KzsWindow

What the heck? Isn't this microsoft territory? Isn't there MONEY here? I mean COME ONNNNNNNN!!!!! I live outside of Seattle. What a weird place this is. Maybe it's just me. I swear it has NEVER been SO clear to me before ever in my life how I am most definately a big city girl now. I'm not sure how that happened. I was living in the city and feeling like a hick... and now? I'm here in "hickville" and I'm suddenly feeling very "big cityish". I cannot EVEN believe these people. For the most part they just amaze me.

I can't really believe this. This is Washington State. Oh... this IS a "State" isn't it? I'm really not sure this is part of the United States. No, I'm really not. I have many reasons for thinking that but for right now I'm just talking banking. Don't people use BANKS here? Don't they expect banking service?

I've been at the same bank for years. I moved to Texas and back to Florida and I had no trouble with my back accounts. I've opened and closed accounts as Jake and I flip-flopped, seperating and getting back together through our marriage. I've had Money Market, Savings, Checking and Savings accounts there... I've traveled the country and found branches of my bank everywhere as I've needed them. It was not a problem. It's a nationwide bank.

Until I got HERE... in Washington State.

I went down to BOOB's R US bank to change the address on my account and was told that I could not do that. Um okay. I couldn't change it because I opened my account in Florida. Um... Huh? Well, it was okay since places here would accept my "out-of-state checks" from my "out-of-state" account BUT... I really did need to get an account in the state of Washington. It would make it easier they said. After more complications having my checks accepted, I went back to BOOBs R US BANK to open an account in THIS state.

Now keep in mind that I am already a customer and I told them that. I already have a checking and saving account there.

She asked me what type of a checking account I wanted. I told her that I wanted a Nuevo Futuro account. She looked at me like my head just fell off. They don't have that. Oh. Well? Okay... I guess that came out when Florida was seriously considering Spanish as a main language.

So I was asked what type of account that I wanted. Uhh, I want what I HAVE in Florida, except I want it in this state. She was clueless. I guess it's impossible to look that up from here, even though IT'S THE SAME FRIGGING BANK.

Okay, *deep sigh*... I'll play your silly game. I want a no minimum balance, no fee account, how bout that? "Oh, we don't have that," she says. It was my turn to look at her like SHE was nuts. "Uh yeah, we don't DO that here," she says.

Oh.

BUT there WAS an account with the same features as my Florida one but it had a DIFFERENT NAME. However, it's introductory. No fees for one year. After a year I'll have to keep a 500 dollar balance to avoid fines and then there will be a monthly service fee also.

Okay, for now I suppose it'll do. I dunno how to describe my thinking... totally f*cking shocked? No... even that doesn't come close... I've dealt with this bank forever and I've been happy there and NOW they say OH NO WE DON'T DO IT LIKE THAT HERE.

Hang on to your socks... It gets even better.

I open my account. Oh I get a free savings account with it too. Oh happy happy joy joy, that'll be oh-so-handy for all of the savings that I'll never manage to have.

GET THIS... my bank account and savings account ARE THE SAME NUMBER. No I'm not kidding. Oh, It can't possibly be confused they say. Oh, all you have to do is specify if you are withdrawing OR depositing to your checking OR your savings. It's as easy as that. Yeah, easy. I couldn't possibly confuse that. That's how they do it here I was told.

Hmmmm...

Okay, so now I make my deposit of my first paycheck. I turned it over to sign it and this woman literally ripped it away from me and told me that there was no need to sign it if it was a deposit. Uhh... Since WHEN? So, yes, my paycheck was deposited into my new wonky checking account without even having my signature on it. How about that?

The other thing that was weird was that I was only given the standard newbie package, (a pretty folder full of advertisements)... I did NOT get any temporary checks, or a bankbook, or a savings book. I only got a temporary ATM card but NO info about potential fees for using it.

Well....... all of that added up made me feel really uncomfortable. So, the next day I went to ATM to rip all of the money back out of it. I left about twenty-seven bucks and I hate to say I only left that much because I was worried about bank fees they might take out. Yes, I know what they said... but that doesn't mean much HERE.

In the meantime, it took nearly three weeks to recieve my bankcard and checks, but the address was wrong. I took them back down there and complained. Yes, my address was put into the system wrong. I guess the dimbulb that typed it right off of my driver's license can't read or type or whatever.

