| 5 star: | (13) | |
| 4 star: | (5) | |
| 3 star: | (9) | |
| 2 star: | (10) | |
| 1 star: | (55) |
Do not fall for VIO’s better interest rate because that is the only thing that is better everything else is WORSE. They also have a deceptive and unprofessional style of doing business. I opened an account online and had nothing but problems Some transactions were rejected without notice and without explanation. They are unable to solve the problems that THEY caused. When talking to them they give you contradictory or nonsensical explanations. Sometimes they simply refuse to give you any reason. They also refuse to give you their names to follow up or to connect you with a manager. They give you a PO Box for correspondence. They held our money hostage. I am still trying to see where my money is. I am afraid they collect unnecessary private information about their customers that can one day be used against you by these scammers or others that acquire it because of their incompetence. I think they will be out of business soon.
I opened an account with VIO the on line division of Midfirst Bank. It was fully funded by the end of April 2021. I signed onto my account May 28 2021 and saw there were 6 withdrawals made over a 2 week period ranging from $9000 to 9980 and totaling $58600, I notified them immediately and they told me to file a dispute which I did. About 2 weeks later they send me a letter saying the dispute was denied with no supporting documentation. I contact a supervisor at Midfirst and he tells me to file another dispute. I do it and I get a call saying they have recovered $16000 from the other bank, Sutton, and would deposit it into my account. I get a call at the end of the week saying they are still denying my dispute. They refuse to give me back my $42000 even though in their band disclosure it states if you are a victim of identity theft and something like this happens and you report it within 2 days your liability can be no more than $50.00. Then Fedex delivers to me a check for the balance of my money less the $42000 with a letter saying they are closing my account. If I were you and I found this out the hard way don't bank with Vioi Bank.
I've tried closing my account for nearly 2 years and they just keep it open and send me an email every month. It's amazing that anyone involved in banking can be as incompetent as these people are.
Imagine finding yourself out of the country during a global pandemic and no longer being able to access *even the home page* of your bank.
On the phone they let me know that access is "blocked outside the continental 48 states".
They literally told me I should just return to the US if I want to get my money out or close down my account. They can't help any other way.
Or "use a VPN". So is this a security feature? Or some kind of joke?
God help me if anything appears unusual when I do finally get access to this account again.
The savings rate is okay though, no doubt it won't be worth it.
While VIO offers a better interest rate than many, we were quite surprised by the stunningly antique style of doing business. We were closing on a house and went to do a wire transfer to the escrow company. Can't do it online. No digital form. Instead, we had to download a PDF with many fields and then manually send it in. It was then rejected because we use a digital signature (which we didn't). We then resubmitted it and were told that we needed to fill out yet another form and had to have it notarized. All this to do a wire transfer. At that point we weren't able to close on time. They held our money hostage. If I wanted to recreate Pony Express technology I would have bought a horse.
Apparently requires notarization for changes to accounts, readily done in most banks without that particular hassle. Also the credit rating (hard pull?) check that you do not want is not required for most other banks to open just deposit accounts. (Also beware California and other-state credit unions whacking savers that way.) Protecting depositors strongly against themselves, something I no longer have to accept.
Long hold times, pathetic customer service, and a horrible website make for a truly dreadful experience. Avoid this bank at all costs. They will take your money and refuse to help you with anything you need. Buyer beware!
I've had an account with Vio for years. I've never had an issue. My only complaint is when I had to call customer service to reset my password and they were cold, and not friendly. They helped me and resolved the issue. But had no personality. That's not always the case, that was just one time. Otherwise, I couldn't be happier.
Update:
After calling 5 different times over the course of three weeks and having every customer service rep tell me my account is being "processed" I finally got the refund. Every call I made produced conflicting and vague information about what was going on with my account and when I will get my money. Finally on the last call the rep told me that he informed a supervisor about the issue and they would deal with it. I had little hope this would change anything and was about to pursue legal action until two days later my money was finally back in my account. This was only after they withheld my $5,000 initial deposit without informing me of when I will get it back and harrasing poor customer service reps about it. And this was all after my account was arbitrarily closed not even a week after it was opened without any reason or explanation as to why it was closed. Thank god I got my money back but please stay far far away from this "bank".
Original:
I opened a savings account and a couple weeks later I got a letter saying my account was closed. Did not inform me of any reason for it closing just stated it was exercising it’s right stated in paragraph 11. Would have been nice to know why my account was suddenly closed without any notice. They said I will receive a check in the mail with any remaining balance in the account. After talking to customer service they echoed the same statement not giving me any further reason as to why my account was closed. They also said it would not be a check mailed but instead the balance would be returned to my linked checking account. Neither has happened yet. I do not recommend this bank at all. Terrible customer service.
I made the mistake of depositing a check to this account because their mobile deposit limit was relatively higher than my other banks, thinking I would cash the check quicker. Well, a week later and I still don't know when they will let me get my money! As I'm reading other reviews they close accounts as well and leave people at their mercy to get their balance via mail. So, I'm hoping they will eventually release my money before they decide to close my account too and take away my ability to transfer the money.
They kept dropping their interest right away as well.
Apparently, there is no way to send an online message and only you can receive messages.
You have to go through a phone verification every single time you want to login on the same device because it does not save your private device. So you better not lose your phone and have it on so you get radiated.
Even worse, the stupid host system the bank uses is the same as some other backs like ConnectOne, so it cross communicates with the other bank you log into. So your Vio bank suddenly turns into another bank and you have to clear your cache and go through the dreaded sign-in again and have the pleasure of phone verification yet again!
