Bank of the West

This review is based on several interactions starting at the beginning of this year.


The past three times I have been to the ATM at this location it has been out of service, unable to dispense cash, or out of envelopes, and not because of regular maintenance.

I have asked twice at this branch for a customer service manager to call me back to straighten out some customer service issues and I still haven't been called back several months later.

The checks and debit card that I ordered in February never arrived. It's difficult for me to use my account without either but if they don't want me to use my account, they sure are succeeding.

I have had great interactions and customer service at this branch. This is my preferred Bank of the West branch and I live in Oakland. It is worth the drive to have tellers who address you and are considerate of your time.

Short story: Bank of the West took a $400 application fee from me before fully disclosing what they could and couldn't do and then they were too stubborn to work with after that.

Details: after I paid the $400 application fee they wanted me to put in a heater in my house which they should've brought up prior to taking my money. It's understandable that they'd want a heater put in but they insisted that I get a permit to do it. I gave them 3 choices:
- allow me to do the heater without permits (since I was concerned about the inspector calling out other issues),
- refund my $400 or
- apply the $400 to a new loan application.
They stubbornly refused all three. It was unprofessional of them that they did not make sure there were going to be any issues like this prior to spending my $400 IMO yet they refused to take any responsibility for their actions.

I should also add that Bank of the West has dicked me around 2 years ago as well: after paying and applying for a loan they jacked up the closing costs by another $1200 and didn't tell me until the day of signing!

Was out of town on vacation and missed a rollover on a CD. Thought oh well probably a penalty of a few months of interest..but oh no the penalty was 20 years worth of interest!! Never again will I bank with Bank of the West.

Underhanded business practices at Bank of the West in Orinda

We opened an account that included a promotional "bonus offer" for keeping funds at the bank for 12 months with 0.90% rate on a 12-month CD. Unfortunately, the Bank of the West employee, Deonna Hale, did not mention the CD auto-renewed although more than 12 months later Deonna claimed she "remembered telling us about the auto-renew feature" which is laughable...I can't remember what I had for dinner last week. As a result, 12 month later--after a vague voicemail and incomplete notice in the mail--our CD automatically renewed at 0.2%. What customer would want a 12-month CD at 0.20%? When we complained, the Orinda branch manager, Jack Lucas, told us we could not cancel the renewed CD without paying a 3% "early withdrawal" penalty. This is nothing more than a bank taking advantage of its customers. To make matters worse, Bank of the West did not deliver on the "bonus offer" saying that we were not registered for the promotion even though Deonna Hale stapled the coupon to our application. Unbelievable...is this what it takes to turn a profit in commercial banking? Only after writing a letter to the CEO did Bank of the West make good on the "bonus offer" and release the CD without penalty.

We recommend steering clear of Bank of the West in Orinda and would not give a job reference for Deonna Hale and Jack Lucas considering our bad experience.

They rock. Unfortunately, I don't, as I can't remember the young man's name who came to let me in at a minute past closing on a Saturday afternoon, and was so very gracious in finishing my transaction. Truly wonderful customer service!

I've been in Bank of the West mainly when helping my mother or aunt or closing their estates after they died. The staff is always so helpful and pleasant. I am considering changing my account and banking there.

I love home town businesses. Bank of the West Orinda delivers the Best of service the larger Banks have forgotten how to deliver. I love going into the Bank of the West Orinda and being met by the same wonderful people year after year. I highly recommend Bank of the West Orinda. I have been a customer for over 6 years and am extremely pleased. Thank you Jack, David, Kay, Beverly, and everyone at Bank of the West Orinda.

I had my very first Bank of the West experience the other day with the intentions of opening up a checking account because they are currently offering a free iPod touch with every new account opened. Right as I step foot into the bank, I was greeted by a young man at one of the cashier's windows. The bank was pretty empty at my time of arrival with the exception of another woman with her children. I asked the man about their offer and he directed me to another woman at a desk, named Kay. She quickly opened an account for me and was sure to explain any questions I had along with friendly small talk. I didn't feel pressured at all to try to sign up for any additional accounts like I do with other banks. My only complaint about Bank of the West is unlike Bank of America, they do not give you a temporary card to use while your permanent card is mailed to you. I had to visit another Bank of the West branch just to withdraw some cash. The bank is located in the midst of small shops and places to eat, which is nice, but getting out of your parking spot, or trying to find parking without getting hit, is kind of frustrating. Other than that, I am glad I am now a Bank of the West customer and this specific location, with its friendly and helpful employees, is definitely "a-ok" in my book.