M&T Bank

[dipmicro]

When calling, 9 out of 10 times I get "Calling is temporarily unavailable". Other phone numbers busy signal. When I was setting up web banking it went through so many hoops and wasted my selected ID in the process because IT guy on the phone (45min) did not know what he was doing and one registration failed in the middle with ID becoming unavailable but unusable. Now I cannot remember my password but cannot reset it because it requires SSN and the "temporary" SSN number IT guy used for setting up my account does not work anymore. When I manage to get through the phone, there is no operators due to holidays.

Can someone suggest a bank account with USD denomination that can be linked to Canadian PayPal and is accessible to Canadians, i.e. web access without funny hacks with SSN ?

[westernstargifts]

Thanks Ann. I have a credit card account with TD so maybe I will look into opening a US account there if my credit union can't offer the same service.

Judy

[dipmicro]

I am trying to make international wire transfer for almost a week now. Friday - walk to M&T branch at intersection of Niagara Blvd and Military Rd. Wire transfers only till 3pm, come Monday.

Monday ... I do everything humanly possible to leave sooner, but we have 60 orders, takes time to pack, print postage, etc. etc. US customs after 2 months of waving me through decided they need to send me to secondary. I came to bank by 3:30, just to make sure 3pm is not just a Friday early release. No. It's not.

Tuesday ... only 40 orders, I leave at 2pm, should be able to make it. Stanley/405 exit is closed due to construction. I have to drive all the way up to St. Catharines to get into opposite direction. 20 minutes wait in commercial line and customs again decides they need to check me. I come to Military Rd by 3:05pm

Ok ... I am thinking. This is not my problem. I am doing everything possible to send this bl**dy wire transfer and I just cannot make it on banks terms. The problem is the BANK!!! It cannot provide human business hours, I set out to search another bank that will.

Tops Supermarket at Niagara Blvd has Citizens bank. Open till 7pm. They also cannot do wire transfer after 3pm, but they will at least accept it and phone it in next day. Apparently, if I make few wire transfers per year, I can get my own pin and phone it in myself from home.

Bye bye M&T.

[surplusdealdude]

I'll bet the Citizen's bank is a credit union or used to be one. The US citizens say they're a lot more user-friendly. -------------------------------------------------------------------

It is our similarities that make us all human - it is our differences that make us all interesting

[dipmicro]

I'll bet the Citizen's bank is a credit union or used to be one. The US citizens say they're a lot more user-friendly.

I am not a banking whiz so cannot tell the difference, except that one closes at 4pm and another at 7pm, one tells me "you are late, scr*w you" another one "sorry, it cannot go today, but give it to me and I will do it tomorrow morning".

Who has time to go to bank before 4pm? Every normal person is either at work or working.

[dipmicro]

Btw., they did not really say "scr*w you" literally, and there was even a "sorry" there, but it felt the same 😉

[jakeeangel]

How exactly is it the banks fault that YOU can't make it for their hours? I'm sorry but I don't understand. ????

They have business hours. Even banks open later switch over to the next day after a certain time. That time is dictated by the bank and happens all the time with every bank.

At RBC we're open till 4:30 Monday to Wednesday and stay on that business day until closing. Thursday till 8pm and Friday till 6pm BUT we switch to the next business day at 4pm. If you come in on Friday after 4 your transaction will be dated Monday if it's not a holiday. That's just the way it works. Apparently the US banks switch at 3pm.

What you were talking about before with RBC and the $13.50 is basically an email money transfer up to $1000 Canadian or the equivalent in another currency. Anything over that amount has to be done by wire transfer. And you can't make multiple payments of $1000 each.

I just bought a car in the US and wired the money. It cost me $30. $25 for the wire and $5 for the communication fee, whatever that is.

[dipmicro]

How exactly is it the banks fault that YOU can't make it for their hours?

Did not say it's their fault, but they are MY problem. They did not do anything wrong, but chose business hours that some customers cannot make. M&T does not make any effort, for example to accept the TT in the evening and phone it next day while competitor has no problem.

I don't mind if my transaction is switched to next business day, but I want it done instead of telling me to come next day before 3pm, which I can barely make if at all.

[surplusdealdude]

The banks used to all be like that - 10 am to 3 pm and you made time if you wanted to use them.

It's where we get the term "bankers hours" from - basically, it's low service from people that have you over a barrel.

I use TD in Canada (wouldn't use RBC on a bet after my last experience with them) and I like their idea of service - they're open when it's convenient for ME to do business.

And your Citizen Bank definitely sounds like a credit union, dipmicro - they're a lot more service oriented.

BTW, the idea that you can't send multiple $1000 transfers is BS - they just don't WANT TO do that because it's too much work. -------------------------------------------------------------------

It is our similarities that make us all human - it is our differences that make us all interesting

[jakeeangel]

LOL @ Surplus. Take a look at your fees you pay at TD. As to the don't want to because it's too much work - BS at you. It's an email money transfer. Self serve. Which means you do it. LOL There is no work done by the bank for those.

It's part of the AML (anti money laundering) policies at RBC.

Dipmicro said:

"The problem is the BANK!!! It cannot provide human business hours, I set out to search another bank that will."

That translates to it being their fault so yes you did say that. It's you that can't make their hours. They make their hours to suit them and the majority of their clients not you, one individual. Just like you do things to suit you not anyone else.

[dipmicro]

jakeangel, I dont intend to discuss semantics of what was said and what it means. I agree, I cannot make THEIR hours but it's also them who don't have hours that suit a group of customers. It's all relative, there is no difference. What exactly is your point?

I don't agree that bank has me over the barrel. If banks stop providing services, people will go on. If people will stop using banks, banks will die. Anything else coming from bank employees is just brainwashing, marketing and BS.

[dipmicro]

hey make their hours to suit them and the majority of their clients not you ...

It's hysterical that RBC breaks their neck to bring customers, using every trick in marketing books to bring them in, while their employees advertise on eBay PS board: we don't need you

Well, RBC, I don't need you either 😄

[jakeeangel]

I'm sorry. Is English your second language? We were discussing M & T and their hours that are not convenient for you because you can't get there by 3pm.

And while we're at it, nice way to take things out of context. I said they, referring to M & T, but most organizations in general really, make hours to suit them and the majority of their clients not one individual.

[westernstargifts]

The banks used to all be like that - 10 am to 3 pm and you made time if you wanted to use them.

It's where we get the term "bankers hours" from - basically, it's low service from people that have you over a barrel.


I remember those days. My first job out of school was in a bank. It closed at 3:00 but we worked until 5:00 Mon. to Thurs. and 6:00 on Fridays.

At the same time all of the stores and the Library were closed on Wednesday afternoons and the groceries stores were closed on Mondays. And of course there was No Sunday shopping.

Life was much simpler then....so much for "progress" which was supposed to make life easier and instead made it more stressful.

Sorry guys, but I can't help reminiscing.....:-)

[dipmicro]

Today I deposited a personal check into M&T ATM and am pretty impressed!

It accepted bare check without envelope, scanned it, decoded face value and instantly cleared it. I only had to confirm the check value was decoded correctly.

Hmmm .... maybe I will keep both acccounts 😉 The instant clearing feature may help DSRs 😉

[surplusdealdude]

Keep in mind that the cheque hasn't cleared. M&T is only advancing you the funds against it's clearing.

If the cheque comes back, they'll still reverse the entry.

You probably just passed the 6 month trial period, so they're giving you some more rope. -------------------------------------------------------------------

It is our similarities that make us all human - it is our differences that make us all interesting