There are some truly ridiculous comercials one will experience in Latin America. I despise about 90% of them, particulary the overly-sexist ones. You know, where Dad is working hard all day, Mom is watching the kids, making dinner, doing laundry, all with a smile on her face. Yeah, right! I can't imagine women in the U.S. putting up with these kinds of commercials, and to be honest, I don't know a single Costa Rican homemaker. A short list of professions, just of women I know personally, reads thus: lawyer, doctor, pharmacist, psychologists (3 of those!), customer service rep, online bookie, yoga instructor, pilates instructor, small business owner, waitress, restauranteur, hotel owner.
So exactly who are the companies behind the laundry detergent, ready rice, and floor cleaner selling to, exactly? The only women who come to mind are mi esposo's relatives, who have some 30+ years on the women in the commercials.
Then there are the horrible commercials on channels that I actually let my son watch, such as Discovery Kids. While the shows are all about diversity, girl power/boy sensitivity, healthy lifestyles, the commercials shown during the breaks give kids a completely different message. Boys get action figures and war toys, girls get princess dolls. Bleh! Didn't we get over all that waaaay back in the 1970s? And then there is the crap food marketed to kids. It's all enough to make one sick.
However, my current "favorite" commercial is for Scott toilet paper. It features a cute yellow lab puppy, which one assumes is named Scott, and the tagline goes: "Scott, tu mejor amigo (Scott, your best friend)." Ok, I get the whole "the dog is Scott, the dog is your best friend, thus the toilet paper is your best friend" thing, but seriously, now. My best friend is not toilet paper.
Some years ago, I was at the UCR campus with esposo and had to use the bathroom. Not a single stall in the women's bathrooms had toilet paper. When I asked then-novio what the friggin' deal was, he said that if the university put toilet paper in the bathrooms, people would steal it. Um, okay... Steal toilet paper? Here are our future doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, psychologists, and customer service reps, all out to steal the University of Costa Rica's toilet paper. I wasn't sure what to make of it. Apparently, students carry their own toilet paper to school with them, knowing they won't find it in the stalls. I guess if you really have to go, and I mean go, toilet paper can indeed be your best friend in that moment.
But do I get the puppy, too?
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Monday, April 03, 2006
We're Going to a Party, We're Going on a Trip...*
I am invited to a friend's baby shower on Saturday, which is great -- she's a lovely person and I had been planning on going to this shower for about a month. Unfortunately for me, esposo decided to surprise me with a paid massage that Saturday afternoon, which I had been waiting for for a loooong time, and I had to cancel it. :-( Oh well, next week, maybe.
In Costa Rica, it's fairly common for people to rent out a hall and then charge the guests a few thousand colones to come. Though I must admit I thought it was weird the first time this happened some years ago. "What? You have to bring a gift, pay for your own drinks, AND pay to get in?" I disagree with the whole idea, so when we had our baby shower, we chose a place that didn't charge for renting the space, and we just paid for the food and non-alcoholic drinks. Thinking back, that was probably silly, because even the previous baby shower I was invited to had an "entrance fee" listed right there in the invitation. I just couldn't bring myself to charge people to go to my own baby shower.
Back to the story at hand: I am told that this one will be a "traditional Costa Rican tea," which means no guys allowed, cake, coffee, silly games, ete. Ok, fine. No big deal, girls' day out, right? Except for my son and my friend's son, it was solamente chicas. It is supposed to start at 2:30, so my friend picks me up around 1:45 (we have to drive up to Heredia to get there). There's some kind of motocross thing happening, so the road we'd planned to take is completely blocked as cars line the road from one end to the other. This means driving to San Jose and going from that direction. We get there "late" at 2:45, and we're the 2nd people there. In typical Costa Rican fasion, everyone arrives late, with some guests just getting there as we're leaving four and a half hours later.
Yes, FOUR AND A HALF HOURS later! If I had had someone to leave my son with, I would have done so, because toddler + nothing much exciting for toddler to do = boredom = screaming fits in the middle of the room. Of course, esposo is at work, so the baby goes with me. If I had been smart, I'd have just driven myself and followed my friend, but nooooo, I am not smart. I did, at least bring food for him and ate quite a bit before we left (I didn't imagine a typical Costa Rican tea would heavily feature vegan food).
