There were 2 of us in line when i came in today. There were 2 tellers - We were acknowledged by Gemma who was at that time helPing a member. How come the other teller (i am not writing her nAme here but yoUr camera wilL disclose her identity) just wAlked away, leaving her co -worker alone and did not even acknowledge us - customers in line whom she should be thankful for! (Note : We are the reason why she still has job. We made an effort to come drive all the way to Berkeley, used our gas, our car mileage even pay for our parking ticket - and there we are in line not being acknowledged gives us a signal that we are not worth our business). BTW, her CLOSE sign is very useful to her because her window is always closed to customers' business but her business. (i saw her texting not only once). Does the management see these, or at least correct this behavior? read more

My new (used) car of 7 months was totaled by some jerk for whom traffic lights didn't apply.. I had to get another car and quickly as my insurance would only cover the rental for so long. We saw Nina and she was wonderful. Our interest rate couldn't have been more reasonable and my husband and I got the auto loan we wanted/needed in just over an hour. She was cordial, informed and efficient - plus she gave us helpful information to aid us in our search for a new car. Thank you Nina.... Thank you Patelco read more

Good location, I usually go to the one in downtown Oakland (next to popeyes yumm) but I came in here to take out some cash. Didn't have any problems. In general Patelco is a solid bank too. The free checking is actually free, they have much better credit card rates than big banks, and there are less hidden fees than most places (although they do still charge you for ATM withdrawals from non-network ATM's, which drives me insane). read more

I have always had positive interactions with this bank. The branch looks nice as well layout wise and is modern. The tellers are helpful and efficient. I would recommend this branch to anyone. I could understand parking being an issue. Check the money market account and consider credit unions in general. read more

Just spent 30 minutes on the phone with a Patelco rep.-- Today I noticed my statement does not say I'm set up for automatic bill payment. Since I forgot that was set up already I thought my visa charges were over due. The older statements on line did remind customers. The supervisor was no help and agreed I had to write to the main office. Just try to find the main office complete address especially from your account website. Obviously the company does not want people writing to them or customers being reminded that credit charges may soon incur a penalty. read more

I just want to thank Candice at the Berkeley Branch. My wife and I came into the branch on a Friday at 5PM, with no appointment. We were buying a car. That process takes at least an hour and a half. They close at 6. She stayed and took really good care of us, and got the transaction done. Saving me another trip to the branch. Thank you so much, Candice for your help. John & Elizabeth. read more

Patelco Credit Union Berkeley - Banks & Credit Unions Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Went to bank in the morning and asked about opening an account with my son. Told I needed either him or his ssn. Wanted him to experience his first account opening so showed up at 3:40pm (school out at 3:30 so the earliest we could arrive). Told they will not open accounts 30 minutes before closing. I explained school isn't out any day before 3:30, but they said I would just have to come back alone then. Understandable with the shortened hours for covid. Went back in today, hours before closing, and told I'd have to make an appointment for the next day even though it wasn't even noon yet. Not going back and won't. read more

I went in to see about opening a credit card account to pay off another high interest credit card at B of A. Paula helped me very well in assessing my needs and entering all my information on her computer. My new credit card was approved and issued within about 15 minutes. They even made the card there in the branch. As I was using this new card to pay off B of A, They were helpful in calling to get the payoff amount and issued a Cashiers Check on the spot. I walked over to B of A and got that high interest monkey off my back! The only small negative was that the online access info she gave me didn't work and I had to call the Customer Service line. They were able to get me online access in just a couple of minutes. read more

Good basic savings account rate and better than average checking account rate (free account, small minimum fee). Car loan rates are stellar. Service is just amazing - smart employees looking out for customers' interest, even help with finding good deals on car purchases. ATMs are easy to find once you realize that basically all credit unions and 7-11 stores are free ATMs for you. Re: customer service issues - I've had to call customer service five times over 2 years and they've ALWAYS been respectful and solved my problem faster than I could have expected (usually instantly, never longer than 48 hours). I am shocked that anyone found their service representatives to be a problem - honestly, they're the smartest service staffers I've ever encountered and really know how to (and have the power to) quickly resolve almost any problem. This is true whether calling over the phone, dealing with iBranch email, or dealing with staff at the branch. Couldn't be happier to have made the switch from Washington Mutual and Wells Fargo to Cal State 9 (www.calstate9.com) - regardless of the savings rate improvement, I saved much more by simply not paying fees anymore (not even an overdraft fee when I over drafted twice in a week!). Just an amazing bank. read more

