UNIFY Financial Credit Union Avis 3

I bought a 2026 VW Tiguan on 2/21/26 and was satisfied UNTIL!!! I got a message and subsequent phone call Unified Federal Credit Union who financed my 2021 VW Tiguan. Apparently, Demontrond waited around and FINALLY sent a payoff payment on March 5. But on March 11, the check was returned for INSUFFICIENT FUNDS!!! NOW the credit union. (After 5 years of perfect payments) is telling me that it is my responsibility to straighten this out, or come up with the $16,500, or it will go on my account as a collection account. I called Demontrond and was pretty much told that it's an accounting issue and they'll LOOK INTO IT. I'm caught between the 2 large entities.

I have used Unify FCU since it was called Western FCU. With the change in name also came a deterioration of customer service. I could not log into my account, I called to have the block removed. I waited. I called back after a week. Still not able to. I called to close account. I was told to do it online or go to a branch. I gave up. I just said I cannot do either and for them to consider it closed.

We have banked with UnifyFCU (formerly WesternFCU) for close to 40 years. We have always been very happy with the customer service, the lack of excessive fees, the convenience, etc. We loved our bank so much, that we decided to move some of our long-held retirement funds there.
In the last 7 days, they messed up royally and locked me out of my account for days with no end in sight, through no real fault of my own other than to accidentally key in a wrong verification code. I called to get my account unlocked. They have only one phone number available for live customer service, and though I called and explained that I was locked out, and asked them to help me get back in, they would not. In the meantime, I received an automated call from Unify that there was an external transfer made on my account. I couldn’t access my Unify account, so I checked my other bank accounts and could find no deposits in them from Unify; I was in a panic. I called again, but they would not transfer me to security; they would not unlock my account. They said that they’d return my phone calls at an escalated level; they did not. I was beside myself. I had no access to my checking or savings - nothing - and no one would return my calls or let me back into my account. I’ve never felt so helpless and angry. After 4 days of calls and denial of access to my bank account, I decided to write the CEO. It wasn’t until then that someone finally called me back. That’s what it took.
So, why the 5 stars?
When I did finally get a return call from Unify they APOLOGIZED and they MEANT it. The rep told me that what happened to me was wrong, and that she would find out how it happened and retrain so that it doesn’t happen again. I went on to tell her that there was only one number for Unify, and no one at that number would help me or transfer me to a department that would help me. What if this happened again? She told me that they have only one incoming number for security reasons (if I remember correctly), but she was genuinely understanding of my reasonable concern. She gave me her extension if there was ever a situation like this again. She assured me that she would correct the source of the problem.
Here's the thing, a heartfelt and sincere apology with someone admitting that the way I was treated was very wrong, goes a long, long way. That, along with excellent customer service for the last 40 years soothed things over. The point is, any company can have a ‘mess-up’, all you need is one or two unsuitable employees, but to honestly admit a ‘mess-up’ on their part, and apologize sincerely to make it right, that earns my respect and five stars. That said, I hope that this never happens to anyone else. It was hell for a week.