So there are the silly games: Who can blow up the largest condom balloon in 20 seconds? Who gets baby bingo? Who can drink a baby bottle full of blackberry juice the quickest? Personally, I prefer the showers where you eat, open presents, and go home. This was not one of those showers. (And neither was mine, thinking back, though I'd wanted to leave after about an hour -- at eight months pregnant, I'd get worn out just thinking about doing anything besides sitting down).
My son sees the ladies drinking blackberry juice from a bottle, and pesters me until I find one that's relatively full and give it to him. He has not drank from a bottle since I was pumping and he was about a month old. He goes to sit on someone else's lap, and I'm thinking, great! Keep him busy for a while and perhaps even a little quiet (this whole thing is about two hours after the official start time, and son has begun getting a bit punchy -- who can blame him?). I swear, not five minutes later, he comes back and it looks as though his BRAND-NEW t-shirt has been tie-dyed purple! It is at this point that I begin to get a migraine. Son starts whining, and I try everything -- look at the balloons! how about nursing? want some food? coffee? tea? valium? Nothing works. He is ready to go, but they haven't even begun opening presents.
So it's "walk around the block time," and since he has napped for about a half hour today (as opposed to his usual two hours), I figure he'll get worn out and fall asleep. No go. Too much stimulation! At least by the time we get back, the presents have begun to be opened. Got to see the presents! That's the best part! At least one can live vicariously through the gift-receiver...
Surely but steadily, we're working our way through the presents, when Auntie decides to STOP and PLAY MORE GAMES. I am ready to strangle the woman. Then it's main course, salad, coffee, cake... And back to presents. At this point it's something like three and a half hours after the official start time, and time for us to take another walk around the extremely large block. When we get back, the presents have resumed being opened, and she's got ours on the floor next to her. I'm sort of bummed that we missed our own present being opened, but turns out she was waiting for us to get back (so sweet!). Finally, my friend's presents and mine have been opened, and it is time for us to begin making our exit.
And we get out of there almost FIVE HOURS after the "official" start time.
I have to say that the length of the tea would probably not have bothered me in the least if I hadn't had my son there. There were some very nice people there, and I guess it is just the Costa Rican way for the ladies to get together without the men around, relax, gossip, and in general have a nice time. I have slowly (hit me over the head with a two-by-four, why don't ya!) begun to realize that I cannot really go to things like this, or out to dinner, or to a movie, with a toddler. So I am accepting that, in fact, life does change with a baby in ways I didn't want to admit. Ah, such is life. And I will plan in advance next time, drive us myself, then if leaving early is necessary, I can just take off.
Ok, you're thinking, so the day was not that bad, all in all, right? Well, the day was not quite over! We stopped at a farmacia to pick up something for my oncoming migraine, and I down two Cafiaspirina (the Latin American version of Excedrin for migraines), forgetting that I hadn't had all that much to eat that day (other than breakfast). So I start getting the caffeine shakes on the way home, and call esposo to make me something to take out, but the cafe is packed and he doesn't have time (apparently!). When we get there (I've left my car parked there), I run in and grab a travel mug full of soup, which I proceed to pour all over my crotch as I'm getting back in my friend's car. I grab some aloe from the cafe, but wait until I get home to put it on my leg. Son has awoken (he had, thankfully, fallen asleep in the car), so we go ahead and switch the car seat back into my car, and I take off for home. Once there, I liberally apply aloe to my burned leg, and notice something between first and second degree burns on the inside of my leg. Son is irritated, and keeps poking the red spots. Um, like, OUCH! He finally falls asleep at 10:30, and the bed looks better than it has in years...
*Sing to the tune of that silly song about the closet in Zaboomafoo... yes, clearly I have a toddler at home!
In Costa Rica, it's fairly common for people to rent out a hall and then charge the guests a few thousand colones to come. Though I must admit I thought it was weird the first time this happened some years ago. "What? You have to bring a gift, pay for your own drinks, AND pay to get in?" I disagree with the whole idea, so when we had our baby shower, we chose a place that didn't charge for renting the space, and we just paid for the food and non-alcoholic drinks. Thinking back, that was probably silly, because even the previous baby shower I was invited to had an "entrance fee" listed right there in the invitation. I just couldn't bring myself to charge people to go to my own baby shower.
