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With trust and with responsibility for each other - OTP
>> 20101006
9:10 - I get to the workplace, and buy a coffee in the café.
9:18 - I get to the ATM in the building cause I'M low on cash. There are many in a line waiting as the cast for some show shot these days at our channel.
9:19 - I enter the PIN code, and try to get 12,000HUF from the ATM
9:19 - The ATM makes the sound of counting the cash inside, and then stops. It goes black, and then nothing... Card and money inside.
9:20 - I try to find a number on the ATM to call, but there is none. I ask the ppl waiting around if they have a bank card with the number... they don't so I head back to the café where I get the number.
9:26 - For 5 min I've been waiting for someone to pick up. Nothing.
9:28 - I talk with Helpdesk about my problem, they check the ATM from the distance. It is operating with no problem. (as i can also si it turned back on again).
9:31 - I block my card and I'm asked to go to a bank for cash with my ID. The card will be transferred to a main bank office from they will inform me in a letter(!) to my address.
9:34 - I drink the rest of the coffee with a cigarette
9:36 - I am still totall upset and hungry.
9:38 - I think of how I can maintain my life standards for two weeks without my bank card...
9:42 - I cancel my plan to destroy a nearby bank office.
9:44 - I cancel my plan to shred blood in a nearby bank office.
9:46 - I cancel my plan to start yelling the first person who happen to come in my way next.
9:48 - I start working...
...
10:45 - I start my presentation at the agency of the actual bank about our partnership for this fall (they are my clients in marketing and TV issues).
12:35 - I finish the presentation and think of how I could hurt them.
12:36 - I drop the topic of accusing someone else.
14:25 - Business lunch done and the waiter find the weakest point when asks if i wanna pay by credit card...
14:26 - I keep smiling at the waiter and ask for a cash bill.
14:38 - I enter the bank office nearby the restaurant and get the number: 99.
14:41 - My turn. The lady at the desk is like my Mom. Lovely, helpful, emphatic, professional.
14:42 - I reconsider my tone after feeling bad for the lady as she is just doing her job.
14:42 - I count from one to ten.
14:43 - We start the process of informing the bank about my problem in written form as well and to get cash afterwards.
14:50 - The representative lady asks me whether the money i tried to get from the ATM is 12,000HUF. I agree.
14:51 - The lady asks whether the money I want back is this same amount and I disagree.
14:52 - The lady can't find what to do in this case. Never happens that someone would not only ask the money the ATM kept, but also penalty paid to the client for his time, caused problems and discomfort for not having a bank card for two weeks and for queuing for hours every time he wants cash.
14:55 - we find what to do and where to ask for such actions.
14:57 - I am asked to sign the papers about the topic which Irefuse since it is not as I wanted.
14:59 - I sign the documents I agree with.
15:01 - We start the process of getting the cash.
15:03 - I am asked to sign the papers for gettign cash from the bank, and I find out it would cost me 900HUF to get 13,000HUF. I doN't sign anything.
15:04 - I am verbally reassured it can be asked to get paid back as it is due to ATM problems.
15:05 - I stare at the lady without real trust, but sign the paper.
15:06 - I get my money, and we depart.
15:07 - I call a taxi and I smoke my 2nd cigarette.
15:11 - The taxi arrives and I leave the bank behind...
4 comments:
You really have only one and only bank card (not credit one, just debit)? and it's with the most old-fashioned to say it politely bank in Hungary?
Look, I don't wanna be a smart ass here, but there are plenty of banks with _free_ bank account and card as far as your concerned about monthly fees or banks with minimal fees like a couple of hundred of forints.
Check out Citibank. It's just awesome! First, it's free (you just have to put 150 thousands a month on your account. You can deposit it and remove the same day, noone cares. the only thing once a month 150 should transit your account to make it free), with free SMS service for the first year and free CitiBlue chip bank card for the first year. Furthermore, you can withdraw as much money as you want, as many times as you want from any Hungarian ATM (not of a specific bank but any) without monthly limit of withdrawal count for free. How cool is that? No more searching for an ATM of a particular bank.
Even more. You can withdraw your money from ATM at any point in the world for free twice a month! I already used all of these features and they do really work.
Not even talking that while travelling abroad cards issues by CITI have much more better way of appreciation (you are not asked constantly of periodically for your id) than those of some kind of semi-balkanian bank.
Look.
I understand ur reasons.
I have mine.
I like this old fashioned 'semi-balcanic' bank. It is ours.
And I do support it. I had not problems with it at all.
My monthly fees to maintain this account is also zero. As it fits my requirements. To find an OTP ATM inbound is way easy. I used it abroad, and had no prob with it to withraw money. However since I'm not traveling much abroad, I doN1t mind if I have to pay some fee to get cahs in those countries. And on my level it is a small step to help my own country's economy.
I doN1t give a shit about Raif, CITI, CIB or whatever foreign banks come here to invest thei loans in the country, spoiling the nation whom were educated by the goverments (paid by them most probably) to get into huge depts.
I balme all those banks for what happens in Hungary partly. Therefore I'll not make any account at them unless it will be necessery.
To have more than one bank card is not the measure of 'living standard' for me.
That is my point about it.
Well, to be honest maybe you're one of the lucky ones to have a zero fee account with OTP, but to be fair they fees for average public are out of sync with the quality of service they provide. :) They are one of the most expensive banks here.
Btw, CITI has no real estate loans. :) Don't blame them for the crisis.
As for other banks, well, they are responsible for one thing - bad communication. They did not communicate back then about risks (like JPY and CHF). That's all.
PSZAF was always warning the public to be very careful with JPY, but despite of any warning people thought it's ok.
I saw a face of my colleague, who bought 32 MFt apartment for his family (wife and two children), when crisis kicked in and his loan was in JPY.
The main problem is a lack of appropriate financial _basic_ education (public school, general media, etc). People here do not know how to manage their money, how to manage their loans, what does bank terms mean.
I am not talking about MBA required for everyone, but at least we should do better to educate our people on the basics of banking and finance, because it's a crucial part of everyday life.
Hungarian government is the one responsible for the lack of an appropriate basic education, banks are only responsible for bad communication. Btw, OTP has its huge share of those bad loans as well.
To live with an analogy: you're free to pay for BKV ticket and take a ride on a subway. You may also jump on the rails.
Banks gave opportunity, but didn't tell people what to do in a proper way. So some people took the train and some got stuck on those rails.
I have only one thing to add:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_S5cXbXe-4
:)
I respect your courage, man :) You just did what I always wished to do myself, but never dare... GO FOR IT, TIGER!
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