Fremont Bank

I’ve banked here for years and I usually like going to this bank, because it’s quick and easy. But the lady opening accounts today took forever opening this one guys account. I waited for half an hour before someone asked me what I was waiting for. When I said I wanted to talk about student loans, she gave me a pamphlet and told me to apply online and went back to helping the other guy.
I had gone in because their student loan website wasn’t working. I had already tried the same url that was on the pamphlet before coming in and it kept saying that the page couldn’t be found. So I tried it again and it still didn’t work.
When I tried to explain that to her, she didn’t pay attention and just said to do it online. I would have loved to have avoided coming in, if the url had worked the first hundred times I tried it. I even went through the whole website and couldn’t find student loan services anywhere on there.
In the end, i went to wells fargo and got everything done. The customer service in this bank is starting to go down hill. It was much better when I first switched to this bank from Wells Fargo. I think I might switch back, because at least the people at Wells Fargo take the time to listen to what I have to say.

Okay these guys are great! I don’t think I could go back to a huge bank, as I am treated with such care here.
We have worked with Fremont bank as small business owners for a few years now and I just had to take a moment to talk about the group at the Livermore Branch.
First, it’s nice to see very little turnover, as getting to know everyone you bank with really helps our overall family and business. When things get hectic trying to run your business and keep up with life, it’s nice to know they truly look out for us at this branch! They call us when we need to make a deposit, they go out of their way every single time we ask for help.
My husband and I were effected during the very difficult time with our economy and the financial difficulties it caused so many people were difficult times for many of us.
They have worked with us to re-​build our business as much as they possibly can… mainly they make us feel like they believe in us, knowing where our business was and having to work so hard to reestablish it all.
I want to personally thank them for treating me, my husband and our boys with such care and dignity. They are all a really special group of people (:
Most Sincerely,
The Hernandez Family

Friendly branch staff with some nice customer perks in a convenient plaza.
I went in to open a checking account, but I had a lot of questions since it was a local community bank. I tend to be a very inquisitive customer. They answered my questions in a polite, helpful manner. For example, what if I need to use an ATM and there is no Fremont Bank nearby? Good to know I don’t have to pay an extra fee to use my own money. :P
In terms of plaza convenience, where else can you bring your dog in to see the vet, grab a starbucks, get lunch, and open up an account at the same time. :)
And the kicker for me was the convenient coffee pod system for customers and the local city newspaper. I’m a sucker for free coffee (that’s not stale) and sitting for a moment of quiet on a comfortable chair.

I went here the other day to open a savings account because my supposedly banker never emailed me back. The customer service is really plain, my experience with them was so boring. I mean, I get it, it’s a bank, nothing exciting. But the lady who opened my account really seemed like she didn’t even like her job. I expected a little side conversation here and there, you know? I used to bank with Wellsfargo and customer service was always A+. The bankers usually ask you questions to try to figure out ways to help you with your finances like, «Are you going to school?» «Do you need loans?» «How’s your living situation?» or just anything.
ALSO the lady didn’t even bother introducing herself, I read her name tag but she was so boring that I didn’t even bother remembering it. I do remember her saying, «Let me sign up an application for you for a credit card.» then «Do you have good credit?» RANDOMLY. WHAT THE FUCK. Why would I share my info with you if you’re a stranger to me. She didn’t even ask me if I needed one or how my financial situation is. She kind of just made the decision for me. How would she know if I need one if she knows nothing about me? I feel like bankers are supposed to make you feel like you’re bestfriends to make you feel comfortable in terms of sharing with them your financial situations.
Idk, if im gonna pick a place to help me handle my finances this place would definitely not be the one. I’m thinking about going back to Wellsfargo.

