I did a Yelp search for safe deposit boxes in Albany, CA. This Mechanics Bank branch was in the Yelp results. Called the branch and they said they do NOT have safe deposit boxes. Asked the person on the phone if he knew which branches do and he said "No, you just have to call around." read more

Mechanics Bank is a good bank. Easy, simple, straightforward. The people who work though are incredibly slow to the process. There are about 4-5 people behind the counter and ONE is serving customers. It makes no sense and screams laziness. I have noticed this at almost every branch, which stands in contrast with over banks and the way they work. read more

Utterly unacceptable. Understaffing results in underserving which is their situation. Waited 20 minutes to see an "officer" to open an account; after that wait was told it would be another 20 minutes, at least, and that I could make an appointment at a future date if I didn't want to wait, and that the person behind the desk was the only one who could open an account for me. I have banked at this branch for 15 years and the service just gets worse and worse (I did a previous review here a few years back). I believe that they've finally done it -- they will have me as an EXcustomer come mid-week next week. Pitiful. read more

What the hell is happening with this bank? They were bought by another company and it's been Hell. The people who work here are nice enough but..... I can't even log into my account online...they keep saying my password is wrong. The new debit card they issued is a joke. I've had nothing but trouble trying to use it. Rarely works. The only way to find out my current balance is to go into the bank and have a "banker" print out the current statement. I think 'I'm transferring back to WF. read more

.Went into Mechanics Bank today the Albany Branch was Helped by Sandi Maldonado had a very Pleasant and Professional experience. Thanks again Sandi read more

After 30 years of excellent-for-what you pay for service, I am sorry to say that I have had enough. Since the corona virus changes, plus the recession changes, this bank is practically unbankable. *I have to deposit my checks in person (during a shelter-place order) if I want the checks to post the same day. But they closed earlier then their posted virus hours. *I can't spend more then $500/day to protect me from fraud. So, usually, I call and say, "I'm going to spend a bunch of money" and they unlock my card. *Today, they told me they would unlock it, but didn't. Now, I have to wait 48 hours until they open again before can get access to my money. During this time of uncertainty, I have no money because I'm being protected from fraud. So, if I have a financial emergency, I'll have a big problem. Heed my cautionary tale. read more

Zehra Vahidy was extremely helpful to me with a money wiring issue, as was a teller. I highly recommend this bank and branch.

For years our Mechanics Bank in Albany-Berkeley-Richmond has been The Best! Today Zehra Vahidy (VP, MGR) guided us thru a mess i made with online banking. We can breathe again!!! THANKYOU. Nancy Bill. read more

Mechanic's Bank bought our mortgage loan from the original lender. A few years later, we refinanced with another lender. Thus, we had to stop the automatic monthly payments from being taken from our checking account. It was a nightmare. A little background: First of all, the website has essentially ZERO functionality for mortgage loans. Everything has to be done by mail and/or the phone. For a large bank like Mechanic's, this is pathetic. It was difficult enough to establish the automatic payments to begin with. When it came time to cancel the automatic payments, we spent about 2 hours on the phone trying to find out how to do so (again, this should have been just few mouse clicks and keyboard strokes on the computer). Finally, we were told that there was a specific form that we needed to fill out, but they could not email it to us. Funny how I was able to find the form via a Google search. The form itself is very misleading. It is primarily designed to establish rather than to terminate automatic payments. I had to make another phone call to clarify how to fill out the form in order terminate the payments (essentially, you just ignore most of the fields on the form). We finally got in touch with someone from the Loan Services department who was willing to process the cancellation if we went to a branch and had it scanned and emailed to her. Ok, fine, so I go to the Albany branch to do so. The form clearly indicates how far in advance the form must be submitted before changes can take place. When I arrive at the branch and present the form, the teller had no idea what to do with it. She made a call, then told me that I have to write a letter, and even after doing so, the change might not take effect before another payment is made. I told her that this was inaccurate, and that I had spent most of morning researching this matter. She pushes back, and I push back harder, telling her to call the person that I had spoken to from Loan Services. After fighting with the teller for about 10 minutes, she finally makes the call to the appropriate person. They tell her exactly what I told her, and she proceeds to scan and email the form. By this time, I'm almost livid. I ask to speak with a manager, and she directed me to speak with a gentleman seated at a desk. I speak with him, and he was receptive to my concerns. He indicated that loan servicing is really not something that they are particularly well versed in, nor something that they deal with regularly. That is understandable, but I the response I go from the teller was unacceptable. Both the company that refinanced our loan and the company that they in turn sold the loan to had very good functionality on their websites, leaving Mechanic's bank in the dust. Mechanic's bank needs to streamline the servicing of mortgage loans, and put that functionality on their website. It's really a shame, because as far as I know, Mechanic's Bank is a pretty socially responsible company. Had it not been for this ridiculously long and exasperating series of events, I would have considered moving my checking and savings accounts to Mechanic's. Now, they don't have a prayer. I am rating this branch as two starts. If it were not for the manager who was willing to actually listen to me and apologize for the bad experience, it would have been one star. read more