UPDATE: After complaining to the BBB, I was contacted by a MidFirst representative and over a two-day period, they opened my account and I was able to retrieve my money. The BBB saved the day, and my life savings, after being held up for two weeks with no explanation by Vio.
While I am glad that this was resolved, customer service (via their main number) had three opportunities to help me and couldn't manage to do it. The answers I constantly got to my requests:
-"I don't have that information"
-"That person/dept. isn't here right now"
-"I can't send outbound emails/calls"
-"I can't confirm that for you"
-"Someone will call you back" (they never do)
This is the mark of a shady operation. Keep your life simple, do NOT bank with Vio.
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Can anyone who has the same problem as below confirm that they did actually receive their money back??
I opened a savings account, they closed it for "business reasons" within 10 days. Got a letter that said they would send me a check; on the phone, they are saying instead that actually, my other bank has to request the funds. Other bank says no, Vio has to just transfer the money back. Upon my 2nd and 3rd calls, Vio customer service still can't clarify when or how I will get my money back, which is bizarre considering I am clearly not the first customer with this problem. They also can't put me in touch with a supervisor. I am supposed to get a call back, which in my experience, is proxy for "just go away please, and you'll never hear from us". So I have my life savings in limbo and nothing but rude customer service brushing me off like my concern is not important.
I have filed a complaint with the BBB. Vio, your only reason for existing is your customers and their money - if you treat them with contempt, well, enjoy your downward spiral right out of business. Word does get around on the ol' world wide web...
I will certainly never deal with a no-name bank again and would urge anyone considering their savings account to steer clear, stick with a recognizable brand and don't be tempted by high interest rates.
Vio Bank has been a decent choice for saving for a while. The APY, like many others, has been falling precipitously in the recent months. Vio Bank’s website and app are nothing to write home about. The app works for checking on your balances, that’s about it. You must log in to the website in order to accomplish anything else. My interactions with customer service have been great. They answer the phone quickly and are friendly and helpful. I have seen some negative reviews of Vio Bank here but can’t figure out why, my experience has been great. Overall Vio Bank is a decent option but their APY is just okay now, not stellar like they used to be.
Update: Vio bank has graciously kept the funds used to open the account. REALLY glad I didn't initially transfer thousands of dollars.
The closure notice I had received stated the funds would be returned by check. No check. The rep I spoke with told me since initial deposit was made via ACH, it would be returned that way. Nope. So I'm basically out $100. Would have bene great to basically forfeit hundreds or thousands of dollars.
'll give them a little credit though. They have been calling me about my bad review. lol I'm in wildfire evacuation prep mode, and haven't had time to deal with them over this nonsense until now. But, you can see where they place their focus.
DON'T USE THIS BANK. And if you do, open with the smallest amount you can, because you may wind up kissing your money goodbye.
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Like others, I opened a savings account online with Vio, about 2 weeks ago. Today I get a letter saying they are closing my account for "business reasons."
I, too, have good credit, make good money, own my own home, pay my bills on time, etc.
The very fact that they will not provide a reason is pretty good assurance that they are engaging in predatory or discriminatory practices.
Would clearly not recommend them. Guess I will stick with Ally, despite their drop in rates. They've always been good to deal with.
1st, the Mobil app is amateur and you can't do much with it.
2nd, deposit through wiring will take weeks instead of days
3rd, there is no online checking option where we can send/pay bills online
Tried to get a good faith letter from them to purchase a house 4 days and 20 phone calls later their story change 7/8 times first it was no problem letter will be in your inbox buy noon next day it’s oh sorry you have to have this approval letter signed and notorized sent the letter in and it’s ok paperwork will be in your inbox buy 5 then it’s we don’t know what happened let’s put this guy on hold for 30 min to find out (this happened several times) next I ask for a supervisor who still can’t answer any questions. Day 4 is well now your Relator needs to call us so we can verify with your agent so when I asked the supervisor to talk to his boss he actually said “that’s not going to happen” and hung up. Best part is they charge you $15 for every letter they send you. Do yourself a favor and find a different bank to park your money in.
Really wish I read the reviews here before trying to open an account. I gave them a lot of personal information only to be denied due to some issue with my Chex report. My guess is it has something to do with my address because my name is so common. I was sure I answered all questions correctly. I have excellent credit and credit score and no negative reports that I'm aware of (just requested the so called Chex report) and I know this because I am signed up for credit monitoring. I have no negative banking and have had the same bank for over 20 years. This is my first time trying to open an online account. Glad I wasn't accepted now after reading the horrible reviews and negative issues with the site. This does seem like a scam to me. I know they are a legit FI so I'm not worried about my info but seems like others have said they reject you because A) your credit is TOO good or B) they don't want to give the higher rates. Guess I'll just stick with my regular bank that wants my business. My advice to others is to look elsewhere for an online bank!
This bank has hold times like crazy, and transfer times slower than any other bank.
I am working with 4 banks, 1 has a competitive interest rate, but what makes me decide not use this bank anymore is the fact that:
- their website is a joke
- transfers are being slow (better you don't need this money when you plan to get it)
- the hold time is long
- the balance after a transfer took few weeks to be reflected for a 1200$ transfer
Guess is good to save money, by being "forced" to avoid any operations with the bank, due to the bad user experience you will have
Interest rate is great, but I switched to a new laptop and got asked for a security code. Requested I get a call.....no call. Tried multiple times and finally called customer service, not particularly helpful. No way to get the code emailed instead. Still can't access Viobank on my new laptop, have to use my old one just for this bank!