Back to the story at hand: I am told that this one will be a "traditional Costa Rican tea," which means no guys allowed, cake, coffee, silly games, ete. Ok, fine. No big deal, girls' day out, right? Except for my son and my friend's son, it was solamente chicas. It is supposed to start at 2:30, so my friend picks me up around 1:45 (we have to drive up to Heredia to get there). There's some kind of motocross thing happening, so the road we'd planned to take is completely blocked as cars line the road from one end to the other. This means driving to San Jose and going from that direction. We get there "late" at 2:45, and we're the 2nd people there. In typical Costa Rican fasion, everyone arrives late, with some guests just getting there as we're leaving four and a half hours later.
Yes, FOUR AND A HALF HOURS later! If I had had someone to leave my son with, I would have done so, because toddler + nothing much exciting for toddler to do = boredom = screaming fits in the middle of the room. Of course, esposo is at work, so the baby goes with me. If I had been smart, I'd have just driven myself and followed my friend, but nooooo, I am not smart. I did, at least bring food for him and ate quite a bit before we left (I didn't imagine a typical Costa Rican tea would heavily feature vegan food).
So there are the silly games: Who can blow up the largest condom balloon in 20 seconds? Who gets baby bingo? Who can drink a baby bottle full of blackberry juice the quickest? Personally, I prefer the showers where you eat, open presents, and go home. This was not one of those showers. (And neither was mine, thinking back, though I'd wanted to leave after about an hour -- at eight months pregnant, I'd get worn out just thinking about doing anything besides sitting down).
My son sees the ladies drinking blackberry juice from a bottle, and pesters me until I find one that's relatively full and give it to him. He has not drank from a bottle since I was pumping and he was about a month old. He goes to sit on someone else's lap, and I'm thinking, great! Keep him busy for a while and perhaps even a little quiet (this whole thing is about two hours after the official start time, and son has begun getting a bit punchy -- who can blame him?). I swear, not five minutes later, he comes back and it looks as though his BRAND-NEW t-shirt has been tie-dyed purple! It is at this point that I begin to get a migraine. Son starts whining, and I try everything -- look at the balloons! how about nursing? want some food? coffee? tea? valium? Nothing works. He is ready to go, but they haven't even begun opening presents.
So it's "walk around the block time," and since he has napped for about a half hour today (as opposed to his usual two hours), I figure he'll get worn out and fall asleep. No go. Too much stimulation! At least by the time we get back, the presents have begun to be opened. Got to see the presents! That's the best part! At least one can live vicariously through the gift-receiver...
Surely but steadily, we're working our way through the presents, when Auntie decides to STOP and PLAY MORE GAMES. I am ready to strangle the woman. Then it's main course, salad, coffee, cake... And back to presents. At this point it's something like three and a half hours after the official start time, and time for us to take another walk around the extremely large block. When we get back, the presents have resumed being opened, and she's got ours on the floor next to her. I'm sort of bummed that we missed our own present being opened, but turns out she was waiting for us to get back (so sweet!). Finally, my friend's presents and mine have been opened, and it is time for us to begin making our exit.
And we get out of there almost FIVE HOURS after the "official" start time.
I have to say that the length of the tea would probably not have bothered me in the least if I hadn't had my son there. There were some very nice people there, and I guess it is just the Costa Rican way for the ladies to get together without the men around, relax, gossip, and in general have a nice time. I have slowly (hit me over the head with a two-by-four, why don't ya!) begun to realize that I cannot really go to things like this, or out to dinner, or to a movie, with a toddler. So I am accepting that, in fact, life does change with a baby in ways I didn't want to admit. Ah, such is life. And I will plan in advance next time, drive us myself, then if leaving early is necessary, I can just take off.
Ok, you're thinking, so the day was not that bad, all in all, right? Well, the day was not quite over! We stopped at a farmacia to pick up something for my oncoming migraine, and I down two Cafiaspirina (the Latin American version of Excedrin for migraines), forgetting that I hadn't had all that much to eat that day (other than breakfast). So I start getting the caffeine shakes on the way home, and call esposo to make me something to take out, but the cafe is packed and he doesn't have time (apparently!). When we get there (I've left my car parked there), I run in and grab a travel mug full of soup, which I proceed to pour all over my crotch as I'm getting back in my friend's car. I grab some aloe from the cafe, but wait until I get home to put it on my leg. Son has awoken (he had, thankfully, fallen asleep in the car), so we go ahead and switch the car seat back into my car, and I take off for home. Once there, I liberally apply aloe to my burned leg, and notice something between first and second degree burns on the inside of my leg. Son is irritated, and keeps poking the red spots. Um, like, OUCH! He finally falls asleep at 10:30, and the bed looks better than it has in years...