I wanted to take this time out to acknowledge a Outstanding Employee his name is Adam Rubinfeld Financial service manager. He is always so kind and helpful with my banking needs. I feel so comfortable speaking with him, he is professional and knowledgeable. I appreciate his wonderful service. Thank You so much Adam you deserve employee of the year award. I also want to acknowledge everyone else that work there too! Everyone is extremely nice and caring. read more

Several years ago I received a notice of inactivity on my account. I went in and was told that a regular monthly transfer would keep this account active (no inactivity notice) so I set up a monthly autotransfer. There were no problems for about 5 years. I just received a letter telling me that my account showed no activity for 6 months. I called customer service and was told that automatic transactions do not count as activity and to keep my account active I need to go to the ATM and do a $20 minimum activity. They could not explain why I was told to set up an automatic activity and why it worked for 5 years. I went to the branch and was told any non-automatic activity would keep the account active and they knew of no minimum amount. They could not explain why the account stayed active. When the bank staffer was looking up the requirements on her computer, I glanced at it and was firmly told that I was not allowed to view the bank's procedures as they are "internal documents", not for the public. Since the branch and the customer service people each gave a different view of the requirements, both different from what I was previously told, and I cannot see the written material, I do not know what to believe. Very bureaucratic, disorganized and difficult to work with. read more

I came here with high hopes from a colleague and neighbors. I really wanted to dump the evil Wells Fargo. Unfortunately, this bank, or at least this branch, failed to meet even the lowest expectations. I called ahead to inquire about business and personal accounts available. The fact that a real person answered the phone was promising. I was given some information on accounts, including an interest bearing checking account, which really surprised me. I was then asked to come in and meet with a banker in person. So the following week I walked in an hour before closing. The place had very few customers, but the two bankers were busy, so I waited. No big deal. Then I met with a woman whose name I wish I could remember, because I'd like to warn others. She not only showed zero interest in helping me, she did it with an obvious saccharin sweetness that was rude and obnoxious. I asked her about accounts and learned they have no interest bearing checking accounts, and the information I'd been provided on the phone was all incorrect. No apology for the wrong info. I tried to learn more about the various checking and savings accounts, but the woman was visibly annoyed and instead told me what account she would open for me - without providing the details of the account! I said I wanted more info on the different accounts available, but instead of telling me anything, she gave me a piece of paper that listed several kinds of personal accounts with no explanation. I asked what was needed to open a business account and was told I had to provide specific documents which I had not brought with me. When I asked about personal accounts, I was told I could open it with check or cash. I said I'd go home and be back in 5 mins with a check. This was 30 mins before closing. The woman says sorry, too late to open an account today. I then offered to open an account with cash. Nope. I'd have to come back the following week (it was Friday). I went home and called the branch on Solano, and they also answered. I explained what had just happened and they apologized and invited me to come to their branch. At this point I think I'll just find another bank. Wells Fargo is awful, but I don't need to be treated like crap by a bank that will be using my money. I'd rather use online banking than deal with that kind of attitude. read more

If I wasn't already a First Republic customer, this Mechanics Bank would be my branch. I sometimes come for the ATMs, but also had to go inside for some non-customer assistance. Wow. These guys get service and their Community. I still don't plan to switch, but if you're reading this and bank with B of A (or other mega institution), maybe you should! read more

I drive down to this location because I like it better than the El Cerrito branch. Friendlier tellers here for sure than El Cerrito.

I'll never change banks. Mechanics is so much better than any wells fargo BofA bank. The service is better and there are less fees... it's a no brainer. Mechanics bank even reimburses you if you use a diffrent banks atm and that bank charges you. Switch to Mechanics now! read more

Simply put, the people who work at this branch of Mechanic's Bank are superstars at customer service. I was desperate to get away from Chase, and it's been wonderful and refreshing to have personal customer service from the get-go. They really go the extra mile, too - last saturday I showed up a half an hour before closing with some banking that required about 10 cashier's checks and the teller (Jennifer La Torre) was delightful, even though she had to stay a little late to finish the transaction. The branch manager, Christina Saballos, has taken great care of me too - my ATM got lost and somehow a new one didn't get re-ordered and she put a rush order on it and made sure that I wasn't charged for the rush order. All of the tellers are super nice. Haven't had a bad experience yet. read more

