The $22.6 billion Mountain America Federal Credit Union in Sandy, Utah, completed a major core and digital banking platform conversion on Tuesday that it said would deliver a secure, efficient, and user-friendly experience.
But for some of the credit union's 1.4 million members, the experience did not meet their expectations.
Since Tuesday, Mountain America's social media channels have received hundreds of complaints from members who reported losing access to online banking, the mobile app and ATMs. One member said his business accounts were missing while another member found fraudulent charges on a debit card that occurred during the shutdown.
"This is the longest update ever and does not appear to have any added benefit to members!" wrote a Mountain America member on Facebook. "The hoops people have to jump through for their hard-earned money is insane! DO BETTER!"
A few members reported no issues with new banking platform.
"I love it," a member wrote. "I can see all the accounts that I need to manage."
While many comments were critical, others praised the credit union for its efforts to resolve the issues. Mountain America also responded to members' comments to assure them that the credit union's teams were doing everything possible to fix the system problems.
For months, Mountain America informed its members that the credit union was planning for a major systems upgrade, which meant that from the close of business May 29 through June 1, digital banking and account access would be unavailable, and all branches and its service center would be closed. According to the credit union's plan, the new systems would be up and running by 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
In a prepared statement issued Thursday, Mountain America said the conversion represented a significant investment in technology, security, and the future scalability of the organization. The conversion followed months of planning, testing, operational readiness efforts, and proactive member communications.
"MACU did a great job of notifying members of the update," wrote one member. "I received emails, texts, alerts on the app and website to prepare us. I got cash out for the weekend. Yes, this is an inconvenience, but MACU did everything they could to prepare everyone. Is it their fault you didn't pay attention?"
But another member said she did prepare for the shutdown by monitoring MACU's emails, printing account balances, making transfers and completing payments before May 29.
"Now I'm completely locked out of my accounts with brand new fraudulent charges posted right before losing access, no way to get my info and no way to contact a rep for help," the members wrote.
"System updates this comprehensive result in some post-implementation issues and service disruptions can occur as systems stabilize and integrations are optimized," MACU said in its prepared statement. "We are aware that some members have experienced intermittent issues accessing account information through online banking and our mobile app, and we understand the frustration this can create."
MACU took issue with media reports that highlighted individual member experiences about the conversion.
"Those reports have not accurately reflected the full context of the account relationships, digital banking changes, or member-specific circumstances involved," the credit union stated. "While in some cases, members are finding they have visibility into accounts on which they are still connected due to their SSN or TIN, but [they] may have been unaware [of] or forgotten [about]. There have been no cases in which members have been given access to another member's account information or any accounts on which they are not connected through their SSN or TIN."
Throughout the conversion process, MACU said it will remain focused on members, including transparent communication, secure access to their accounts, and confidence in the protection of their funds and personal information.
READ MORE: MACU's Statement.
Peter Strozniak can be reached at peter.strozniak@arc-network.com.
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