BECU Email RE: West Seattle

Home Forums Open Discussion BECU Email RE: West Seattle

  • This topic is empty.
Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 75 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #593479

    JayDee
    Participant

    I have sent the following e-mail to BECU after quizzing more than one earnest staffer about the closure of the Admiral branch, and soon the ATM. I wanted to share the e-mail with the WSB crowd because I think fellow members can influence their decisions by our collective whining. BECU may be a credit union, but they are our credit union.

    “My real topic is loss of the Admiral Safeway branch and soon the ATM as well. One of the 2nd and Pine staffers gave great reasons why this location and ATM (soon) was leaving–all which seems reasonable.

    I would like to argue that BECU should at the least place an ATM in the Admiral/Junction neighborhood. Why? The staffer told me BECU looked at the map and decided that the Roxbury branch service center was close enough to my house, and that I would be equally served downtown or at Roxbury. I beg to differ–It is 6.5 miles to Roxbury, and 7.3 miles to downtown via roads–only a 20-minute detour.

    Sure, I can make a deposit at 7/11s but not with the degree of security that I can at a BECU branch with a BECU ATM or a stand-alone BECU ATM in a busy supermarket staffed by many people, not just a single clerk.

    Because West Seattle is reachable only readily by the West Seattle Bridge, it is not as easy to reach more distant ATMs than it is in Queen Anne. And while QA is nice, West Seattle contains a larger percentage of the city’s population. With the recent closing of the Alki BECU ATM, it will be even more difficult for West Seattle BECU members to use BECU. I joined BECU last year, but that was before my local service center had been scheduled for closure.

    I would ask that BECU re-evaluate siting of a BECU branch in the Admiral/California area. If BECU is interested, post a message on the West Seattle Blog and ask for possible locations. Many who post on the WSB expressed displeasure with the decision to close the Safeway branch without a replacement option. These are fellow members who care.

    Sincerely, and thank you for your time”

    #685633

    Diane
    Participant

    I will gladly sign this petition/letter; please BECU, keep the Admiral BECU atm

    #685733

    Diane
    Participant

    I will gladly sign this petition/letter; please BECU, keep the Admiral BECU atm

    #685634

    JayDee
    Participant

    For those BECU members who care, I will post the reply from them when I get it. Otherwise, register your own concerns at:

    https://www.becu.org/contact-us.aspx

    I think that BECU will be more open to member’s needs than B of A just because we are members, and not just customers. My local B of A branch treated me fine. I switched to BECU (a credit union, not a bank) because of B of A’s corporate policies like the overdraft policy and calling my home from anonymous numbers to sell me unneeded services or “products”. That being said, contacting BECU directly is the best thing, and they seem to value community input.

    Before ATMs, we went to banks in person, and wrote checks but that was 1980, and this is 2009. BECU’s business model is on-line access and customer service at centers where the staff answer questions, and fill out paper work, and handle no money. Unfortunately, ATMs and on-line banking do not substitute for the more involved financial decisions one may need. I’d prefer a BECU ATM or financial center somewhere in my neighborhood regardless of my transit choices.

    My two cents.

    #685734

    JayDee
    Participant

    For those BECU members who care, I will post the reply from them when I get it. Otherwise, register your own concerns at:

    https://www.becu.org/contact-us.aspx

    I think that BECU will be more open to member’s needs than B of A just because we are members, and not just customers. My local B of A branch treated me fine. I switched to BECU (a credit union, not a bank) because of B of A’s corporate policies like the overdraft policy and calling my home from anonymous numbers to sell me unneeded services or “products”. That being said, contacting BECU directly is the best thing, and they seem to value community input.

    Before ATMs, we went to banks in person, and wrote checks but that was 1980, and this is 2009. BECU’s business model is on-line access and customer service at centers where the staff answer questions, and fill out paper work, and handle no money. Unfortunately, ATMs and on-line banking do not substitute for the more involved financial decisions one may need. I’d prefer a BECU ATM or financial center somewhere in my neighborhood regardless of my transit choices.

    My two cents.

    #685635

    velo_nut
    Participant

    If you want to go in to a building, NWCU and WSECU (or any credit union in the co-op) handle transactions. If you HAVE to go to a BECU it’s pretty darn close.

    Being a credit union, their thinking that transfering a center closer to your house wouldn’t be financially viable makes me a happy BECU customer.

    I think they have gone out of their way to make deposits and transactions easy (and inexpensive) in the West Seattle neighborhood.

    Maybe you should switch to Chase, they have 5 buildings within the area…

    #685735

    velo_nut
    Participant

    If you want to go in to a building, NWCU and WSECU (or any credit union in the co-op) handle transactions. If you HAVE to go to a BECU it’s pretty darn close.

    Being a credit union, their thinking that transfering a center closer to your house wouldn’t be financially viable makes me a happy BECU customer.

