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As of the 17th of August 2015, Mecu rebranded to Bank Australia.
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Cecelia Reid from the Lending Team was very supportive and informative while setting up a home loan.
As it was a house build, the whole thing took for ages. But even still, the team offered excellent help, through the whole process.
- 4 reviews
- 3 likes
I was attracted to BA because they claimed to put our deposits into sustainable investments and seemed to have an ethical approach to banking. I recently opened a savings account and sought to replace my "big four" credit card as well. Bank Australia took almost a month to reply to my application for a low balance card which was at last denied despite having an above average credit score, no debt at all and several thousand in my BA account.
I've also had occasion to call the customer service number a few times and I've never waited less th...
Read morean 30 minutes on hold before my calls were answered. So take heed...the customer service department seems to have learned its trade at the NAB. A bit of "buyer regret" happening here now due to slow, unhelpful service. In an update on the above. As mentioned, the bank did ultimately decline my application for a credit card. A bank officer called me to explain why but in essence. what was explained to me was really just old-fashioned discrimination against low income earners. For example about six years ago I financed a cheap car with the only company which would lend to pensioners. Despite the contract being finished in an exemplary way a coupe of years ago, Bank Australia disapproved of this contract as being "little better than payday lenders" and this part of my history counted against .my application. In addition, I make occasional, sensible and responsible use of "Afterpay",type services, another red flag for the bank. Of course, every person's circumstances are unique but if you are a low income person like me, it's probably a waste of (quite a lot of) your time to apply for any credit facility from Australia Bank. Whatever the warm and fuzzy publicity says, my experience suggests that their assessments are likely to be just as biased against you and just as patronising as the worst of the big 4 and their subsidiaries. I still have my savings account with the bank for now. Maybe the claims of sustainable investment are real and worthwhile considering. You be the judge.
- 2 reviews
I'm 9yr credit card customer, now looking to leave-due to plummeting service, outdated processes & no banking innovation
1. Credit card and dormancy.
I have had my credit card for 10 years, and in the past year had not been using the credit card. I received emails about the fact my account would go into "dormancy" from the 16th March.
I called up Friday to make my account not dormant anymore (Having missed the 16th march deadline). and was advised this was a quick process - esp considering I was off by 1 week. I was told I'd receive a message the same day confirming it being reactive.
I followed up today. First initially in the morning, where I asked the con...
Read moresultant about the status of my credit card needing to be not made dormant. They said they could only see a person has looked at my file. Then then put me on hold and said they had "not made the account dormant" anymore. I then asked if I could start to make a payment using the card immediately, the consultant said "yes definitely". I then pressed them saying how come they managed to do it so quickly, as opposed to Friday. They said they didn't know what happened but that the card was active. I then tried to pay my car registration using the credit card, and it showed as card declined. I again call up and wait another 3rd round of 40mins on hold. The male consultant takes my call and I then press them about my card being declined still - even after the previous call. They put me on hold and then said they had to send off the request to another dept for approval to not make dormant anymore. I pressed them on what they meant, as the previous consultant said they made rectified this issue, and the consultant said that the previous consultant made a major error and was not meant to have done their actions or said it was no longer dormant. The consultant said that they would add a note to expedite this situation, because of the total confusion Bank Australia had caused - and their consultants actions and incorrect statements. 2 hours later, I receive a call from it appears the approver (different department) who then was tasked with reactivating my account. They asked if my circumstances had changed, and I said yes, because I was in between work (on support). They then said my credit limit which I had maintained since 2012 couldn't be allowed, because my credit card had become "dormant" and my circumstances have since changed. I said to the consultant, that in all the emails I received about this "credit card dormancy" that in no point had they made any attempt to highlight and clarify what their terminology of "dormant" was. As a lay customer, dormant for me was that the account, reading the emails (one I have provided below) I read this as my account and it's credit card limit (and existing conditions) would still be there unchanged - and that I would simply have my account laying "dormant" and needing to pay an upkeep fee and call up for when I want to not make it dormant any longer.
Its your communications too re - "Credit card and dormancy". Simply sending one ambiguous email is unacceptable -esp with the mess I had to deal with afterwards. I've been left actually disadvantaged (as a result), livid and beyond disappointed.