We switched from Citibank to Mechanics several years ago and we LOVE it. No more surly, incompetent bank tellers for us! I can't say enough good things about Mech Bank. The folks here are super pleasant and helpful. It isn't super close to our house, but it works. The most amazing thing is what happens when you call the 800 number. There is not automated maze, someone picks up after the first ring, and they help you! The one thing Mech Bank doesn't do as well is online banking. Their site is clunky. It works, it just isn't slick. More recently they've upgraded it significantly, but I'd still like it to be better. read more

Mechanics Banks in Albany is my bank for a year and I would like to say that I am very happy to do business with then . Customers service is outstanding !!! I definitely recommend Mechanics Bank for all people who want to have an awesome deal with the bank financial businesses. I am very grateful to each employee to be so caring and attentive to me all the time. :) Thanks guys! read more

Add me to the list of Mechanics Bank lovers! This is a small bank with caring staff who gets to know you and your family and bends over backward to help if ever you have a problem. Need something done at the last minute? They do it. Can't figure something out in your account? Just call and whoever picks up the phone is incredibly helpful. An added plus is their new phone App which makes logging into your account when you're on the go really easy. It's saved me many times while I was traveling and had to transfer money from one account to another or just check my balance. After being with big, impersonal banks like BofA and Wells I'm glad I moved over to Mechanics. read more

I have been a Mechanics customer for over 20 years; no check I have written or deposited has ever bounced. Recently I deposited a relatively large check drawn on a San Francisco bank. I figured Mechanics might place a modest hold on the funds until the check cleared. Here's what they declared: 1% available immediately, 34% in 2 business days; 64% in 7 business days. 7 business days for a local check is simply ridiculous. Mechanics will, or should, have the use of my money for most of that time. Fortunately, I didn't require the money to buy food or meet payroll or any other pressing need. But the experience reinforced my belief that Mechanics is a provincial entity and I should minimize my business with them. read more

This is my bank, although not my branch. When I have come here, and I have several times, I have been well treated. Mechanics is a well run, friendly bank. I can but echo Eric B.'s exhortation: if you're banking w/ one of the megabanks (BofA, Wells Fargo, Chase), switch to Mechanics. You will not regret it. They reimburse you for ATM fees worldwide, they did not contribute to the housing debacle and they didn't take any bailout money. It's a family owned bank and we couldn't be happier. read more

This bank has good face-to-face customer service but their loan department is awful and doesn't care if you've been a faithful customer for over 50 years. They are more corporate than they want you to know. Their loan department staff are cutthroat and they don't care if you've conducted business with them for decades. I recently tried to secure a family loan using a paid off Albany home as collateral, but their 8 weeks of prolonging the process and writing the 'underwriter's denail or request for more information' on a Friday late afternoon, post business closing hour, is poor customer service. I say go to a credit union instead if you want small, personal, non-corporate business care and service. read more

Unfortunately Mechanics Bank is now doing what the other 'big' banks do, charging small fees for services that were once free without clearly notifying customers. The recent charge is for including scanned images of canceled checks with monthly statements. This is a mistake in today's climate (occupy...) for Mechanics to do this. It may be time to switch to a credit union. read more

I'm giving this branch five stars because the Solano branch kicks so much ass, and I have never had anything but awesome service from this bank in general, so by default, this branch gets five stars. It also gets my love and attention because it's close by my house, there's a parking lot, and all the tellers are hermetically sealed behind a wall of inch-think plastic, so you can pretend that you're in the Bank Teller Aquarium! read more

I have tried so many times to give this bank a chance and they provide terrible customer service. Talk to you like they are corporate robots and charge exorbitant amounts for things. They make me so angry that I can't even form a decent review. Suffice to say there are many other banks, local ones, who provide much better service. Oh, and Mechanics is no longer a local bank as they are being taken over by Ford! Hence the corporate BS. read more

Recently, Mechanics Bank changed investment services to LPL Financial. The two were unprepared to handle the complexities, and even months later are unable to even get mailing addresses to match. My family's representative has changed three times in four years, and none of the people involved had professional standards. The most recent one promises to phone back, for example, the next day, but doesn't phone back at all. The previous one didn't seem to know how to use a FAX machine. I was so incensed, I went to my regular bank, Wells Fargo, asking whether I was doing something wrong. Their answer was that Mechanics does very well with simple daily banking, but badly with managing investments. Under no circumstances should you bank here, unless it's some very trivial account for your kids, or something on that order. read more

I have never had such great service at a bank in my life! They are the most friendly people, always eager to help you with all your banking needs. The bank manager, Jason, seems to know everybody by their first name and is always ready to help you with any problems you may have. Highly recommend this bank, especially this branch! read more

I've only been banking with this bank (another branch) for a short time. The people are friendly and helpful. However, I recently came in to this branch and asked them to transfer a couple thousand from savings to checking. The cashier indicated she'd done it, but the request "disappeared", the transfer never happened, and the only way I found out about it was via the checking account balance at the ATM. (When I came in to ask about it the branch manager(? supervisor?) agreed that documents showed the transfer request had been entered.) read more

