Police and Fire Federal Credit Union

Got a new car and the car loan was given from this credit union. Signed up for auto pay and they deducted 2 full payments in a 48 hour period. I called to complain and they advised they can wire 1 payment back to my main bank account at Citizens bank. After filling out and faxing the forms back I had a manager call me to tell me they will wire the funds back but also will be charging a 20 dollar wire fee. I advised that the whole problem was the credit unions mistake so why am I paying for their mistake? I ask can they just mail me a check and they stated yes. Well why not offer that option in the beginning before spending a hour filling and faxing paperwork and making calls to resolve the matter. Who issues fax machines anymore??? Use a scanner. I will never use this or any other credit union again. I’ll pay the ¼ extra point to work with the larger banks that correct problems without penalizing their customers. Horrible experience, horrible conclusion on a bank made error. If I could give zero stars I would.

This is the main branch of the PFFCU. I’m not really a fan of this particular location, but overall it’s still a convenient stop for me while I’m running around Chinatown. The staff isn’t as friendly here as in other branches. Maybe because it’s always so crowded? Not sure, but it’s noticeable. I used their notary service a while back and the branch manager was the notary public. He never came over to sign the paperwork and check my ID, he had the CSR bring it to him instead. I found that to be lazy and unprofessional. And, he actually forgot to include an important piece of info on the document and the document was rejected by the township so I had to go back and redo the document at a different branch. That was a pain. As a whole the PFFCU is a great credit union, just not this location.

Meh, I’m only giving them 2.5 stars because they properly flagged fraudulent charges and gave me a notice early the next morning so good security there. That being said, the fact that they only have 3 branches is very inconvenient. I was told by customer service (who answers for all three branches– which really seems to defeat the purpose of personal customer service that credit unions are supposed to have) that I could walk to my nearest branch and get a replacement debit card the same day. So I did, in the heat, which is a small hike from my center city office to the nearest branch, only to wait in line and then to be told that the debit card machine was broken, had been for 3 days and that it should be fixed tomorrow (Saturday). Now why wouldn’t the customer service person have told me that when I asked about getting a new card?
Fast forward to the following Tuesday (today) when I call their customer service number again to double check before hiking all the way up there and guess what, the machine is STILL not working. I mean really?! Almost an entire week of the debit card replacement machine not working?! Get it together already… this is really not asking a lot here.
I should have known when they spelled my name incorrectly on my first batch of checks so I had to wait another week for the corrected checks to come in that this was not going well…

Great rates and glad to be a member! Very happy they finally upgraded their software for online platform. Now it’s time to have better bill pay service. You have come a long way! Let’s go the extra step.

I recently purchased a new car in the beginning of June. As of July 11^th, I hadn’t received any information such as a payment booklet from PFFCU. I made a phone call concerned about this knowing my first payment was due on July 20^th. They apologized and said someone in their loan department would mail me out a temporary bill which I should receive in a couple days and that a new payment booklet would also be ordered. On July 18^th, still having never received a bill and only 2 days before the bill is due, I called again in hopes of paying my bill over the phone. They said if I was to give them my bank routing info, it would take about 5 days to process. I asked about paying by credit card over the phone and was told that option was not available. So the only way to get my bill paid in a timely manner now was to drive to one of the Philadelphia locations. The closest location is in the city about 35 minutes away without traffic. So for PFFCU to not get me a bill in a timely manner nor allowing me to make a payment over the phone, I now must drive a total of 1 hour and 15 min to 1 hour and a half to pay my bill. I have never had this problem with any other lending service and will no longer use this company for any loan or banking needs. Upgraded this review to 2 stars only because the teller service was very good and apologetic once I drove the 45 minutes to pay my bill.

Been a member for over 15 years. What I likes it is not a BANK! I have witnessed the growth and I am pleased to see additional locations in the community. I hate all the fees and service charges that I incur at my secondary bank — BOA. When I am charged — the prices are significantly lower. Over the years I have had Auto & Personal Loans which were at credit interest rates. I say if you have the opportunity to join, go ahead — it’s worth your time.

Terrible customer service and they get so upset if you don’t answer their phone calls. The lady M, M. seem racist too.

I’ve had an account with P&F since i was 16 up until today I spoke very highly of the Credit Union. I have a signature loan and I’ve never been late with a payment until this month (not intentionally) but they wouldn’t as a one time courtesy waive the late fee. Thats not what upsets me, what upsets me was that I went into the branch to speak with a Rep and she said «they aint gonna waive that for you» oh thanks for trying.
I worked at American Heritage Federal Credit Union for 3 years and we always no matter what tried to help our members. Im not writing this because its competition i dont even work there anymore. Im writing this as a customer who’s pissed off at the lack of customer service that was offered!

Great Christmas parties we ad here

I joined because my parents joined because a friend of an EMT joined. Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s not that hard to become a member. You just have to know someone who is a member.
Aside from that, credit unions really are amazing. They have great rates and the staff are friendly and are truly trying to help you! Once you’re a member, it’s not really that difficult to get your banking needs taken care of.
Cons:
1) Main complaint is that there isn’t much parking. It would be great if they had a parking lot for customers…
2) sometimes they have long lines
3) their rates aren’t the lowest I’ve seen at a credit union, but I think they are the second lowest, so still great! And their auto loans are the lowest!
4) no drive thru ATM (but its outside and you can access it ²⁴⁄₇)
Pros:
1) great phone services and can view account online
2) friendly and helpful staff
3) ATM on location but also at the other 10 pffcu locations. They also have ATMs through certain networks where you can withdraw and/​or deposit cash from places like Wawa, 7 – 11, pnc and certain, small local banks (see ATM locator page –
)
4) great rates for loans
— auto loan as low as 2.25 for new and 2.50 for used!
5) great hours! Open on Saturdays! Monday — Wednesday until 6pm and Thursday/​Friday until 7pm!