I've been with Vio several months and haven't experienced the issues mentioned in the negative reviews. I've pushed and pulled funds both from external banks and from Vio with no problem.
Which doesn't mean that some didn't have bad experiences, just that not all of us do.
At the time of writing (April 2020, Covid time) everyone is reducing rates, Vio is doing it more slowly than many of the competitors.
I opened an account and scheduled my initial funding deposit. The deposit leaves my funding account on Thursday, then I get an email in Friday telling me that for no reason they have executed their right to close my account and they will mail me a check for what's in the account in 7 days. Meanwhile, I can't access the money, I can't transfer it out and when I called they said they would not transfer it back to the funding account even though their disclosure agreement lists that as an option. It feels like a scam to me. I hope I get my mind eye back. Avoid at all costs! Go with a company who's name you recognize. I sure wish I had.
Like others, I was attracted to their high savings rate. My goal was to maintain a balance slightly under the FDIC insured limit of $250k.
I applied, and was approved. Three hours later, I got an email that they were closing the account for "business reasons".
Federal law (U.S. Fair Credit Reporting Act) requires banks to tell consumers why they're being denied. It looks like, as a workaround to bypass federal law, they're approving people, then closing their accounts. That way they can say, "we approved you, so we don't have to tell you why we're now closing your account".
Very slow, Very clumsy, often times doesn't work, no support,
Talk is cheap. Actions are what matter.
VIO is a talker!
Only read a couple of reviews but got approved on the first try with a small initial deposit. Spoke with a representative to make sure everything was ok and despite being a little cold, was very informative. Just deposited a large amount hope everything goes well!
I opened an account this week. I was nervous due to all of the bad reviews. It took me only a few minutes to open the account and get approved. I did it all on my iPhone too!
I already made a mobile check deposit on via the Vio mobile app and it went well.
Not sure why it went so smoothly for me and not for others, but I am very pleased with the experience so far.
When I opened my account with Vio, my inial deposit amount was grayed out at $5000. I read that you can just edit that amount when you open the account - WRONG.
So now I am stuck transferring $5000 via ACH which takes 3-5 days, once it arrives to my Vio account it will take another 3-5 days for it to go back to my BofA account.
My advice is to stick to the more established banks like AMEX or Marcus by Goldman Sachs.
High interest rate earnings but very long holds on your regular check deposits and ACH incoming deposits
I have been with Vio for only 2 months & can't end my relationship with them quick enough. They closed my account without warning (for excessive withdrawals I learned). I went to access my account online and see a $0 balance when I actually I have $20K+ in a savings account. I've called 3 times in the past week and have gotten the run around about where my money is. No answers!!! I ask to speak to a supervisor ... they can't connect me to a supervisor & they won't give me the supervisor's name or phone #. I ask for an address, all they will give me is a PO Box. No one can tell me if & when a check has been processed to send me my funds. I get apologies every time I call, but no answers. Still don't have my money after waiting for a week. All I'm told is I'll get an email when the check is processed, but no specifics of when that will be. Stay away from this bank. The interest rate is not worth what I'm going through.
I don't know what all the negative fuss is all about on here. Opening an account was pretty easy as far as I'm concerned. You apply, then they send you 2 sample confirmation deposits in a few days. You confirm them, then your account is opened. It does take about 10 days or so before the money becomes available but the whole point of a savings account is SAVINGS. Meaning you save that money and don't use it. I've had my account for less than 2 weeks and have already earned more interest on it than my current bank account has in 3 YEARS!! They even sent a personal welcome letter and customer service is even open on a Sunday! What so-called "Traditional Bank" will do that for you? If you ask me it's 5 Stars Vio Bank for Life, Baby!! Thanks a Million!!
Like many reviewers posted, my application was denied. I was dumbfounded. Thinking I must have entered some data incorrectly, I called customer service. They were "not allowed" to tell me why my application was denied. I have always had a stellar credit rating and have never had a financial issue in my life. Denied!! Of course, they now have a bunch of my personal info. Something very fishy going on at Vio Bank. Be careful. The rating services that review this bank don't ever talk about this application denial issue. Hmmm.
I decided to open an account with Vio after my current savings bank lowered its interest rate again. Vio's interest rate is significantly higher. I did not experience any of the difficulty applying for and opening my account as described in other reviews I've seen--that all happened within a few days and was pretty straightforward.
Vio is, however, maddeningly slow about processing my transfers. It has been a full week since I put in my first transfer from my old savings to my new Vio savings, and the money still has not posted. They apparently don't know what to do with it. There is not much point going through the trouble of opening a new account with a higher interest rate if you cannot actually earn that interest and you lose weeks' worth of time getting no interest at all while your money is in limbo.
My old savings bank would take 2 or 3 days from when I put in a transfer request to when the money was posted. So far I am not impressed with
Vio's operation. I am also wondering if my money will ever be posted to my account, and if not, how I might go about getting it back.
