Commerce Bank/Harrisburg Conversion into Metro Bank is Underway

June 8, 2009 • Related • Filed Under

The eagerly awaited conversion of the Commerce Bank/Harrisburg brand into the new Metro Bank brand is finally beginning to become apparent to the regular folk who don’t exactly track Commerce/Metro like I do.

Last week, Commerce Bank/Harrisburg put out a press release stating that over the next two weeks the Commerce Bank logo and brand would be replaced with the Metro Bank logo and brand on all 33 bank branches within the Commerce Bank/Harrisburg network which is located in and around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

I did some investigation and found a few more bits of information about the conversion, specifically that the new website for Metro Bank will be http://www.mymetrobank.com which will become live on June 14th, at that time the http://www.CommercePC.com website will be redirected and almost all remaining vestiges of the Commerce Bank brand will disappear.

The new Metro Bank is apparently already hard at work developing three locations within South Jersey which will probably open by the end of this year. I haven’t been able to find out if the branches prototype will change now that its name has changed – but I think its a definite possibility since Metro Bank is trying to distance itself from Commerce/TD – and become an even better bank than its original namesake.

On the web page for the banks, there is a “Whats New” entry which states that there will be new coin counting machines “New Magic Money Machines”, and that debit/credit cards will reflect the new name later this year – odd considering the Commerce mantra was always on-site debit card creation.. Perhaps that’s just indicating if you don’t walk into a branch asking for a new card, they’ll automatically send you one in the mail.

The question that remains is whats the status on the Republic First Bank acquisition and re-branding of those locations into Metro Banks? No where in the press release was it even indicated that Republic First Bank was even affiliated with Commerce/Metro Bank, and nowhere on the Republic First Bank website is there any mention of the conversion into Metro Bank.

I know the merger has been approved by the shareholders and is scheduled to be completed by the Second Quarter of this year, but I still found it very odd that nothing was mentioned in the Commerce press release about it, and the Republic First Bank’s website seems to have not been updated in over a year..

Hopefully the merger is still going to occur, but even if it doesn’t, the Metro Bank name should quickly become an important competitor to TDBank, and if anything I can see Metro Bank becoming the Commerce Bank (pre-TD) that never was, due to Vernon Hill’s getting removed from Commerce’s board a few years back which sped the purchase of Commerce Bank by TDBank.

andrew@alconic-inc.com

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  1. Comment by Pissed Metro Customer on June 14 2009:

    I just spent 25 minutes just trying to log into my new “Metro Bank” online banking. It sucks.

    I run a technology company and the main reasons I went to Commerce Bank were:

    a. Customer Service was PHENOMINAL.
    b. Their online banking was SO EASY… But SO POWERFUL…

    This freaking Metro Bank thing is a joke. Hopefully they’ll get a real developer who understands web usability and get it right soon. Otherwise I’ll head back to Fulton.

  2. Comment by Mark L on June 15 2009:

    This merger has been nothing but a nightmare. first the website goes off on Friday night and you cant even access. Comes back up on Sunday, then the login dont work at mymetrobank.com . I go to buy groceries and my card doesnt work. Anyone experiencing major issues with this bank already? Ive been with them for many year and everything is screwed up in one day. They never sent out notifcation of the name change and just got the day the name changed. How odd is this? I am about to pull my accounts. I cant get anyone on the phone. I am on hold forever. then i call the bank branch and the woman isnt very helpful and rude. what happened to the customer service? Whats going on this bank?

    metro you never launch a new name or website unless everything is working. you never take the old banks website down ever unless you can replace it with the new one right away. this thing hasbeen ridiuclous. the website sucks and its so unprofessional. whats up with the dog?

  3. Comment by Annette on June 16 2009:

    I have had problems with this bank as it was known as Commerce and now as it’s new name Metro. I have had a direct deposit account/s set up with this bank for my Social Security payments for many, many years. According to federal law 207 42 U.S.C. AS407 Section 207 of the Social Security Act, all social security direct deposits are protected from assignment. Which means, the bank cannot touch that money for NSF fees. The courts percieve NSF fees as a loan and a way for the banks to make money and nothing else. This bank has been doing this to me for years and to my estimate, they now owe me thousands of dollars. It is my intent to write a certified letter to this bank and if a solution is not found, I will be filing a lawsuit against them. This is not the only problem I have had with this bank and I would highly discourage anyone from doing business with them.

  4. Comment by Dawn on June 17 2009:

    So now the Transfer options are not working! Oh yea and the bill payer is not working! Tried to call number listed for Transfer problems it is a wrong number! So I call the 888 number and yep on hold for over 30 mintues. Tried a local branch and nightmare again! Spoke to 2 people no clue how to help me! Tranfered me to the 3rd rep at the branch he had no clue why I was calling! Yepp think I moving over to wachovia The first year, they will give you a guaranteed 5.00% APY with way to save option. Metro should have really tested the system before the change over. Oh and sending customers notices before the change would have been nice too…. so much for being a customer for 15 years!

  5. Comment by Steve on June 18 2009:

    The new Metro Bank website looks like it was designed by a ten year old in his/her bedroom! Oh.. my.. god, I cannot believe anyone would have the nerve to launch a bank with a website like that! And what the hell is the logo about? Is that supposed to appeal to fully grown adults? A fraking ‘M’ with a baseball cap on! Yo dude, far out. Must have cost mega bucks to come up with that idea. Oh well, at least they give free lollipops I suppose. Hey, what’s with the domain too? Last time I looked the real one was still for sale!!!! Totally amateur all round.

  6. Comment by Beth on July 13 2009:

    We have been a customer with Commerce since it opened in our area,and really enjoyed the conveinence and the customer service. Now in just one week during the change no one even informed me that our money could not be accessed or that no one would answer the phone. Than I went in to ask a question and the answer kept changing so that no matter what the answer always ended up being my fault. No matter where I go and mention how upset I am with Metro at least two people at each retail store tell me all their bad experiences with this bank. What a shame when just a month ago I was recomending Commerce to my friends and relatives now I am deciding what I am going to do! I have lost all trust with this bank.

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