“Hopefully, you get it fixed soon,” one member wrote on GeoVista’s Facebook page on Feb. 3. “The fact I haven’t been able to use online banking since Friday (Jan. 31) is EXTREMELY inconvenient.”

“Not only that, the app is no longer on my phone, and it’s not showing in the App Store,” another member wrote on launch day.

To implement the system upgrades, GeoVista shut down all access to online and mobile banking from 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, to 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 3, according to the credit union’s social media posts. To ensure a smooth transition, members were asked to update their contact information, including their email address and phone number, as noted in a January letter from GeoVista President/CEO Elaine Tuten. Tuten also said an online resource center was available with step-by-step instructions and tips for re-enrolling in online and mobile services.

However, just 14 minutes after 9 a.m. on Feb. 3, the credit union posted this message: “We will be delayed opening this morning. We are experiencing a few technical issues. We will keep you posted.”

Soon after that post, dozens of members flooded GeoVista’s Facebook page with questions, such as:

• “Why is my debit card not working?”
• “Is there any way to check balances?”
• “Are the branches closed as well?”
• “How long before the system is up?”
• “Who is the rocket scientist that decided PAYDAY WEEKEND was the right time to take the whole system offline for four days?”

Some members were more sympathetic and understanding.

“I’m a member too, and I’m just waiting patiently,” one member wrote on Facebook. “I’m sure they’re doing their best to get everything back up and running.”

But by 12:19 p.m. on Feb. 3, the credit union posted another message stating that they were still working to restore online services and understood members’ frustrations. After 5 p.m., GeoVista posted again, saying they were still working on the problem but expected services to be fully restored by Tuesday, Feb. 4. By that time, the credit union was also working through a backlog of phone messages from frustrated members.

While the credit union stated on social media that its online and mobile banking apps were available on Tuesday morning, GeoVista acknowledged that some members were still experiencing error messages when trying to re-enroll, blaming it on high online traffic. By Tuesday afternoon, the credit union repeated the same message, but announced that its branches would be open for extended hours to assist members with re-enrollment.

While many members continued to struggle with signing into the upgraded online system, others did not.

“I followed the prompts and transitioned quite easily,” a GeoVista member wrote on social media. “I’m not fond of having to change my username, but it was a simple fix with my password wallet and an easy breezy sign-in. I think y’all missed the part where you change your login ID and reset your security prompts, like the security questions and confidence word.”

Nevertheless, online and mobile sign-in problems persisted for members from Wednesday through Friday. The credit union continued to post messages on social media stating that employees were working to restore services, while also noting that its ATMs, debit and credit cards, and branches were open and operating normally.

On Friday, Feb. 7, GeoVista announced that all of its branches would be open for extended hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday, Feb. 10 to Friday, Feb. 14 to assist members with enrolling in the new online and mobile banking platform.

“Staff continues to work diligently to respond to calls and messages as quickly as possible to restore full access for everyone,” the credit union’s post read. “We know this has been a frustrating process, and we are encouraged that many have been able to successfully enroll. We value your membership and appreciate your patience. Further updates will be provided as they become available.”

Since last Friday, however, GeoVista has not posted any new updates.

The credit union’s CEO did not respond to CU Times’ email and phone requests for comment.

Contact Peter Strozniak at [email protected].