Love customer service, friendly staff, always there to help you with all our needs, like coffee station where we can get coffee while we wait for the service or to see the officer, I always recommend all my friends to bank with this branch only not only it is easy to get to and as large parking area as well as drive thru service. When I was there last time I need some special care their officer Ms Raxaben Patel helped us and she was very professional and helpful in every way and our work was done on time and quickly

I just successfully completed a refinance with Kathy Ng and a few other loan agents who helped me out with the process. I will have to say that many of my documents got lost several times and I had to resubmit them over and over. But at the end, Kathy Ng was able to get my loan in order and processed. Overall, I’m very happy with Fremont Bank for making it easy to refinance and its low rate.

I had an excellent refinancing experience with Lorie Dunn. She is professional, responsive, knowledgeable, and she got me a good rate. The whole process took less than 3 weeks, I believe. It helped that my appraisal came in high, too. Lorie did not jerk me around or mislead me. I’ve had some bad experiences with other prospective lenders. The whole Fremont Bank mortgage team was professional, and I’m very satisfied with my service from Lorie and the team. I got a fair deal and that’s the best compliment.

Gina, Maria and their staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. You truly feel appreciated and valued at this branch. If you visit the branch often enough they will recognize you and call you by your name. I would highly recommend banking with Fremont Bank especially at this branch.

I had a great experience refinancing my mortgage here with loan officer Lorie Dunn.
I got the rate that I expected, which was exactly as advertised when I used their website to search rates and compare the different programs they offered.
Almost everything seemed to happen in a timely fashion. Lorie’s loan fulfillment specialist, Lorena Perez, was really on top of things — getting back to me right away and with all the paperwork. There were a couple of hiccups when the underwriter returned my file back a couple of times and had some questions, but it was no big deal.
I don’t expect to be treated like a king by my bank, only to get what I’m looking for and what they advertise/​tell me over the phone — and that’s what I got. I had a much better experience compared to when I was shopping around with big banks, where I had been given the cold shoulder a couple of times.
Currently, there’s a promotion where if you open a new checking account and pay your mortgage account with it, you can get a total bonus of $ 350!
Free coffee and bottles of water whenever you come is a nice touch.

People are always pleasant each time I enter this place. It might be a local Bank, smaller than the average Corporate Banks in the bay, but the Customer Service treatment always count on my list. Great job and keep up the good work!

Always heard about this place being robbed living in UC in the past. always looked dark and old. Finally went inside to make sure my mom was safe when I visited back home, there’s a bell at the door to let you in and free coffee/​espresso for you to drink.

My parents just finished their refi with Fremont Bank, and I was confused reading all these previous reviews because my parents had a very pleasureable experience. They were aware of the options to lock or float their rate up front, they had prompt responses from all those who worked on their loan, and all the docs were correct. I’ve heard that there is a high turnover rate of employment in the loan department… maybe one should take all the other reviews with a grain of salt and chalk it up to a few bad apples. I imagine that these individuals are no longer with the bank considering customer service is one of their top prioroties. I’ve also had one friend refinance and one friend purchase with Fremont Bank, and both of those experiences were pleasant as well.

I absolutely DO NOT recommend Fremont Bank at any location or any of their representatives (specifically Liza W. and Edsel «Ed» C.). I am attempting to refinance my home loan and it has been a complete disaster.
In March, I «locked in» my interest rate at 4.99% by paying $ 400 and paid an additional $ 395 to begin the application process. This was done with Liza W. I worked with Jose M. throughout the process who was nice and generally responsive to my questions. I provided all documentation promptly and within the timeframe specified. However, when it came time for me to sign my loan documents, I found out that my interest rate had been raised to 5.25%. When I questioned why this had happened, I was basically given the run-​around and Fremont Bank refused to give me the 4.99% interest rate which I had supposedly «locked in» back in March. What is the point of «locking in» a rate (and paying to do so!) only to have it raised when it comes time to sign documents? In addition, why was I informed of this change when I arrived to sign documents? Shouldn’t someone have notified me prior and given me the option of either proceeding or declining? According to Fremont Bank, Ed C. should have done this when setting up my signing appointment but he did not.
According to Fremont Bank, I have two options: 1. Back out of the loan which would mean I lose the $ 795 I’ve already paid into the process; or 2. Get the loan at 5.25%. As a previous reviewer stated, this is definitely a «bait and switch.» This bank is an example of bad business and I warn anyone who is looking into any type of bank transaction to steer clear of this one.
My only positive comment about this entire experience was the notary that I worked with (Christina K.). She was extremely sympathetic to my situation and attempted to right the wrong, though she was unsuccessful.
I have never submitted a Unilocal review before but I felt so strongly about this issue that I needed to hopefully reach others so they did not go through the same horrible experience I have.

