Ally Bank Not Reliable

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Topic Author
or4cle
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Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2015 10:55 am

Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by or4cle »

Opened a new checking+savings account with Ally bank. Was able to login and fund both accounts. As soon as the ACA deposits cleared, I am locked out of both accounts. Called customer service, and was told there was an known IT issue, affecting multiple customers, that could take 3-5 days to resolve!

It's been three days so far, and still no access. After searching the web, found a number of other similar stories of users being locked out from their accounts. Obviously my trust in this institution is close to zero at this point. I am surprised any bank could act in this manner, and deny access / funds for days on end, due to internal issues.
nalor511
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by nalor511 »

or4cle wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 12:57 pm Opened a new checking+savings account with Ally bank. Was able to login and fund both accounts. As soon as the ACA deposits cleared, I am locked out of both accounts. Called customer service, and was told there was an known IT issue, affecting multiple customers, that could take 3-5 days to resolve!

It's been three days so far, and still no access. After searching the web, found a number of other similar stories of users being locked out from their accounts. Obviously my trust in this institution is close to zero at this point. I am surprised any bank could act in this manner, and deny access / funds for days on end, due to internal issues.
I don't know what browser you are in, but I cannot log in with Chrome any longer, other browsers work fine
terran
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by terran »

Yikes! I haven't had any problems with them, but I can see how that would give you seconds thoughts. Did they indicate what the nature of the issue is? Is it related to having just opened the account, or is it something that could happen unexpectedly to any account holder in the future?
Topic Author
or4cle
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Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2015 10:55 am

Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by or4cle »

nalor511 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:06 pm I don't know what browser you are in, but I cannot log in with Chrome any longer, other browsers work fine
Tried both Firefox and the mobile app. Customer service rep mentioned it was a known internal issue, so it doesn't seem like a problem on the client/app end.
Topic Author
or4cle
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by or4cle »

terran wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:08 pm Yikes! I haven't had any problems with them, but I can see how that would give you seconds thoughts. Did they indicate what the nature of the issue is? Is it related to having just opened the account, or is it something that could happen unexpectedly to any account holder in the future?
The only details they gave were that:
  • They are aware of the issue
  • It's affecting multiple customers
  • It may take days to resolve
I called back, and over the phone, they were able to initiate ACH transfers back to my funding bank/account (i.e. I plan to unfund and close these accounts). Hopefully that goes smoothly (I will know by mid next week if the funds arrive or not).
jeff1949
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by jeff1949 »

I just tried to get to my Ally accounts a few minutes ago and had no problem at all getting to and transferring money between savings and money market accounts. My browser is Chrome.

I did have an issue however with trying to make an Early Withdrawal on a No Penalty CD. The website would not let me do it online and said that all Early Withdrawals must be done on the phone "at this time". Customer service said they were changing over to a new system and that is why it had to be done over the phone.
livesoft
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by livesoft »

We were locked out of our Bank of America checking account for 3 weeks due to a 6-figure teller error. And not only locked out, but all bill pays and checks failed due to insufficient funds due to the mistake of the teller during those 3 weeks.

So what are ya gonna do? No one is reliable.
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Topic Author
or4cle
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Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2015 10:55 am

Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by or4cle »

livesoft wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:32 pm So what are ya gonna do? No one is reliable.
I agree nothing is completely reliable. Doing a cursory web search, it seems accounts being locked for days is much more prevalent with Ally than Bank of America.
petulant
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by petulant »

I would expect more internet chatter about it because it's one of the country's largest, if not the largest, online banks. It has no local customer service people to complain with. People will turn to the internet at a way higher rate than with BOFA, even if Ally has more problems.

I would be frustrated as well, but honestly any financial institution can have a hiccup like this. I'm not deterred from staying with Ally for savings at all.

