FAIRWINDS Credit Union is the largest locally owned and operated financial institution in Central Florida. But that’s not what makes them special. For them, it’s all about their members, all 182,374 of them. Their members are their driving force. Their livelihood. Their family, friends, classmates, and neighbors. Their inspiration to be a better credit... show more
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FAIRWINDS Credit Union Reviews
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24%
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22%
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5%
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38%
2.9
91 reviews
91 reviews
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FAIRWINDS Credit Union
undrcroft @undrcroft
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1 Star Rating
Fairwinds opened accounts that I did not approve of and took funds from my primary account. They have refused to respond, and I am now having to file complaints with government agencies to rectify the situation.
I have been with Fairwinds for many years, and they have treated me with courtesy and respect. They have been very vigilant in watching for fraud as well. When my husband passed away last year, they were super helpful to me. They still are.
After I closed my account, Fairwinds still submitted bill pay. Due to there being no money in the account (it was closed for almost a month), the money was returned to Fairwinds. Now I owe $30 for an NSF that should have never happened. When I called Fairwinds, they said it was my fault and that I should have canceled all my bill pays. You would think when closing an account, EVERYTHING WOULD CLOSE.
I don't know what it is about the Orlando local banks, but they're not good. I could not open an online account at Fairwinds. I'm an attorney and a Harvard alumnus so surely I have some intelligence to open the online account. There are no steps to activate the account I set up at the Oviedo branch. I then go to the branch and the front desk gal (very sweet by the way) sent me a link. When I got home, it said the link expires in 30 minutes. What kind of bank is this? The worst banks I've ever banked with in my life are: 1) Trustco 2) Truist 3) Fairwinds
All in Orlando. Very upset. I tried to give these banks a shot, but they're the worse. They need to be able to compete with the major banks. I expect my banker to call me by end of today or I will go back to Wells Fargo.
Been with them for years. Years ago, I opened savings accounts for my three minor children. For years, when I logged in online, all my children's accounts were accessible from my login. It's been six months since I last logged on. They have updated their system, and now all my children's accounts can't be found and are unlinked from my account. I've been looking everywhere in my home for their member numbers and can't find them. They stopped sending statements over a year ago. Customer service is useless. Even supervisors via the call center were of no help. They keep telling me they can only assist me with my account. I'm praying they're able to find my children's accounts when I go into the bank, or else all their savings are lost.
Crystal at the Apopka branch is one of the most helpful people I have dealt with at the Apopka branch. I was pleasantly surprised by her ability to make what seemed to be a large request so easy. More than that, she did it all with a smile. So grateful for you. Please know what a gem you have in this employee.
They will repossess even when you have paid monthly on time for 3 years, but then your husband passes away, and you notify them. The court also notifies them, but they continue to accept your money for 8 months, despite never being even one day late. Then suddenly, they are here to repossess your car because it has more value than the amount owed, and you aren't paying any interest because your interest rate is too low. Widows, beware!
The staff at Fairwinds has been courteous and helpful to me for over 20 years. When I went through a divorce, they were helpful in splitting up my accounts and starting me on a new one. On one occasion, I have still had trouble with people using old information and charging me for other debts. In some cases, the staff at Visa or Fairwinds have caught the transactions, but in every case, Fairwinds has made it right. When I lost a job a few months back, they helped me change my bank account to avoid fees I would have incurred when my direct deposit stopped. Very happy to be with them.
Horrible customer service. I live in St. Cloud, FL and have been a member since 2009. Carlyn, a teller, was very rude and unprofessional. I scheduled two bill payments to an exterminator on 11/13 for $224.00 and on 11/14/2023 for $219. The $224 was the wrong amount, so I called the company to not cash the $224 check, but another check for $219 is coming.
On 11/08/23, there was an ACH deposit for $224 from the exterminator as a payment refund. On 11/13/23, there was an ACH withdrawal for the Stark Extreme online payment of $224. On 12/01/23, I went to the branch and tried to deposit the uncashed exterminator check for $224. Carlyn was extremely rude to both me and the Exterminator supervisor, April. She insisted that the check was no good and, therefore, I could not deposit it, but eventually, she did deposit it. I think she did this just to get rid of me. On 12/01/23, I made a deposit. On 12/05/23, there was a withdrawal for the return of the checked deposit. After Christmas, my husband and I went to the bank, and to my dismay, it was her again, and she was just as rude. We went home, called, and asked for a supervisor. She put me on hold after telling me that they were very busy in an angry tone of voice. I spoke to Ann, and I told her about the very rude employee, but I got nowhere with her either. I will transfer to a different bank. I am not happy with Fairwinds anymore.
Absolutely the worst financial institution I have dealt with. Good at first, and seemed very customer-focused. Then I made a purchase of $3,600. My debit card was then locked. Keep in mind they let the transaction go through, then locked the card. It was a legitimate transaction. I called and spent 1.45 hours on the phone, holding and calling back with more than seven people, and never got the card unlocked. So I tried adding another account to transfer money to use and then got a "wait 2-3 business days" message; it never worked, the account showed but would not let me transfer, and there were bill pay delays of 1 week. I guess they think if they make it difficult to get your money, you will forget and stop trying. I am closing my account and will never deal with this incompetent, bureaucratic business again.
FAIRWINDS CREDIT UNION is the best place for customers to seek assistance against identity theft. Staff members are working around the the clock to provide service against identity theft and more…
- Lured me in with a "free" checking account and also signed me up for a savings account I never wanted. - In February 2023, I called their afterhours support, which is contracted through COOP Financial and requested all accounts be closed because I was moving. - Then charged a $12 maintenance fee on the savings account, admitted they never called, sent a physical letter, etc. to notify of the fee since I opted for online banking. - Sent me to their internal collections for the $12 (while they had a $5 deposit held for membership, so I really only owed $7) which was then reported to ChexSystems. - I paid the $7, and the "said" they would update ChexSystems, but they kept me reported as an "Account Abuser". - I no longer live in Florida, but I cannot open an account with ANY banks in the community I live in now.
I wish I had better things to say about Fairwinds. But this place is a discriminatory lender, preys on the poor, and generally is a disgrace to the Central Florida community. Almost any “bank” is better than Fairwinds.
My journey with Fairwinds started when them in college at UCF. I got a part time job in their call center. After a year being there, they threatened to fire me for clocking in 30 seconds past my start time (still on time) with no notice. This was 2008 - your bad busines loan decisions aren’t my problem
I quit and got a professional job. Even with an 800+ credit score they jacked up my interest rates on my care to 18%… Fast forward ten years, I applied for a second credit card for travel rewards I was denied because of my amount of “student loans.” I have an 800k credit score and make $200k+ a year. Plenty of DTI to support another card. Thanks but no thanks. I quit Fairwinds right then and I continue to give Chase my business
Get answers to your questions about FAIRWINDS Credit Union below. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company. Please keep in mind that it is not a financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.
No, Fairwinds Credit Union does not do credit checks for checking accounts. Banks and credit unions don't check your credit when you open a checking account.
You can get approved for a Fairwinds Credit Union Secured card with a discharged bankruptcy on your credit report. The card is designed for rebuilding credit.
When it comes to auto loans, Fairwinds Credit Union pulls “auto enhanced” credit reports from Equifax. That just means there's more information about how you've managed auto loans and leases than normal.