National Penn Bank

I have been banking at this branch almost since the mortar was dry on the foundation of the building. Friendly staff, good enough basic banking services through the years, but I have two major beefs with them. First, I refinanced my mortgage with them a number of years ago. Much to my chagrin, I got notice some time later my mortgage was transferred from National Penn to CitiMortgage. That set off a series of fees, penalties, and bogus charges that have earned CitiBank the enmity of most people who get locked into their web, including me. Second, I went to Nat Penn a few months ago to get a credit card, since my debit card did not offer any consumer protection for internet purchases. I didn’t question the credit card they gave me, and in truth did not read the fine print. I just figured as a «heritage» customer with an excellent credit rating they’d treat me right. When I got the first credit card bill (for $ 26) in the mail – SIX DAYS before the late payment penalty date – I saw the late payment fee was $ 35, and the interest rate was 27%+. (Damn, I thought, this looks like a payday loan shark product!) I didn’t think I could get a check to them in the mail in time so I tried to set up payment through my National Penn internet banking account. I could not set it up even with telephone assistance from the bank staff. I then tried to pay the credit card bill in person, but they told me THEY COULD NOT ACCEPT CASH PAYMENT THERE – AT THE BANK THAT GAVE ME THE CREDIT CARD! Back to the internet bank people who put me in touch with a very fine National Penn computer geek who assisted me in changing a number of settings on my computer to enable this payment to be added to my account and pay it on time. (Really, who would think all that was necessary to set up payment on this credit card bill? I never needed IT assistance to load a long list of other monthly payments.) If I was a predatory banker, I would offer a credit card at a scandalous rate, then delay sending the bill until a few days before the due date, impose a huge penalty for late payment, and make it very difficult for the customer to pay the bill on time. That’s what National Penn did to me. I am really offended this bank treated me this way and I’m going to shift my accounts to my credit union at work. National Penn, in my view, has become CitiBank junior, and that’s as bad a recommendation as I could give any bank.

A bank never seemed to be that much fun anyway. From 1932 to 1968 the Alden Theater graced this little portion of East Falls. A good movie was certainly more fun than a bank. National Penn is what it is, a bank.

National Penn Bank isn’t one of the major players in the banking world. They are a publicly traded regional player kinda like the Dunder Mifflin of banking. I have been going to the East Falls branch for several years and have been treated fairly. It’s not as fun as an ice cream sundae but they get the job done and the staff are legitimately friendly.