First Tech - San Diego On-Site Reviews 24

Press Release Article:

Van Nuys Maserati & First Tech Credit Union: My Experience With Misleading Warranty Practices and Lack of Support

I’m sharing my experience to help other buyers avoid what I went through during a recent luxury vehicle purchase in Van Nuys.
What should have been an exciting experience quickly became stressful, frustrating, and financially damaging.
During the financing process, I was told that the lender required me to purchase an extended warranty in order for the loan to be approved. Based on that representation, I agreed to move forward.

The customer also states they made additional attempts to escalate their concerns to leadership within, including efforts to reach directly.
According to the customer, despite these attempts, they did not receive a response or meaningful engagement regarding the concerns raised about the financing process and warranty representations.

The customer expressed frustration that, in their view, there appeared to be no willingness from the institution to intervene, review, or assist in adjusting the financing terms based on the allegations that the dealership may have misrepresented required products.

“I tried multiple channels to get someone at the credit union to listen and help review what happened,” the customer stated. “From my perspective, there was no real follow-through or willingness to step in and address what I believe was a serious issue with how the warranty was represented.”
The customer added that the experience has led them to question how disputes involving dealer practices are handled when financing is issued through third-party credit unions.

When trying to address the concern to the CEO Shruti Miyashiro, we were told to contact the legal department as well as told that she would not care or take any concerns regarding our problems.

In the customer’s view, greater oversight and responsiveness from lending institutions may be necessary when significant add-on products and financing terms are disputed after a transaction is completed.

That warranty added approximately $11,800 to the total cost of the vehicle and increased my monthly payment by nearly $200.
After the deal was finalized, I later learned information suggesting the lender may not have actually required the warranty at all. If true, I was misled into purchasing a product that significantly increased my financial obligation.

Eric Lopez was involved in my transaction. When I raised concerns about the warranty and financing terms, I attempted to resolve the matter directly. Instead of receiving clear answers or professional assistance, the interaction escalated and left me feeling extremely uncomfortable and unsupported as a customer.
Joshua Alvarez also told me he would help resolve the issue. However, despite more than 20 calls and multiple follow-up attempts, I never received the assistance or clarification that was promised.

We also reached out to regarding the financing concerns and what we believed to be dealer misconduct tied to the transaction. Despite explaining the situation in detail, we felt quickly dismissed and received little meaningful support or concern regarding what occurred.

The credit union is led by, and unfortunately our experience left us feeling unheard during a time that should have been special for our family.
Instead of enjoying the experience of purchasing a new car for my father, I spent countless hours writing complaints, making phone calls, following up repeatedly, and dealing with ongoing frustration and stress that could have been avoided with transparency and proper customer support.

The most frustrating part of this entire situation was the lack of communication and accountability. Concerns involving thousands of dollars added to a contract should be addressed immediately and professionally. Instead, I experienced delays, unanswered calls, and no meaningful resolution.
My advice to anyone purchasing a vehicle — especially a luxury vehicle:

• Verify directly with the lender whether warranties or add-ons are truly required
• Request written proof of any mandatory products
• Review every document carefully before signing
• Do not rely solely on verbal statements
• Keep records of all conversations and communications

A luxury car purchase should be an exciting milestone, not a stressful financial ordeal. Please proceed carefully and make sure everything is fully transparent before signing any agreement.

Bob Marseilles
Vice President, Third Party Originations

 
Melissa Jordan
Production Support Supervisor

I lost my card and they were able to print one out the same day literally within minutes.

On short notice my need to have a sizable amount of cash was taken care of by Emhar Hattat a knowledgeable Financial solution Representative at the San Diego First Tech federal credit union. He went out of his way to make my experience stress free.
The cash saved me a sizable discount when paying cash for a plumbing service.
Thank you Emrah Hattat !

Wonderful experience

Great credit union! The people are always so helpful, not to mention great rates and services.

Been a member for 10+ years and the people and service have consistently been best in class.

Excellent , good service

Silvia always does a great job helping me. She’s quick, efficient, and very personable. She regularly monitors all of the offers/promos that First Tech has, letting me know which I might be interested in. When I do go into the branch it’s super easy to schedule an appointment with her.

Friendly, courteous, thorough knowledgeable
Rep name Isaac

Eric made the process of opening a certificate smooth and easy. What really stood out was how he noticed I didn’t have beneficiaries on my account. Within minutes he had the forms ready, saving me future stress. Truly went the extra mile!

I always feel a home when I come into this credit union which has been 51 years They make sure that my needs are fulfilled and give guidance to help me maximize my return on investment
Thank you Silvia and your coworkers

Tyler Nguyen, Emrah Hattat, Jesus Fuentes and all the guys there are great and have provided me amazing service throughout the years I’ve been a member

Tyler Nguyen is great employee. He very accommodating. He helps me a lot. I’m very satisfied and happy with the service.. 👍👍👍👏👏👏💕

Great credit union. They are very good at what they do, their performance is exemplary. In particular, Silvia Marvin has helped me many times over the past several years. She reaches out to me on a regular basis and is a joy to work with.

Great customer service. Eric Pseat was my rep, and he went above and beyond my expectations. Way to go, Eric, and way to go, First Tech!

Tyler was very professional and friendly. He took care of all the transactions I needed to do for the day with a smile in his face. He made me feel welcome.

This is a great bank. They take care of you. You don't feel like just a number. They are very personal. I recommend them to my friends. They are online and have physical branch locations.

Best client service I have ever obtained in a financial institution.

The staff is so very knowledgeable about the products and services that are available to it’s members. The representative demonstrated how the services fit into my financial situation, and how I could save money and earn higher interest. One couldn’t find a more stellar team of professionalism and customer service.