Daily Web Ramblings

I think this is a pretty safe statement to make don’t you?

After all, when was the last time your bank GAVE YOU something for free or did something to prove to you that you are a valued customer? My guess is I bet never!

The thing that irks me about banks is the fees. There is a fee for just about everything you do with your account whilst the bank sits back and gets fatter and richer by using everyone else’s cash. The trick is to find a great bank not just a good bank but bugger me that’s hard to find these days in Australia any way!

I have tried banking with all the major banks and then some and they all pretty much offer zero customer service and fat fees! I was sick and tired of watching my hard earned cash get swallowed up in bank fees.

It went like this.

There’s a fee to deposit MY MONEY into MY account. A fee if I didn’t include a deposit slip (no wavering on this one - apparently no one makes a mistake in the banking world) a fee to withdraw MY MONEY, a fee for the bank to issue me a cheque book, a fee for me to write cheques with MY MONEY and a fee for the bank to process it. There’s fees charged for direct debits BPAY loan accounts even a credit card yearly membership fee applies these days.

After returning from the USA, whilst I was waiting for my wages I earnt overseas $25,000 USD to hit my account here in Australia, (takes a month apparently to process it AND A % FEE APPLIES) I applied for a personal loan to buy a little car.

The final straw was I had been banking with Bendigo bank when they were the Capital Building society, I had banked with them for 15 years and get this - they denied me a loan for the pissy amount of $4K! When I asked the manager why they rejected my loan seeing I had $25K in USA dollars in the process of clearing my account she told me and I quote: “ Your money is not the problem you have no debt”. The manager then proceeded to offer me a credit card so I could “Make some debt” with an interest rate of back then 22% and then they may give me the loan!!! I couldn’t believe my ears! What a blood-sucking leech! NO DEBT well hello that’s right and I worked really hard to get out of debt so shouldn’t I be rewarded not punished!

Further more what’s with the offer to help me get back into debt?? How irresponsible about money could you possibly be Miss Banker! This manager asked me how did I pay for everything I replied “ WITH CASH” she suggested I use one of their platinum credit cards but hello isn’t that how you accrue debt? I’m thinking this IS CRAZY aren’t I a dead cert to get your money back?

Aren’t I a GOOD and SAFE RISK for the bank? Ah apparently not they prefer people who are up to their eyeballs covered in debt, that way they can swoop in and really give it to you up the arse when your struggling.

Take a look at any Australian farmer whose been through a drought they get bugger all assistance from the banks unless its foreclosure time. So with the new revelation that MY MONEY and MY DEBT FREE status (a goal I slaved my guts on overseas to get) was not worth a pinch of poo I told Bendigo bank to get stuffed.

After trying another smaller bank I got my loan approved over the phone same day and I have never looked back. My bank is great BUT I DO PAY FOR IT but at COMPETITIVE RATES! Which bank you ask? Not the bleeding Commonwealth that’s for sure! I bank with the BANK OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

In my experience Bank West has great customer service bar none – in this area you cant fault them. Not only that, their mortgage rates and fee structures are competitive and their turn around for enquiries is excellent that’s why I do ALL my banking with them.

They may use MY MONEY to get fatter and richer but they give me REWARDS for saving with them and they are nice and polite to me whilst they do it. Their staff treat you like you are an important customer whether you have a million or fifty cents in your account. They ask you how they are doing and if you make a mistake on your account they DO give you the benefit of the doubt by looking at your account history BEFORE charging you a penalty fee if it clearly isn’t your fault!

Yeah I’m in Victoria and they are in Perth but I get around that with technology its called internet banking, which is FREE for me by the way! Also Bank West let me use Westpac ATMS for FREE! They only charge me a fee if I use another banks ATM.

Here’s the funny part when I banked with Westpac they charged me $1.50 for using one of their ATMS now I get to use them for free and its through another bank. Yes bank’s definitely suck their slick advertising is a dead give away one Aussie bank is famous for it which bank?

You know who! Do your self a favour check out Bank West you will be happy with this little beauty who are EXPANDING at a rapid rate – there’s a VERY GOOD REASON for that! I am one very satisfied customer. I tell EVERYONE who will listen how much I LOVE my bank!

When was the last time you felt good about your banking??