When I hear of all the fees & service charges other banks charge their customers, and the rates of interest they charge, it makes me glad I’m not a customer of a regular bank. This credit union (it’s NOT a bank) has been consistently excellent, regarding interest rates charged for auto loans, mortgages. Their phone service is also excellent. They have been opening new branches all over the area lately, so you should be able to find one near you.

When Citi started charging sneaky account fees when my balance dropped below some unknown set point during school, I decided that the time had come to move all of my dollhairs to a credit union. I’d had an account with PFFCU for a few years because of their awesome auto loan rates and service. The switch was pretty easy. Customer service is one of the best things about this credit union — you can get a friendly person on the phone very quickly. The website is a little outdated, but functional. Automatic bill-​pay isn’t nearly as quick or flashy as citi’s, but hey, it works. Interest rate discounts for automatic auto loan payments from a PFFCU account are nice. They have several pretty convenient locations around Philly with prompt and friendly tellers. Go ahead, become a firefighter (or cop or EMT… or employee of any of the numerous affiliated businesses) already!

I’ve been banking at PFFCU for several years, and would never go back to the banks. The tellers are courteous, and the agents at the desks are very helpful. No rip-​off fees and good rates.

The South Broad St location isn’t listed here but whenever I’ve walked in there the line was out the door like it was the DMV! Luckily the drive up wasn’t as bad and I was able to complete my simple transaction without waiting forever.

I LOVE this organization!
After years of dealing with banks with NO personal service, multiple add on charges, unprofessional tellers, and continual mistakes, I found
this credit union. I NEVER have a problem. Everyone I have ever delt with has been professional and totally focused on customer service. They are never, ever pushy, but do offer a variety of supplemental services like insurance at extremely good rates. My only regret is not knowing about them years ago.
Debra M.

I worked here for 2 years, and even though I hated it (telephone customer service is an awful field to work in), I’ve been baking with them since I was born and will till I die. Their products and rates are awesome, and they hire really good people. When they slip up and hire not good people, they get rid of them. They take customer service really seriously. If you have an opportunity to get in with PFFCU, do it.

Some credit unions are barely better than banks these days, but PFFCU is different. A true financial partner. Never any hidden fees, a great interest rate in the premium yield account (min $ 2500). No minimum and no fees on checking or savings and 1% interest on both.
I have done two mortgages with them and on my first house they gave me more and better advice than my lousy realtor. They hold their own mortgages, and offer an «express» refinance for $ 995 with no closing costs, title companies, etc. Easy car loans too.
Good service — you call with an issue, you speak to a real person who resolves your issue. This is an institution that truly has the interests its members at heart.

The Police and Fire Federal Credit Union is a great place to hold your money is you don’t like traditional banks. As a credit union, PFFCU usually offers better interest rates and more personalized service. A great thing about it is that it’s exclusive to police and firemen and their families. There aren’t as many locations as a regular bank and definitely not as many ATM’s but they online banking makes everything so much easier.

If you want to avoid the impersonality and frustration of dealing with a large corporate bank (which is likely to change names several times in just a few years), then the Police and Fire Federal Credit Union is for you. For me, choosing to do my banking through the PFFCU was a no-​brainer. My parents already had accounts there, and I knew that they had always had a positive experience with the credit union, whether it was for their banking needs or for auto and mortgage loans. So I opened my first account with them I think when I was about 13 or so, and I have been a satisfied customer ever since.
I bank at the Grant & Academy Shopping Center branch. It is clean, the tellers are all friendly, and the wait time is always minimal (even if the line is long). There is also a convenient quick deposit box inside the bank, so, if you just want to deposit a check and don’t want to wait in line, you just fill out an envelope, put your signed checks inside, put the envelope in the box, and your checks will be deposited into your account by the end of the business day. They also have a coin sorting machine, where you can dump in your spare change and get a receipt, which you can take to the teller and exchange for cash or deposit into your account.
They also have a convenient online banking service, which is extremely secure. From their site, you can check your balance, pay bills, make account transfers, pay your credit card, make loan payments, etc. It’s a great tool for keeping your check book balanced and up-​to-​date.
What I really like about this place is the personal service and reasonable interest rates. The money market savings account (as opposed to the regular savings account — you can get both) has a pretty good interest rate (I think about 5%), and there are no crazy fees for things like overdrawing your account or using the ATM (wherever you draw out money — you just have to pay the fee for the bank where you’re taking money out). I usually take out money at Wawa, which doesn’t have a fee, either, so that I don’t have to pay any fees to withdraw my own money. I also have a Visa card through them because their rates are reasonable, unlike the usurious rates of corporate bank-​issued credit cards. The credit union also offers auto loans, mortgages, educational loans, personal loans, etc., and they often have special deals on auto loans from time to time. Overall, I’ve always been extremely happy with this bank, and I wouldn’t switch to a big bank for anything.
The PFFCU used to only service police officers, fire fighters, and their families, but they opened their doors to the general public a few years ago. They also expanded their branches. In addition to the main branch on Arch Street and the Grant & Academy branch that I frequent, they also have branches at 7500 Castor Ave., the City Avenue Shopping Center near Haverford Ave., the Andorra Shopping Center on Ridge Ave., a stadium branch on S. Broad St., a Leo Mall branch on Bustleton Ave., and, coming soon, a branch in Davisville. Check out their services and locations on their website at:
. You won’t regret it.