That said, this is why I only have checking at a local bank.
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Rowan Oak
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by Rowan Oak »

or4cle wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:11 pm
nalor511 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:06 pm I don't know what browser you are in, but I cannot log in with Chrome any longer, other browsers work fine
Tried both Firefox and the mobile app. Customer service rep mentioned it was a known internal issue, so it doesn't seem like a problem on the client/app end.
I would try different browsers (microsoft edge, google chrome, safari) and on different computers (PC, Mac, Chromebook, iPad etc.). Also try deleting all history on each browser before trying to login to Ally Bank. You always want to be sure there is no chance the problem is on your end before calling support. I get the feeling that support (any bank, company, etc.) usually doesn't know what they're talking about and just tell you something instead of just saying "we don't know exactly what the problem is".
Last edited by Rowan Oak on Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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softwaregeek
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by softwaregeek »

It's possible to have any issues with any bank these days.

It happened to me with Bank of America. Their Anti-Fraud system locked my account.

If you want to read a real nightmare, read about HSBC.

My recommendation is never to rely on just one bank. Personally, I split my money between two.

Kind of like swearing off an airline after a nightmare flight. They all have problems, what are you going to do.
pedalman701
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by pedalman701 »

Just checked with Chromium browser on Raspberry Pi OS at 1349, Central time.

Got in just fine, and the same with the phone app.

I guess they fixed it.
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iamblessed
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by iamblessed »

Ally is great but I would always have a local credit union as a back up in case you needed to pay a bill.
000
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by 000 »

I've never understood why people lock up money they will need soon in account transfers.
Elbukari
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by Elbukari »

Are you able to get to the home page at all? Some VPNs are blocked.
palanzo
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by palanzo »

or4cle wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:27 pm
terran wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:08 pm Yikes! I haven't had any problems with them, but I can see how that would give you seconds thoughts. Did they indicate what the nature of the issue is? Is it related to having just opened the account, or is it something that could happen unexpectedly to any account holder in the future?
The only details they gave were that:
  • They are aware of the issue
  • It's affecting multiple customers
  • It may take days to resolve
I called back, and over the phone, they were able to initiate ACH transfers back to my funding bank/account (i.e. I plan to unfund and close these accounts). Hopefully that goes smoothly (I will know by mid next week if the funds arrive or not).
They always say this. Standard excuses 1, 2 and 3 from Ally.

Yesterday I did not get the code emails for 10+ minutes. They said they are aware of the issue and working on it. When I asked if this was a new issue they said they are always working on improving the website. Sheer nonsense!
palanzo
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by palanzo »

petulant wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:40 pm I would expect more internet chatter about it because it's one of the country's largest, if not the largest, online banks. It has no local customer service people to complain with. People will turn to the internet at a way higher rate than with BOFA, even if Ally has more problems.

I would be frustrated as well, but honestly any financial institution can have a hiccup like this. I'm not deterred from staying with Ally for savings at all.

That said, this is why I only have checking at a local bank.
As of Q2 2020 they have "total retail deposit customers of 2.1 million, up 94 thousand QoQ and up 14% YoY". Hmmm no so large.
arf30
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by arf30 »

palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:56 pm
petulant wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:40 pm I would expect more internet chatter about it because it's one of the country's largest, if not the largest, online banks. It has no local customer service people to complain with. People will turn to the internet at a way higher rate than with BOFA, even if Ally has more problems.

I would be frustrated as well, but honestly any financial institution can have a hiccup like this. I'm not deterred from staying with Ally for savings at all.

That said, this is why I only have checking at a local bank.
As of Q2 2020 they have "total retail deposit customers of 2.1 million, up 94 thousand QoQ and up 14% YoY". Hmmm no so large.
Ally is the 16th largest bank with 180 billion in assets, they are huge. https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/lbr/current/
aerosurfer
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by aerosurfer »

Have you tried using the app?

I have had no problems with the app on my Samsung phone or using safari on the iPad
palanzo
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by palanzo »

arf30 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:17 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:56 pm
petulant wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:40 pm I would expect more internet chatter about it because it's one of the country's largest, if not the largest, online banks. It has no local customer service people to complain with. People will turn to the internet at a way higher rate than with BOFA, even if Ally has more problems.