I love Mechanics Bank-Especially this location-I will never go anywhere else-this bank is THE BEST. Staff are so nice and make you feel part of their Mechanic Bank family, they are professional yet treat you wonderful-they CARE. I love Stephanie, she has helped me with two problems since I have been with Mechanics-once when a false charge was on my account and another time when my purse was stolen with all my ID and bank info-She is absolutely awesome! Everyone there is very friendly, no pressure to purchase products, and they are the best and most knowledgeable concerning banking. Mechanics fan forever! read more

I'm a local small business, and have been using Mechanics for my banking needs for 11 years. They have a small town feel, where they know me name, and I don't feel like just another number, as I do at the larger bank chains. And Jason is the best manager too. I always feel he's got my back and is available for any issues that may arise. read more

Today I went in to get help with my online banking. Stephanie Rogers helped my she was so very patient helpful with all my banking. I had so many questions she was still patient. Excellent customer service. I will definitely recommend her to my family and friends for all financial needs. She should be commended for her dedication to Mechanics Bank. A extremely satisfied customer. read more

We have our money and our mortgage with Mechanics. The people here are so nice and we get the glow of keeping our money local.

Mechanic's bank is an all-around great institution. After coming in from CB&T and BoA, I was incredibly impressed with the level of personal attention and service I got at Mechanic's bank, not to mention their menu of services for small personal accounts like my own is fantastic. The perks are great: most notably I love the fact that ALL my ATM fees from any other bank or institution are automatically reimbursed to me at the end of every month. Awesome! Most recently I had an instance of fraud on my checking account. Someone apparently got ahold of my account and routing number to make some extremely large payments. I noticed it Friday morning, and by the end of the day I had a new checking account, my debit cards were transferred over, the fraudulent charge was set up to automatically returned, and my peace of mind was returned. A big thanks to Nam and Jason for taking such good care of me. Of course, I am always impressed no matter who I deal with at the bank. I'm a small customer, but they always know my name and go out of their way to help me. I highly recommend Mechanic's Bank to ANYONE in the area looking for an alternative to large, impersonal, exploitative banks that will drive you up the wall whenever you need some help. read more

I was impressed by Stephanie Y Rodgers....who was willing to work with my money problems....a handwritten letter....as if poor steph was not issued a typewriter...very professional and friendly...just wish that I had more business with her so I can experience more banking at it's finest~ read more

This bank is truly one of a kind. Walking in you are greeted by name with a smile. They are always pleasant and unbelievably happy. Jason, the bank manager, is amazing. Superior service, customer first and always willing to go above and beyond is what separates this bank from the rest. Use them if you are at all able to. read more

I go here for work every weekday and am so impressed by everything they do. They're all good tellers, fast, fun, intelligent and no one waits more than a couple minutes. Stephanie is always saying "we'll be right with you" even though you JUST walked in. Nam, Bea, Emma, Dee, Linda, Lindsey, Brian, all of them are stars in my opinion. The parking is great too. They make the banking part of my day a joy, instead of dreading it like with Citibank and Bank of America. read more

Too bad Mechanics Bank has stopped supporting the disabled community. Without warning my son's ATM card was canceled for his Representative Payee account. After several meetings to try to work things out, I changed to a credit union. Meanwhile, Mechanics Bank charged monthly fees while we transferred. I'm very disappointed with a bank that used to be so supportive. read more

After reading all the reviews, I want to say, after 50 yrs of banking in the area I have found the services excellent and the friendliness great!!! read more

I switched from BofA to Mechanics almost two years ago, and I couldn't be happier that I did. Mechanics treats me like a respected human being and a valued customer. Their customer service is just excellent. If I don't want to make a trip to the bank, I can call their 800 number and an actual human being answers the phone and answers my question or fixes my problem. The staff in the Albany branch got to know me right away, and they actually act as though they care about helping me handle financial matters efficiently. Mechanics automatically reimburses me for any ATM fees charged by other banks. This really comes in handy when I'm traveling. After 20 years of banking at BofA, I had begun to feel, not like a customer, but like prey. BofA was constantly trying to trick me into paying another fee. At Mechanics, the staff works with me to help me avoid fees. I should have switched to Mechanics 20 years ago. read more

I asked the Albany branch (where I have an account) if they did medallion signatures and they said 'no, we don't do medallion signatures, goodbye'. They failed to mention that the Berkeley branch up the street on Solano did. I tried to call other banks and they said in order to get signature that needed to have a 'relationship' (account) to get signature. On my owe I decided to call Berkeley branch and they said 'yes, we do medallion signatures'...what??? Not the best customer experience for me. I think their branches need to communicate better. read more