Turkish Banking

Today I was pushed over the edge.

Two weeks ago my work set up another Turkish Lira account for tax and social security ('SSK')payment purposes. Fine with me. But when I checked the accounts, the smaller amount for the SSK was deposited into my current account the the larger balance of my salary was deposited into the new account. Sounds like nothing. But when I went to the ATM the new account has not been linked to the ATM or anything so I can't access it.

I remembered that the old account has next to nothing in it so I need funds from the other account and in order to do that I need to link the two accounts so I can see them at the hole in the wall. Going to the bank here at lunch time is a painful process that I cannot take part in.

So, I thought to go online and transfer the balance from the old account into the new account; but I wasn't sure if it would move over in a day. So, I type in my account details and hit 'go' but nothing happens. I repeat this process over and over; shut down the internet browsers and then try again but still nothing.

I pick up the phone and dial the bank and select '9' for English. There I wait. And I wait. Listening to the voice saying "all our representatives are busy now, please stay on the line". Yeah right. Busy eating breakfast and sipping tea.

A few minutes later I am connected. I explain my problem and the woman on the end of the phone asks for my account ID. I provide it, to which she replies "there is no customer number like this". To which I offer "I'll give you my card number then". I read out the number and the she asks for my full name. I give it. Then she asks for my date of birth. I give it. Then she asks for my fathers name. I give it. Then she asks for my mothers maiden name. I give it. Then she asks for my passport number. I give it. Thinking surely this was more than enough info to verify that I am in fact me, she goes on to ask my home address in Turkey. I tell her the address and I stop after saying the area name. Then she asks "Mrs. M, what district please". WTF.

Surely, by now I have given more than enough personal identification information for security purposes to not warrant anymore questions. This was bordering upon ridiculous, stupid and insulting. Then she asks me "do you have a mobile number". I think to myself, well, daaahh, you can see it on your frickin' screen in front of you can't you???? So I repeat the number to her and she says she will now call my mobile phone. "Hmm, what? Excuse me? For what", I say? "For security procedure Mrs. M". I laughed and said to her "Goodness, don't you think you have enough information already"?

So my mobes rings and I pick up. She asks me "Mrs M who are you speaking on the other telephone? "Finansbank", I say. "About what matter are you talking Mrs. M", she says.."INTERNET BANKINGGGG" I say.

So she hangs up from my mobile and then we talk on the other line. She sorts out the problem with the internet customer number and I set up a PIN number again. (However, still now the internet account access doesn't work!) She then asks me if she can help me with something else, to which I request help from her to link the two accounts I have. "Certainly Mrs. M, I can assist you". With that, the line goes dead and the screen on my phone shows me that the call ended.

To say the least. My blood was boiling and my temperature was rising with frustration and aggravation. How the frick can the call just be cut off?

I picked up the phone and dialled the same number. Was told the same message "all our representatives are busy now, please stay on the line"......and waited.

A man answered the phone this time around. I told him that I had been speaking to someone and had been disconnected. I explained that I wanted to link my two accounts and he said "Certainly, I can help you". I gave him my card number and he was checking my account. Then. The line went dead. Cut off. Finished. Hung up. WTF? AGAIN?

Maybe on my account the previous customer service idiot put up a 'bitch flag' so the next customer service person could hang up on me also.

So I slammed the phone down and screeched something like "these people are so damn incompetent" and fled to the bathroom in tears. I think my boss heard me. But I don't care.

I just can't handle this incompetent and difficult service I seem to get with them. This is not the first time the line has been 'disconnected' when I have been needing help. I hate to go to the bank as no one speaks English, although their website claims they are so expat friendly and have English speaking customer service agents blah, blah, blah....

What is it about this place that some things just become so damn hard to do that you almost don't want to participate in it. I would be more than happy to take all my cash from the bank and keep it at home and never have to deal with a bank, ever.