Lake Trust Takeovers

I was a member of Huron River Area Credit Union, then Detroit Edison Credit Union and finally Lake Trust Credit Union for over 10 years.  Not their best customer or their worst and admittedly I didn't make a lot of use of the "member services" during my time with them.  What I did appreciate was the friendly small-town customer service, low fees or no fees or charges for things like money orders, statements or bank checks.  That all changed when Lake Trust took over last year.  Their fee schedule now rivals that of any of the "big mean banks" with $10 bank checks, $5 - $15 transfer fees from checking, and $29 overdraft fees for even a few cents.  Programs they used to have in place to help their customers work through financial issues are a thing of the past.  While the branch customer service remains friendly, woe be unto you if you have to deal with anyone at the main branch.  I see all these credit union commercials all the time about how you're a "member" not a "number".  I can tell you that I most assuredly was nothing more than a number to Lake Trust and I have heard similar statements from other customers.  As a matter of fact, when I opened my account in 2001, it was on the recommendation of several co-workers and friends.  I am the only one left - everyone else moved to other credit unions or banks years ago.