Stay Away!
Philip Z. sent me the disclosure documents and said that our house would easily be appraised at least $ 450K. I even have an initial disclosure where they put in $ 500K in the house value. To move forward, they want $ 395 on the spot. Next step — appraisal.
Fremont bank gave us a very low appraisal value on our house (about $ 385K vs. Zillow at $ 450K) and «counter offered» at a higher interest rate. I asked them why they excluded some property in their appraisal (by Tech) and Indira T. said I could appeal by providing a comparable house that sold for more. I did & then she said I had to provide a total of 3 new comps. I found another comp for a total of two and asked them to substitute or add to the appraisers. They would not and stated they have «conservative» appraisals. They kept my application fee, I believe $ 395.
Bait and Switch!

I think this is my 3^rd review on Unilocal in the 2 – 3 years that I am a member. this merits a 1 or a negative star. In terms of lending, they have some very unethical tactics-​at least to gain an application fee, if not a loan. My mom had a conversation with a representative and confirmed that she would get her principal refinanced at a locked rate of 4.375%. Under this verbal agreement, she agreed to move forward and the representative charged her an application fee of $ 395.00 – PLEASE NOTE THIS ALL OCCURRED AROUND 5 PM ON CHRISTMAS EVE – SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO MAKE QUOTA!!!
When the documents came in to sign, it was a floating rate. Even if she did not sign the documents and did not want to move foward with the loan, Fremont Bank still benefitted from the $ 395 in application fees. VERY DECEPTIVE. We are in the process of trying to get this fee back. I will provide updates. BEWARE!

I am in the process of a refinance with Fremont Bank right now. The process has been painful because Myra, the loan specialist, is never available to answer calls, ever. It doesn’t matter what day or time you call, it always goes to voicemail. When I ask questions on her voicemail, she calls back and never addresses the question I asked. Sometimes I wonder if she understands anything I am saying. Does she even pay attention? When time is of the essence in order to lock in a good rate, this is extremely frustrating. In retrospect, I wish I had gone with Eloan again. I will update if Fremont Bank ever manages to finish the process.

I attempted to refi with them as well this year. They never locked in my rate, even after a month of charging my $ 400 application fee. They are so slow, and have demented policies regarding flood insurance.
Basically, this bank tempts you with their «no closing costs» scheme but they’ll hardly ever close the loan. They charge you the $ 400 application fee, which they say will be refunded when the loan closes. However, they will then attempt to find every reason to deny the loan, or make it incredibly difficult every step of the way. They won’t lock the rate until everything is approved, or when the rate jumps high enough that you won’t want to refinance anyway.
Just my 2c about my experience with them for refinance.
They might be different with everyday banking.

I attempted to refi with them on 2003. They never locked me in and then still tried to charge the application fee. This was after 3 weeks of calling every day to get a status. When I threatened to cancel payment thru my credit card, they finally relented. Very unhappy with the bait and switch tactics this company employed.

The service is great here. It’s fairly private because you have to ring the doorbell before coming in. and it makes you feel safe.
I don’t personally have an account here, but when I have to make runs for my parents, I’ll go here if I’m in the neighborhood.

You need to push a button in order for the door to be unlocked. It took me few minutes to locate the button on the side of the door. It was quite small and hidden from me.
The service is great. I come here all the time to pay my utility bills. All the tellers are friendly and pleasant. Even the customers are friendly and does not seem to be in a state of agitated hurry.