Mountain America Federal Credit Union: In cahoots with the telephone industry

4/10/2019 update: The much ballyhooed Credit Karma has also apparently joined ranks with the telephone industry. Credit Karma advertises a free filing of tax returns, but can't "understand your message" when someone dares to not have a phone. Below is a copy of their reply, arriving days after I contacted Member Support as their free-file website indicated for people without phones. Meanwhile, I found a free tax-filing service via South Carolina Dept of Revenue. Read the reviews: Credit Karma's so-called Member Support is lousy for anyone, whether Credit Karma's victims have a phone or not. AVOID 'em like the plague. 

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Credit Karma Member Support, Apr 11, 7:08 AM PDT: Hi Parris, I apologize for the confusion but I do not understand your message. Please clarify your issue and I'd be happy to help you. Thank you for your patience and looking forward to hearing back from you! Credit Karma Member Support

4/5/2018 update: For the latest, see 4/3/18 post, "BEWARE of Consumers Union's campaign to end robocalls"

3/8/2018 update: Re 2/8 update, a minor health issue delayed things, but more info is planned re Consumers Union. 

2/8/2018 update: Consumers Union has been in touch. Earlier today, I replied to an e-mail from one of their employees who works on robocall issues. Stay tuned. 

2/5/2018 update: Still no word from Consumers Union (see 1/10 and 1/13 updates), even though I've asked. Here's a copy of the tweet they sent me, and it still looks to me like my reply was removed:

Consumers Union‏ @ConsumersUnion Jan 10

Hi Parris, your reply wasn't removed. We've shared it with the appropriate staff person to investigate. We'll be in touch!

1 reply2 retweets2 likes

1/30/2018 update: Here's a copy of the message I received from Mountain America Federal Credit Union:

Mr. Boyd,

In order for us to move forward, I need to speak with you over the phone. I am not allowed to open an account without having verbal conformation.  I tried the number on the application (803) 796-3357 but it’s not a working number. Please call me on my direct line, (801) XXX-XXXX.

1/10/2018 update: Recent efforts to tweet a link to this post resulted in a blocked link. My apologies for that. Apparently, the only link that currently works on Twitter and Facebook is a general link to this blog. Thanks for your interest. As of 1/31/18, specific link is once again blocked.

Regarding phone companies trying to force people to have home phones or cell phones, I decided to expose an unpleasant experience I had last year with Mountain America Federal Credit Union in West Jordan, Utah.

Tried to open a CD, and they express-mailed me some forms to be notarized. I complied and express-mailed the forms back in the envelope they included.

Then they e-mailed me that I would have to call them for "phone verification." Never mind that I'm in South Carolina and it was not an 800 number. (see 1/30 update, top of post, for an exact copy of the message)

So I never opened the account, and got a higher interest rate elsewhere. Sometimes it pays to look around. Searching reviews, I found one that claimed Mountain America required wire transfers if you opened an account from out of state. Fortunately, I never got that far with 'em.

I strongly recommend avoiding Mountain America.

I'm sick and tired of businesses helping telephone companies try ti force consumers to use phones, fax machines, wire services - anything but e-mail.  I posted a complaint about another financial institution last year. Adding insult to injury is the telephone industry orchestrating the disappearance of pay phones. 

The phone company "connection" to financial institutions reared its head long ago when I opened a reward checking account with Bank First in Macon, Mississippi, the deal being that in order to get higher interest on your account, you had to have home phone and Internet. I blogged about the stunt they pulled (third paragraph) when I cancelled my home phone and Internet.

Time for politicians who sell out to telephone industry lobbyists to clean up their act.

1/5/2018 update: SUCH A PLEASURE to expose all of these jerks on Blogger, Facebook, and Twitter. If Americans are DUMB enough to tolerate efforts to force 'em to pay big bucks to communicate, so be it. I'm not about to.