Here it is. I don't like to rant too much when I travel because I realize that each country and culture is different, so I should open my mind and embrace each unique situation. Unfortunately, after a rude awakening from my banking institution this past weekend, I'm feeling less open-minded to them than before.
I've tried to be extremely careful with my money now that I've got full-time employment and bills to pay (plus student loan payments to send home). I had budgeted last week for our weekly rent payment and the security deposit for our energy to come out of my account and I should've still had money left over. Imagine the near heart attack I had on Friday when I saw I was over $200 in the red and they had charged a further $30 for being in overdraft (a concept I don't really understand - charge the person who's in debt even more for being in debt). As I speed-dialled the customer help line with my bank I wondered if I'd been the victim of card skimming; someone was having a lark at my expense.
Alas, it isn't quite the whole story. Apparently there are occasions when customers use their bank cards and the bank's "system" might be down. That doesn't stop you from being able to take out money or swipe your card for debit purchases. They just force through the transaction and eventually when the bank gets its system back up and running it will just deduct the money from your account. Usually the bank can tell you exactly where and when you made the transaction if you call up with a dispute (like I did). This time though the bank couldn't tell me when or where the transaction happened, so they filed a dispute for me and I'm still sitting in limbo waiting to hear if they'll refund me the money or if their claim that I spent it somewhere is legitimate.
I guess the thing that irks me with banking in Australia is how long it takes for them to process transacations and have it reflected on your electronic bank statement. Even if you withdraw money from the bank's ATM, it will take days for that transaction to appear on-line (as well as the printed receipts you get after cash withdrawals). I'm starting to feel like the money I have in my account is virtually held hostage as transactions from three months ago could come out at any time. Maybe it's safer for me to keep it in a jar under the bed for now!
1 comment:
wowzers you need me to come down and fight for you?...lol I'm pretty good at getting what I want but that's silly. I had a credit card once that would take up to seven days to show I had made a payment, got rid of that when I found that out.
Not too much going on here, still on the right side of the grass.
Take care kiddo miss ya lots. I guess I miss the tall one as well from time to time... yes it was last Wednesday at 4:24 pm that I thought "I miss Will." then I saw something shiny and was distracted and didn't think about it again.
D.
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