Sterling National Bank

I do a lot of business purchases online. I set up a special checking account with a debit card to use for business purchases. The card is repeatedly denied for purchases made online. Then I have to go through a whole long process which includes phone calls to get Sterling to allow me to use my own money. My other credit cards don’t have this issue. Please don’t bore me with the «its for security issues» talking point. This is Sterling’s way of making banking harder, not easier. I really wish they hadn’t bought Provident.

After reading the Soprano’s National Bank article, They ruined that small business owner in that article.
I’m going to do business with Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union.

Review for mortgages: Avoid them if at all possible. Onerous demands for redundant documentation, high fees, sloppy attention to detail. In some cases they make mortgage holders open accounts at Sterling to pay the mortgage. (And bonus suprise! These accounts are circa 1995, there is no way to electronically transfer money in or out of them — you have to MAIL in deposits.)
Bottom line: You’d be much better off elsewhere.

WARNING
I gave my check in the amount of $
West End Tower Garage on West 63^rd st. for the first and last month rent. Sterling Bank returned the check to the garage stamped «return to maker». It was not returned for insufficient funds. It was not presented to my bank. On April 16^th Sterling bank advised my bank that they did not know why the check was returned, but they would look into it.
The garage demanded $ 815, without explaining the increased amount. If I paid with a new check I could not have my car until my check cleared and they would not take a credit or debit card because I was a monthly customer. With a rain jacket, but no umbrella, I walked in torrential rains to get $ 815 in cash.
I previously was a monthly customer in this garage for many years, but I left because of poor service and items were missing from my car.

I’ve worked with Sterling National Bank’s mortgage division many times and they have always gone above and beyond to fight for my clients’ mortgages. In this market where often times banks will under appraise properties, it’s very helpful to have a mortgage team that understands the Brooklyn market and will fight the underwriters on your client’s behalf.

I’m writing about Sterling as a Mortgage Broker, because they absorbed «Universal Mortgage» of Brooklyn and Norman Calvo, with whom I had an absolutely terrible experience.
They promised many things, over and over, that were untrue. Then, finally, promised things in writing. Also untrue. Then, finally, gave me a «clear to close.» I show up at our closing and we were, in fact, NOT cleared to close. The bank needed more information.
The closing took 24 hours. It started at 2pm. We were in a room all night. All of the bankers and lawyers in the room (those on my said and those across the table) said it was among the worst closings they had seen in their careers.
Then I had to get more paperwork. I finally closed the next day at 1:30pm.
Avoid these folks.

BEWARE of this bank.
It is a backwoods operation, even though it is in NYC.
They have a check reconciliation system that is from the 80s.