Monday, August 10, 2009

A banking experience

People tediously fill out page after page of personal information when you open a bank account. But why?

Banks do not bother to call anyone when a check deposited has bounced. They just file it away and do that person a favor by digging up the files when he/she later ask about it.

Nor do they inform people by any means when they increase the locker fees? They just simply deduct the increased amount from the person's account without my authorization.

Just a couple of days ago I coincidentally learned that a minimum balance system has been introduced last year and so they are deducting a monthly/quarterly charge if the balance is below that.

This was explained when another customer questioned two charges in the statement under the same heading (the heading was erroneous too). Needless to say this decision was not communicated to me as a customer. When I asked 3 times, the official mumbled unintelligibly that a letter will be sent out to those whose balance is lower than that required.

I have written to them previously about not receiving regular statements and did not hear back from them.

Does all this seem fair? Do I have to inspect every detail of the account and that too by being physically at the location? And guess what, at the branch where you have been banking for the last decade, you never receive a smile, the teller tells you you should sort your depositing notes so that they are of the same face topside and there's more- an employee sitting at the free chair in front of (not behind where she is supposed to be) service desk does not bother to offer the seat to a customer standing and waiting for the employee chat to be over.

And all this from a so called leading first-generation Bank.

Mehrin Shahed

mehrin.shahed@gmail.com

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