California Bank & Trust in San Marcos, CA

Older model for banking

This branch is great, nice, helpful people but the online banking system they use is antiquated and not very customer friendly! Again I'm talking about the rude people that run the 800 number for their online banking system not the people at this branch. Also let me be clear I'm talking about a business account not a personal account, which is supposed to be their specialty While accessing online banking if you miss type your password more than 3 times EVER not just in a row but if you did it once last month, once last week and then again today they block your account and require you to jump though some pretty ridiculous hoops to reset it. First issue is there is no automated system for resetting passwords, you must call in to the 800 number just to reset your password. You have to wait on hold, for me it was 9 min just to talk to someone. They can not use the email they have on file for resetting your password it has to be done manually with someone on the phone and given to you verbally. This is extremely insecure in my opinion. Every other online institution relies on email as a method of resetting you password. Once you finally get someone on the line you need to know not only your account number which is obvious but your online user ID, my what? Ok again somewhat obvious I guess but not something I carry around with me everyday and not associated with my account in anyway only my online access, worse this is a number they generated, not something I generated like my email address or variation of my company name, its a 6 digit number they generated randomly. They don't want your Social Security Number they want your federal tax ID number, ok not something I carry around but very understandable. You would think that at this point I should get to reset my password, I've confirmed my name, my account number, my company name, my user ID, my company address and my Tax ID number, but nope there's still a lot more. Now they also want to randomly pick transaction and have you supply the EXACT amount of that transaction. Sorry but this is a business account that is used by multiple people I have no way of knowing exact amounts of transactions that you pick randomly. I offered to supply transaction amounts that I know but that was not acceptable. Again this is not a personal account this is a business account. Lastly they want the exact date you opened your bank account.... wait what? That was over 13 years ago you've got to be kidding me who knows that info off the top of their head? Geez I'm not sure I could find that info if my life depended on it. I can guess the year but they want the exact date, Year, Month and Day, yes the DAY!!! Time for California Bank and Trust to update their system. I can't imagine I am the only one having this problem. It's taken them years to implement online banking and years more still to offer a mobile application, I'm shocked they don't have a better system for resetting a password. So I'm left with having to go into the branch where the nice people behind the counter will have to call the not so nice people on the 800 line and somehow verify who I am all so I can just reset a password. What a nightmare! The convenience of online banking is not so convenient at California Bank and Trust.

I enjoy everyone at my bank. It's like family.