First National Bank of Northern California

Need a black hole… well this bank is one for your money in my opinion.
MORE THAN +~$ 2,000.00 charged per year for bank transfers, incoming wires, ATM fees, monthly access for my online banking, unexpected charges, failure to relay income changes in a timely manner, unapproved debits from different accounts, and on and on.
If you need a place where your money sits and does nothing, then this is the bank for you. If you’re running a business, then run like hell in the other direction. When you tell your banker not to access your accounts for fees but instead to send you an invoice, then they take the money freely out of your accounts anyway, well considering the character of some of the top management, one shouldn’t be too surprised money goes missing until you demand it’s return. I felt like a cow being milked.
I borrowed money based on a specific and mutually agreed upon adjustable interest rate. One day the bank president just decided to charge me more. He did. Careful they don’t change your interest rates unilaterally and without notice or just up the rates because they spent too much money partying at night.
They are very good at backing you up against a wall to the point of making extortion like demands that will put you out of business if you give in to them. They plan it so you are at least for a time trapped and cannot do anything to use your own financial resources as one should be able to. There are Federal rules on how certain types of money has to be moved, like IRA’s. When they give you a week to take their offer or leave it to you to wind up being screwed by the IRS for a code violation if you accede to their demands, or you can just stay and be screwed some more, what choice do you have?
Also, if you need any important documents prepared from the bank, make sure you ask beginning 6 months in advance of the time you’ll need them, and every day thereafter until you actually get them, if you get them at all. Getting a signed letter of promise that the documents will be ready on time is also a good idea. The only problem is that you”ll never get them to sign anything worth anything or that contains any truth in them.
If you’re lucky, and when you do finally get them, make sure you read every line, carefully. There’s no guarantee they’ll do what they told you they would. More than likely there will be changes you didn’t discuss, were not informed of or agreed to.
I put up with their incompetence and lackadaisical ways for years. I can’t afford to work with a bank I can’t depend on or trust, or rather one that shakes your hand telling you how much they appreciate your business, while stabbing you in the back with the other.
Don’t get me wrong. The poor schmucks who have to work in the branches are fine. It’s the unseen back office hacks and upper management that keep screwing things up by grabbing for more and more of your money for themselves IMHO.
The only time I even got a reaction from their lackadaisical business methodology was when I told them I had had enough and was leaving their bank.
«Jesus Christ», it was like a crusade. I couldn’t get them to leave me alone. I had to literally beat them off with a stick when I HAD to go to the branch to conduct business. I was verbally attacked by the management staff begging on their knees not to leave and that something could be worked out. What a line of crap. Fool me once…
The only thing they ever wanted to do for me as a customer was to keep my money in the bank to make them look good. There’s only so much bullshit one person can take before waking up and understanding that they’re only trying to keep you around to screw you out of more stingy, extravagant fees they’re not entitled to or are just trying to sweet talk you into paying them more fees that they just make up out of whole cloth.
The last straw was when the President of the bank, Jim Black, told me he would take care of an increase in my line of credit. As with his promise of a construction mortgage and an agreed upon interest rate, and promises to have documents on time, promises not to charge me niggardly $ 10.00 fees for every incoming wire, and to be able to bank freely on line, none of which ever came true because he lies like a bottom feeding fish never keeping his word. Always promises what you ask for but never delivers. Of course it’s always someone else’s fault. Never his.
Every month for years I had to remind them to ‘reverse the promised extortive fees, and eventually I just gave up. They make it so hard to do any kind of normal business that it does turn the stomach of any normal person trying to do any kind of honest business with them at all.
We’ve gone to CHASE. At least their staff don’t have to run to Mommy or Daddy to get permission to give you a tissue paper. CHASE has a very well trained PROFESSIONAL banking staff. I feel much better with my money no longer in THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

I love First National Bank in Pacifica… they are so kind, patient and professional. I recently had some banking trouble and they were on it… the branch in San Mateo are cold, unprofessional, uninformed women… not cool.

My late father handled the finances at the? South San Francisco branch on airport for years. We always got friendly and professional service from them (see my review.) After he passed away, out of convenience, we decided to transfer our account to this location. Everyone is friendly and professional and always remember your name; the way a small bank should be. They were wonderful and thorough in sorting everything out as far as what went into our current account and what new account would have to be created for some other money. Even when my mother thought they stiffed us with a statement, Joe, the former banker and Kathy Marona, the manager, were kind and thorough sorting everything out; it turned out it was not the bank’s fault. But, they were still very friendly and not making my mother feel stupid. Hershey Gov era, the new banker, is very nice and thorough, leaving nothing to chance and answering questions. The tellers are very friendly, expediting the process as fast as possible. So, for excellent banking services with friendly and professional service, First National Bank cannot beat. Keep up the good work guys.

I love these people. They have helped me out on so many occasions, I can’t tell you. And I adore the staff. Service and quality, plus they always attract such great staff. They always ask me how I am, remember stuff about my family and joke and kid with me. And they can always get a question answered, any problems get solved quickly. Highly recommended.

Worst bank ever! I have had 2 experiences with this bank, and both left me puzzled as to how they can even call themselves a bank. First time I went in, I tried to open a bank account and saftey deposit box. I was told by the branch manager that the size I wanted was reserved for «VIP Customers» only. I don’t know what exactly a VIP customer means, but I was ready to put down $ 50k into a new account, and potentially transfer my business accounts over as well, which would be well into the six-​figures. I walked out in disgust.
A second time around, I thought I would give them another chance, and spoke to one of the bankers there. After going over the paperwork and almost opening an account, they let slip out that after I opened an account, I would have to wait six months for a box, then be placed on a waiting list. He said if he talked to the manager, he may be able to make it happen. After promising to get back to me the same day, he calls me a day later then tells me that its a no-​go, but if I wanted, I could still come in and open an account. WTF…
Small banks are supposed to be famous for their willingness to accomodate their customers and friendliness– this was most definitely NOT the case here. Bottom line, stay away and let this poor excuse of a bank shrivel up and dissapear.