At the beginning of June 2019 I received noticed from Vio Bank, a division of Midfirst Bank, that they were arbitrarily closing my account due to a business decision. I had no complaints with them closing my account and only asked for my funds to be remitted to the linked account I had on file as soon as possible in the amount of $2,878.69. After several emails back and forth with different employees I was told I had to wait an additional 10 business days before they could release the funds back to me. I waited that time period, and they told me the money could not be wired or ACH to my linked account and that I had to wait for a certified check to be sent out. I informed them that I did not agree to this manor of getting my funds from them and asked to speak to several supervisors to get the funds ACH or wired to my linked account as promised. I spoke to a manger on several occasions between June 12th and June 26th in which I signed several documents authorizing them to ACH or wire the funds to my money lion checking account. I waited about three days and nothing was done and I received an email on June 26th stating they sent me a certified check and that would be the only way that they could pay me even though I had signed all forms and promised to get the money wired. This is the second complaint I’ve made regarding this matter and in the original complaint they promised to remit the funds to me which they have failed to do. It has almost inside months now and I still have not received one penny of my almost $3,000 in savings I had with them.
Have not applied yet for online savings account. But did call the toll free # and a very knowledgeable person by the name of Shawn was extremely helpful. So far my experience has been very good.
Most online banks take days to a WEEK or more to move money- Not VIO. I request a transfer and the money is in my account the next day! No games or BS. I’ve had no problems with my account at all; great bank.
Like previous comments, my credit score is 800plus. They allow checkx to submit reports on the number of accounts you may have opened this past year. They are fearful if you have other online bank accounts like CIT Bank, Citizens Access or CIBC accounts. They don't want you playing off the interest rate.
Like many others here, I tried to open a saving bank account, My credit score is over 810 and I have over 9 credit cards with no debt or any other issues in my credit report. Yes I got rejected opening an account with them and no answer on the call. I was planning to deposit $200k but they lost this opportunity.
Opened the account online in mid-September. I found the process easy to follow and fairly quick. Then on making the initial deposit, I encountered the external transfer limits others are talking about. I didn't find it too cumbersome though, it was a fairly high amount. That changed though, when I made my next transfer. I found then that transfers AFTER the account is opened have a lower limit. I had to break up transactions and create some messy records, but I got it all transferred. I chalked it up to a new account and learning curve. HERE is the real rub and why I rate them 2 stars. When I made my first check deposit, it was rejected. I called and after verifying way too much info (I bank with lots of places and this was overkill especially before I even asked a question) the rep stated it was denied because the Payee name did not match. The business had made the check out to me using my name, but it did not match the full legal name on the account. I explained the situation to the rep and he seemed to understand. But then he stated, sorry we still can't accept the deposit. I was a little shocked honestly. I asked if he could note the name variation on the account and got another no. At this point I was laughing because Vio is an ONLINE ONLY bank. If you won't take my mobile check deposits how am I supposed to use the account?!? I told the rep that this would basically mean I can't use the account and would have to close it. His reply, all you have to do is transfer the balance to zero and then give us a call to close. Really? You are perfectly okay that I'm going to close an account with over $100k and move it to another bank over a 400.00 check? Talk about not understanding risk vs reward. This is a classic example of form over function. I can't work with a bank that doesn't understand their customer. Come on Vio, you think in this day and age that all your customers will be named John Smith? What a joke.
Had savings account at a couple other banks (Citi and Marcus), but they kept reducing rates 0.25% at a time. Vio Bank has kept its rates consistent, and currently, is one of the highest available.
No issues with account opening.
I wish I had come to this forum before wasting my time and giving all my private information...
Like most of people here, I never had any financial or credit score issue but I still got denied.
customer service is useless. I fond this information on another website:
"Being denied a checking or savings account is considered an “adverse action”, and the bank is required to provide you with an "adverse action" notice that includes the name and contact information of the account screening company from which the bank got the report.
This notice may be provided online or sent via mail to your address on your application.
Learn why you were denied for a savings account and what you can do to make sure you get one next time."
Liked the interest rate...so gave them LOTS of personal info. Spent time entering, then denied, no reason...customer service no help. They have all our personal info now...enough to do serious fraud damage. Am I screwed? Does this sound rotten to you too?
I was able to open an account without any issues. I'm wondering if there's a browser problem or something...I used MS Edge on a desktop computer, would be interested to know what folks who got errors are using. I'm taking a point off for the website...you can't see your full account and routing number on it. They email you that info but it should still be available on the website. Taking another point off because they don't send you a heads up email when lowering your rate like other banks.
After researching online and reading the reviews about Vio Bank, I thought, surely, people must not be following directions properly or being less than honest with themselves when applying for an account. So, I took the reviews with a grain of salt and submitted my application with my nearly perfect credit score and FLAWLESS banking history. I was even on the phone with my main bank preparing a hefty transfer, so confident in the notion that Vio would be honored to land such a sizeable account. I clicked submit and anticipated a congratulatory welcome message but instead got an adverse action notice relating to information from my Chexsystems report. Needless to say I was stunned and honestly offended. Still on the phone with my main bank, I embarrassingly had to unwind the transaction. I get my Chexsystems report a few days later and it’s clean of course. At the risk of sounding arrogant, in all my adult years, I’ve never been denied, well...anything, I’ve applied to, especially finance related. Guess there’s a first time for everything but being told no is a bitter pill to swallow. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. Now the healing begins.
They take all of your info and then say they can't open an account because of communication error. This feels like a scam. Don't trust them with your money. its too precious !
They will hold your money hostage for as long as they possibly can. The customer "service" is horrible and they are a bunch of liars. My money is my money, not theirs. Stay away from this horrible, pathetic excuse for a bank.
I can only say wha this commenter said ---------Like others with 800+ credit scores my application was denied. Like others I received the same non answers from the customer rep drones. Their script does not allow giving any information that is helpful.