I would be frustrated as well, but honestly any financial institution can have a hiccup like this. I'm not deterred from staying with Ally for savings at all.

That said, this is why I only have checking at a local bank.
As of Q2 2020 they have "total retail deposit customers of 2.1 million, up 94 thousand QoQ and up 14% YoY". Hmmm no so large.
Ally is the 16th largest bank with 180 billion in assets, they are huge. https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/lbr/current/
173 billion actually from your link. And JPM Chase has 2.820 trillion. So what? What is the correlation between assets and customer service?
ImUrHuckleberry
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by ImUrHuckleberry »

palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:24 pm
arf30 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:17 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:56 pm
petulant wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:40 pm I would expect more internet chatter about it because it's one of the country's largest, if not the largest, online banks. It has no local customer service people to complain with. People will turn to the internet at a way higher rate than with BOFA, even if Ally has more problems.

I would be frustrated as well, but honestly any financial institution can have a hiccup like this. I'm not deterred from staying with Ally for savings at all.

That said, this is why I only have checking at a local bank.
As of Q2 2020 they have "total retail deposit customers of 2.1 million, up 94 thousand QoQ and up 14% YoY". Hmmm no so large.
Ally is the 16th largest bank with 180 billion in assets, they are huge. https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/lbr/current/
173 billion actually from your link. And JPM Chase has 2.820 trillion. So what? What is the correlation between assets and customer service?
I believe the point of that post had nothing to do with customer service and everything to do with correcting the errant information that you posted.
petulant
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by petulant »

palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:24 pm
arf30 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:17 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:56 pm
petulant wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:40 pm I would expect more internet chatter about it because it's one of the country's largest, if not the largest, online banks. It has no local customer service people to complain with. People will turn to the internet at a way higher rate than with BOFA, even if Ally has more problems.

I would be frustrated as well, but honestly any financial institution can have a hiccup like this. I'm not deterred from staying with Ally for savings at all.

That said, this is why I only have checking at a local bank.
As of Q2 2020 they have "total retail deposit customers of 2.1 million, up 94 thousand QoQ and up 14% YoY". Hmmm no so large.
Ally is the 16th largest bank with 180 billion in assets, they are huge. https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/lbr/current/
173 billion actually from your link. And JPM Chase has 2.820 trillion. So what? What is the correlation between assets and customer service?
Well, the originally point I made was that Ally is one of the largest online-only banks in the U.S., if not the largest. With an online bank, you would naturally expect people to complain about account access on the internet faster than they would complain about others like BOFA since they could always go to the local branch to handle business. I'm not sure how any of your comments detract from that or relate to it all. So what is your point?
palanzo
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by palanzo »

ImUrHuckleberry wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:39 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:24 pm
arf30 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:17 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:56 pm
petulant wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:40 pm I would expect more internet chatter about it because it's one of the country's largest, if not the largest, online banks. It has no local customer service people to complain with. People will turn to the internet at a way higher rate than with BOFA, even if Ally has more problems.

I would be frustrated as well, but honestly any financial institution can have a hiccup like this. I'm not deterred from staying with Ally for savings at all.

That said, this is why I only have checking at a local bank.
As of Q2 2020 they have "total retail deposit customers of 2.1 million, up 94 thousand QoQ and up 14% YoY". Hmmm no so large.
Ally is the 16th largest bank with 180 billion in assets, they are huge. https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/lbr/current/
173 billion actually from your link. And JPM Chase has 2.820 trillion. So what? What is the correlation between assets and customer service?
I believe the point of that post had nothing to do with customer service and everything to do with correcting the errant information that you posted.
What errant information? 2.1 million customers is not large for a bank or credit union. That information comes from the quarterly report.
palanzo
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by palanzo »

petulant wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:41 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:24 pm
arf30 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:17 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:56 pm
petulant wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:40 pm I would expect more internet chatter about it because it's one of the country's largest, if not the largest, online banks. It has no local customer service people to complain with. People will turn to the internet at a way higher rate than with BOFA, even if Ally has more problems.