I've banked with Bank Australia since 1986 (back when it was Uni Credit Union).
Recently I needed to access some additional funds for a few unexpected bills and I applied for a personal loan attached to my mortgage.
Jane Nalayah shepharded my loan application through the process and kept me up to date throughout the 5 weeks and was so helpful at every stage.
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Always receive great customer service from Bank Australia. Recently applied for a credit card and was very happy with the service provided by Kristy Bye - lending, we received a quick response and she assisted us with the paperwork. Thanks
We have only been with bank Australia for 3 months now. The whole experience for us was very smooth and tension free. We always got support from Jade to move through the whole process, otherwise very confusing.
Have been with Bank Australia for 2 years now. Everyone has been great to deal with. Kristy Bye - Lending was exceptional with a recent Loan application. Easy, fast and clear.
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I've been with Bank Australia for more than 2 years and happy to stay with them, no fuss in telephone and online banking. Recently I applied for Refinance of our Basic home loan, the mortgage consultant Loyd L. is amazing, he follow-up everything for me, well, in terms of online transactions, there's a little bit of a wait in the middle but in the end its catch up quicker, before in time of our holiday. Its good experience, happy to recommend this bank to everyone.
TLDR: no app, no email notifications about security breaches or your account being locked, rude customer service consultants, basically you have to do their job for them and then they will call be accusatory and refuse to verify their ID, they will talk over you / treat you unjust and take their stress out on customers, they don't read written correspondence and act like its your fault they don't get paid overtime for calling you 10 mins before their shift ends.... AVOID.
I have been with the same bank my entire life, from dollarmites until no...
Read morew. Ethics are an important part of who I am, and I decided to stop being lazy and finally switch banks to align that with my morals. I couldn't have imagined a worst customer experience. From the fact that their app is not on google play, to my password being invalid after just setting up internet banking, this is just the beginning of my frustrations with the lack of communication and customer care from this business. There is no emails when changes are made or added to your account, no email when I was locked out for suspected fraud/money laundering. Read on to find out more! The following is an email I sent in writing to Bank Australia, it fully explains what happened as well as providing an example of the email I will be mentioning in regards to further disgusting customer service. "This is really annoying, I was looking to change banks - found Bank Australia has some good recommendations on google and facebook groups and aligns with my ethics (looking for ethical banking) - I signed up online, all was good until i went to install your app.Find out how Bank Australia Online compares to other Banks
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- 2 reviews
- 4 likes
Me and my spouse have been with Bank Australia for over a decade.
We have dealt with the bank staff face to face and then online. Always helpful and efficient.
Recently we interacted with the Bank Australia lending team. We needed to complete a transaction with serious time constraints. The Bank Australia property lending team, particularly Mr. Brenton Plant and also, the team Supervisor Ms. Michelle Eaton were extraordinary. We very much appreciate the noteworthy commitment, urgency of purpose, and the efficiency of the team. We express sincere thanks and appreciation.
My experience with Bank Australia was great from the get go. I received helpful information at the Glen Waverley branch, and was then connected through to Jade Moore (mortgage lender) after completing the online mortgage application form. Jade has been an exceptional lender - highly responsive, always happy to answer all my questions (being new to it all, I had a lot of questions), and always so professional and pleasant to work with. The great service at Bank Australia made buying a new home a whole lot easier.
I've spent the last few days working with Kim Carey from Lending on a personal loan. She was an amazing lending officer, quick to respond, clear with her messages and happy to assist in any issues we encountered. One of the best banking experiences I've had.
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My partner and I have recently joined Bank Australia and found their customer service to be exceptional.
All tellers we've dealt with over the phone have been kind, patient and generally wonderful to interact with.
We have also recently applied for a personal loan with Bank Australia and had the pleasure of being helped by Jane Nalayah. Jane's customer service was outstanding at all times. Jane was quick to respond to all email enquiries and ensured that our experience was as smooth and as easy as possible.
We'd 100% recommend.
Thanks!
Jade was so easy to work with, and was very patient with us as first time borrowers. She explained everything really well, and was very approachable and easily contactable. We would happily work with Jade again, and would recommend her to anybody.