They now have my info
I tried to fill up application to open online bank account with VIO Bank wasting my time.. At the end, my application denied say time out and call customer service.
Customer Service unable to give reason why my application was denied. I am afraid, my personal information is there.
This bank advertised higher interest rate but do not want to open account. I have excellent credit history
Submitted a joint application and we were denied. With a 810 credit score I'm surprised to be denied. Supervisor was denied, Rachel the rep, upon every question we asked about the reasons for denial she read up the transcript, after Rachel reading up the transcript the third time we gave up. Was pointless, it was as talking to a robot.
We called Midfirst talked to their customer support which seemed reputable but we can't understand why they are they affiliated with this third rate VIO bank. Not sure what the scam is except to harvest information.
Like others with 800+ credit scores my application was denied. Like others I received the same non answers from the customer rep drones. Their script does not allow giving any information that is helpful. By reading the comments from several of those deemed worthy an account, I'd say I dodged a bullet.
Like some other folks experienced, I applied and provided all my information. After clicking submit, they denied my application. I called the customer service, the lady was rude and was unable to provide me any information.
Please do not apply. They will collect your private information and then deny your application.
I applied for a joint online savings account and it was fast and easy. We were approved quickly and I was able to transfer funds to open the account. The interest rate is one of the best out there so I really like that and hope they remain competitive with other banks. Although I'm a new customer without a lot of experience with this bank, we're very pleased at this point.
I opened a savings account May, 2019. Yes there was some difficulty getting started part of which is on me as I am new to online banking. Some of these minor troubles is because the bank does not keep your phone number for example but this is to protect the customer. Bottom line I have been earning 2.52% interest which is waaaay better than my regular bank. Not sure why there is a lot of negative reviews. They have good customer service and BTW you can send a check(or bank wire) for an external account for whatever amount.
I was admittedly accepted for the account first try, but though I have a 832 credit record, it sounds like others complaining also had great scores so I don't know that this is the reason.
I have spoken to them enough to recognize phone staff by voice, and is a PIB but it seems some are very knowledgeable while others are complete novices. Then too, some are REALLY condescending.
I think I've finally gotten the hang of the push versus pull transfer deal, and since I want to keep my funds put for a while (unless their current 2.52% rate drops drastically) it's OK. I have $100K in Redneck bank, 2.4 % (yes, I know! but it's not a joke) where I can link a checking account for withdrawals so unless I need to take a lot of my VIO balance out to invest it's tolerable.
But BEWARE THIS about wiring out! (And I haven't heard this from any other respondants).
1) Not only do you need to send them a form authorizing a wire withdrawal (good for any bank), it needs to be:
- hard to believe it - NOTARIZED!
2) Also, 72 hours must elapse after they get the form for it to work. (Best to have the notarized form there well in advance of possible need)
3) To put through a subsequent request, you need to send them another form for that specific wire .
I have never heard of having so many hoops to jump through to access your funds, and the worst is they DO NOT TELL YOU THIS IN ADVANCE (I only found out by asking question after question) .
Although this bank's safety rating is mostly excellent (so it seems per my checking methods, anyhow), it almost makes me think they want to make it impossible to withdraw your funds in an emergency - yours or the bank's.
That IS scary!
I can understand the policy making withdrawals hard (they want to keep your $ - d'uh!), but why they make it ghastly to open an account is beyond me. With the near certainty of rates reductions, even to the possibility of NEGATIVE RATES, I'm rethinking my presently maximum FDIC deposit to this bank. (Why they operate the high yield accounts under a different bank name I don't know, but they're not the only one). To start, I'm planning to send them the notarized wire authorization ASAP for protection of my funds.
The more I think about it, the more troubled I am about their policies. That is less the requirement for the notarized form, the delay to make it workable and then needing the second form when you're actually asking for money, but their complete lack of information about these rules! I'd never have learned of them if I hadn't gotten kind of paranoid from working with other online banks which have their own problems with incompetent CS people and restrictive rules re withdrawals. None as weird as VIO though. (BTW I've noticed their phone staff are inconsistent about how they pronounce the name of their own bank - "Vee-yo" or VYE-oh"?)
That said, I also don't know why they are a renamed "daughter bank" of Midstate, but again, they are far from the only hi-yield savings bank to have done this.
Hope they aren't skirting the rules on how this subsidiary is rated for soundness!
The only explanation I can find for their ridiculous conduct and regs is that they are VERY incompetent. As a bank they must want to get consumers' deposits and the way it's set up, they make it almost impossible. OTOH it's hard to think bankers could be this sloppy and off-putting.
My rating below is entirely because of their yield, otherwise (like other online accounts) it would be one star because of the nuisance factor, hoping that's all it is. Wondering if I was accepted immediately not because of my credit, but because my name figures on some unknown stupid consumer rating list!
As others have said and experienced it is not worth parking your money here as they do want your money. I applied and my application was declined (!!) while they could not provide any answers to justify their decision. Customer service is rude and keeping saying the same thing all the time as an answering machine. If a bank does not want my $100k, oh, well I can find better places.
Yes, I was also denied an account from this bank for no real reason and no explaination... But I believe there process of explaination is more than meets the eye... It's time to do some searching into the parent bank and who runs it
Like many others, I was denied an account, and for "security reasons" was not told why. I have never heard of anything so ridiculous. I can't imagine anything that would cause me to be flagged. It is almost like their approval system is completely random. I will definitely NOT be recommending them to anyone. They need to get their act together.