*Sing to the tune of that silly song about the closet in Zaboomafoo... yes, clearly I have a toddler at home!
Thursday, March 30, 2006
The Banex Saga Continues
It was Tuesday afternoon when we spent a full hour trying to get back a $30 chargeback into my bank account. AN HOUR! Finally, at the end of it all, they promised the money would be back in my account by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Wednesday came and went, no money. Thursday morning, no money. Esposo calls for me (thanks, dear!) to find out what the deal is. The "customer service" representative says that, gee, something must have gone wrong at the branch office we were at (ya think?), so she would call and see what was up, and definitely, positively, for sure, the money would be there before noon. Noon comes and goes, no money. Around 1:30 I ask esposo to call again, which he graciously does.
He is fairly livid at this point. He lets them know that this is not only the worst bank he has ever dealt with, but the worst business, period. He says they do not know the definition of customer service, and that they are basically run by idiots. He insists that the money be credited immediately or he will talk to the c.s. rep's supervisor and close our account (which we plan to do anyway). And guess what? After all that, the money magically appears.
Now, this measly $30 chargeback has been "sitting" in limbo for more than a month. What I do not understand is why it is necessary to threaten and get angry with these people before they will GIVE YOU YOUR OWN MONEY. If I have said it before, I'll say it again: I hate Banex with a passion that grows stronger by the day.
But in other banking news, I called Scotiabank and they also offer a savings or checking accout that a Gringa like me can get, which also has an international debit card. Whew. Guess what I'm doing next week.
He is fairly livid at this point. He lets them know that this is not only the worst bank he has ever dealt with, but the worst business, period. He says they do not know the definition of customer service, and that they are basically run by idiots. He insists that the money be credited immediately or he will talk to the c.s. rep's supervisor and close our account (which we plan to do anyway). And guess what? After all that, the money magically appears.
Now, this measly $30 chargeback has been "sitting" in limbo for more than a month. What I do not understand is why it is necessary to threaten and get angry with these people before they will GIVE YOU YOUR OWN MONEY. If I have said it before, I'll say it again: I hate Banex with a passion that grows stronger by the day.
But in other banking news, I called Scotiabank and they also offer a savings or checking accout that a Gringa like me can get, which also has an international debit card. Whew. Guess what I'm doing next week.
Chickens, Dogs and Chicken-Chasing Dogs
I love keeping chickens. They are wonderful animals! And I admit it is strange for a vegan to keep chickens, since, obviously, I don't eat them or their eggs. I just think chickens are very cool people. And one of the things I like most about Costa Rica is that every other house has chickens. I've even seen them in the middle of San Jose! Though out here in the boonies, they're a little more common.
The first chickens we acquired were from mi esposo's mother, who tends to get animals and then get rid of them not long thereafter. We got a silver Sebright rooster, golden Sebright hen, and two Australorps hens. So cute! Since then, the gang has ranged from a pair of Polish (Sid and Nancy) to mixes of every color imaginable. At the moment, we have four of the original Sebrights' offspring (the roosters Frank and Penny, and hens Peet and Minnie), plus a couple of odd birds hatched or acquired here and there. A few months ago, I found a pair of silkies at the local agro for $10, so I snatched them up.
The "Puffs," Hufflepuff (left) and H.R. Puffenstuff (right)
The first chickens we acquired were from mi esposo's mother, who tends to get animals and then get rid of them not long thereafter. We got a silver Sebright rooster, golden Sebright hen, and two Australorps hens. So cute! Since then, the gang has ranged from a pair of Polish (Sid and Nancy) to mixes of every color imaginable. At the moment, we have four of the original Sebrights' offspring (the roosters Frank and Penny, and hens Peet and Minnie), plus a couple of odd birds hatched or acquired here and there. A few months ago, I found a pair of silkies at the local agro for $10, so I snatched them up.
The "Puffs," Hufflepuff (left) and H.R. Puffenstuff (right)Well, it turned out that one of the pair was actually another rooster who had yet to come into his own! I discovered this one morning when my silky hen started crowing — that was a surprise! Luckily, though, silky males are known for being mellow and easy to get along with, so we decided to keep them both. Then Numi came along...
Heeeeeere's Numi!
