Old Hickory Credit Union

I’ve been a member of Old Hickory Credit Union for almost 50 years, and my father was the chairman of its board of directors. I’ve known its longtime president and CEO almost all my life. My loyalty to OHCU has been fierce, and it remained my primary bank even though I moved far away from Middle Tennessee more than 30 years ago. But its treatment of its members has deteriorated badly in just the past few years, and I’m finally – and very reluctantly – starting to move my accounts to where I live now.
OHCU’s only priority now seems to be thriving as a corporation – building senseless new branches in the middle of nowhere; switching online-​banking from a very competent provider to one that’s appallingly unfriendly, insecure, and hard to use, because its service costs the credit union less; hopping from one credit card provider to another whenever they see a better deal for the credit union, while leaving their MEMBERS stuck with the horrible old provider.
They switched online banking providers a few years ago, and it’s been a nightmare ever since. Right now, they’re switching credit card providers, leaving us their longtime members in bondage to the terrible provider while OHCU merrily skates off into freedom. That’s the last straw.
Several years ago it must have looked like a good deal to sell their credit card business to First National Bank of Omaha, doing business as First Bankcard, so all OHCU credit cards automatically became First Bankcard credit cards. That has been TERRIBLE for OHCU customers. First Bankcard treats us with contempt, dunning us with threats to lower our credit limits if they think we’re not using our cards enough, and other money-​grubbing attacks.
Now OHCU has decided that the credit union is better off issuing its own credit cards again – as it did for many years before selling out to First Bankcard. But this time they’re NOT going to convert all of our cards automatically. OHCU is breaking free, but they’re leaving their customers behind at First Bankcard, and if we want OHCU cards we have to apply for them.
Now I have a First Bankcard card I HATE, but I have to use it to avoid the threatening letters, and I can’t get rid of it without jeopardizing my excellent credit rating – and the ONLY reason I have that card is that OHCU converted their own cards automatically when they sold out to First National Bank of Omaha. Now they’re skating off and leaving me at First Bankcard… and telling me they’re doing it «to better serve our membership» and what «exciting news» it is. Well, it may better serve their «membership», in some impersonal, corporate sense, but it’s screwing their MEMBERS.
I’m furious.