    I think they have gone out of their way to make deposits and transactions easy (and inexpensive) in the West Seattle neighborhood.

    Maybe you should switch to Chase, they have 5 buildings within the area…

    #685636

    Kelly
    Participant

    Are they closing the ATM next to the Thriftway in Morgan Junction, too?

    6540 California Ave SW

    Seattle, WA 98136

    ATM

    Deposit-Taking

    Surcharge-Free

    24-Hour

    #685736

    Kelly
    Participant

    Are they closing the ATM next to the Thriftway in Morgan Junction, too?

    6540 California Ave SW

    Seattle, WA 98136

    ATM

    Deposit-Taking

    Surcharge-Free

    24-Hour

    #685637

    Johnson
    Member

    I’ll only sign it if you add they should put an ATM right outside my back door and pay me a gazillion dollars for the privilege.

    See, I can be a whiny Seattlite too

    Oh, & I demand they remove the snow from my sidewalk, too, even tho there isn’t any

    (Would they just please leave BECU & join up w/ someone like Chase so they know how bad banks can really be? Not that they will learn, just whine about something else for a change)

    #685737

    Johnson
    Member

    I’ll only sign it if you add they should put an ATM right outside my back door and pay me a gazillion dollars for the privilege.

    See, I can be a whiny Seattlite too

    Oh, & I demand they remove the snow from my sidewalk, too, even tho there isn’t any

    (Would they just please leave BECU & join up w/ someone like Chase so they know how bad banks can really be? Not that they will learn, just whine about something else for a change)

    #685638

    velo_nut
    Participant

    Thank you Kelly and Johnson!

    I thought I was the only one on this thread with common sense.

    #685738

    velo_nut
    Participant

    Thank you Kelly and Johnson!

    I thought I was the only one on this thread with common sense.

    #685639

    bluebird
    Member

    Yeah, the Morgan Junction ATM was already covered. It’s not close enough to please them either.

    https://westseattleblog.com/blog/forum/topic.php?id=7357

    #685739

    bluebird
    Member

    Yeah, the Morgan Junction ATM was already covered. It’s not close enough to please them either.

    https://westseattleblog.com/blog/forum/topic.php?id=7357

    #685640

    JanS
    Participant

    I sympathize with some people whose banks/CUs are not convenient, when one doesn’t have a car, and has to take mebbe 2 buses to go talk to a human, in person. For deposits, my ATM doesn’t always take my checks, as they come from insurance companies, are odd sized, no envelopes now @ B of A. So I can sympathize. Many people pick banks, docs, other services that are convenient to their homes. So let’s not be too judgmental about these folks…not our place.

    Now, if one works downtown, that’s another story. Then one is in close contact to many financial institutions, and it should be no problem.

    #685740

    JanS
    Participant

    I sympathize with some people whose banks/CUs are not convenient, when one doesn’t have a car, and has to take mebbe 2 buses to go talk to a human, in person. For deposits, my ATM doesn’t always take my checks, as they come from insurance companies, are odd sized, no envelopes now @ B of A. So I can sympathize. Many people pick banks, docs, other services that are convenient to their homes. So let’s not be too judgmental about these folks…not our place.

    Now, if one works downtown, that’s another story. Then one is in close contact to many financial institutions, and it should be no problem.

    #685641

    JoB
    Participant

    would those who live in admiral and alki be willing to pay a surcharge to use convenient machines?

    #685741

    JoB
    Participant

    would those who live in admiral and alki be willing to pay a surcharge to use convenient machines?

    #685642

    nw_original
    Member

    BECU has been a pleasure, especially since I switched from Chase.

    I think someone mentioned it previously that you can use the Citibank ATM machine located in 7-11 on Admiral to withdraw cash surcharge free and also make deposits.

    #685742

    nw_original
    Member

    BECU has been a pleasure, especially since I switched from Chase.

    I think someone mentioned it previously that you can use the Citibank ATM machine located in 7-11 on Admiral to withdraw cash surcharge free and also make deposits.

    #685643

    Kelly
    Participant

    I don’t know if I have the common sense that you’re looking for, velo_nut. In the interest of full-disclosure, I am an overweight, chain-smoking, thin-skinned World of Warcraft player, who loves to drive the car to my weekly sensitivity trainings while blasting Culture Club at obscene decibels.

    #685743

    Kelly
    Participant

    I don’t know if I have the common sense that you’re looking for, velo_nut. In the interest of full-disclosure, I am an overweight, chain-smoking, thin-skinned World of Warcraft player, who loves to drive the car to my weekly sensitivity trainings while blasting Culture Club at obscene decibels.

    #685644

    velo_nut
    Participant

    We all have our weaknesses.

    #685744

    velo_nut
    Participant

    We all have our weaknesses.

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 75 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.