I would be frustrated as well, but honestly any financial institution can have a hiccup like this. I'm not deterred from staying with Ally for savings at all.

That said, this is why I only have checking at a local bank.
As of Q2 2020 they have "total retail deposit customers of 2.1 million, up 94 thousand QoQ and up 14% YoY". Hmmm no so large.
Ally is the 16th largest bank with 180 billion in assets, they are huge. https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/lbr/current/
173 billion actually from your link. And JPM Chase has 2.820 trillion. So what? What is the correlation between assets and customer service?
Well, the originally point I made was that Ally is one of the largest online-only banks in the U.S., if not the largest. With an online bank, you would naturally expect people to complain about account access on the internet faster than they would complain about others like BOFA since they could always go to the local branch to handle business. I'm not sure how any of your comments detract from that or relate to it all. So what is your point?
There have been lots of complaints about Ally on Bogleheads. Ally does not have a customer forum. Where do you expect complaints to be posted? Yelp?
ImUrHuckleberry
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by ImUrHuckleberry »

palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:42 pm
ImUrHuckleberry wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:39 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:24 pm
arf30 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:17 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:56 pm

As of Q2 2020 they have "total retail deposit customers of 2.1 million, up 94 thousand QoQ and up 14% YoY". Hmmm no so large.
Ally is the 16th largest bank with 180 billion in assets, they are huge. https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/lbr/current/
173 billion actually from your link. And JPM Chase has 2.820 trillion. So what? What is the correlation between assets and customer service?
I believe the point of that post had nothing to do with customer service and everything to do with correcting the errant information that you posted.
What errant information? 2.1 million customers is not large for a bank or credit union. That information comes from the quarterly report.
16th largest bank. How many banks are there? They are clearly bigger than "not so large". The post had nothing to say about their CS.
petulant
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by petulant »

palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:44 pm
petulant wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:41 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:24 pm
arf30 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:17 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:56 pm

As of Q2 2020 they have "total retail deposit customers of 2.1 million, up 94 thousand QoQ and up 14% YoY". Hmmm no so large.
Ally is the 16th largest bank with 180 billion in assets, they are huge. https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/lbr/current/
173 billion actually from your link. And JPM Chase has 2.820 trillion. So what? What is the correlation between assets and customer service?
Well, the originally point I made was that Ally is one of the largest online-only banks in the U.S., if not the largest. With an online bank, you would naturally expect people to complain about account access on the internet faster than they would complain about others like BOFA since they could always go to the local branch to handle business. I'm not sure how any of your comments detract from that or relate to it all. So what is your point?
There have been lots of complaints about Ally on Bogleheads. Ally does not have a customer forum. Where do you expect complaints to be posted? Yelp?
I didn't say they needed to go anywhere. The original poster said they found more comments complaining about Ally's technology than BOFA or others. I pointed out people are going to complain about Ally's technology because it's their only access to their account, unlike BOFA. So that's not a reason to assume Ally has technology problems at a higher rate than BOFA or others. Did you read the thread?
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Cheez-It Guy
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:42 pm
ImUrHuckleberry wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:39 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:24 pm
arf30 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:17 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:56 pm

As of Q2 2020 they have "total retail deposit customers of 2.1 million, up 94 thousand QoQ and up 14% YoY". Hmmm no so large.
Ally is the 16th largest bank with 180 billion in assets, they are huge. https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/lbr/current/
173 billion actually from your link. And JPM Chase has 2.820 trillion. So what? What is the correlation between assets and customer service?
I believe the point of that post had nothing to do with customer service and everything to do with correcting the errant information that you posted.
What errant information? 2.1 million customers is not large for a bank or credit union. That information comes from the quarterly report.
Would you be willing to list any institutions with which you do business that you also find satisfactory?
Pacific
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by Pacific »

I don't know what browser you are in, but I cannot log in with Chrome any longer, other browsers work fine


I just logged into Ally using Chrome while overseas and had no problem.
Archimedes
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by Archimedes »

I just logged in with chrome for IOS. No problem.

