Long-term UNI client considers switching banks, frustrated with ongoing problems
CBC
As UNI Financial Cooperation's online banking system continues to cause service issues for the second week, some clients are considering switching banks.
Both lack of access to online services and little reassurance from UNI's customer service has led to increasing disappointment for UNI's clientele.
"I have considered switching, the only thing that's stopping me is my mortgage," said Danielle Soucy, who has been with the bank since she was 13.
"But the review for my mortgage is next year so there's a big chance I'm going to move over."
UNI, also known as Caisse populaire, is a credit union headquartered in Caraquet, in notheastern New Brunswick, that serves about 180,000 customers.
After years of relying on Desjardins Group for its online banking platform, the company decided to launch its own.
About 155,000 customers were supposed to transition to the new platform on July 6, but bumps in the process led to problems for customers across the province, with cards not working and people not being able to access their online accounts.
Soucy said her frustrations began last Tuesday when she was unable to pay bills or transfer money to her credit card.
Her stress worsened when she began her trip to Virginia later that week and was unable to pay for gas or withdraw money to change into U.S currency.
"I was limited on the amount of money that I have, and it's a trip that I planned about two months ago," said Soucy. "Of course I could have planned ahead of time, but you don't expect your bank to stop working out of the blue just before you leave the country."
Although some online issues are resolved, many customers aged 25 and under are unable to make transactions on their online accounts, according to a UNI update on Tuesday, with no further information provided about the problem.
Many of UNI's clients, like Soucy, now prefer to bank in person to avoid running into more issues.
"The application — I don't really trust it."
As teachers continue to raise concerns about challenges in their classrooms, the Saskatchewan government has pledged to do better when it comes to education — including a plan to expand specialized support classrooms.
Three family members are suing the Alberta government and a company that operates an Edmonton group home, alleging both failed to take steps to prevent the death of 15-year-old Noah Gitsel.
This First Person column is the experience of Shannon Flaman, who lives in Red Deer, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
City staff are working on long-term plans to prevent toxic and smelly algae blooms at the Hamilton harbour – and short-term plans to mitigate blooms when they happen – but are cautioning residents that it's not the type of problem with a quick fix.
Another blockade of the Ambassador Bridge wouldn't play out like what happened in February 2022 — thanks to police being empowered to act faster and harder, according to a report that's going to Windsor city council next week.
On the first day of 2025, Alberta's default electricity rate is set to be replaced by the new "rate of last resort," in what the province says is a bid to protect consumers from a volatile electricity pricing landscape.
Canadians and Americans sit next to each other in the stands of a small Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., hockey arena to watch the Soo Thunderbirds face off against their cross-border rivals, Michigan's Soo Eagles.
A number of school bus routes in northwestern Ontario have been cancelled Wednesday after a dump of snow overnight in the region. A number of weather advisories also remain in effect in the region, including snow squall warnings in the Greenstone area.
Waterloo regional councillors have voted down a motion that would have asked the Waterloo Regional Police Service to cut $4 million from its proposed 2025 budget.
Residents of a neighbourhood in the heart of downtown Charlottetown hope to have a community garden in place on some vacant land by the time spring arrives.
Planting trees is a popular way to mitigate climate change, but in northern and Arctic regions, it may not be an effective solution.