Everyone at this branch is very warm and welcoming. They were so helpful and understanding with my financial situation. This branch is extremely nice, clean and all the employees are wonderful. I was very pleased with every interaction I've had so far. read more

OK! I am officially changing my review. Things got off to a bit of a rocky start with Patelco and I, but not because of this branch- some of the CU-wide policies were really screwy. Be aware- they might need to see your social security card, so if your online banking suddenly becomes restricted after opening the account, that's probably why. The CU doesn't notify the branch, and doesn't notify the member, either. You just sort of have to find out and call around. Also, if you have no credit, like me, because you aren't in credit card debt and have no loans, the CU itself has a weird policy of putting a specific block on your dabit card that doesn't let you deposit cash or checks at an ATM, even though ATMs scan incoming cash to make sure it's real. Uh. Weird policy, again not one the CU tells the branch about, or tells the member is being implemented. Very frustrating for a disabled woman like myself, who has a hard time getting to this branch and was wanting to use the co-op ATMS. That being said, when I stated my case, they took the matter to upper management and released the holds and restrictions on my account. They've been really friendly and helpful at this branch. They've tried their best, they have reached out, and they have succeeded in solving the problem. They have provided reasonable accommodation for a disabled member, and I really do appreciate that. So, thank you all! read more

I had a horrible experience after 17 years with Chase Bank. They froze my account with no defensible reason. I recouped my finances and opened an account at Patelco in downtown Berkeley,CA. I should have done this years ago because they Bank the way I remember my parents banking when I was a little kid in the 1960s. This is refreshing and it gives one a sense of stability . I've spoken with customer service and I have every reason to believe that in every location for Patelco you will probably meet a kind helpful and lovely staff. Just be careful with their MasterCard particularly if they are printed in the bank location. System was a little buggy and it cost me a few days of problems but the personnel never blame the customer and they are very helpful. read more

Amazing staff and splendid service. We were able to communicate our needs and the lovely people at this branch were able to accommodate to the best of their ability. I would definitely recommend this branch for anyone trying to get an auto loan! read more

Hands down the best place to bank, have the best interest rates, best credit cards and loads! And after a few weeks of mobile depositing checks they are almost instant. read more

I am Patelco customer, and thought it was the best solution, considering the big bank options. I am treasurer for a charity, and received lots of donations last night, mostly in small bills. I just began this position and thought I would bring the smaller bills I collected to my bank, and exchange for bigger bills for easy handling (I am bringing proceeds to the Central Office of charity on Monday). Unfortunatly the Oakland offices were both closed today (Saturday), so I went to Berkeley. Now I understand the requirement that to make an exchange such as mine, an account is required. This is why I didnt just go to a different bank closer to my home. I bring the teller my account info/ and ID, and I start stacking the various coinage in piles of same coins for easier counting and handling. She tells me that they do NOT accept coins unless they are rolled. As it turned out, the total of all coins was less than $10, and I mentioned that there wasn't enough coins to make any rolls. I was then told that this many coins, even if less than can be put into rolls, would not be accepted. They just aren't equipped to handle small amounts of coins as such... Odd. Then I was told that they required that I deposit the cash into my account, in order to exchange the smaller bills for bigger. I'm am unsure why they require that, considering they already required that I have an account there, in order to make the exchange I needed. I guess if I want service like we used to get before the "Big" banks, I'll have to go elsewhere. I am guessing that if my Oakland branch was open, they would have at least made a one time exception, in the name of customer service. read more

I love this branch. I have come here in the thick of lunch hour before and not had to wait more than 2 minutes before being served. Staff are polite and courteous. So much better than the Pleasanton branch. read more

