SEATTLE – Seattle Metropolitan CU is inviting consumers to vent about their bank.
The %30 million credit union's "Intentionally Left Bank" campaign is asking the public to share their stories about what motivated them to "intentionally" leave their bank in favor of a credit union.
"Trust," is how one commenter summed it up. " I just never trusted the mega-big banks but have great trust in small, member-driven credit unions. Been with a credit union everywhere I lived since 1977."
Another wrote, "I left my bank because it (Washington Mutual) had such a role in the whole subprime mortgage catastrophe. The bank went bust, the CEOs made millions, employees lost their retirement funds, and people all over the country lost their homes."
The 76-year-old credit union is advertising itself as Seattle's local, not-for-profit alternative to large, corporate banks. Seattle Metropolitan is banking on the fact that dissatisfied bank customers will take their business to locally owned and operated credit unions.
Commenters at the credit union's Web site, www.7principles.coop, will receive a free "Intentionally Left Bank" t-shirt in the mail. The credit union has received over 150 comments within 24 hours of launching their online promotion.