I was assured that everything's fixed... BUT it may take "maybe forever" to get my new checks and checkcard, because they're "having problems". (how reassuring) They can't tell me exactly WHAT the problems are, but it'll just take a while. Oh. Okay. Yeah well I don't really NEED those, sarcasm, sarcasm. That's all I use! I am NOT HAPPY.

So, I went to access my new account online and check my balance. I wanted to set up my online stuff right away because that's mostly how I pay my bills. My plan was that the "Washington" account would become my main account for paying bills. And GUESS WHAT???? I could not access that account. I have not been able to use that account at all. I've had no checks, no bankcard, and no information about using my temporary ATM card... I'm afraid to use the card. I'm afraid to make any deposits. I'm afraid to take any more money out.

I've had to continue using my account from Florida. So, I went to access that account online and I discovered that my account type has been CHANGED (without warning) AND they're yanking out fees!

I FINALLY was able to access my new Washington account only to find that they have yanked fees out of THAT one too! Yes, it was supposed to be no fees for a year. I'm glad I didn't believe them because they lied.

So, I've had it.

I went and got my paycheck today... oh, don't get me started there... I'm torn in half there. I like the company. I like my job. I WANT to work there. BUT there is obviously a wing-nut in their payroll department. I've been there for six weeks now and not ONE of my paychecks has been correct YET. They are paying me at starting pay, and that was NOT our agreement. Because of my experience I was hired in at a higher wage. In their attempts to "fix" this problem and pro-rate my pay, they've screwed things up even more. Okay, so partial hours for a partial week at a whopping quarter more than starting pay is a step in the right direction, but it still isn't coming close. Yes, I've been to my manager. Yes, I've been to my store manager. No, nothing has been corrected yet. This is ridiculous. I want what they owe me on a seperate check that's cut on Monday... Tuesday at the latest. I refuse to wait another two weeks for my next check so that they can pro-rate whatever which they OBVIOUSLY cannot figure out how to do. I'm putting in my two-week notice on Sunday. I'm sure that SOMEONE in this town can manage to actually pay me for what I can do. It's too bad that it isn't Blobbins.

I just can't seem to win here... I can't get paid correctly and the tads that I am being paid, I put in BOOB's R US bank to never be seen again as they evaporate into maintainance fees and I cannot access what's left of my funds.

From picking up my messed up check, I marched down to my BOOB's R US bank to close ALL of my accounts. At this point I have two checking and two savings accounts there. The bank was closed. Every other bank in town opens at nine. THEY open at ten, of course. I was steaming as I watched people go in and out of another bank that was right across the parking lot.

I waited... along with a bunch of other people, until BOOB's R US opened their doors.

I went in and told them that I wanted to close my accounts and they saidddddd... that they couldn't. THEY COULDN'T!!!! Oh, well ya see... their computers crashed AND their phone lines went down. Ppfffttttt!

Yep, the top of my head popped off and my brains fell out. I totally EXPLODED all over the poor woman. The bank was packed (even though it had just opened) and I was suddenly acutely aware that I was making quite a scene. I threw up my hands in defeat and huffed out, grumbling all of the way.

I walked right across the parking lot to A DIFFERENT bank. I was waited on right away. I was treated politely. (perhaps it showed that I was ready to go postal) I apologized to the account manager there because I was really in a foul mood and I was trying to calm down. He was patient with me as I opened three new accounts there. (You only need ONE dollar to open an account there, so I went ahead and opened a savings and an alternate checking account for internet purchases with TWO big ones... yep... ONE dollarreeeeennoooooo each.) Then I stuck my suckey paycheck in my NEW new checking account.

They have REAL free checking there. No fees, no minimum balance, overdraft protection, free debit/mastercard, free ATM withdrawls, no fee savings accounts, free online banking and transfers, free checks... I think I was in shock... It was more than I was looking for. My checking and savings accounts had DIFFERENT numbers! Do you believe it? My checks and bankcard will be here a LOT sooner than "maybe forever"... My address was ACTUALLY typed into the computer correctly! HOLYEEEEEE... well, WOW! Just WOW! OH, OH and they gave me temporary CHECKS to use in the meantime! I HAD to ENDORSE my paycheck!

I have information! I have real bankbooks! I have checks! I can get my money OUT if I want to! I have online access! WOW! I not only have REAL accounts now, I can actually USE them!!!

Yes Virginia, there IS real banking in Washington State.

Now if I can just pry my money out of the accounts at BOOB's R US sometime soon before they take it all for fees, I'll be able to pay a few bills.

Isn't that rich?