This review is not so much about Berkeley branch as it is the entire company in general. They are a wolf in sheep's clothing -- a bank pretending to be a CU. Their policies are punitive to their "members". Their fees are high and some are unnecessary, and they hold checks and large transfers for more time than any other bank or CU does (I have checks held for 10 business days sometimes). For the record, I've been with another CU in Oregon for 15 years. I've also had accounts with several regional and multi-national banks. None have been as disorganized or kept asnegative policies as Patelco. I also had several fraud instances that they never contacted me about...except the two times they canceled my debit card (in one year).There are too many good CU's and small banks out there -- don't use Patelco. read more

Felt truly daunted trying to get a car loan via the phone with so many of the obvious candidates. A family member sent us to Patelco and we sat with Candice, who patiently walked us through the process answering all our questions (and there were many). Our story is complicated and she had to negotiate many differences from the 'usual' client. She did this with a smile and showed us not only respect, but a real desire to help. And she attained the best deal for us by far. We are enthusiastically joining the Patelco Credit Union because a real human being treated us as human beings. That is the way to do business! read more

I've been a Patelco member for awhile now, but hadn't been to the Berkeley branch in over a year since it was closed for fire repairs. My wife and I went recently to get new credit cards, and we were impressed by how nice the newly remodeled branch is. The new offices offer much more privacy when going over financial details, which is great. The best part of our experience was an employee named Meddy. She could not have been more patient, friendly, and helpful in going over our account details in the credit card application process. If ever employee at every store was as great as her, the world would be a better place! Far better customer service than I ever received when I was a member of the big banks. Thanks, Patelco (and Meddy)! read more

Love the Credit Union, not a big fan of this branch. Why is it that every time I need to "pop in for a minute" and use it, it happens to be closed for the whole day, or the ATM is out of order. It is a great credit union with great offers, but navigating through this branch takes a little bit of patience. read more

Always a line, never enough tellers & seems like managers just sit at their desk or hover in the back room.

Not a member here, but wanted to use the atm. It's out of order. Thanks for nothing Patelco :(

I went to the Oakland branch and I was helped by Rasheeda Marsh who was amazing. She was empathetic, professional and addressed all my concerns and needs. I have decided to keep banking at the Oakland downtown location since I had such a great experience. I am only giving 3 stars because i'm still wary. But if I was to based the review solely on Rasheeda's customer service it would be a 5 star experience. read more

This review is specifically for the Downtown Berkeley branch rather than the institution as a whole, as that is from where all of our dissatisfaction with Patelco stems. My family's experience with this branch in the last couple of months have been horrible and we are finally fed up and will be looking for a new bank. Just before a recent trip to Mexico, we visited the Downtown Berkeley branch to speak with a customer service rep so that she could put a note on our account and make it so that we could use our debit cards to make purchases on our trip. Before we left the branch, we confirmed several times the dates of our trip and the location. The service rep assured us that she had made a note on our account and that we'd be able to use the cards while we were in Mexico. Needless to say, we were very angry when we tried to use our card in Mexico and it was declined. Luckily we had enough cash with us and we were only there for 4 days. If it had been a longer trip or a more distant location, we would've been royally screwed. I called the 800 number when I got back and the person on the phone apologized and said someone from their corporate office would call me within 1 business day to get more information. Nobody called me. Most recently, my wife made an appointment to talk to a service rep (Downtown Berkeley branch, same rep as we dealt with before we went to Mexico) about a car loan. My wife arrived about 10 minutes before the appointment, but the service rep was "out". The rep didn't show up until 10 minutes after the appointment time and offered no apology or explanation for her delay. After a lengthy discussion, they told her she was pre-approved for a car loan and that they would email the letter to my wife. My wife got the email, but was a little concerned when it wasn't signed by the loan officer. On a Sunday afternoon, after negotiating the deal for our car, we went into the dealership to make the purchase only to find out the bank never submitted the loan application to the processing system. Of course, it being Sunday, there was nobody we could call regarding our loan. Luckily, the bank offered us a better interest rate and things worked out for us in the end. On top of all of this, if you go to the branch on a Saturday, the line of people waiting for a teller will nearly extend out of the door and the customer service people at the desks (if they are even at their desks) will be "too busy" on their computers to come out and offer help. I can't comprehend how a bank can operate with such an utter lack of professionalism and concern for their customers. The high level of incompetence displayed by this customer service woman was mind boggling (and I'm not referring to the window tellers). This issue with the car loan was the last straw and we are making plans to move our banking business elsewhere. read more