Heeeeeere's Numi!Numi showed up at the cafe one day and wouldn't leave. When she started growling at customers, I figured we ought to do something with her, and that something was to take her home. She is one nutty dog. There's a popular book out at the moment called Marley and Me, and I am pretty sure Numi is quite Marley-like. She digs holes. She chases the cats. She barks at all hours of the day and night. She escapes and runs after horses. And she chases chickens.
That last offense got her a new enclosure, where we had to fence off part of the yard and keep her in it, in the hopes that our chickens would survive her antics. Did I mention she was an escape artist? Unfortunately, the handyman who built her enclosure enclosed it with not-so-strong chicken wire, and Numi bites right through it. She has, at this point, made several holes in the "fence," which I have patched up using other, stronger chicken wire and/or zinc roofing. It looks like one of those "houses" that the people who live under the bridge live in. Actually I think the house of the people under the bridge probably looks better than this.
Yesterday, she escaped yet again. I woke up to chickens squawking and carrying on, and without even looking, I knew it was her. We have one big rooster that is (was) allowed to run the yard, but since I feared for his life, I decided to give away the Puffs and get Kepi inside the coop. That was done easily enough, so we gathered up the Puffs and a couple of hatchlings and carried them all over to our friend Esteban's house.
Esteban has an incredible property. It overlooks a canyon, and in the early mornings and late afternoons capuchins come and steal eggs from his chicken coops. He keeps Polish, Sebrights, Cochins, and an absolute myriad of mixed breeds and other breeds I can't remember the names of. It is an incredible array of chickens, which all started a few years ago when we gave him two of our babies, Francisco and Leticia, the offspring of Frank and Lynnie. Anyway... Esteban was more than happy to take the Puffs and the two babies, and I was very happy to have him take them, since he takes such great care with his chickens and they'd actually have more room at his place than at ours. I was sad to see them go, but I figure when we leave Costa Rica, he will get all of the remaining chickens anyway.
Except perhaps for Kepi, who is just an incredible pain and gets along with no other rooster. Now the real question is, what in the heck do I do with Numi?
That last offense got her a new enclosure, where we had to fence off part of the yard and keep her in it, in the hopes that our chickens would survive her antics. Did I mention she was an escape artist? Unfortunately, the handyman who built her enclosure enclosed it with not-so-strong chicken wire, and Numi bites right through it. She has, at this point, made several holes in the "fence," which I have patched up using other, stronger chicken wire and/or zinc roofing. It looks like one of those "houses" that the people who live under the bridge live in. Actually I think the house of the people under the bridge probably looks better than this.
Yesterday, she escaped yet again. I woke up to chickens squawking and carrying on, and without even looking, I knew it was her. We have one big rooster that is (was) allowed to run the yard, but since I feared for his life, I decided to give away the Puffs and get Kepi inside the coop. That was done easily enough, so we gathered up the Puffs and a couple of hatchlings and carried them all over to our friend Esteban's house.
Esteban has an incredible property. It overlooks a canyon, and in the early mornings and late afternoons capuchins come and steal eggs from his chicken coops. He keeps Polish, Sebrights, Cochins, and an absolute myriad of mixed breeds and other breeds I can't remember the names of. It is an incredible array of chickens, which all started a few years ago when we gave him two of our babies, Francisco and Leticia, the offspring of Frank and Lynnie. Anyway... Esteban was more than happy to take the Puffs and the two babies, and I was very happy to have him take them, since he takes such great care with his chickens and they'd actually have more room at his place than at ours. I was sad to see them go, but I figure when we leave Costa Rica, he will get all of the remaining chickens anyway.
Except perhaps for Kepi, who is just an incredible pain and gets along with no other rooster. Now the real question is, what in the heck do I do with Numi?
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Rant of the Day: Why I Despise Banex
Banex blows. Banex is horrible. Banex does not know the meaning of the term "customer service." Customers? Do we have those? they ask.
Banex is a bank, based in Mexico, I think, and used to be BanCrecen. I have had more problems in the two months that I've had an account at Banex than in the SIX YEARS that I've had an account at Banco Cuscatlan. In fact, I still have the Cuscatlan account and use it for most everything. The only reason I opened an account at Banex is that they have a debit card one can use outside of Costa Rica (and if anyone knows of another bank here that offers a similar service, I'm all ears).