I have been using Ally for more than 10 years. I am very happy with them and also pleased with all of my customer service experiences. Whenever I cannot do something on my own online, they have been super helpful on the phone. Typical wait time to speak with a human is minimal to none. And everything I have requested has always been rapidly accomplished with a smile.

I am sorry for your struggle, but it seems they accommodated you per your request once you called. Are you sure you want to give up on them so quickly?
UpperNwGuy
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by UpperNwGuy »

I have never done business with Ally Bank, so I have no first hand experience with them. Since joining bogleheads, I have been mystified by the way that many of our members put Ally on a pedestal, just as they do with Vanguard. Whether or not Vanguard should be on a pedestal is a different topic, but Ally is not like Vanguard in any way other than the online-only aspect. Why do bogleheads love and trust Ally so much? I don't understand it.
softwaregeek
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by softwaregeek »

UpperNwGuy wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:28 pm I have never done business with Ally Bank, so I have no first hand experience with them. Since joining bogleheads, I have been mystified by the way that many of our members put Ally on a pedestal, just as they do with Vanguard. Whether or not Vanguard should be on a pedestal is a different topic, but Ally is not like Vanguard in any way other than the online-only aspect. Why do bogleheads love and trust Ally so much? I don't understand it.
They pay more interest than most and have large transfer bonuses.
palanzo
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by palanzo »

petulant wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:41 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:24 pm
arf30 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 6:17 pm
palanzo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:56 pm
petulant wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:40 pm I would expect more internet chatter about it because it's one of the country's largest, if not the largest, online banks. It has no local customer service people to complain with. People will turn to the internet at a way higher rate than with BOFA, even if Ally has more problems.

I would be frustrated as well, but honestly any financial institution can have a hiccup like this. I'm not deterred from staying with Ally for savings at all.

That said, this is why I only have checking at a local bank.
As of Q2 2020 they have "total retail deposit customers of 2.1 million, up 94 thousand QoQ and up 14% YoY". Hmmm no so large.
Ally is the 16th largest bank with 180 billion in assets, they are huge. https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/lbr/current/
173 billion actually from your link. And JPM Chase has 2.820 trillion. So what? What is the correlation between assets and customer service?
Well, the originally point I made was that Ally is one of the largest online-only banks in the U.S., if not the largest. With an online bank, you would naturally expect people to complain about account access on the internet faster than they would complain about others like BOFA since they could always go to the local branch to handle business. I'm not sure how any of your comments detract from that or relate to it all. So what is your point?
Yes, you made the point that Ally is one of the largest online-only banks. It has 2.1 million customers. JP Morgan Chase has 51 million digital customers. My point is that Ally is not that large and perhaps for this reason its customer service is not that good. Chase has branches but it has 25 times the number of digital customers.
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zaplunken
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by zaplunken »

On a desktop pc.

I just logged in with Chrome but when I tried Chrome private window I can't log in.

I just logged in with FF and FF private window.

I just logged in with Brave and Brave private window.

I never use IE or Edge.

I have been transferring funds to pay bills and I haven't had any problems in fact in 10 or more years I never had any problems.
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arcticpineapplecorp.
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by arcticpineapplecorp. »

no problemo using firefox.
It's hard to accept the truth when the lies were exactly what you wanted to hear. Investing is simple, but not easy. Buy, hold & rebalance low cost index funds & manage taxable events. Asking Portfolio Questions | Wiki
retire2022
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by retire2022 »

UpperNwGuy wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:28 pm I have never done business with Ally Bank, so I have no first hand experience with them. Since joining bogleheads, I have been mystified by the way that many of our members put Ally on a pedestal, just as they do with Vanguard. Whether or not Vanguard should be on a pedestal is a different topic, but Ally is not like Vanguard in any way other than the online-only aspect. Why do bogleheads love and trust Ally so much? I don't understand it.
Bogleheads are both sheeps and skeptics :shock: lol!
bikechuck
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by bikechuck »

