Union Bank

This isn’t a review of this particular branch, but of Union Banks debit card fraud process. Picture this. I have a family member living with me that used their Union Bank debit card for local purchases. The card was declined during one purchase attempt with a fraud hold put on it. That’s the good thing. Union Bank saw it and stopped any further fraudulent transactions.
Now here’s the bad part of the experience. The «fraud» department calls my house at 0900P on a Saturday night asking to speak with the account holder. My caller ID says it’s Union Bank; however, since there has been all sorts of CID spoofing going around lately I’m thinking it is a bogus call. So, I listen to my voice mail and someone named Summer asks for a callback, but the call was so unclear that I couldn’t make out the name they were asking for, which makes me feel even more like it was a fraudster calling. Not only that, and this is the kicker, neither the 858 number the ‘fraud department’ called on, nor the 800 number she asked for a callback on is listed on any of our paper bank documents, on the back of my family members debit card or on the Union Bank website. How stupid is that?
In addition to this I find out the bank departments I have a legitimate number for all close at 09:00P right when she called. Another thing making me think it’s a fraudster calling. Right after all the bank departments you can get a number for are all closed.
Another thing that bugged both me and my family member is the automated process they have to cancel your debit card is wanky. It isn’t clear how if at all you can confirm that the card was in fact cancelled.
The moral of this long story, which my family member now knows, is to either always decline getting a debit card (something every bank tries to force on you), or to only use it to get cash from an ATM from the issuing bank. But the best bet to decline the card. I had my Wells Fargo card skimmed at an INDOOR ATM — the ONLY place I ever used the card. I’d still like to know who that happened. But that’s for a Unilocal review of Wells Fargo. :)
1-​17-​2016 Update: I went to my bank branch and order checks for one of my own accounts. Go figure that Union Bank would send me DEBIT cards instead of (or in addition to) the checks I ordered. I didn’t request the debit cards, I don’t like to use debit cards, and I wish the clerk had said I would be getting debit cards, because if she did, I would have told her to keep the damn checks. Debit cards are such a hassle when a crook fraudulently accesses your account. I can’t believe that the banks can getting away with pushing them onto customers without giving the same protections as credit cards,

A Little Tokyo mainstay for years. One of the few Japanese banks that have lasted over the years from its early origins of Bank of Tokyo, then Bank of California, and finally Union Bank. This branch features a prime location in the center of Little Tokyo. Sometimes they do get busy, but they do offer Japanese bilingual friendly service. A great place to get Yen for that trip to Japan. My only complaint is that they closed off the main doors facing 2^nd street and you must enter in the «alley» off the side of the building. Anyway with all the new people in the area this bank offers some great service.

So I have to go to this bank once a week to make deposits for work and it’s always a normal bank experience. They’re pretty quick about things and everything. They are nice people.
That is a three star review.
The five star review is for Sunny Kang. He is our new Banker and we love him. We had been waiting a while for some help with some merchant services with our previous banker and it had already taken about a month. I came in last Monday and asked about how it was going with our file and they said our last banker was no longer working there. They went ahead and introduced me to Sunny and he helped me right away. He set up an appointment for two days later and a week later we had a merchant services up and running.
He even came in to my work to give us the «tear sheet» and gave us a little gift.
He was incredibly fast and was extremely nice! He definitely cares about helping your business!
Anyone looking for a banker should definitely stop by and talk to Sunny!