On August 20, I TRIED to open a SAVINGS ACCOUNT with this bank based on the interest rate offered ALONE. The fact that it is not local, does not offer ATM access and would have been solely online, made me nervous. But, I went ahead with the application and was going to RISK IT! ONLY to be DENIED!! A SAVINGS ACCOUNT! Not asking for CREDIT, NOT ASKING TO BORROW MONEY, ASKING TO GIVE THEM MONEY TO HOLD AND DRAW INTEREST FROM. I call their customer service and was told that I was denied based on a "ChexSystems" rating. I am told that I can request a copy and I do. When I get the copy 8/30/19, I see NOTHING DEROGATORY! So, I call ChexSystems customer service and she informs me that they are not responsible for what banks do with the reports and can't tell me what in my report would be reason to be denied. So, I call VIO bank and speak with Rachel, and ask why I was denied. She proceeds to READ me a statement to inform me that I am denied and that due to security reasons she cannot disclose the reason why. When I ask to speak to the president of the bank, she READS the statement to me again. I insist on speaking to the President and she puts me on hold, only to come back and READ the statement to me again! It was like dealing with a recording that doesn't understand what you are saying. If they can deny you at least they could tell you what was the reason.
Like many here, we made application for a joint account with VIO. Before advancing the application, we read 20+ pages of information. By the time we got to the end of application, we timed out & had to reapply. We reapplied but only to learn that it couldn't be processed. Two phone calls later we learned we had been denied. They refused to tell us why for "security reasons." Meanwhile all our personal information is out there. PLUS we have excellent credit without any financial problems ever & we were shocked that we were denied without reason. I learned a denial is an adverse action & they are required to tell me why my application was denied. Customer Service was contacted & their reply was nonresponsive to my request for the reason for denial. I will continue to pursue this with MidFirst & FDIC, but will never bank with them EVER. Very poor customer service. Very disappointing.
It looks like MidFirst Bank (Vio's parent) bit off more than they could chew when founding an online bank with competitive rates.
Like many others here, I had my application declined due to a fraud alert/credit freeze and followed their manual override procedure by sending them probably too much sensitive info over an e-mail. Then I waited. For over a month.
I called a couple of times and was told by a somewhat overwhelmed CS representative that my application was definitely being processed but that it'd take a while since they were doing it by hand.
Then I waited some more.
Today I called, and they said that they no longer are doing manual overrides and that my info was purged from their system. They didn't ever notify me of this.
My partner, on the other hand, hand no fraud alerts on her account and successfully applied for a Vio account, and now has a great interest rate that hasn't fallen (yet). The only downside is that her funds were unavailable for almost three whole weeks. But they were indeed released and all looks good for her as of now.
So, if you're looking for good interest rates at the expense of decent customer service, then Vio may be an okay choice. But they seem a little too unprepared for me to personally trust them with my money. MidFirst should have been a little more prepared for the influx of new accounts when they founded Vio.
I was in process of opening a new account, but checked mint.com to insure i could connect and see this account along with my others. Unfortunately, Mint doesn't connect to this bank. Thats pretty odd, most banks do, and it's deal killer for me.
Although it is not stated anywhere, after collecting ALL of my personal information including SSN and DOB, they refused to open account as they claim not to do business in my state (Hawaii).
Wow,great rate, but....
They limit the inter-bank transfers to $5,000
They charge $18 for outgoing wire transfers.
So if you have a sizeable amount to park for a short time, these fees may outweigh the interest rate.
Should have left my funds in the other online bank...
I tried twice to open an account and it shows "unable to process your application". Call customer service, after they ask for your social security and others, their response is that I could try again to see if the answers are made correctly. Never I had a problem applying for bank account, I do care to have my credit and financial affairs correctly. The experience has been bad, not because the obvious outcome of the application, rather, by Viobank relying on a verification system (LexisNexis) which they use to "verify" the customer information and refer me to them.In order to check...? So far the information should be checked by primary sources of credit like Transunion, Equifax or Experian and no "third parties" or half way sources.
They put a hold on every deposit you make for 5 days ... really other banks don't hold it for that long.
A $5000 daily limit on transfers from your account and a maximum of 5 a month. So if you transfer put a large amount in the bank you have to do it at $25K per month with a 5 day hold on each deposit. Then to get it out you have to do the same increments.
It is not worth the .2 percent interest rate difference from banks online that understand their customers.
Closed my accounts at MidFirst the mothership because they didn't understand the customer!
STAY AWAY FROM THESE CLOWNS!
I was going to make a large deposit into this bank but got the message to call their customer service , waited another 10 mins then got the old retry it again , so I did and the same message. Don't waste your time , go to the nest one on the list . $250,000 loss to this bank or what ever they claim to be.
I opened an online savings account in July 2019. The website is very easy to navigate and I had no problems transferring money from a low rate savings account into Vio Bank. They even sent a thank you letter by Fed Ex overnight to my home address. Have never had to call customer service. Just take your time and provide the information they request accurately. It is a two-step process: 1. Set up and transfer initial deposit 2. Set up your online user name and password. I love this bank!
When applying, please be cautious not to make a mistake. Apparaly if you make an error and don't respond within 2 weeks, you are put on the Hot list!! To sum it up, I asked the CS representative Vio bank does not want my bussiness and she answered "NO".