UpperNwGuy wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:28 pm I have never done business with Ally Bank, so I have no first hand experience with them. Since joining bogleheads, I have been mystified by the way that many of our members put Ally on a pedestal, just as they do with Vanguard. Whether or not Vanguard should be on a pedestal is a different topic, but Ally is not like Vanguard in any way other than the online-only aspect. Why do bogleheads love and trust Ally so much? I don't understand it.
I don't "love" Ally but I like them a lot. I have had consistent good service from them on the rare occasions that I have had to use their customer support. I had to liquidate some cds and have them wire money when I closed on s house two years ago and I was impressed by their financial controls and good communication about timelines etc.

I would be concerned if I lost access to my accounts and funds for several days and I hope that never happens to me!
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anon_investor
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by anon_investor »

I have had accounts with Ally for many years, my spouse as well. We have never been "locked out" (*knock on wood*) aside for a short period of time when there is some website maintenance for a very short period of time (and Ally usually warns about this ahead of time).

We regularly use the mobile app and Chrome.

Could it be that the OP is a new account holder, that there was some kind of security hold that was triggered? (suspected money laundering or something? If there was, maybe they could not tell you and called it an "IT issue" instead?). I have an account with a brick and mortar bank, and a sub $2k transaction triggered some kind of security hold (they did not tell me this out right), that required me to go down to the local bank branch in person to clear it up (fixed the same day). Not sure how that would have worked out for an online bank.
BoglePablo
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by BoglePablo »

livesoft wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:32 pm We were locked out of our Bank of America checking account for 3 weeks due to a 6-figure teller error. And not only locked out, but all bill pays and checks failed due to insufficient funds due to the mistake of the teller during those 3 weeks.

So what are ya gonna do? No one is reliable.
Just curious, livesoft: how long ago did this happen? Did they make you whole if there were any fees/penalties for late payments? Did you have a difficult time clearing all that up?

Juat want to be prepared, when the inevitable technical screwup happens...
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anon_investor
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by anon_investor »

BoglePablo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:58 pm
livesoft wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:32 pm We were locked out of our Bank of America checking account for 3 weeks due to a 6-figure teller error. And not only locked out, but all bill pays and checks failed due to insufficient funds due to the mistake of the teller during those 3 weeks.

So what are ya gonna do? No one is reliable.
Just curious, livesoft: how long ago did this happen? Did they make you whole if there were any fees/penalties for late payments? Did you have a difficult time clearing all that up?

Juat want to be prepared, when the inevitable technical screwup happens...
Always have a back up plan! (or more than 1 account)
shess
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by shess »

nalor511 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:06 pm
or4cle wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 12:57 pm Opened a new checking+savings account with Ally bank. Was able to login and fund both accounts. As soon as the ACA deposits cleared, I am locked out of both accounts. Called customer service, and was told there was an known IT issue, affecting multiple customers, that could take 3-5 days to resolve!

It's been three days so far, and still no access. After searching the web, found a number of other similar stories of users being locked out from their accounts. Obviously my trust in this institution is close to zero at this point. I am surprised any bank could act in this manner, and deny access / funds for days on end, due to internal issues.
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Katietsu
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by Katietsu »

I do not put Ally on a pedestal. But I have had bank accounts with 8 banks and a few brokerages during the last decade. Ally has been the best for how easy it is to accomplish tasks. And, the times I have needed customer service, they have been very helpful with little wait time. All but one time, any CS needs have been taken care of quickly with the first call or chat. At the same time, the offer historically good interest rates without hoops to jump through.

