More paperwork for Americans that the rest of us foreigners.
- Thread starter Luperon
- Start date
Banco popular new account as a gringo
The main branch here in Santiago is on Duarte heading out of town towards Moca. Call and get a manager's or higher up's name. Call back a day or two later and explain to him or her you'd like to open an account and would like to have it done as soon as possible. Ask which member of his team you should speak with when you come in to their office, then once in the office let the individual know Mr./Ms. (so and so) recommended you to assist me with setting up my new account/ suggested I speak with you..
This approach may or may not work but it will certainly help to make the person you are dealing with on the other side of that desk a little more cooperative.
THANKS everyone for all the tidbits of info and stories. Now undecided if I want to deal with the DR banking system or cut off a finger or stab myself in the liver. Its 50%/50%/50%, in true Dominican fashion it totals 150%, definitely going to expect a lubricating experience.
Wonder if I should just have Dominican wife open the account with her cedula, forgetting to mention to them her US Citizenship, thoughts?
If I had a wife and was starting over, that is probably what I would do. Path of least resistance.
Yes, that's the easy way to open an Account. My dom. wife has also german Passport, but here in the DR she always be Dominican. So with her cedula we opened all Accounts at Popular, Scotia, Banreservas, BHD
We have a few Creditcards, my wife is the titular and I have mine on my name.
Depends on how much time you are willing to spend on it. If pressed for time then having your wife set it up should be easier.
Have your wife open the account with just her Cedula. Then in the future see if you can make it a joint account if that suits you. Once the account is open they will not close it and will not ask for where the funds came from or any other nonsense.
This week's Banco Popular experience.
My neighbor has had an account with Popular for 8 years. His Canadian passport expired 5 years ago and he renewed it in Canada. In those 5 years since renewal he has visited his branch of Popular a minimum 20 times to both deposit USD and withdraw USD.
Yesterday when he was in a hurry as he had a 2:00 PM flight the bank decided to call him on why his 5 year old passport has a different number than his 8 year old passport. I could go into details but it would take an hours to type it. So after an hour they decided he was who he said based on his 8 year old picture and they allowed 20 previous transactions (even thou they where all in error). I know all this as I drove him to the bank. He was so pissed off I thought he was going to blow up the bank.
All of this for a $2000 US withdrawal. Not that I needed another reason but this just adds to the pile of Banco Popular customer service stories as to why I would sooner slit my wrists than bank with these people.
So when people ask you "what do you do on that island all day" . Share our experiences. You can't make this shit up.
My neighbor has had an account with Popular for 8 years. His Canadian passport expired 5 years ago and he renewed it in Canada. In those 5 years since renewal he has visited his branch of Popular a minimum 20 times to both deposit USD and withdraw USD.
Yesterday when he was in a hurry as he had a 2:00 PM flight the bank decided to call him on why his 5 year old passport has a different number than his 8 year old passport. I could go into details but it would take an hours to type it. So after an hour they decided he was who he said based on his 8 year old picture and they allowed 20 previous transactions (even thou they where all in error). I know all this as I drove him to the bank. He was so pissed off I thought he was going to blow up the bank.
All of this for a $2000 US withdrawal. Not that I needed another reason but this just adds to the pile of Banco Popular customer service stories as to why I would sooner slit my wrists than bank with these people.
So when people ask you "what do you do on that island all day" . Share our experiences. You can't make this shit up.
Customer service folks follow a script. They are not allowed the pleasure of rational thought. Their calls are recorded and reviewed based on how closely they followed the script. Not just here but all over the world. That's why you're trying to explain the situation and they just talk right through you.
I have banked with Popular for many years. Before Christmas I tried to get an appointment to see someone. I called 19 times, sent four emails. Nothing. The rare occasions someone answered the phone, I was usually then told to wait and then eventually cut off. Or told that everyone I needed was at lunch, or on training, or off due to Covid. Or having a baby. Eventually I went into the branch. The person I needed to see was on holiday, nobody knew when he would get back. But I was told I should wait until he does get back as he is the guy who can help me.
So I finally saw the manager, who gave me a list of things I needed to do, as long as your arm, which involved getting my lawyer to file some papers. And of course when he tried to file those papers he was told that one of the stamps was incorrect and his authority to sign on my behalf was out of date so he then needed me to go and sign new documents again.
Customer service in DR == find a problem
Banking here is can be a nghtmare. MY dominican wife has spent countless hours getting paperwork , only to find that the information she was given was incorrect. Unfortunately like many things people spend half their lives on a neeedless paperchase rather than working. Very unproductive.
Until there are more banks competing for the Dominican customer, this will continue to be the case. In places like the USA there are many more banks competing with each other for the same customer and that conditions how they function including the process of opening a bank account.