Advantis Credit Union

Accidentally posted review for wrong location. Although my bet is things are handled the same everywhere.

Advantis Credit Union — I would suggest STAY AWAY! RUN FAST! Do not ever do business with them as they will nickel, dime and hundred dollar you!

I’m updating this to 3 stars because I would like to take a wait and see attitude regarding future transactions before I update it to 5 stars. Maureen and Jason at Advantis both contacted me over the last couple days to address the late fee issue and miscommunication regarding the timing of automatic payments on my auto loan. I had an opportunity to discuss the situation at length with Jason Holmes and he clearly values their clients and took corrective action to reverse the additional fees. I really appreciate the acknowledgement that individuals matter to their business and the attention to detail in addressing an issue when it arises. That is what ought to separate a credit union from a big commercial bank. I hope Advantis gives him a raise!

Advantis has been hit or miss for me. When I first signed up with them in 2006 they told me I didn’t have enough years of credit history to qualify for a small car loan (I had 10 years of credit history with a brand new car purchased and paid off at that point). I stayed with them because they had a branch on my street and they have the fusion checking where you get interest on your checking account. 4 years later I switched a new car loan to them and havent had any issues until recently. I lost my debit card at work, so I called to cancel it and get a new one. A third party service answered because it was after business hours. They told me I could go to one of the branches to get a replacement card, so I drove two hours to the nearest branch where I was told it would be a two week wait for a card. I explained the situation (I live two hours away, answering service gave me wrong information), the person at the branch was super helpful and worked out my card being expidited in two days. Not bad, but a lot of extra work on top of a 4 hour drive on my end. I moved in January and all I wanted to do was change my address. I tried to change it online, but the only way to change your address was to call or mail a paper form. So I called. But you can’t talk to anyone at the actual bank anymore, you get some answering service, even during business hours. The answering service has to send a message to the bank, they then have one business day to call you back. No one called me back. A week later I got a letter in the mail with a paper form to fill out for an address change, that I could send back at my own expense. I called again. Again the answering service said someone would call me back. No call back. I called again today and asked to be transferred to one of the branches. Answering service guy said he couldn’t do that, but someone could call me back in one business day. If you’d asked me a year ago if I would recommend Advantis to others I would have said yes with no hesitation, but now I would definitely not recommend them and I’m considering moving all of my accounts to a different bank where I can actually talk to someone who works for the bank when I have issues without having to drive 4 hours or waiting for someone to call me back… or waiting for someone to never call me back. What a freaking hassle just to change your address? ridiculous.

Let’s get down to it:
The Good:
1) Customer service at the Belmont branch was satisfactory.
2) The website is nicely streamlined and easy on the eyes.
3) Love the layout and color of the debit card. Green is my favorite color!
4) Very easy to close an account, can be done online.
The BAAAD:
1) The transfer process is very confusing and the video on the website does not inform the customer will need to wait until a tiny deposit has been transferred first and then you have to do another step in the process. It’s time consuming. If you want to transfer to another account, my advice is to get the transfer process done before you actually need to transfer because it could take a week. Not as convenient as the big banks US Bank and Bank of America.
2) The branch does not have enough parking and the parking like everything else in PDX is tiny. I’ve seen customers go round and round the little branch to locate a parking spot. If you can do it online then it’s the more efficient and less time consuming way to go.
3) Advantis checks your credit when you open an account. Kaiperm did this also but I got a secured card with the checking account. Our daughter tried to open an account and she couldn’t because she has no credit. She’s 18 years old!
4) The telephone customer service is terrible. I have called a couple of times and I felt like I was a dud on the customer service’s day. Kaiperm and Navy Federal Credit Union have excellent customer service, much better than the big banks! I called frustrated with Navy Federal because we moved again to another state and my account was on hold because activity was from another state. I couldn’t access my account to pay for gas, groceries and other stuff. I asked for a Supervisor while on the phone and the Supervisor apologized and was so helpful! I was angry and frustrated on the phone and by the time I was done I felt I was an important VIP customer!
5) I completed a direct deposit with my employer and it did not go through the first time. I was freaking out wondering where my paycheck was. I called customer service and again received customer service like I was wasting their time. Told me I should have used my 13 numbered account number, like I was supposed to know! I did not received this mysterious 13 numbered account number when I opened my account.
6) Fusion checking is not worth it. This was the reason why I opened an account. There are many stipulations that have to be followed in order to be eligible for fusion checking. It’s strange and something I have not experienced with a credit union before. With Kaiperm, you get a straight 6% up to $ 500 on your checking account. No stipulations. Anything above $ 500 is the regular 0.11%.
We have been members with Navy Federal for almost 20 years. We joined Oregonians Credit Union 10 years ago and closed our account when we moved to another state. Due to our frequent moves to other states, we have accounts with Bank of America and US Bank. We were members of Washington Mutual which became Chase. Closed that account when we moved out of state. Out of all our banking experiences, Advantis has the worst telephone customer service. Chase would be second.

