Yes yes…. This time, I would like to release all my pent up frustration on Bank SA. The one bank that I truly support while I am here in Adelaide. Simply because I naively put all my savings into this one bank and staunchly back them up whenever any of my interstate friends drop some disparaging remarks about them.

Alas, it will all stop now. I am extremely disgruntled and dissatisfied with my recent wrangle with them and as of now, I will no longer make any effort whatsoever for them. Hmph, take that.

See the situation was something like this. Bank SA has this freedom account service where it does not charge an account service fee to students, the condition being that you present your student ID to them every year. I was never told that I had to do this when I first opened my account. No letters, no email whatsoever. Whereas my friend even had a letter mailed to him with a reminder from the bank. I concede that it is partly my mistake for not reading through all their policy etc when they changed it last year. No worries.

This year, in January, the moment I enrolled myself and got a new student ID, I immediately went to the nearest branch and presented them with my student ID. I don’t want to be charged again every month. With that done, I put the matter out of my mind. However, when I next got my statement, I noticed that $7 has been debited from my account, with the description saying ‘Account Service Fee’ attached to it. So I thought, hm… funny, maybe I should check it out. I told my local friends about it and they were like, oh yeah, just tell them and they’ll refund everything for you, cos that was what happened to one of them. No worries, I thought I’d wait to see if they will charge me again or probably this first one was a remnant from last year. Come February, I was again charged for the same thing. So off I went to Bank SA to clarify things with them. -_-” Guess what, the teller that attended to me was very rude and belittling. Hmph, before I could finish my explanation about how I’ve already updated my status, she immediately cut across me saying that I did not show them my student ID (and I have a vague feeling that she was the one who attended to me last time)!!!! *speechless* To be directly accused like that!!! When I said that I did, and I could remember the date because I enrolled that day (I said 19th January when it was actually 12 but because I was thrown off by her), she immediately said ‘Yes, which is after the 28th’ (which is when they charged me). O_O She obviously wasn’t even bothering to listen to me. How is it possible that 19th comes after the 28th??? The number doesn’t even come close to 28. -_-” I was just so discouraged then. When I repeated myself, it was obvious that she made a mistake and she just looked at me for a moment. She then proceeded to say that she will refund the $7 to me. When I asked to be refunded for the January fee as well, she said she could not do it. That it was my responsibility and by not coming to them, I am accepting to be charged. (!!!!) What if I didn’t have time to come chasing after them in January??? So that’s it??? Not even an apology for the mistake made but to actually make me feel responsible for all these and not listening to me properly as well, dismissing me as some idiot Asian international who doesn’t know better??? (argh)

The next day, I went back again to talk to the manager, trying to sort things out. I was again met with the same thing. No refund, I should see them earlier about it, she won’t do anything for me but they have updated my status and so I won’t be charged again. I left but I felt really down and stupid after that.

Wait, the story isn’t over. Yesterday, I had to transfer some funds and so I just happened to glance at my online statement. Imagine my shock (and disbelieve) when I saw the same thing happening to me again. Again, the service fee was being charged. What is happening here? Is this some sort of April Fool’s joke??? After going personally to the bank THREE times over the past few months to try and settle the same problem. Nothing has been done about it!!! Just this morning, I had to rush between classes back to the bank (how would I have coped if the branch wasn’t near uni??) to tell them again that I have been charged. Again, I was asked the same useless question ‘did I come and update my status??’ Hello??? I was talking to the manager, who I just spoke to the last time and here she is parroting the same question back at me. When such a disgruntled customer comes and see you, you would probably guess something is wrong already right. Anyway, she just looked surprised when I told here that this is my FOURTH trip to the bank about this and after looking at my student card, she updated my status, refunded the money and that’s it. Again, no apology, no reassurance that it won’t happen again etc etc… Not even after I told them how dissatisfied I was and how I don’t have all the time in the world to coming running round every month like I have nothing better to do. It was just like ‘okie, its done now, so run along, go back and play.’ Ugh!!!! I have half a mind to just shut my account down and move everything to Commonwealth bank. The staff at that university branch should really be reprimanded. The way they treat the students, especially internationals are really shameful. Talking to the customer on the other line while you’re attending to me??? As if I am so insignificant. Manners!!! How rude would it be if you’re in the middle of a conversation and the person you’re talking to suddenly breaks off to speak with someone in another group???

I really really hope I don’t have to deal with them again. I’ve seen them so many times, I even noted their names. Usually I never bothered with this kind of things. I guess it is useful to note down names and dates so that you can support your case.

Still…. ugh. I feel just like the title of the book I’m currently reading ‘Bleak House’ by Charles Dickens. Bleak. Although the characters living in the house aren’t bleak at all, I keep waiting for some tragedy to befall all of them (pretty cruel of me) but as of yet, their prospects seem pretty promising. One of the characters has just started his surgeon’s apprenticeship. Granted, surgeons weren’t that respectable a profession during that times, but it was already acknowledge (at least by the author) that it is a noble profession to commit oneself to.