Tucson Federal Credit Union

With a slogan like "Better Than a Bank", you'd think that they'd do all that they could to live up to it. Well, at least for the Speedway branch, they do pretty well. The Pantano branch and their fraud department, well, they're the 'slow' cousins that live out back in the trailer.

I got a call a few days before we moved about a suspected charge and told the person on the phone that it wasn't mine and that it wasn't authorized. Great, two days before a major move across the country, I don't have access to any money. Well, the LW still had her card and we were going to be together. That $700 fraudulent charge - "it'll have to sit there for 10 days while we investigate". WTH?? Provisional credit for a good customer who doesn't bounce checks, usually carries at least a $1000 checking balance, has maintained 5 accounts including a business account for more than 4 years, and has borrowed and paid off at least 3 loans? NOPE! I basically got the dual middle finger salute when I asked for a provisional credit on my account while all of this got sorted out. Luckily, I had just sold a dirt bike and had that much sitting in the savings account, but what would have happened if all of my account had been drained? Wait 10 days while my bills start bouncing and overdraft/NSF fees pile up? Better than a bank? Don't think so.

It gets better.

After I went in, waited in line three times (hence the Pantano Branch comment above), filled out the 5 page notarized affidavit and even signed 5 times on one of the pages - the charge that I had originally been called to ask whether or not it should be authorized - cleared on my account followed by another fraudulent charge. Now, after we've moved, I've got to go back through the 5 page affidavit shuffle again. Of course, it asks for the card number - yeah, the one that was canceled, chopped up, and thrown in the trash. I guess, if you're a victim of fraud you're supposed to frame the damned thing and hang it on a wall so you can access the number for the paperwork later.

If you're dealing with Tucson Federal Credit Union, the only reliable person in the place is Jeff B., one of their loan officers. If you're dealing with anyone else, expect the worst and hope for the best.