I opened a $5 savings account with Penfed about two years ago in conjunction with applying for a Visa card. I was denied the card. I never had any more contact with Penfed.
Last week I decided that I should probably put some money in that account so that it doesn't go dormant so I tried to set up a transfer account using Alliant since they are an easy transfer hub and don't charge fees going either way. So Alliant said they would send the usual two tiny deposits of some number of pennies and to check with Penfed. Well the deposits were never deposited and it turns out Penfed rejected the deposits because they said I had never returned a signature card. I don't recall receiving one but maybe they sent it and I ignored it since at that point I didn't get my credit card and didn't care about Penfed's savings account.
So Alliant tries to make the deposit, it gets rejected by Penfed since the account is restricted. I get a call last friday from Alliant saying to call this certain person at extension XXXX. So I called Alliant and rather than being able to enter an extension number, I was made to HOLD for 30 minutes to speak to a represenative and asked to be transferred to extension XXXX. I was ready to explode. And of course I got the person at XXXX's voicemail. I left her a voicemail and asked her to call me back or email me. She never did.
Today I try to log into Alliant and my account is restricted. I had to call into Alliant, wait 20 minutes on hold for a rep. to pick up the phone, who tells me I need to talk to Ms. XXXX, who isn't available.
Long story short, Alliant thinks the Penfed account is closed, thinks it's fraud. I have to do a whole song and dance and they say okay and remove the restriction on my account access at Alliant.
I am now on hold for 30 MINUTES trying to get a hold of Penfed to see if there is anything else they need so this doesn't happen again.
If you want to run a national banking company you need to hire customer service people and create logical phone systems whereby a customer can dial an extension without waiting 30 minutes to speak to an operator.
Please shoot me!