Jade has been there from the start to end, super helpful with explaining everything to me patiently. Connected me with the right people and provided trusted advise on behalf of the bank.
Incompetent staff, terrible customer service and ineffecient systems – avoid this bank
Our brief experience with Bank Australia has been dreadful.
Late last year my partner and I decided to move our home loan across from one of the big four banks. Having submitted the necessary paperwork we were shocked to learn that we were ineligible for the loan. Our lending consultant Melisa and Bank Australia's credit verification team failed to correctly review our paperwork and calculate our respective incomes. I had to point out their error and help Melisa see that in fact we were eligible. Unfortunately it then took Bank Australia thr...
Read moreee weeks to review their decision, realise a mistake had been made and proceed with our application. At no stage did they apologise, show remorse or indicate an error. Instead they pushed out our application time and when settlement went over the 90 day period (by a week) they hiked our interest rate up by 0.85% – for an error their staff and systems were responsible for. Ultimately, the most disappointing aspect about the Bank Australia experience has been their failure to communicate or relate to their customers. They purport to be a responsible bank, instead their staff – even a senior manager – fail to explain why basic errors have been made. After advocating for our case, their response has either been characterised by inflexibility, confusion and ultimately a lack of empathy. It feels as if they simply don't care. We've shared our Bank Australia experience with friends and others, and have since learned that our experience is not uncommon; our friends dread dealing with Bank Australia staff when they have a issue to raise. Had we known this earlier we would have gone elsewhere for a home loan. I encourage you not to make the same mistake.
I wanted to change banks for ethical reasons, so embarked on refinancing and moving our loan and considerable offset to Bank Australia. The whole process was long, inefficient and convoluted. After initially getting pre approval, a month later the credit team incorrectly rejected our application as they didn’t account for my partners self employed income. Over three weeks later, and further copious bits of paperwork from us, they finally approved our loan. Settlement happened and without warning they increased our rate by 0.85%!! I then realise...
Read mored this was because we were 1 week post the 90 day period! But in large part due to their delays, poor processes and mistakes!!! It was such an unexpected, disappointing and distressing experience and our experience since with their more senior management has been awful. There is no room for compassion or understanding. I have also been sent four bank cards with my name spelt incorrectly despite informing them the first two times. I am planning to move banks when possible and would not recommend BA. Sad because I really wanted to bank with them forever.
- 2 reviews
I just purchased my first property with the help of Sonya Willis (lending). I thought the process would be difficult and stressful, but Sonya has been amazing to deal with from start to finish. The customer service I received was outstanding- any questions I had were answered promptly, and she was genuinely happy to help. I would have no hesitation in recommending this bank to others and am so happy with my choice of Bank Australia
I have been with Bank Australia for two years with a variable home loan. Now and the their variable rate dropped for new customers and a little while after I would write to them and ask if they could lower our variable rate to match the new customer rate - and you know what - they did - first from 2.98 down to 2.63 and then last week down to 2.15% Well I have been with CBA and NAB and they never lowered when I asked. I just love Bank Australia.
Our lending consultant Cecelia Reid has helped us understand the entire process and has been very helpful from the start in securing the home loan to get our first home.
As someone navigating purchasing a home for the first time and trying to take advantage of the Victorian Homebuyer’s Fund, the whole process was daunting and I was easily overwhelmed. My experience with Bank Australia has been nothing but amazing as they helped me navigate not only the application process for a home loan, but the process to apply for the Victorian Homebuyer’s Fund.
Michelle Eaton and Hayley Rhook were both incredibly helpful, so willing to answer all of my questions to make sure I understood everything that was happening and ...
Read morereally excellent at keeping me in the loop with what was happening at each stage of my application. The fact that Bank Australia is a bit more conscious is really just icing on the cake. I will 100% be recommending them to anyone who lets me!!
Hi Hannah! Thanks for taking the time to leave us this lovely review! It's wonderful to hear you had a great experience with the Victorian Homebuyers Fund, and congratulations on buying your home! We'...
Read morell be sure to pass your compliments onto Michelle and Hayley, high quality customer service is something we strive for so they'll be thrilled to hear your kind words! Thanks, Bank Australia team.
I would recommend Bank Australia. I have been a customer since 2011 or since they took over MECU and I have nothing but praise. What they offer is a great.
