Case Redmond
Photo Gallery:
Banking
When I came here, I knew that some things would be different. For example I knew that checks were used here still. In Finland, I saw check once, in year 1981. The bank where I opened an account, is quite big. I don't want to name the bank, but I think it's one of the biggest banks in America. I knew one of the problems with big banks is that the local clercs don't have any influence, all the decicions are done in some remote place where they don't get to meet the person in person. I thought it wouldn't be a problem. When some problems arose, I tried to play along, but at some point, they crossed the line.
One thing which alone was almost enough to change bank right in the beginning was the fee they took for transferring money from Finland to purchace a car. Then they charged quite high fee as I bought plane tickets from internet with the debit visa, because the travel agency was from Europe. As I was running out of checks, I asked for more but they never came, so I couldn't pay my bills. When I asked for second time, they came in about a week. They also have this nice online bill paying system. I made a payment through the online system in advance I thought was enough. I received a past due -notice for the bill because it took 10 days for the bank to process the online payment. I'm now back using the checks, as it seems I can trust the USPS more than the bank. That's something I never thought would happen.
From the very first day as an customer to this bank, I told them that I want to build a credit history so that if I seem to need a loan or something, I already have the credit history which is needed to get any loan. I was told that the easiest way to establish credit history is to get a secured deposit credit card. Basically you put some money down and then you get credit card. Easy. So it sounds. I started to apply for the credit card right away. The lady in the bank told me she will fill the application for me. About 3 weeks later a letter of denial arrived to Finland, seemingly the reason being that they don't give the card to people who live abroad. As I went back to the bank, they called the card service to reprocess the application with my US address. Some weeks later I got a request for more information about my address, like utility bill or similar. I sent them one. They sent me new request for more information. I sent them. Few times. They sent me a letter of denial as I haven't given them enough information about my current address.
I went back to the bank to ask what's that all about. They checked the case, and the application was reprocessed in the card services. The guy at the bank told that if I bring him my lease contract for the apartment and some utility bill, he will send them to the card services and that will be ok then. Then next day I brought the papers to him. Some weeks later I got again letter of denial, as I haven't provided them enough information of my address.
I called a customer representative at the card services, and he was quite puzzled how this had happened. He told that my application had been completely rejected, so that if I wanted still to apply for the card, I should go to file new application. As I told him that all I want is the credit history, not really the card, he told me that I could use my car as a collateral for a loan, which then would help me get credit history. After my first week in the area, I asked the lady at the bank exactly for that, and she told me that their bank doesn't provide that kind of loans. Yes, she has a pretty smile but for bank issues I would like to deal with professionals instead of smiling ladies.
I think it's time for me to change my account to somewhere else. I know that many of these issues might have happened in any other bank, and after changing the bank it might turn out a stupid move. But still I think I've given this bank a chance to prove they want me as their customer, and they have failed. Several times.
I visited some places, and I'm still looking forward to which bank I should change to. I must mention that I got really good talk with a guy in Washington Mutual, WaMu. I told him my case and that I wanted to change my bank. After describing the situation, he told that WaMu is not the best place for me, as it is a bank of type X, and I should look for type Y instead. (Either X or Y was commercial bank, can't recall, I missed most part) Also, he told me several methods for getting the credit history, and several banks which would suit my case better than WaMu. That's the honesty I want from customer service instead of empty promises. I wish they could have offered the services I needed, but seems I still have to continue searching. I know that next time when I'm looking to change the bank, WaMu is the first one I go to.
