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Testimonials

I am so pleased with the service provided by First Bristol FCU. I thought I was just applying for a used car loan. Little did I know how helpful, service oriented and friendly the process would be. Theresa Neumann facilitated the loan for me with such ease of service: from beginning to end, available for any questions. When she was away a few days, others in the department were there ready to help. I needed to get my car a day earlier than expected and Theresa jumped into action to get all the paperwork done.

Then there are the services of Peter Kelley. I was at such a dead end with confusing car dealers and finding the right car for me. Peter stepped in and helped me find the car I wanted through his own internet search. Then he helped me through the whole process. He contacted the dealership for me. I talked everything over with him. He coached me through how and what to negotiate. He was available and patient. And he was right on every score. I followed his advice resulting in getting the car I really wanted, at a great price and having the dealership do everything I asked and more.

My advice for any car buyer is "Do not ever go buying without this team. I am a calm, happy customer, thanks to them, and...the ARP% they got for me was fantastic."

Some people may think this is too good to be true. Well, I just have one thing to say to doubters: "Try it, you will like it!!"

~Vita, Bristol CT


Dear Mark,

I recently purchased a car from the Crowley dealership here in Bristol, CT. The car buying service offered by FBFCU is extremely valuable and I wanted to share with you how Peter Kelley’s assistance throughout the process made me feel confident about my final decision.

Buying a car can be a very intimidating process. The advertisement on FBFCU’s website offering car buying advice led me to give Peter a call. Our conversation focused on what type of car I was interested in, whether I wanted new or used, and if I was intent on a lease or purchase. He recommended several websites (cars.com and autotrader.com) for me to peruse in order to compare dealership prices and availability. He encouraged me to take my time as this was a large financial decision. I appreciated his “step-by-step” approach.

My research led me to several options at two different dealerships. Peter took the time to call both businesses to get a better feel about the cars I was interested in. He paved the way for me before I contacted them myself. He gave me advice about handling my trade-in and helped script what I should say. I finally came to a decision after approximately two weeks of searching, but wasn’t quite content with the final number. Peter made another phone call and played a vital role in helping to strike a deal that I was satisfied with.

I signed the paperwork at the credit union for my loan and at Crowley for the purchase of my 2011 Grand Cherokee on July 3, 2012. Everything went very smoothly. I can’t express enough how helpful this credit union service was. I’ve shared my experience with several of my friends and relatives to let them know that it’s available should they be interested in purchasing a car in the future. And best of all…it’s at no cost to the member! I feel that the credit union cares about its members. It’s evident through the services it offers and the interactions of its employees with the members. This is my third auto loans from First Bristol and speaking from experience, satisfaction brings back customers.

~Amy, Bristol CT


Dear Mr. Cornacchio:

I'd like to compliment two of your employees, Peter Kelley and Theresa Neumann, for the excellent service they provided me two weeks ago. Peter helped me through the process of purchasing a new car for my daughter. Peter went over the loan options that were available and what price range I should be considering to stay within my budget. Once my loan was pre-approved, it was time to make a final decision on which car to purchase. Car shopping can sometimes be intimidating, so I asked Peter if he would mind accompanying me and my daughter to the dealership and he was happy to do so. With his past experience in the car business, Peter was very helpful and ensured that I received a fair deal. His presence made me more comfortable and I greatly appreciate the time he took from his busy schedule.

During the actual loan process, Theresa could not have been more helpful. Once I applied online (which was an easy process), Theresa quickly reach out to me for any missing information that was required and the loan was ready to close within a day. Theresa's professionalism and quick follow up exceeded my expectation.

Such a commitment to great customer service is to be commended. You can be sure that I will continue to do business with First Bristol as well as refer business to you.

~Diane, Terryville CT


Dear Mr. Kelley:

We would like to thank you for all you did for us when we recently bought our used 2010 Chevy Malibu. We benefited from your advice and knowledge more than we had expected throughout our car shopping experience. We initially didn't think we'd need any help, but we were amazed at how much advice you were offering and we quickly realized that having someone on our side really was beneficial.

Thank you for working with us for an entire Saturday as we drove from dealership to dealership. You were always pleasant and we never felt as though we were inconveniencing you. Since you called the dealerships prior to our arrival, we were able to walk in and ask for a manger or salesperson by name. We were shocked at how helpful that was because we were able to avoid that awkward moment where you walk in and nervously expect to be approached by an aggressive salesperson. We can also attest that they did not pressure us or play any games at the dealerships which you had contacted ahead of time.

As we were comparing vehicles and negotiating prices, you really increased our confidence by helping us understand what value a dealer would place on certain features. Once we had narrowed down the vehicle we were to purchase, we were concerned that our deal was too good to be true. You helped ease our concerns and suspicions of the deal with your firsthand knowledge of the industry. Having the perspective of someone with so much auto sales experience and who was not working to "push" a car on us was reassuring.

We felt like we received special treatment, both at our credit union and the dealerships. We are still surprised at how much service we received from our credit union and we feel as though First Bristol Federal Credit Union really is "our" credit union.

~Jason & Rebecca, Bristol, CT


Dear Peter:

I want to thank you so much for all of your assistance with the recent purchase of my son's Jeep Liberty. I find buying a vehicle to be a very stressful and daunting situation, and I was not looking forward to the process. I was thrilled to see that the credit union had hired you to help its members with the process.

Your insight into the car buying process was invaluable. Being that he was purchasing a used vehicle, we were very concerned about reliability. It was a huge relief to learn that you had knowledge of any service issues. We also were able to speak to one of the service reps to get first-hand knowledge of any service issues. We also appreciated your paving the way with the owner of the car dealership where we were purchasing the vehicle. Because of the knowledge and advice that you shared, I felt confident that I was armed with the right information to negotiate a terrific deal. We couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome.

FBFCU offering your services to its members is a win-win situation for everyone. As a purchaser I felt that we made an informed and fiscally sound decision and I'm sure as a lender FBFCU felt protected as well. In a competitive marketplace, it's this type of service that sets the credit union apart from other financial institutions and is a great example of why we do business here. We look forward to working with you again the next time we need to purchase a vehicle.

~Donna, Bristol CT