The other banks usually require more effort to open or close an account, add beneficiaries or whatever else I might need to do. The worst of them have done some pretty crazy screw ups like change my mailing address to that of one of my relatives for no apparent reason. They all have their own quirks and none are problem free. So, for my adult life, I always have had accounts with at least two banks with at least a month’s worth of expenses in the back up bank.
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by AlphaLess »

livesoft wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:32 pm We were locked out of our Bank of America checking account for 3 weeks due to a 6-figure teller error. And not only locked out, but all bill pays and checks failed due to insufficient funds due to the mistake of the teller during those 3 weeks.

So what are ya gonna do? No one is reliable.
Would you mind elaborating how the teller made that error?

Thanks
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or4cle
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by or4cle »

Archimedes wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:25 pm I am sorry for your struggle, but it seems they accommodated you per your request once you called. Are you sure you want to give up on them so quickly?
I really didn't want to, however being locked out for days seems almost unreal. It also raises a number of other questions, for example, were this to happen when I had auto-pay setup for the credit-card and/or mortgage, what would happen (i.e. would payments still succeed, or would that ability cease to function as well?). I suppose it's just not a risk I am willing to take.

The security freeze on the account (that another poster speculated about) almost seems more plausible, and for whatever reason they cannot directly tell me that. However, in that case, I would expect (hope) they would have notified me that an incident occurred, and I should contact them (instead of finding out for myself randomly). However if this were the case, I am not sure why over-the-phone transactions would be allowed (although that transaction has not gone through yet, so it's possible it will not happen; I did receive a transfer request confirmation for it, so if it doesn't, that'll be a whole other level of insansity).
John Doe 123
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by John Doe 123 »

or4cle wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 2:34 am
Archimedes wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:25 pm I am sorry for your struggle, but it seems they accommodated you per your request once you called. Are you sure you want to give up on them so quickly?
I really didn't want to, however being locked out for days seems almost unreal. It also raises a number of other questions, for example, were this to happen when I had auto-pay setup for the credit-card and/or mortgage, what would happen (i.e. would payments still succeed, or would that ability cease to function as well?). I suppose it's just not a risk I am willing to take.
If this is not a risk you are willing to take, then I suggest you don't use online bill pay to auto pay your bills. I work for one of the largest online bill payment providers. These systems are not bulletproof, but they work 99% of the time.

If you're in the unlucky 1% that gets hosed up then the bank (or the firm your bank pays to license the bill pay service) will make you whole, but it will be a head ache.

These things happen. Technology isn't perfect. It's unfortunate that you were impacted, but if you use online banking long enough this sort of thing is inevitably going to happen. It doesn't matter if it's a big financial institution or small. The small, medium, and even most large banks and credit unions all license their online offerings from a handful of financial service companies.
Archimedes
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by Archimedes »

Interesting discussion.

I use Chase as my local bricks and mortar bank. I like having a place to go when I need something like a signature guarantee or a notary. However, their fees are high, and I have negative feelings for Chase because they gouge you by paying 0.01% in interest, and by charging high fees whenever they get the chance.

I have very positive feelings about Ally because they always pay a high interest rate, among the highest banks, and based on my own personal experience, they have great customer service.
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by gclancer »

softwaregeek wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:33 pm
UpperNwGuy wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:28 pm I have never done business with Ally Bank, so I have no first hand experience with them. Since joining bogleheads, I have been mystified by the way that many of our members put Ally on a pedestal, just as they do with Vanguard. Whether or not Vanguard should be on a pedestal is a different topic, but Ally is not like Vanguard in any way other than the online-only aspect. Why do bogleheads love and trust Ally so much? I don't understand it.
They pay more interest than most and have large transfer bonuses.
Judging whether or not you “like” a particular company is necessarily subjective. That said, as someone who has opened a LOT of accounts (for the bonuses) with a LOT of different financial institutions, in my opinion Ally is one of the best and I have kept my accounts there open for a long time as one of my primary hub accounts. Since I have zero loyalty to any financial institution, I can assure you it’s not because I’m a member of their fan club, they’re just the best of the worst.
livesoft
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by livesoft »

BoglePablo wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:58 pmJust curious, livesoft: how long ago did this happen? Did they make you whole if there were any fees/penalties for late payments? Did you have a difficult time clearing all that up?
This was at least 10 years ago. I was chill about it, but my spouse was really mortified when her check to the school PTA bounced.

