When it comes to banking in this country, the take away that I came to: The banks feel they are doing you a service/favor by allowing you to deposit your money so they can use it.
I'm not sure I like the banks at home much better, but they are more mature in Canada and opening an account is less painful than going to the dentist unlike here. 2 pieces of ID, some cash to deposit, a few signatures and you are handed all the rules in a language you can understand, an ATM card, maybe a bank book or some cheques to get you started and you are on your way. 30 minutes max.
That level of customer service is not yet available here and there seems to be some need on the part of the pencil pushers to use up as much paper and time as is possible while ensuring that you appreciate all they are doing for you when they for one last document that can only be had if you travel 2000 Km to go get it.
It took me almost 5 hours to open a peso chequing account and a USD savings account. After that, the US account was frozen until approved by someone in a windowless office next to the SD metro - They gladly let me put USD into that account, but I couldn't then ask for any of it back.
Many of the DR account fees are predatory and those bank agreements are all but intelligible to anymore not fluent in Spanish legalese. So we learn by watching the charges at the end of the month and asking that each one be explained.
That charge is for cashing a cheque to get some of your money cuz you can't withdrawal from a chequing account without writing a cheque.
That charge is for having less than the minimum balance in your account at anytime in the previous month. You ask and you now know the minimum amount.
That charge is for not conducting enough transactions in a month (write more cheques)
That charge is because we had to close your account because you were not here to make deposits every month.
That charge is for using an ATM from another bank even if there wasn't one of our own anywhere nearby.
Yeah, banking here can be a draining experience. The future can only get better
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