Northwest Bank

Northwest Bank is charging a $2,100 returned check fee. I attempted to pay off a car loan of $42,000 early. PNC Bank, where the check was written from, declined the check, thinking it might be fraud, even though it was legitimate and there were valid funds in the account. Due to the check being declined, Northwest Bank charged a 5% fee of the check amount. In my case, that was the payoff amount, even though I only owed $685.77 for the month. Imagine my shock to see the returned check fee is $2,100. The fee is over three times the monthly loan amount. I called and spoke to numerous people and asked them to remove the charge or to reduce it to 5% of the monthly loan amount, but they refused. This is an unfair and unjustifiable charge when the normal rate would be $25-$50. Northwest Bank is taking advantage of a bank mishap and overcharging for a returned check. I honestly don't know how this is legal and how this bank can morally stand by this charge. After reading numerous reviews, I see this appears to be their standard. Stay far away.

We've been with Jersey Shore State Bank for at least five years with no problems cashing our checks from work. Since Northwest took over, they don't want to cash our checks. They would give us a certain amount of money and then we had to wait until the next day to get the rest, which would be on a Saturday, and they're not open on Saturdays. Additionally, we have a savings account, so you do not get a card. So, I'm looking for a new bank as I heard they were not good.

Very poor services. Charging high fees for a business checking account. I will never go back to them; very rude employees and bankers. You cannot do mobile check cashing or anything like that.

No morals and horribly run. Worst bank you could possibly work with. These guys could not possibly care any less about their customers; all they want is to make a quick buck at anyone else's expense. Horrible business practices and customer service; their entire business model is to just buy out smaller, actually profitable banks. Without this practice, they would not be a profitable company.

This bank is full of highway robbers - they literally took my truck back by falsely claiming that I was incarcerated. That's right, they said I was in jail. They initiated a repossession through a third-party company, and I have obtained the repossession paperwork that they allege they never issued, which shows the bank representative authorizing a third party to retrieve my truck. I advise against doing business with this bank. They deprived me of my truck, which I had reliably paid for over three years without missing a single payment. I possess the order they sent to the towing company stating that the reason for repossessing it was because I was in jail. I have never encountered such an absurd situation in my life, especially since I was not in jail.

This is the worst bank in the world. When I called them and proved I was not in jail, they still demanded that I pay off the loan in full to get my truck back, claiming it was their policy and disregarding the laws of the State of New Jersey.

Absolutely horrible. I fell behind on my truck payment. When I made a payment back in March to prevent repossession while I waited for money to come in to bring the account current, they accepted the payment. I got the confirmation, and then 10 days later they denied the payment and sent it back, which I still haven't received, and they repossessed my truck. Now they are arguing with me and said I have to pay the loan in full to get my truck back. Why would they accept the payment and then turn around 10 days later and deny it? Unbelievable.

I've been doing some research on the foreclosure process in Indiana. Missing a payment for under 30 days is not the proper process for this. Even sending a letter to warn of foreclosure under 30 days is not correct. I've also never been offered help with this. I've just been sent letters stating that the foreclosure process is beginning.

I have banked with the Grove City branch of Northwest for years. They were convenient and nice.

Recently, they moved their ATM from inside a comfortable vestibule to outside into a vehicle drive-through lane.

Now, with snow, ice, rain, and sun glare, using their machine will be less safe and uncomfortable from a pedestrian's point of view. Using those machines from a car window is always a stretch and a close encounter.

The branch manager told me that Northwest made the change to save money. I fail to see how that makes sense. And what about the customer experience?

I think justifying it as saving money is untrue, perhaps to cover some ill-advised decision.

If you cannot trust your banker's honesty or judgment, make your best judgment.

Roger M.

If you have an option, work with any other bank! They're impossible to get a hold of—phone hold times are eternal and one is constantly being disconnected from their chat when they can't answer your question. It's difficult and outdated to bank with, if it were not for them acquiring our mortgage (forcing us to be customers), we would never put up with these issues. On top of this, they constantly ask me to refer them to friends and family. I'll make sure to refer any other bank.