A friend who ran a business told us to write him a check, he would have it bounce, then charge us a hefty fee that he thought would be reimbursed and split the fee with us. :twisted:

The bank manager wrote an embarrassing Mea Culpa letter for us to use with places that wanted to ding us, but in the end, the bank did not charge insufficient fund fees and neither did anyone else. We normally did not use checks, so like the PTA, they just put the check through again. We used our credit cards in the normal ways to pay for things. We did switch to the credit card with the furthest in the future pay date. I had expected the bank to clear things up in 24 hours, but it took them 3 weeks.

Once things were fixed, I also closed all the accounts we had at Bank of America and moved all money to Wells Fargo. WF accepted the check and put no hold on it, so that I could withdraw money and/or otherwise use it the same afternoon.

Bottom line: We went 3 weeks without using any cash nor paying any bills without any real problems.
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midareff
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by midareff »

nalor511 wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 1:06 pm
or4cle wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 12:57 pm Opened a new checking+savings account with Ally bank. Was able to login and fund both accounts. As soon as the ACA deposits cleared, I am locked out of both accounts. Called customer service, and was told there was an known IT issue, affecting multiple customers, that could take 3-5 days to resolve!

It's been three days so far, and still no access. After searching the web, found a number of other similar stories of users being locked out from their accounts. Obviously my trust in this institution is close to zero at this point. I am surprised any bank could act in this manner, and deny access / funds for days on end, due to internal issues.
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Freetime76
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by Freetime76 »

or4cle wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2020 2:34 am
Archimedes wrote: Sat Sep 12, 2020 7:25 pm I am sorry for your struggle, but it seems they accommodated you per your request once you called. Are you sure you want to give up on them so quickly?
I really didn't want to, however being locked out for days seems almost unreal. It also raises a number of other questions, for example, were this to happen when I had auto-pay setup for the credit-card and/or mortgage, what would happen (i.e. would payments still succeed, or would that ability cease to function as well?). I suppose it's just not a risk I am willing to take.

The security freeze on the account (that another poster speculated about) almost seems more plausible, and for whatever reason they cannot directly tell me that. However, in that case, I would expect (hope) they would have notified me that an incident occurred, and I should contact them (instead of finding out for myself randomly). However if this were the case, I am not sure why over-the-phone transactions would be allowed (although that transaction has not gone through yet, so it's possible it will not happen; I did receive a transfer request confirmation for it, so if it doesn't, that'll be a whole other level of insansity).
After many years and much loyalty to Ally, we closed our accounts this year. A series of screw ups on their part over the last few years was heading in the wrong direction for us. Customer Service had deteriorated, especially one incident during the start of covid shut down...which belied the irritating little covid-we support our customers and employees during this difficult time message that either took up screen space on my phone app or time when I’ve called in with an issue.

When I closed our accounts, Customer Service didn’t even pretend to care or retain our business-at least BofA is smart enough to do that (I know they don’t care, but it’s smarter as a business to play the game, I.e. log the complaints with details). When asked why we were leaving the Ally, I told her Ally has lost its soul. I’m not sure which item she chose off her menu, but that was the end of the conversation. :twisted: oh! NO, I forgot - it wasn’t the end. I was put on hold for several minutes while she waited to get me a confirmation # that the close was requested (she had to enter a request, and then somebody else closes the accounts). After WAITING, I got my little confirm. # and that was the end.

Using a local bank in our small town now and very happy with it.
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Broszy
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Re: Ally Bank Not Reliable

Post by Broszy »

The ally app gives an error when I schedule a bill pay. It says , service temporarily not available.

I tried on my phone and my wife’s phone. Super frustrating.

I got around this issue by using bill pay on a laptop. But, wth ally!?! I agree they are unreliable.
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