It’s getting worse. I actually don’t know how to get Advantis to make sure their app works seamlessly without posting a 1 star review here. They do not check their goople play app store reviews. Although the app was updated 2x since my last post, and just last week… it still does not work! What is going on at Advantis!!! The menu does not show up and so there is no way to do a mobile deposit and when you switch between accounts it says the connection was lost and so it won’t load. Please fix this ASAP. I personally am done with this credit union and their so-​called improvements to their electronic banking systems. Run the other way real fast because in the information age, which by the way started decades ago, a financial institution should take their electronic interface very seriously as it is the new storefront.
By the way, please talk to Bay Port credit union and find out who they hired to build their app and hire them! Here is a link to the app that has 4.5 stars and 1,100 reviews.

I have been a member at this credit union since it was called «Electra», in the 90’s. Back then it was awesome. In fact, up until last year, it was awesome! They recently have been acting more like The Bank That Should Not Be Named in the customer service department. Some of my bill payments weren’t paid by the time they said they would be back in October ’14. After waiting 8 minutes on hold, the associate I finally spoke seemed to be new at her job. (First day in customer service?) After about 10 minutes of talking in circles trying to get her to listen to me so she could understand my issue, she finally told me to submit my late payment fee for reimbursement. Well, I did. It’s now Feb. 25^th. I’ve emailed the invoice to the address she gave me twice, I’ve emailed the help department twice, (November and early Feb.) and still… crickets. That same associate also told me in October that the «new system they were working on» would also allow for wire transfers form other banks to my business account. It does not. From what I can tell, they basically made bill pay take longer, and installed background images we can choose from to make our profile look pretty. This sucks. My next step is a personal visit, which will not be fun or pretty. :(

ACU was great for a few years, but they are now playing games with the deposits and the debits. I went into the branch, and saw my balance on the tellers screen, and he told me that there was nothing pending. Great ! I thought. I made a large deposit, and went home. Checked my balance that night, and sure enough… They pulled the old
Washington mutual game of debiting the account of charges, even though my depost
was early in the afternoon. If I wanted to be treated like the big banks treat you
(e.g. Wells Fargo, WaMu, or BofA) Id bank with them. Very disappointed! I guess
the honeymoon period is over and I see that they are just another bank, nothing
notable or special.

This is where you should put your money. I have been a member for 4 years. In that time they have provided a fair and rewarding experience, but they took it up a notch this week.
I have never had customer service with this level of dedication (Thank you Cesear). Advantis went way out of its way to help with something that does little to nothing for their business — except CUSTOMER SERVICE!
They obviously prioritize this dimension of their business, and they have succeeded.
Can anyone recall a bank trying to do something for you? I cannot. Well done!

First of all, I’m a big proponent of credit unions. I think they’re dandy. BUT. For a so-​called «credit union» Advantis has some money-​grubbing tactics that would align itself with big banks– and not with any of the other four credit unions in which I’ve invested for the past 30 years.
Recently, I noticed on my statement that I was charged a «dormant account maintenance fee» on what is called a «Free Checking Account». I only had $ 40 in the account, so you can imagine that within a few months, this account would be reduced to nil.
I called customer service and was told that they had sent me a letter about this new fee policy a few months earlier. I didn’t receive a letter. It didn’t matter. «We sent you a letter,» the woman insisted.
Would I like them to transfer what’s left of my checking account to my savings account? But she quickly added, «but we’ll start charging you fees on that soon, too.» No thanks. I’ll go spend my entire lunch hour in line at the Belmont branch, just so I can close my accounts.
Bah on you Advantis. If you have customers for whom your bank is their only experience with credit unions, you will likely ruin their opinion of credit unions forever, which wold be a shame.

I have been an Advantis customer for years so this review is a long time coming.
I have long had issues with the service I get at this location. The 17^th Ave one was very good but this one has always been troublesome.
It starts back in 1997 when I was trying to get a home loan. After months of run around (literally run around with paperwork that actually killed my car) I wad declined. The delay cost me going somewhere else where I immediately got a loan and while that was easy, the home I was interested in had sold.
It goes on to when I had a checking account (that I have finally closed) there were always issues with getting credits to my account. Often credits would be two or three days later than when using other banks (or credit unions). It was like they were intentionally delaying credits for some reason.
Then there was when I got a loan for a car. It went through easily and my loan was approved. So I went about looking for a car with my approved amount. When I found one, I negotiated a price with the salesman and went to the loan officer to get my loan. But it turns out; the loan I got originally was for one of their approved sellers. The seller I had chosen was not one of a detail left off when I both applied for the loan and received it. I got a different loan that eventually allowed me to buy the car but at a higher interest rate.
Finally there was the closing of the 17^th ave branch. We used it as it was miles (miles and miles) closer to our home and between my home and work. It was also the only branch that had deposit boxes, a necessity as that’s where we store valuables in case of fire.
This forced us back to this branch and back to the undesirable service provided by it.
Don’t use Advantis. There are many other credit unions and you will be much happier with that service.

