BIG huge thumbs up up for Rocky Mountain Law Enforcement Federal Credit Union.

[JM Ver. 2.0]

A while back I bought a new car that was financed by Santander Consumer USA... This is by far the most evil of all companies. Thay charge an $11 fee to pay your bill Online or over the phone. The only was to avoid this is to either sign up for atomatic bill pay through them or send them a paper check, with a stamp, every month.

I'm not going to authorize them access to my account for their bill pay service.
I'm not going to pay $11 a month to pay my payment.
I'm not going to write a check every month and risk them messing it up or it getting stolen.

My bank, Rocky Mountain Law Enforcement Federal Credit Untion, offers free bill pay with my account. They generate a check that can't be washed and reused and doesn't have my account info on it. It's AWESOME, secure, and I don't have to pay the finance company's bullshit fee. Everyone is happy, right?! WRONG!

Back in November I set up the Bill Pay with the intention of making the paymnt a recurring thing. Before the November Payment went through I called my bank and asked if it was going to be a recurring payment and I was assured it would be. The payment was to be started on the 1st of each month and clear the bank and finance company by the 4th. Two days before my due date.

Fast forward to yesterday, the 6th, the day my payment is due...

No money had come out of my account for the bill pay. I called up the bank, "We don't show it as a recurring payment. It was never sent out."

ARE. YOU. SERIOUS...

They then asked if I wanted to send the payment out that day. Because of the time it would take to get there, it would have been late, causing a $75 fee from the finance company. I could pay over the phone and it wouldn't be late but I would be stuck with a $11 fee. I told the bank this and she apologized and said she would call me back today.

I just got off the phone with the lady, a branch manager, from yesterday. She was able to find the phone call from November and heard where I was told that the payment would be recurring.

Not only is she willing to set up the bill pay herself to be recurring so it will be done right, she's also willing to refund me any fees I'm charged by the finance company.


This is amazing to me. I have never had a bank go out of the way to help out like this. Wells Fargo, Chase, 1ST Bank, Bank of the West... They've all been HORRID when it comes to fees. Wells Fargo even charges to cash their own checks!

With my bank account now I get:

ZERO ATM Fees. I even get the fees the ATMs charge back at the end of the month! Wells Fargo hits you twice. Once by the ATM and once by Wells Fargo!
I earn interest on my CHECKING ACCOUNT. Most banks only pay interest on Savings.
Free Checks. As many as I need assuming I ever use them.
24 hour a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year LIVE Customer Support... FROM A PERSON IN AMERICA!!!!!!
With Direct Deposit, my paycheck is deposited at the close of business THE DAY BEFORE our official payday.

This is by far the best experience I've ever had with a bank.

If you qualify for an account with RMLEFCU, I strongly suggest you open an account with them.

[Bitter Clinger]

Santander sucks. I had a car repoed because of them and their automatic bill pay. Fuckers werent taking it monthly for six months. Even though i had plenty of money in my bank account. Had to get a lawyer

[JM Ver. 2.0]

Santander sucks. I had a car repoed because of them and their automatic bill pay. Fuckers werent taking it monthly for six months. Even though i had plenty of money in my bank account. Had to get a lawyer

I went through hell with them once before. Only after the loan was approved did I learn who it was with...

[newracer]

You should refinance the car loan through the credit union.

[ChunkyMonkey]

Stick with your own bank when it comes to financing car loans etc. Even better, instead of having going through those subprime lender with high interest rate, try to purchase anything that is depreciating in cash. :)

[JM Ver. 2.0]

You should refinance the car loan through the credit union.

I would LOVE to... But they only do 60% of the value for new and used cars. I don't have that kinda cash and I havn't paid it down enough.

[PugnacAutMortem]

ZERO ATM Fees. I even get the fees the ATMs charge back at the end of the month! Wells Fargo hits you twice. Once by the ATM and once by Wells Fargo!
I earn interest on my CHECKING ACCOUNT. Most banks only pay interest on Savings.
Free Checks. As many as I need assuming I ever use them.
24 hour a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year LIVE Customer Support... FROM A PERSON IN AMERICA!!!!!!
With Direct Deposit, my paycheck is deposited at the close of business THE DAY BEFORE our official payday.

Which checking account do you have? My wife and I use that bank as well but we don't have the Zero ATM fees, interest on checking nor the free checks.

[JM Ver. 2.0]

Which checking account do you have? My wife and I use that bank as well but we don't have the Zero ATM fees, interest on checking nor the free checks.

This is what I have.

http://www.rmlefcu.org/accounts/checking/kasasa-cash.html

The checks may or may not be free. I just know I've never paid for them. Might have just been the first order though. I've only ordered the one set.

[PugnacAutMortem]

This is what I have.

http://www.rmlefcu.org/accounts/checking/kasasa-cash.html

The checks may or may not be free. I just know I've never paid for them. Might have just been the first order though. I've only ordered the one set.

Ah I have always wondered what that Kasasa thing was. Very cool...we will see if we can switch over to that bad boy. But to your original post...another BIG +1 for RMLEFCU. Best bank I have ever had.

[BushMasterBoy]

See if you can refinance through the CU. At least then you can go FTF if there is a problem. I liked Capital One as I could pay from my computer. Santander has over 4,000 complaints with the Better Business Bureau. I'd find somebody else to handle loan. I am betting the credit union will give you better rate.

[JM Ver. 2.0]

See if you can refinance through the CU. At least then you can go FTF if there is a problem. I liked Capital One as I could pay from my computer. Santander has over 4,000 complaints with the Better Business Bureau. I'd find somebody else to handle loan. I am betting the credit union will give you better rate.

