you a statement without charging exorbitant fees, and the online system is so difficult to use it is very difficult for customers to know they are being charged other exorbitant fees. For years I have had trouble even getting into the online banking that is so full of glitches. I have not recently been able to get a new ATM card, so my only ability to bank is in person during business hours. My initial checks were incorrect and were not replaced, and the bank has changed names and accounts many times over the years, my initial account was from the 70s. Most recently I have been charged with an exorbitant fee for February for inactivity and WAFd Bank will not refund the fee even though I made a deposit in the beginning of March. If I were not disabled with a spinal injury, limited mobility, and debilitating migraines maybe I could have come in a few days sooner to make my deposit to keep my account active. Please do not get me wrong, they have very nice people at their branches, and it is nice there is a still a bank; but in my opinion the corrupt, opportunistic, and abusive policies of WAFd Bank do NOT empower their branch employees to be able to do the right thing. I know of a few instances where WAFd Bank has stolen the money of orphans, widows, the elderly and disabled with their inactivity fees. Please save yourself heartache and do NOT bank with a "corrupt organization"; there are many reputable financial institutions that will be happy to help you, but I feel WAFd Bank is not one of them.Date: 3/8/24 Amount: $3 Inactivity Fee (prior loss of hundreds and thousands of dollars and safety deposit box for Mother and Great Grandmother)Provide: Totally Free Checking Dispute: Unable to refund an inactivity fee by a few days Resolve: The tellers are very Nice and tried to refund the fee, but it is against bank policy. Account #: *****7095 Advertising: 3/8/24

  Business Response

  Date: 03/11/2024

  Please see attached letter

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/15/2024

  I am still waiting for their direct response.  I did not want you to close this complaint as it has still not been resolved. 

  Their response was:

  Thank you for bringing this complaint to WAFD Banks attention. The complaint has been escalated
  to management to research and respond directly to the complainant. To protect financial privacy,
  the Bank will be unable to provide additional comments or response within the public forum.

  But other than this communication from the BBB; I have had no other communication from WAFD Bank, and it is a Friday evening after 5 PM.

  The Help of the BBB is greatly appreciated.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/02/2024

  A response was provided to ************** on March 12, 2024, explaining that the fee he was assessed was disclosed in the personal deposit account agreement he was provided at account opening.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/07/2024

   
  Complaint: 21407317
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  They have not contacted me.  I have not received any correspondence from WAFD Bank at all except through this Better Business Bureau portal and you have seen their responses (one that said they would contact me, and the other that says they did contact me), so I am not even sure what communication they are referring to on March 12th since I am not aware of it.  Their notice claims they contacted me, but I have not spoken to anyone from WAFD Bank.  They have not called me; they have not left a message.  They did not write me an email.  They have not sent me a letter.  I am not sure how they think they have conveyed any information to me, unless they have sent something to the online bank account which I have not been able to access, and I have told them many times I have not been able to access it.  I see their response as only further proof of the incredibly poor service they provide.    
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business Response

  Date: 04/12/2024

  A letter was sent on March 12th to the address provided in this complaint.  The letter will be sent to you again.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/19/2024

  The issue is not resolved.  I have waited all week for this correspondence they were supposedly going to send again.  I still have not received it.  I thought I would have until the 19th to respond and wanted to give them the full amount of time.  I have checked the post office all week, including today, I have checked my messages, and I have checked my email.  I still have no letter, no phone call, and no email.  So, I am not satisfied, and it is not resolved.  Please consider all the information you have received and take that into consideration because I have not received anything else.  

  Please help in this matter,

  Thank you

  Business Response

  Date: 04/26/2024

  We have sent responses to the customer and have a delivery receipt.  The account was closed with the $1 included and he signed the closing withdrawal.  This issue is closed.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/04/2024

  I would like to see a copy of their delivery receipt  because I did not receive anything.  I have been more than patiently waiting.  

  Please help me in this matter, thank you

  Business Response

  Date: 05/08/2024

  We have provided multiple responses and consider this matter closed.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/06/2024

  Type:Product 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.

  WaFed bill pay has been paying bills well past the deliver by date. Called customer service 6 days ago asking for help and support with no return call within 3 days. Called again and started the process over. Supervisor called back the next day leaving a message if you still need help call customer service, no direct call back number. Called customer service again to start over at the beginning again. No notes in the system, clearly no work being done behind the scenes. Acted like I have never called before. I have been getting late fees on my mortgage. Need someone with some knowledge/authority to call me and help trouble shoot. Extremely frustrating calls with their customer service, each call feels like groundhogs day.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/18/2024

  please see attached.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/26/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  Have banked with Washington Federal for >20 years. Have had issues with their online banking for the past few years, especially related to automatic Bill **** Despite being told that they are "upgrading their online banking" or its a little "glitchy right now," it NEVER works properly. I have had problems trying to change Bill *** check delivery dates. Despite clicking SAVE to any changes, it does not actually save any changes. The entire transaction has to be canceled/deleted and reentered to actually EDIT or SAVE changes. Today, 2/26/24 the online banking does not even show my future bills to be paid or even give an option to see my recurring bill pay. There is simply NO INFORMATION about my recurring bill payments. Banking with WaFd online is a TOTALLY BLIND experience. And even the customer service can not see the activity for security purposes. So, I can't see and the customer service agent can't see if or when my recurrent payments are set up, nor when they are set to cancel. How is that acceptable banking? The online banking is subpar at best, and WaFd should not be allowed to continue with this unsafe online banking system. It shows lack of regard for the safety of it's customer's money and movement of money.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/27/2024

  Please see attached letter