What isn't great is their customer service. They are a small bank so don't expect a fast responses or quick turn around times like the big banks. Bank Australia are extremely painful and slow to deal with. Expect long waits (30+ mins) when you call and don't expect a reply to your emails.
I wouldn't recommend borrowing with Bank Australia or at least read their 1 star reviews to get an a...
Read moreccurate customer experience. I have recently taken out a home loan with them and the process was awful. If I could give them 0 stars I would. Save yourself the anxiety. Other banks offer similar products. Their interest rates are great, by the time you get your approval and it comes to settle it will have gone up 1%. They ask you to apply online to get you pre-approval and you're made to wait 21 days before your application is looked at. I was given extremely vague information and breakdowns and my pre-approval was not accurate. It fell short to what I was finally approved for, even though nothing in the application changed from what was originally supplied. Communication was done by email only, through a company called Queenland Lending, and not Bank Australia and calls were hardly answered or returned. They made endless mistakes that caused delay after delay. I had to extend the finance clause with the seller because they couldn't meet the deadline.Hi Alex, thank you for your feedback and we’re sorry you’ve had a frustrating experience. We know you expect more from us and we’re working to ensure this does not happen again.
The length of the ave...
Read morerage wait time with our contact centre is something we've acknowledged in our most recent impact report and something we’re dedicated to improving. We’re investing in increasing employee numbers to reduce wait times and improving technology to ensure we can keep up with the number of customers who need assistance via the phones or email.
I have been with Bank Australia for about 40 years from it's Credit Union beginnings. I have always found them to be reliable, professional and efficient, and have appreciated their positive moves to be an ethical bank. My recent experience with Kristy Bye from the Lending Team has reinforced my belief that Bank Australia will always go the extra yard to give great customer service. The initial responses and back-up support allowed a seamless process in a timely way. It was much appreciated.
Hi Brian! Firstly, thanks so much for sticking with us for over 40 years, support from our long term customers like you is so appreciated! It's wonderful to hear that you've had great support from Kri...
Read moresty, we'll be sure to pass your compliments on! High quality, customer service is something we strive for so she'll be thrilled to hear your kind words! Thanks, Bank Australia team.
BOA is 1 of 3 banks I’m currently with. Have been with you for approx. 4 years
Service provided by Sean Bayzand and Anthea Agius surpassed expectations.
Friendly, respectful, extremely helpful and knowledgeable. And unlike my experience elsewhere not a hint of ageism!! As a result of my experience with Sean I decided to check out my insurance options with you. Along came Anthea and she won me over as the service experience mirrored that I had with Sean. So I’ve left my previous service provider if some 20+ years and now have my policies through your bank. And I will be transferring all my banking across to BOA.
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to leave us this lovely review! It's wonderful to hear that Sean and Anthea were so helpful to you, we'll be sure to pass your compliments on! High quality customer serv...
Read moreice is something we strive for so they'll be thrilled to hear your kind words! Thanks, Bank Australia team.
I have been with the bank for over a year now. I switched because I wanted to support a bank that used ethically invested and cared about people and the planet. They have been nothing but great whenever I have called and needed assistance. I recently got a home loan with them, and the person we dealt with incredibly helpful and supportive the whole way. I highly recommend Bank Australia, very professional and so simple.
Hi Angie! Thanks for taking the time to leave us this lovely review! It's wonderful to hear that you joined us based on our ethical values, our values aligned customers are so important to us! It's al...
Read moreso wonderful to hear you've had a great experience through the home loan journey, having high quality customer service is very important to us so your kind words are very much appreciated! Thanks, Bank Australia team.Extra Information
Bank Australia Online is a ieatwords.com.au Awards Winner for 2022 and 2021
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Hi Anth, we're sincerely sorry you've had a frustrating experience with us. Wait times for the contact centre have been impacted by growth of the bank and intense demand for our services.
We're maki...
Read moreng a significant investment in increasing employee numbers to reduce wait times and improving technology to ensure we can keep up with the number of customers who need assistance via the phones or email but understand we're still not there yet. We very much appreciate your feedback and hope to continue to improve our services and wait times ongoing for our customers. - Jade