RANT #2...The German reputation......HA

Germany supposedly has this reputation for being super strict/on time/ they do exactly what they say when they say it!.....well that is NOT the case from my experience with their Bank system!

I have now been living in Köln for almost a month and I STILL don’t have bank account set up. I applied at the Postbank the day I arrived and was told within 10 days I would be sent a card and a pin number in the mail. 12days later with still no card or pin, I went back to them and said I need this account and I need it now. They responded with, “oh, you have to wait one more week.”………I thought, “not ok” and went and started an account at the Deutsche Bank. (it has been almost 4 weeks and I havn’t gotten anything from the Postbank so I’m real glad I made the switch BUT!)

Deutsche Bank said, within a week you will get your card and pin number. It has now been 10 days and I have a card, and online pin number, but still no Pin for making withdrawls. SO, today I went to the bank with all my information and said, can you please explain this, I really need a bank account for my landlord to make rent withdrawls and to get my Residence Permit. They said which I am now becoming VERY accustomed to hearing “Your PIN will come in the next couple days” I only have a COUPLE days to have this thing set up! Throughout the planning of this whole experience I have been very good and “going with the flow” and not worrying too much about little “issues” that arise……knowing it will all work out, but this is a little bit down to the wire. ANYWAY,

Deutsche Bank said I could cash my Travelers checks and deposit that money, and then pay my rent from that while I wait for the pin…..I said “excellent, then I would like to do that”

They said “Oh, no no, you can’t cash the Travelers Cheques here, you have to do that at the Blah blah blah Bank around the corner, and then bring the cash here.”

I said “Ok then…….I will be back in a minute.”

To the Blah blah Bank I went, walked in, said “I would like to cash my Travelers Cheques please.”

They lady replied “Oh no, no, no, we don’t do that here…..you have to go to the ReiseBank in the main train station.”

I said “But Deutsche Bank said that you did these transactions”

She said “Hmmm Tut (the sound of it spoken in English is “Toot” lol) mir leid (which means I’m sorry).”

So I left, definitely more then slightly annoyed with Germany and its Banking system. I walked 15 minutes across town to the THIRD bank of the day thinking “If this bank can not help me, I’m going to “Tut somebody’s Leid REAL soon!”

Lucky for me the Reisebank had no trouble making the transaction, and I walked out with my money (really just in the nick of time, I was down to having only 40 Euros in cash that I could actually access).

I walked BACK across town to the Deutsche Bank to deposit my money thinking “It is 2 minutes after 4 o’clock. Wouldn’t it be such a predictable circumstance if this bank was closed by the time I got back there?”…….Sure enough the door read “CLOSED”. I began thinking of ways I would write to Santa and ask him for a punching bag this Christmas……

So my friends, I do not know how Germany got their reputation of being extremely organized and punctual. I have now dealt with FOUR banks here and have yet to fully accomplish my goal, even though I’m slowly getting closer. Thank you for listening! Hope all is well!