Patelco needs to update the site and let people know a fire happened two months and this branch is closed. Also unfortunate is that the two credit unions that are supposed to accept our deposits via their ATM's do not always work. The Credit Union on Shattuck down the street can't take deposits inside. If the ATM rejects the deposit, it doesn't happen. There is another affiliated credit union on Ashby near Shattuck, however that ATM machine doesn't always work either to take deposits. Worse yet that credit union has two lines now; one for their members and one for 'guests'....of course the guests line is out the door. read more

Patelco Berkeley customer service does not pick up the phone. The website is not user friendly compared to the other credit union I bank with. ProvidentCU.Org is stellar. I want to close my account, but I can't reach anyone to complete the transaction. I didn't have good luck with Patelco, I hope yours is better. read more

The customer service in this branch is the worst I've ever experienced at a bank. No eye contact. No service. I was rejected by two of three windows as one passed me by and the other shut down while I stood, the only person in line. After almost ten minutes, I finally just left. This branch needs a new manager. read more

I've banked in downtown Berkeley for 5 years. It was a great but no longer. 1- Over the past 6 months the ATM has been broken and even the atm in the branch was broken. So, I'm unable to deposit without walking in. So, in line, it has taken me 25 minutes to just deposit a check. And I dunno about y'all but I'm working 9-5. My lunch hour is precious. I did attempt to deposit my check at another banks' ATM. This was asked of me numerous times from the staff. Nice idea, but in reality, it took 7 days to clear. Nightmare. So, It feels impossible to put my paycheck in here. 2- And can I just add that lack of parking has ALWAYS been an issue. Imagine waiting in line for 25 minutes while receiving a parking ticket. So, Thanks Patelco for a nice long honeymoon. It's time to move on. read more

The have good loan interest rates, but they really need to work on how they communicate with potential customers. I tried to get an auto loan here and use their car buying service. The car buying service people misspelled my email address and eventually got a hold of me well after I had already found a car to buy. The auto loan people never gave me a confirmation that they received the required documents until two weeks after I submitted them, and by that time I had already purchased a car using dealership financing. read more

Been with Patelco for over 30 years... They handle all of my banking needs: checking, savings, IRA, auto loans, etc. The Best Credit Union!

I find that almost all Credit Unions are friendlier than most banks, and such was the case here. I needed a simple transfer of funds from one CU to another (neither was Patelco). The only available teller was a new girl named Yelitza, and the sign at her station said she could only do simple withdrawal and deposit. With the help of Paula, they quickly and happily handled my transaction, I was in and out in 10 minutes. Very helpful, friendly and professional. read more

My husband and I are very pleased with the customer service at the downtown Berkeley location. Consistent great customer service and especially important knowledgable. Bigger institutions always have to call their main headquarters for any little question as usually they just graduated from college. Most questions can be answered at Patelco by a live person sitting in front of you without having to call headquarters! When it comes to finances that extra service and knowledge is very important and goes a long way! Candace, Nina and Johnny were all very friendly and knowledgable and answered the many questions we've had and helped us reach our goals. The only downside is their website does not have all the capabilities as the bigger banking institutions, however, the customer service makes up for that. read more

From the first encounter with Patelco Credit Union it was a positive experience. All the representatives are genuinely interested in helping with any financial advice. The service is authentic. The personnel are knowledgeable, personable, and they take the bite out of making financial moves. Thank you for your heartfelt assistance! BESmith read more

Wonderful customer service. New, clean space. Handy location. Easy to navigate website. Mobile app works well. Leave the big corporate banks and join a credit union. read more

