Stanford Federal Credit Union

I see I reviewed this business in ⁵⁄₁₅ and gave it only 2 stars then. The new remodel hasn’t improved anything. Unfortunately, it might have even made things worse. Yesterday I waited so long to get served that I had to leave. I went back today and was seen straightaway. However, my «advisor» wasn’t able to advise me much. He had to keep going to get answers to my questions from someone else, and even had to google what a «trust» is. Both he and another (male) employee seemed entirely unsympathetic to my sadness and anxiety since the recent death of my husband, and made no attempt to understand my concerns. And as for «dress down Friday» … haha I am definitely turning into Larry David!

One employee made a huge mistake with my account. He deposited a wrong amount of money. Then he deposited a check in my savings account instead of my credit account.
Two days later they frozen my account and I received a letter of fraudulent activity (right, the employees activity) for the next week I couldn’t see my online activity.
I went to the branch and talked to the manager (after talking on the phone with two people that had no idea what was going on with my account) and he told me everything was fine and made me feel inadequate. He said my account was perfectly fine. I closed my account. Today I received a new card and a new PIN number on the mail because of that fraudulent activity. I guess the manager can read this review and believe my words now.

For all incoming Stanford students: there is no reason to bank with Stanford Federal Credit Union over Wells Fargo. Their online banking is buggy and their mobile app atrocious. Incredibly inconvenient.
The customer service is dismal. Frank was new on the job but tried his best. The branch manager Cyndi, however, was snarky and condescending.
They have a newly renovated office, so that’s something? I guess? At least I got to sit in a comfy new sofa while I contemplated why I ever opened an account here in the first place.

Have a very good experience with SFCU, get my house finally. Steven Finn helped me on my home loan, he is very kind and professional. This is the first time I have bought a house, so I don’t understand the whole process, he answered all my questions with patience. And he always helps me when there is any problem, I feel happy and would recommend him and SFCU to others.

I’ve been a member since 1977. I’ve always appreciated their policies regarding fees, etc. and I like their non-​profit way of doing business. I’ve never had a single problem in all these years.
Their drive-​up ATM is terrific, now you don’t even need an envelope to deposit checks.
Just this week I received some superlative service from Sheila. She helped me find what I thought was a missing check by providing images of 2 different deposits. Quickly.
I highly recommend SFCU.

Unfortunately SFCU has started to move away from the ideals of the credit union, and more towards those of the big banks.
In a large bank, the goal is to get customers to use as many financial products as possible, increasing both profits for the bank and making it more difficult for customers to leave. As of Sept 1^st, SFCU’s new «Relationship Banking» scheme which applies to all customers, does the same. Services which formerly were available by only having one product with the credit union (for example refunds of third party ATM charges) are now available only if you have two or more «major» products. I feel this goes against the spirit of credit unions by discouraging customers from seeking out options across the broad range of financial institutions, or making them get products they don’t really need. Credit unions would not exist without that freedom of choice.
As a result, I’m leaving SFCU as soon as possible. I’m opening a Schwab checking account, which gives you refunds of ATM charges, no minimum balances, and no foreign transaction fees (the features I originally wanted from SFCU) without tying me to other products. I suggest you do the same.

So the staff is friendly, but several hellish episodes with this bank have left me almost speechless. Almost.
On multiple occasions SFCU would freeze my accounts (overseas purchases, foreign travel) without notifying me. They frequently would take multiple business days to respond to email correspondences and generally are not forthcoming with changes to their fee structure. So, on the whole, don’t expect anything special from this bank.
The real clincher came when I was notified that the $ 500 in ‘overdraft protection fees’ were a consequence of my not opting out of some program I wasn’t even aware of. But that was only after I was mocked for my ‘bitcoin endeavor.‘
So anyways there you have it. A bank is a bank is a bank.

Great location! Exceptional customer service! Unbeatable rates! I’ve been a dedicated member for the past 3 years which initially began when shopping around for the best car rate. Upon discovering all the advantages a credit union had to offer, SFCU offered me the best car rate and immediately transferred all my financials which also includes, checking and savings from Wells Fargo to SFCU. Thanks to Ellie and the wonderful tellers for making this transition with such ease and always keeping me informed on how to maximize the proper accounts that works well to my advantage. I am one happy member and highly recommend this branch.

My whole family has been banking with SFCU for several years now. We had our bike loan from them and the process was pain free especially since everything was done over the phone. I’ve had the privilege to visit the Pampas branch a few times and the customer service was always great. The tellers are super friendly. I would definitely recommend banking with them. Their rates are also great. When I’m ready to purchase a new car, I will definitely obtain my loan from them again.

Have been a customer of this credit union since ’97. Service is very reliable and rates are great. Recently we have a really long-​term CD need their special handling. Their friendly teller couldn’t do it and directed us to the branch manager Rosa. She spent long time to help us make calls and write emails to her managers, until she got approval from VP. We are very satisfied with the solution.
Things like this don’t happen often, but one case is enough to make us their forever customers. Keep up the good work!

I come here fairly often to make deposits both at the ATM and inside, Inside can get busy at times with a line, but the staff does their best to make things move along as quickly as possible. There is even a collection of toys/​play area for children to keep themselves occupied when there with parents. Nice touches like this make it a nice small bank. They also have a drive thru ATM, but I don’t use it since once it didn’t recognize my card and it took me forever to remove it from the machine. I’d rather get out of my car then risk that disaster again.

This is my 2^nd visit to this bank. I only have an account with them because of my HSA account I have for my insurance. It’s a small but cute bank, and there’s even a small play area for children. The parking lot is a bit small, but manageable, as I assume not too many people use this bank, except for nearby Stanford students. My first time there, I was there forever and a day. Even their employees that answer the phone (not this particular branch, but the general #) are a bit rude and slow. My deposit took longer than it would have at a major bank, but it could’ve been as I was making an HSA contribution, not sure. Luckily, I don’t think I’ll have to make any more visits here, as I should be able to do everything through our ATM machine nearby.

Maybe their website is from the 90’s, but it does everything I need. Say no to corporate banks!!!