Harvard Federal Credit Union — Local services in Cambridge

UPDATE: I am updating my review to reflect that fact that HUECU reached out to me and seem to have genuinely tried to understand and solve the problem I experiences with their card. They refunded me international phone call charges and updated me on the results of their investigation into what went wrong and what steps they took to prevent the problem from re-occuring. I found their explanation ultimately clear and reasonable, and although only my next international trip will tell for me personally if the problem indeed has been solved, I am updating my review to 4 stars for their efforts to address the problem. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I am giving one star (zero if I could) to the incompetent way they handle foreign transactions of my Harvard Alumni Mastercard. I have been a card holder for well over 10 years. Usually I rely on this card to shop while abroad since there is no foreign transaction fee. I just came back from 2 weeks in Eastern Europe. During these two weeks I had to call these people 6 times - yes, 6! - because my card kept getting blocked. I put a travel notice on the account and yet it kept being blocked and no one at this HUECU card member services could do anything other than to express how sorry they are. I was given the same constant run around - called card member services to be verified, transferred to card member security to be re-verifed, card unblocked, next day card gets blocked again. Frustrating beyond belief, not to mention the expense and hassle of calling international, wasting time on my vacation, and the constant stress of not knowing whether or not I can check out of a store with purchases. HUECU must have a better way to address such situation - if their algorithm repeatedly flags transactions and member already put a travel notice and already called, find a better algorithm, do manual override, so something! Their claim to be "not just a bank but a benefit" is a joke.

I would further add that unlike every other credit card under the sun, this one does not display statement balance online when you log in - only minimum payment or the overall balance as of this day. This is very inconvenient if you want to pay full statement balance to avoid fees - you have to dig for this information. I suspect they do it on purpose to slam you...

Run as far away from this credit union as possible. Opened an account, set up direct deposit and some bill pay. Went to check my account one day and couldn't get to my accounts. Called them on a Tuesday. They randomly closed my account. I got the good old fashioned, "I need to look into this, and I will call you back." I never got called back. Called Friday morning...There were 5 callers in queue, which I should have waited...if you press "5" you will get a call back. Didn't happen. Called back...7 callers in queue. Young lady picks up. I ask her if they found out why my accounts were closed. She goes to put me on hold...disconnects me. No big deal. Wait for her to call back. She doesn't bother. Thirteen callers in the queue...which is a 40 minute wait. Young man really wants to help, but unfortunately his "managers" are too good to talk to customers. Finally, the managers want to get rid of me and the one employee in the whole credit union who wants to help and say...well it must have been a charge off on my credit. I do not have one of those. So after spending all that time with this place I have to go establish another financial institution in the area AND track down my direct deposit and fix all the bills I was going to pay with this place. I may get my money back, but not the wasted time.

UPDATE:

I am putting this here because I do not know how to respond to the post from the "owner's" reply below. To no one's surprise, the company never did...

"I will always be grateful to HUECU as you have been there for me during the most challenging ebbs and flows of my life. I joined HUECU very soon after graduating medical school at the beginning of my internship at MGH. You continue to have a branch right in the hospital and it made it so easy for me as a busy intern. I secured my first car loan with the help of my Dad and felt so proud to be affiliated with your credit union. You saw me through residency, fellowship, marriage, the purchase of my first home, the birth of my two children, a terrible financially devastating divorce, and my first home post divorce (you carried the home loan). You have these wonderful financial seminars and I was so grateful to have my two teenage children start HUECU checking and savings accounts. Now as I build my forever home with the help of yet another HUECU home loan, I am humbled with gratitude for the tremendous support of MY amazing HUECU. So, I am now a lifetime member as are my two children. As they both head off to college this fall, I am feel so secure in knowing that they have the support of HUECU should they need it. It has not been easy being a single mom and HUECU has been there with me every step of the way. Thank you HUECU for being there for us during the financial good times and the bad. I look forward to starting savings accounts for my furniture grandchildren one day. Happy Birthday! Here’s to 82...