I was looking for a more socially responsible way to invest my income than the for-profit bank I was with before. Patelco signed me up quickly and easily, with excellent customer service and great product, and all the services (and none of the fees) I'd grown accustomed to at the bank. I've been with them for a few months now, and I am very happy! read more

Patelco has been my credit union for 14 years now. The BEST customer service 99% of the time...(everyone has a bad day). They have resolved credit & check fraud issues with accuracy and professionalism. Always better rates-of-return that you will find elsewhere. If you bank elsewhere, you will pay more for the privilege. read more

It seems like there are few negative reviews, but how many thousands of times do we shop and not log one yelp comment until one reason pops up? I've been with the Berkeley Branch for more than a quarter of a century, and it provided all I ever wanted or needed. I don't know about their negative reviews which may be valid, but my recent interaction was without a doubt the best experience ever. Forget about small issues, for life altering benefits like getting a mortgage loan...look for a partner to make sailing easy. The best can be had here with Patelco. They are fast and supportive...after all, it is their business to make money and provide customers all they need. My loan agent Johnny always responded to my questions and needs... even while on vacation through Thanksgiving and Christmas when people don't normally respond. He went above the call of duty to be there during my mortgage application. Would you or I? During the final stages, the seller's lender could not provide the needed reconveyance document on time to close the transaction as he was out of the country. It was scary but Patelco was there to support my needs. Finally after several contract extensions, and nearly 3 weeks after the target closing date, the loan was funded. So many heated words were exchanged during this period, but Johnny and Patelco stood firmly behind me and offered great advice. Hey, go to a major bank and get lost in the shuffle! You are here with a credit union for the best... and Johnny and supporting staff are good examples of why we are where we are today. All the best to Johnny and his supporting staff. Soon, I will have keys to a place called home. read more

I have been a member of Patelco for some years now. I usually go to the Berkeley Branch. I have worked with many tellers before. I've just became aware that one of my favorite employees at that branch has moved to Oakland. Tasha Williamson was the most helpful of them all. I will miss her warm greetings in the afternoon, her willingness to go above and beyond to make sure I was taken care of. Even though she has transferred to the Oakland branch I highly recommend that you pay her a visit she is the best!!! read more

I wish Patelco was better, I really do. I was super excited about joining a credit union after big banks like Bank of America screwed over the American people and pretty much got away with it. I like that Patelco joins up with other credit unions so that you have more ATM choices. Generally, its online banking is okay too, though the setup on the checking makes it difficult to tell whether a check has cleared or not. And generally Patelco's customer service on the phone is great. However, the people at the Berkeley branch need to be better at their jobs and improve their attitudes. The first time I went in Patelco to set up my account, the woman who helped me seemed pretty put out by the whole thing. Granted, it was near the end of the day, but still, I was a new customer. At the very least they should try to make sure that my very first interaction with them is pleasant. My second encounter with a Patelco specialist was not much better. I went to see one of Patelco's "financial consultants", Bill Seater, who greeted me today by immediately telling me that he was already in vacation mode because he was leaving for Florida that evening. So, I guess I shouldn't expect his full attention then? Yikes...not a good start. Also, before my appt. I emailed Bill to tell him that I wanted to discuss the following things: consolidating my student loans, starting a retirement plan, and having a percentage of my check (I have direct deposit) put into a savings account. However, when I got there and reminded him about my consolidation wishes (he couldn't find the original email), he immediately said, "I'm not the one who can help you that. You'll have to talk to so and so in such and such dept." Argh! Why didn't he mention that when I emailed him instead of having me come all the way down there! Then when I asked about the retirement plan and the automatic savings deposit, he said that I would have to go to my employer for that information. Again, those are both things that could've been mentioned in the email. Granted, maybe I should've asked my employer about those things first, but he also could've just told me himself and saved us both time. He also ended every response to my question with, "next," which I thought was a little rude. Patelco offers these "financial consultation"s for free; now I understand why. read more

They financed our home loan. They did an excellent job, getting it done really quickly. I got a super low rate and they were even able to modify things when we had a slight hiccup along the way. Highly recommend Johnny, their mortgage broker. read more