Northwest Bank is not one you want to work with! I have an auto loan with them. Up until last month, I had a payment book that I would clip out the coupon, write a personal check and mail it to their PO Box. This is now the 2nd time in a 3 year period of time that they didn't receive my mailed in payment. I have great credit, I'm employed full time, I make enough each month to easily cover these payments, but it really upsets me when I get a text message indicating that the payment was never received. I then call Northwest Bank and need to go through a RIDICILOUS proof my identity to make my payment. To make matters worse they charged my a late fee and a processing fee. SHAME ON YOU NORTHWEST BANK! If you can bank or get a loan elsewhere do your self a favor and do it, because banking with NORTHWEST BANK will prove that they only care about gouging you when a payment was mailed and not received. Of course anyone in business would value the relationship and look at my history, BUT NOT these clowns. Go elsewhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I only gave them one star because giving none wasn't possible; they deserve none.

They outright lied to us, told us to bring a check for the sale of our house from Canada. I called weeks ahead and asked what they needed, and Robert said it was all good; they were ready. We brought the check, they deposited it in our account, and released five thousand dollars. We bought a house, put down five thousand in earnest money... THEN... They pulled all the money back out of our account and said they needed a third party. The check was over their maximum. REMEMBER... I asked them what they needed to process this transaction. They could have said to get two checks so they weren't over the max. Full of excuses and apologies, but no help. They don't care about our peace of mind. We are in trouble with a closing date; they DON'T CARE.

The absolute worst loan experience I have ever endured! Trying to make a payment in any way except for calls is impossible, but they will gladly charge you $10 for that. It's been 18 months and I am no closer to getting the online banking or app to work than on the first day. The information they send is for the wrong application. I'm about to tell them to come and collect this camper because I am extremely dissatisfied. I advise against doing any sort of business with them.

Too many fees, the service is terrible, the interest rates are very low, banking hours are fewer than other banks, the banking locations are not convenient, and the employees are not friendly.

"I wish there was an option for something less than one star! Horrible experience all the way around. Something just isn't right! For weeks now, every single Thursday, when my husband's paycheck is direct deposited, we have issues. The debit card will work fine all day long when the bank is open, but once they are closed and you can't go in or call customer service, the card just flat out stops working. If you try an out-of-network ATM it'll just tell you balance unavailable. At the stores, it declines purchases. At Northwest ATMs it'll say I've reached my limit of ATM transactions, even though it'll be the very first attempted transaction. They just really don't want you to access your own money. I read recently that they're selling their largest branch in our area which is downtown. On top of blocking our access to our own money and doing it right at the end of the week when most people get paid, they do it when there's no way for you to contact anyone to resolve it. It's honestly making us wonder if they aren't in over their heads and are trying to limit access to funds on typical paydays to try to keep afloat. On top of that, their hours in our area are now 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except for Fridays and Saturdays. Friday they stay open until 5 p.m. and Saturday they're open until noon. Most people who work days will not have time to get there before they close. My husband can't even get there on Fridays due to his hours. I'm on the account but all they allow me to do is withdraw and deposit. They won't address any issues at all with me, even when he's called them from work telling them he can't get there and he needs me to be able to handle it. The only day possible for him to go in is on Saturdays and when it comes to actually speaking with someone above a regular teller, they have claimed every single time that there hasn't been a branch manager working. We are finished. Going in Saturday and closing out all accounts and taking our money elsewhere. I stopped at a gas station today around 4 p.m., got gas and even checked my balance at the ATM there; everything was fine. Went two miles down the road to Walmart, spent two hours grocery shopping. Had a cart filled to the top. Scanned everything and bagged everything; $300 worth of food and other necessities; card wouldn't work! Had to leave that entire cart there for those people to put back. I was in tears over this. I can only grocery shop on Thursdays or Fridays because of my older daughter's sports and school schedule and had even paid a sitter today to watch my 3-year-old! I really feel like this bank is trying to scam their way out of going under. If you are considering this bank for your financial needs, run away as fast as you can! Just read the reviews online. Even here, I read one positive review; everything else was negative.

Not happy about the service I received. They acted like they couldn't care less. I guess they like it that way. I won't be going back any time soon.