I tried to open up a savings account and received the same "Thank you for your interest in opening a new account.Unfortunately, we are unable to process your application at this time." message that everyone else is getting. No elaboration. I sent them an email asking for assistance and two days later they responded asking me for a copy of my DL and ALL the financial information for the bank account I want to link. Because, yeah, supplying ALL the information needed to steal my identity over unsecured email is obviously a super smart thing to do. Shame on them for these awful business practices, I do not trust them with my information or my money.
Went to set up an account, you have to apply twice to get an online access which you should just be able to set up all in one go.
I wait a week for test transfers to complete application, then use them to complete application, and once it was done I COULD NOT LOG IN. No access. Considering I gave them a bunch of private information this should all be a lot faster and their system should function.
I quickly transferred funds in my other account so they can't pull out the savings amount I indicated. I want nothing to do with them anymore and I'll probably have to call and go through a lengthly process to delete my account.
Not worth it!!
Just be advised that this bank limits ACH transfers (in or out) to a maximum of $5,000.00 per transfer. And with a maximum of 6 transactions per month, it can take a long while to transfer any substantial amount in or out. Guess they're only looking for small savers. I'll be closing my account after I wait the 3 weeks (really!) hold time on my initial opening transfer.
I attempted to open an account online for myself and a joint owner. I was impressed with the interest rate and wanted to take advantage of that. I finished the application and was given the 'unable to process your application' message as others have noted. I called the 800 # and was on hold for 20 minutes before giving up. Reading other reviews, I am assuming that I failed to answer the personal security questions quickly enough. My joint owner was at work and we exchanged the info via email, so it took a bit. If that's all it takes to reject an application, I'm moving on.
Fail.
I opened my savings account on 7/5/2019 without any hiccups. The trial deposits appeared in my funding account on 7/8/2019 and I was able to confirm and the account was opened. My initial deposit posted on 7/9/2019. I received an email on 7/9/2019 confirming my account opening with instructions on how to setup online banking which I successfully did. So far so good.
I will update my post when I attempt other transactions.
I don't have money to invest, I'm just working on building my savings. BofA has been plodding my account along with One Penny per month for a long time. I took a chance on Vio, and I was amazed when I got almost $2.00 in interest in two months. Yeah, I'm not getting rich anytime soon, but compared to BofA that is astronomical. My biggest complaint is that it takes 3 weeks for deposits to be accessible. That is a long time for my money to be in limbo in case of an emergency! I did a test withdrawal to see how long that would take, and it showed up in my other account the very next day. All in all, I would say the limbo time is worth the high interest rate.
Tried twice today to open HYS account online. The first application attempt failed because it timed out while I was reading the disclosure documents I had to accept. The second attempt "could not be processed." When I called VIO, the CSR explained that I took too long to answer the personal identification questions for myself and my joint account owner. He explained these questions had to be answered quickly to prevent someone from researching info online. Now I should wait at least 24 hours to try again. I also learned that I will need to unfreeze all of my credit reports before trying again or this too will cause my application to be rejected. Advertised rate is great, but having second thoughts now. Unfortunately, all my personal info entered into the application form (twice) is still floating out there somewhere in VIO space. Boo!
Tried to setup an account to take advantage of the 2.52% APY rate for high yield savings account. However, the online automated system could not completely verify me and I was instructed to call Vio customer service. The CSR said I needed to email them a copy of my driver license, which I did immediately. After 3 days pass I call to followup on status. The CSR looked up my request on a "spreadsheet" and told me it takes 2 weeks to get through the so called "overrides". I cancelled the request and will find a real bank that has "real" information systems and proper staffing to handle business. If they cannot on-board new customers, what will service be like after they have my money? !!!
After jumping through the application process firey hoops, my application for a sizable savings acct was denied. The CSR said that I had failed to adequately answer questions drawn from "publicly available records". I was told that I could not reapply for 24 hours because there was now a hold on my account. The good news is that gave me time to read all the negative reviews, and look for another bank.
I hesitate to open this account because of "
$5 Per month after 12 months of inactivity"
https://www.viobank.com/Documents/Vio/Vio_OnlineSavings_FeeSchedule.pdf
Vio refused my application without notifying me in any way. Verification page simply didn't work. The person on the phone gave some BS excuse. I expect they aren't making any money off their HYS accounts and would prefer you not open one.
Waste of time.
I was dismayed to find out could only transfer 5000 a day or 20,000 a month. There is also small limit to how much an external bank can pull out. But you can have VIO wire the money which they did. Took a day extra but was able to get my funds out more quickly
Opened account 2/5/19, Vio sent 2 deposits to myfunding bank account, for verification. Using those amounts I completed the process at Vio on 2/6/19 and they stated they will pull the funding amount from my funding bank.
Later on 2/6/19 I received an email from Vio stating "On 02/06/2019, we were unable to process your request to transfer ..... The account you are transferring to cannot currently be used for transfers".
Called CS asking what happened, why my new Vio account could "not be used for transfers". The CS person was totally unhelpful and said he has to check with a back-office group that went home 2 hours ago. So the CS person turns into a "note taker"... He said he would call me TOMORROW when he gets in at NOON. After pushing this guy for a supervisor or someone else to talk to I am placed on an extended hold. Hung up and called back and got the same guy (guess only 1 person on duty) who said he spoke to someone that comes in early or something like that and I "should" hear from that person... I look at this episode as a sign that it may be in my best interest to NOT go thru with the funding! Also had a chance to read all the comments and it seems I am not the only one with CS problems. CAUTION!!!!
My experience with Vio started out fine, account approved and funded with 2k for the past few months and earning interest.
