Banks on the Web should be a treat, not a trick:
Our pick of bank Web sites that fail to deliver
Part of a series: Halloween horrors
By Michelle Samaad • Bankrate.com

At the very least, when a bank or credit union erects a Web site, it should get an "E" for the effort at making its virtual presence known. Add another brownie point if online banking is one its products.

The downside is that some Web sites are at best, flash screens, primitive or just plain uneventful. And bigger doesn't always mean better. Sizeable banks such as Washington Mutual and Central Fidelity Bank have yet to offer online services.

We surfed the Internet for sites that failed to deliver. We homed in on online banking and interactive features (e-mail, product demos, etc.), but also kept an eye out for large chunks of broken and expired links. Pages that took forever to load were a pain, as was garish design that seemed to overwhelm product information. Finally, limited product information or having to call a telephone call center for basic details were ruled inexcusable.

Keep in mind our assessment is not scientific and is told from the point-of-view of a customer who is the occasional Internet user. In no particular order, we came up with following sites that constitute online tricks when they should be treats.

No treats at these sites

• First Federal Savings and Loan of Putnam County: High on product content but low on design and cluttered navigation.
  
  
• Chase Manhattan Bank: This multi-billion-dollar bank falls way short in offering a clean, easy-to-navigate site.
  
  
• Valley Community Credit Union: Calls its site a cyberbranch, but doesn't even offer online banking. For a site that's been around since 1996 (a good year for credit unions and the web, by the way), the site appears dated.
  
  
• Regions Bank: The bank's interactive section is a bit deceiving. There's more software information here than online services customers can access through the Web site. Tsk, tsk.
  
  
• BB&T: Another big bank that misses the mark in providing a site that would appeal to small-town as well as big-city dwellers. Company news supersedes product information.
  
  
• Pentagon Federal Credit Union: Way too many links to get vital product information.
  
  
• First Tennessee Bank: We always wonder why one has to send in an application and/or call the bank without knowing how online banking and bill presentment works. Some demos are in order here.
  
  
• Denali Alaskan Federal Credit Union: Deceptive links, too much scrolling and, overall, not personal enough for a credit union site.
  
  
• Cohoes Savings Bank: Although product information is thorough, the site is a bit convoluted and garish.
  
  
• First National Bank of Anson: If a small-town bank is going to offer online banking, it should offer clear language (possibly even a frequently-asked-question section) on how the process works. A demo and security links are only parts of the package, which the bank delivers.

-- Posted: Oct. 6, 1998