A bit of a delayed review, but here we go… Over the last couple years, I’ve been continually impressed by the Advantis team. From basic banking where the tellers are always super nice and helpful, to setting up a HELOC and walking me through the process, you all are great!
May 8^th was no different. I met with George Zimmerman to discuss investing (which I know very little about, I quickly learned!). George listened carefully to understand what I was interested in doing, what I had already setup, and was honest about what was best for me. That best thing (for the time being) was not to setup something with Advantis until my income increases. He could have easily sold me some services, taken my money, and called it a day. But that is not what happened. He was honest and helpful.
As with every previous interaction at Advantis, they redefine honesty in the financial sector. Because of this, I will continue to bank with you all. It is such a great experience. Keep up the good work!

I’ve been in Portland for a year now and have done all my Banking with BofA for years. I was persuaded to make the switch to Advantis by a friend that works with all the credit unions around.
My experience was great! I was greeted and helped right away and the person I dealt with was super friendly and took great care of me. Her name is Eva, and we had a great time talking about this and that while she gathered my info and opened my accounts.
She also did a great job of educating me about the different options as far as checking and savings accounts, online banking, atm’s etc.
For my needs, I feel like this will be a good fit — so we shall see how it goes.
It is disheartening to read all the crappy experiences people have had, especially the credit score below 600 equalling no membership, and other credit based services. They should be more willing to work with the people of this city in building their financial options, not limiting them.
As far as I’m concerned, so far my experience was great– and I hope that anyone else that decides on Advantis gets to work with Eva– she will take care of you :)

I moved to Portland two years ago and quickly looked into local banking options. At the time, Advantis was offering 2% interest on their fusion checking accounts and refunding ATM fees. I travel a lot for work and end up needing to grab cash around the country, so having ATM fees refunded is great.
A few of the other reviews seem to have some small complaints. All I know is that I now get 3% interest on my checking. My ATM fees still get refunded. The folks behind the counter when I need to go in have always been friendly and problems get resolved quickly. Thanks, Advantis, for being awesome! Virtually all of my friends have moved their accounts to you.

the ATM works fine. Hard to argue. not much else exciting to say. I’ve never been inside.

We came over to Advantis about a year ago with the intention of just abandoning the big banks. I was with US Bank, one of the better banks because they never got involved in all that shady housing lending crap that helped tank our economy. My partner was with Chase and that one IS big and evil.
For the most part I’m happy with a few exceptions. They wanted to give me a really hard time on credit card approval and I finally told them, ya know, if you don’t give me the credit card I’m just going to go somewhere else. I have an excellent rating and US Bank didn’t give me any crap. I guess it’s about who’s assuming the risk but I didn’t care. Don’t woo me to the credit union and then give me a hard time. I’m not standing for it. All they could find was one missed payment on something and I just told them that it was one missed payment and oversights happen. They bought it and finally caved. It’s a good thing because I would have dumped them faster than a hot potato. Now, if they plan to give me a hard time on a car and housing loan, I’ll go somewhere else for that too.
Also, our «banker» lady, Eva, has been very nice to us and tries to be as accommodating as possible. She is very sweet and we love our visits with her. Other customer service is not often met with a smile and sometimes I feel like I’m bothering them. Really, they should be kissing my you-​know-​what.
We’ll continue to be here for as long as they do the right thing and if they continue to do that, I will increase my rating stars. They just need to prove themselves a little bit. The other thing I found interesting was that a customer service rep I dealt with banks at Wells Fargo. What’s that all about?

I switched to this credit union a few years back and love it. They take care of their customers and don’t charge crazy fees. I don’t know why everyone doesn’t switch to a credit union.

I’ve been with Advantis over 2 years, and they knock the socks off the big nationals, and at one time or another I’ve dealt with nearly all of them. Their web-​based banking is excellent, and their ATM coverage is decent as well. I was able to get a VISA at a reasonable rate of interest, even though I usually pay it off every month, and a homeowners line of credit. They are the equal of any big bank and they’re the local folks investing in Portland, and they are owned by their members, not a large corporation.

I live on the southern Oregon coast and banking options are limited in my very small town. I try to support smaller institutions and the local economy as much as possible and will absolutely not deal with large and impersonal banks such as BOA. I do all my banking and bill pay online, use ATM’s and automatic deposits so visiting a local branch is not an issue. When my Portland daughter told me about how much she loves Advantis, I checked it out. Although I don’t live in the Portland area, Advantis allowed me to join through my relationship with her.
So far I have been very pleased. Since I rely on the online service, a user friendly website was a must, and I haven’t been disappointed. The customer service is top notch… when I’ve had questions, Sonia Davis has emailed right away or been readily available to answer the phone. I’ll be moving my savings into the Fusion checking account to take advantage of the 3% interest they are currently providing. What a great deal.

I have been nothing but pleased since opening my checking and savings accounts this past year. From the moment I opened my accounts it was obvious that my business mattered, and that Advantis cares about my financial needs and helping me get out of credit card debt. I am always greeted with smiles and helpful service. I love the nonuse of deposit slips, love that I can get $ 5s from the ATM, adore my interest checking, and no extra hidden fees. I only wish I had switched to Advantis long ago.