VA Desert Pacific Credit Union

Several of my family members are members of VA Desert Pacific. For basic checking and savings fairly good but for auto loans not so much. The auto rates are low but the employee’s are incompetent, management doesn’t care nor responds despite escalating issues, poorly trained staff, bad procedures & processes and unprofessional. There were countless errors & delays with getting the proper paperwork finalized. Consumers beware.

I’ve been a member of this credit union since 2009 and am proud to say that my Credit Union has made many changes that are moving them forward to a better way of doing business. I’ve financed my Auto loan with them and receieved a 1.90% interest rate (Which is the lowest I could find from any financial institution). They’re convinient being that I could use their atm at any 7 – 11 store. I did a balance tranfer from my AMEX (15% Credit card) to their Visa (6.9% Credit Card) and saved tons of money! I’m all about saving and this Credit Union has helped me a ton! I’m very greatful and wouldn’t change them for anything in the world.

The VA Desert Pacific Federal Credit Union can be used by VA employees, their family members, and volunteers. One of my family members, who is employed by the VA in Long Beach, recommended their low auto loan rates to me. In my five years experience using them, the VADPFCU makes too many mistakes and seems very poorly managed.
I first started dealing with them in 2004 when I used them for their low auto financing. These are the numerous ways they’ve inconvenienced me:
1. They set my monthly car payments at a different amount from what I specifically requested and signed for in person. Luckily it was higher, and I didn’t mind paying it off a few months earlier. I also didn’t have to pay a penalty for paying it off too early, but it was definitely not cool that they make such a mistake and I had to take time to check on it.
2. Every year they would ask for proof of insurance, and they would scare the poo out of me each and every time. The same time every year, I would get a «final notification form,» which stated that I hadn’t yet sent in proof of insurance and would be penalized if I didn’t send it in within 10 days from THEIR mailing date. By the time I’d received the notice, I would have about four days left to gather together a copy of my license, a copy of the insurance statement, and their letter and fax them in. EEK! Way to stress out an already overworked schoolteacher in the middle of the school week! The first two years, I thought that maybe it was possible that the first two notices just got lost in the mail, not uncommon for apartment dwellers. But, the last two years, I politely told them that their letter seemed to falsely state that it was a final notice, and I hadn’t ever received a first or second notice. To this, they replied that it was a different company in a different state sending out those notices, and they really didn’t have any control over that, and they were sorry about it.
3. Fed up with their lack of service and wanting to pay off the car quickly so I wouldn’t have to deal with the credit union any longer that I had to, in 2007, I requested in person and signed a document to increase my monthly payments so I could pay off the car even earlier. Yet four or five months later, I see that the old payment amounts are still being incurred. So again, I have to call them again to correct it.
4. After I paid off my car in April of 2008, they sent me a letter dated May 2008 thanking me for my prompt car payments, saying that I really must value my credit rating, and gave instructions to go change the ownership at the DMV. When I got the window at the DMV, the clerk asked me for the title, to which I looked at them blankly and said, «Oh, they were supposed to give it to me?» In that instant, dreading the thought of having to call or pick it up from VADPFCU, then going back to the DMV another time, I elected to pay $ 17 on the spot for a replacement copy of the title. It seemed such a small amount compared to babysitting for free.
5. Finally, and this one really takes the entire cake, just today, July 1, 2009, they sent me another letter thanking me for my prompt car payments, saying that I really must value my credit rating, and gave instructions to go change the ownership at the DMV. How prompt of them, just 14 months after paying off my car.
Do you think they’ll reimburse me $ 17 to cover the cost of their untimely delivery of the title? Likely not, but it’s worth a shot asking for it when I go in tomorrow to close my account once and for all.