OH. MY. GOD.
Feb. 26th, 2004 11:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
erbieThose of you who know me probably know that I have a little issue with personal privacy. I don't fill out surveys, I don't give my name over the phone, and I don't give my phone number at Toys R Us or Waldenbooks when they ask for it. I don't want junk mail, and I don't want to make it easy for identity thieves to get ahold of my info, or THE MAN to track my every movement. I figure I'm already in some FBI files, since I took part in some protests back in college. Some may say I'm a little paranoid, but with the Patriot Act in force, I'm not convinced that I am.
My mom gave me a check for 25 bucks. She uses the same bank that![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
llnaughty and I use. I have been less than impressed with them since we opened our account in January because they keep putting these ridiculous holds on our money. Even my unemployment checks have been held for NINE business days, so two freaking weeks.
I should have known, when we were opening up the account, when the account person put inllnaughty's SSN wrong and told him he was in ChekSystems and they wouldn't be able to open the account. She told him this before she verified that she had put in his SSN correctly. And then she wanted to see his Social Security Card. I don't know about you, but I keep mine in a safe place, and I don't carry it around with me. She acted like he was trying to pull something on her. But I digress.
So, not wanting to have a hold put on this measly 25 bucks, I decide I'm going to go into the bank and just cash it. This is where all hell broke loose.
First, I go up to the teller and smile. Here is an account of the conversation:
Erbie: Hi, I want to cash this check.
Teller: Do you have an account with us?
E: Yes.
T: Do you know the account number?
E: No. But I don't want to deposit it, I just want to cash it.
T: Well we need your account number to reference.
E: I don't want to deposit it, I just want to cash it. It's a check from your bank.
T (in a smug challenging tone): Well, then I'll need two forms of ID.
E (smiling): Sure, here's my driver's license and will a Platinum card do?
T: That's fine
So then he takes the cards, fiddles ont he computer, I'm thinking he's looking up my account number anyway. Then he goes over to the manager and talks for a minute, comes back, and places an ink stamp and the check on the counter.
E: What's this for?
T: We need your thumbprint.
E: What? I just want to cash this check. It's from this bank, I don't want to put it in my account and have a nine day hold, I don't want to have to add and subtract it in my register, I just want to cash it. It's 25 bucks. It's from my MOM. We have the same last name.
T (once again smug): Well if you don't want to give your account number, then we have to treat it like a non-customer transaction.
E: What??? You need my thumbprint to cash a check on YOUR bank?
T: Yes.
E: I'm not giving you my thumbprint.
T: Well then we can't cash this check.
E: Forget it. I'll put it in the ATM.
In my head, I added "You Asshole!" Maybe I should go back in and ask them if they'll let me cash the check if I poke my finger and give them a thumbprint in blood.
I'm sure there's a little picture of me up on their bulletin board now. Last time I was in, I complained that my checks were taking too long to clear. I find it really ridiculous that they put a nine day hold on a government check. And to require a thumbprint to cash a check for 25 bucks, on THEIR bank, from someone with the same last name as me, when I've already given them 2 forms of ID... I can't even come up with a word for it. I'm flabbergasted, in a pissed off way. What's the word for that?
We're changing banks. We went to this one because it was supposed to be convenient This one has been nothing but a pain in the ass since we opened the account. I've also been with other family members when they were trying to work with this bank, and seen them be a pain in the ass with them as well, wasting hours of their time and one person telling them one thing, while another tells them something else.
So, am I over-reacting? Am I so spoiled by using Credit Unions for the last 10 years that I don't know what it's like in the real bank world?
My mom gave me a check for 25 bucks. She uses the same bank that
llnaughty and I use. I have been less than impressed with them since we opened our account in January because they keep putting these ridiculous holds on our money. Even my unemployment checks have been held for NINE business days, so two freaking weeks. I should have known, when we were opening up the account, when the account person put in
llnaughty's SSN wrong and told him he was in ChekSystems and they wouldn't be able to open the account. She told him this before she verified that she had put in his SSN correctly. And then she wanted to see his Social Security Card. I don't know about you, but I keep mine in a safe place, and I don't carry it around with me. She acted like he was trying to pull something on her. But I digress.So, not wanting to have a hold put on this measly 25 bucks, I decide I'm going to go into the bank and just cash it. This is where all hell broke loose.
First, I go up to the teller and smile. Here is an account of the conversation:
Erbie: Hi, I want to cash this check.
Teller: Do you have an account with us?
E: Yes.
T: Do you know the account number?
E: No. But I don't want to deposit it, I just want to cash it.
T: Well we need your account number to reference.
E: I don't want to deposit it, I just want to cash it. It's a check from your bank.
T (in a smug challenging tone): Well, then I'll need two forms of ID.
E (smiling): Sure, here's my driver's license and will a Platinum card do?
T: That's fine
So then he takes the cards, fiddles ont he computer, I'm thinking he's looking up my account number anyway. Then he goes over to the manager and talks for a minute, comes back, and places an ink stamp and the check on the counter.
E: What's this for?
T: We need your thumbprint.
E: What? I just want to cash this check. It's from this bank, I don't want to put it in my account and have a nine day hold, I don't want to have to add and subtract it in my register, I just want to cash it. It's 25 bucks. It's from my MOM. We have the same last name.
T (once again smug): Well if you don't want to give your account number, then we have to treat it like a non-customer transaction.
E: What??? You need my thumbprint to cash a check on YOUR bank?
T: Yes.
E: I'm not giving you my thumbprint.
T: Well then we can't cash this check.
E: Forget it. I'll put it in the ATM.
In my head, I added "You Asshole!" Maybe I should go back in and ask them if they'll let me cash the check if I poke my finger and give them a thumbprint in blood.
I'm sure there's a little picture of me up on their bulletin board now. Last time I was in, I complained that my checks were taking too long to clear. I find it really ridiculous that they put a nine day hold on a government check. And to require a thumbprint to cash a check for 25 bucks, on THEIR bank, from someone with the same last name as me, when I've already given them 2 forms of ID... I can't even come up with a word for it. I'm flabbergasted, in a pissed off way. What's the word for that?
We're changing banks. We went to this one because it was supposed to be convenient This one has been nothing but a pain in the ass since we opened the account. I've also been with other family members when they were trying to work with this bank, and seen them be a pain in the ass with them as well, wasting hours of their time and one person telling them one thing, while another tells them something else.
So, am I over-reacting? Am I so spoiled by using Credit Unions for the last 10 years that I don't know what it's like in the real bank world?