See my post above. Can't.

[Half Live]

any credit union is better than a bank. i go with bellco for most of my stuff and space age for a motorcycle loan. couldnt be happier.

[jerrymrc]

One other thought with CU's. When I needed to get the wife a car I had a couple K to put on a $6K car. The nice lady at the CU said that yes, she could do a car loan but it would be better to do a signature loan because of all the BS that goes into a car loan makes the rate 7% and she could do a sig loan at 5% and I would avoid all the issues with a car loan. Just a thought.

[spqrzilla]

I've been with Bellco for a decade and a half and mostly happy. Recent branch manager change didn't amuse me but I'm learning to live with it. But I do my biz banking with Bank of the West (most credit unions won't do a COLTAF account) and the manager at their Downing and Evans branch has been wonderful. Completely competent. Never had a problem with any teller in her branch.

[sneakerd]

Santander is/was a total rip-off. Did many repos on their rip-off loans, most done on out-of-business dealers. RMLE CU are good people. We worked for them too.

[Irving]

If you like them so much, at least quit referring to them as a "bank."

[mevshooter]

A while back I bought a new car that was financed by Santander Consumer USA... This is by far the most evil of all companies. Thay charge an $11 fee to pay your bill Online or over the phone. The only was to avoid this is to either sign up for atomatic bill pay through them or send them a paper check, with a stamp, every month.

I'm not going to authorize them access to my account for their bill pay service.
I'm not going to pay $11 a month to pay my payment.
I'm not going to write a check every month and risk them messing it up or it getting stolen.

My bank, Rocky Mountain Law Enforcement Federal Credit Untion, offers free bill pay with my account. They generate a check that can't be washed and reused and doesn't have my account info on it. It's AWESOME, secure, and I don't have to pay the finance company's bullshit fee. Everyone is happy, right?! WRONG!

Back in November I set up the Bill Pay with the intention of making the paymnt a recurring thing. Before the November Payment went through I called my bank and asked if it was going to be a recurring payment and I was assured it would be. The payment was to be started on the 1st of each month and clear the bank and finance company by the 4th. Two days before my due date.

Fast forward to yesterday, the 6th, the day my payment is due...

No money had come out of my account for the bill pay. I called up the bank, "We don't show it as a recurring payment. It was never sent out."

ARE. YOU. SERIOUS...

They then asked if I wanted to send the payment out that day. Because of the time it would take to get there, it would have been late, causing a $75 fee from the finance company. I could pay over the phone and it wouldn't be late but I would be stuck with a $11 fee. I told the bank this and she apologized and said she would call me back today.

I just got off the phone with the lady, a branch manager, from yesterday. She was able to find the phone call from November and heard where I was told that the payment would be recurring.

Not only is she willing to set up the bill pay herself to be recurring so it will be done right, she's also willing to refund me any fees I'm charged by the finance company.


This is amazing to me. I have never had a bank go out of the way to help out like this. Wells Fargo, Chase, 1ST Bank, Bank of the West... They've all been HORRID when it comes to fees. Wells Fargo even charges to cash their own checks!

With my bank account now I get:

ZERO ATM Fees. I even get the fees the ATMs charge back at the end of the month! Wells Fargo hits you twice. Once by the ATM and once by Wells Fargo!
I earn interest on my CHECKING ACCOUNT. Most banks only pay interest on Savings.
Free Checks. As many as I need assuming I ever use them.
24 hour a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year LIVE Customer Support... FROM A PERSON IN AMERICA!!!!!!
With Direct Deposit, my paycheck is deposited at the close of business THE DAY BEFORE our official payday.

This is by far the best experience I've ever had with a bank.

If you qualify for an account with RMLEFCU, I strongly suggest you open an account with them.

You most likely have higher end accounts with them. Almost every bank has this type of set up if you keep certain balances or have various relationships with them (mortgage, brokerage, etc.)

And the check cashing fees with Wells Fargo are for pay role checks. Its not a Wells Fargo fee, it is the company who uses wells fargo for pay roll opting out of providing that service for their employees.

A lot of things get blamed on banks that don't always have to do with them. I hear people complaining about a lot of fees that either come from another entity, or even from the federal government themselves and blame the institution handling it.

I'm not saying banks are perfect by any means, and I'm happy you have had such a stellar experience with these guys, but its often times the fault of the individual for incurring these things simply due to ignorance of policies, agreements, etc.

[JM Ver. 2.0]

You most likely have higher end accounts with them. Almost every bank has this type of set up if you keep certain balances or have various relationships with them (mortgage, brokerage, etc.)

And the check cashing fees with Wells Fargo are for pay role checks. Its not a Wells Fargo fee, it is the company who uses wells fargo for pay roll opting out of providing that service for their employees.

A lot of things get blamed on banks that don't always have to do with them. I hear people complaining about a lot of fees that either come from another entity, or even from the federal government themselves and blame the institution handling it.

I'm not saying banks are perfect by any means, and I'm happy you have had such a stellar experience with these guys, but its often times the fault of the individual for incurring these things simply due to ignorance of policies, agreements, etc.

There's just under $20 in my account right now... The rest is cash... That is a basic account.

Wells Fargo is the one that charges the fee to cash a check. They do it for non-account holders. It's happened with personal checks too.

The only fees I have issues with are ATM fees. Wells Fargo charges a $5 fee on top of what the ATM charges you for not using their ATM.

Plus, they once "lost" my DIRECT DEPOSIT... That was the end for them.