This week I initiated a transfer from my Capital One 360 account for 7k. It was shown as pending in Vio and cleared Capital One. Two days later it's nowhere to be seen in Vio.
I give them a call and am told our account has been frozen with no explanation (customer service could see nothing about the freeze nor the 7k deposit)?!?! The department that handles frozen accounts isn't open on weekends, so now I have to wait two days to find out why they froze a savings account and where my money is. My only thought is that the deposit was flagged as suspicious activity (silly me, I thought that's what savings accounts were for—deposits).
I'm writing this review before I even talk to the department that froze my account because I'm so turned off by this experience. My online account shows nothing about being frozen (but it gives me an error when I try to initiate transfers in or out). Also, no emails or phone calls about the freeze. Terrible and stressful experience.
So in summary, Vio is holding my 2k balance hostage and my 7k is missing until further notice (hopefully on its way back to Capital One in 5 days). The best part is that the customer service gal told me to have a nice day after I expressed my anger about them freezing my account with no explanation and having no idea where my 7k transfer was.
Stay away from Vio, the poor customer service and sick feeling over missing savings are not worth the extra bit of interest. I think we'll be opening a Capital One Money Market.
Stay away from this bank - you can only withdraw $5k/day from a Savings account to your own bank accounts. Savings accounts should be liquid and readily accessible. Limits like this on a savings account give me no confidence about the financial stability of a bank (especially an online bank).
I was rejected, too. My credit score is almost perfect. The decision was instantaneous, so it was triggered by some computer parameter. When I called, I was only told that it was related to my "banking history". I have a hunch it's because I had an account with another on-line bank, but pulled it out after ten months because their interest rate wasn't competitive. I think Vio wants to make sure the money is with them a long time. The CSR was cordial, but was obviously bound by the bank policies.
WORST online bank account I have ever had. I have had the account for a month and set up the external account transfer capability and said is "active" - will allow me to deposit funds in account but not remove from account. I am in the process of getting all money out of account and closing the account as my account and am told that if close account mid month then don't receive interest for that month....
As of today Vio is holding $40,000 of my money hostage and I have to pay $30 to w/d it.
I was able to put $60,000 into the account and thought I'd make more $. Then I realized that I could only link ONE checking account. I used TD. TD has a policy of only using an ACH transfer up to $10,000/month. So I called VIO and they confirmed my only choice (they will not send you a check) is to WIRE IT to TD. That will cost $15. at TD (in) and $18.00 at Vio OUT).
As someone pointed out, My Savings Direct has a higher rate and no restrictions on SIZE of Deposits OR withdrawals. Just the 6 ACHs a month W/d which is fed rules.
$2,000 daily transfer out from vio bank, but no limit initiated from external bank
after 12 month of no activity there's $5 monthly fee (great shame!)
calling CS was cool, no issue with wait times
holding period, first time 7 business days, then 5 business days, you earn interest during holding period
after I verified the test deposits (make sure you write down full account number or you have to call CS like I did), I registered for the login account, put in your vio bank account #, your balance is 0 as you initial has not been transferred yet, and it said it will take 1-3 days to get approved (WTF), but since I had to call for my account #, CS approved my login access instantly after they asked me a bunch of questions
does not work well with lastpass but I'll live
Home page with banking advertisement looks good, but after you login it looks dated and there are quite a few links that don't work that are for a checking account, they are owed by a brick and mortar bank.
Only last 4 of account number on website and there's no routing number on the website and have to call in to ask for it even though I sent secure message for it, they responded by saying I need to call in,
The android app will ONLY make transferts to other vio/midfirst bank accounts, not too sure about this bank, but hey it has a great interest rate.
Opened account online. I knew the answers to my credit check quiz so no problems there.
You have to separately enroll in Mobile Banking, after which I called, got through instantly to a CSR, who finished the enrollment and I had online access that day. Was able to make test deposits from my other online bank account the next day.
I pushed $1500 to the newly opened Vio account. There appears to be no hold when you PUSH money to the account.
So far, very smooth expeirence. The one contact with the CSR was fast, courteous, and she was empowered to help me.
I started an account considering high advertized interest rate for deposit account. However, it was a hassle to get through teh application and initial deposit. Today I learned that the initial money I deposited is held for 9 business days and won't be available for transactions. They have not mentioned anything about restriction on fund availability during the application process or fund transfer process. I checked online info available on the deposit account fund availability rules for FDIC insured accounts, it appears what they are doing may be not be correct. While it is banks description to hold some money up to 9 business days, they should have released at least partial deposit with in 1 day after the transfer. So when you open the new account beware that the initial deposit money is gone for 9 business days until you have access to it.
There is nothing internet about this account. I have had to call 3 separate times and suffered through extensive holds each time.
ACH test deposit charged against my account on 8-21, funds are still being held on 8-28. No Funds Availibility Notice (Reg. CC violation assuming account is MMDA), no reason to hold a settled NACHA transfer. Best to give up 5bp and deposit with an experienced internet bank. Off to Capital One.
Just tried to apply for Vio Bank Online Savings Account. Was denied due to "incorrect" answers to security questions. This is the first time in my life (40 years of financials) that I was not approved for a bank account. The interesting part is that half of those security questions had absolutely nothing to do with me or my life history. They pull "public records" and if those records are wrong, you are @#$! out of luck. Called them up - the answer was - sorry, we can't do anything for you. Meanwhile, they now have my SS number and all the various personal information. So, yeah - not good...