But, Banex is about the worst bank I have ever had to deal with. Here's my short list of (ahem) "issues" since opening my account:
1. I had to have some $ wire transferred into my account from the U.S. Generally a simple process, once one has the correct information. The wire transfer was sent, but no money in my Banex account. Waited a few days, still no money. Called "customer service." The first person I talked to said that it takes 14 days (WHAT? FOURTEEN FREAKIN' DAYS?) to get a wire transfer into your account. I was livid. What would be the purpose of the wire transfer, then? I had my (Tico) husband call the bank. ("When in doubt, get a local" is my motto.) He talked to someone completely different, who said that, in fact, a wire transfer shows up within an hour, but this one hadn't gone through, so send it again. Sent it again, went through in an hour. That was an "easy" probem to solve.
2. I often get paid from clients in the U.S. by check, which I need to deposit into my bank account here. Banco Cuscatlan takes 10 days from the time you deposit the check until it is cashed. I suppose they basically just hold onto your money so that they (not you) can earn interest on it, but whatever. Anyway, I made the mistake of depositing a rather substantial check into my Banex account. The infamous 14 days passes, still no money in my account. So great, time to call "customer service." I get some kind of story that, because of the weekends, blah blah blah, it's more like 21 days. After waiting for the 21 days to pass, still no $ in the account. So I call again, and I get some ridiculous excuse that since there was a federal holiday in the U.S. (President's Day, I believe it was), it is taking an extra day, and of course since it's Saturday, I'm gonna have to wait until Monday for the money to be in my account. President's Day? We don't even celebrate that in Costa Rica, so what in the hell does that have to do with anything? Time to get esposo on the phone again. This time he threatens to close my account if the money doesn't show up immediately, and guess what? It's there within the hour, even though they insisted there was no one there to deal with it on a Saturday. And that's the last time I deposited a check in that bank.
3. I sometimes use PayPal, and have a website hosted at Yahoo, both of which I pay for using said debit card from Banex. Both sites charge you $1, which is then supposed to appear back in your account after a few days, something about verifying the credit card. Ok, fine. I don't have a problem with that. I do have a problem, though, when PayPal makes a chargeback to my card and it never shows up. I also have a problem when I am charged twice for my webhosting, though I never made the second charge. PayPal tells me they initiated the chargeback over a month ago. Yahoo says they never charged me the second time. Guess what. Time to call "customer service." Mi esposo this time suggests we go to the bank in person, so I write down all of the $1 chargebacks that have never appeared, and the larger chargeback, and the extra charge. The person at the bank has no idea what I'm talking about, so she has to call over another fellow to help her out. Then the supervisor comes over and starts telling me (with some rather annoying attitude, I might add) that "I have to get the company I work for to redo the chargebacks." Huh? Um, dear! Help! About a half an hour later, they finally find the substatial chargeback that was processed but never showed up in my account. The three $1 chargebacks are MIA, apparently. When we get to the double charge, the guy starts telling my husband that I have to go back to Yahoo and they have to do a chargeback for the amount. Ah, yes, but I already spoke to Yahoo and they have assured me they only processed one charge. So I ask, what would one do in the case of an unauthorized charge being made on one's card? Well, he explains, one would put in for that charge to be taken off, but of course if they see it has come from Yahoo, they are not going to take it off the accout. I don't get this. Of course it comes from Yahoo, but it was not authorized. I fill out the paperwork anyway. He insists I call Yahoo and see what they can do about the second charge. I notice he has the wrong date on the paperwork. Since there are two charges on my accout for the same amount, but on different dates, I figure they would need to know for which date I am requesting the charge be removed. Duh, right? When I had a similar problem some years ago at a different bank (an ATM didn't give out the $ -- never use the ATM inside the Mas x Menos in Escazu!), I had to explain what happened, get the thing notorized, etc. This was just like, check a box and sign your name. I wanted to explain, but no go. I am quite sure that, after a month of Sundays has rolled around, the charge will not be taken off my account by my bank. Oh, and those three $1 chargebacks? They have no idea what happened to them, and suggest I call Yahoo/PayPal and have them reprocessed. Like I am going to spend my time doing that, which I exactly what they want me to do: not bother. Sure, $3 is not much to me, but add up all the other people that the bank is taking advantage of in this way, and it adds up. And how many people are going to complain about $1 here or there? I guess I just have a 'thing' about getting your money for nothing, even if it is $1 or two. So maybe I'll call Yahoo and PayPal after all.
One thing all this has taught me is not to use this account except for the things I absolutely need to use it for: i.e., using the card to pay for something outside of the country. And I warn everyone away from Banex. Blah. Seriously, though, if you have had the patience to read this far, please, please suggest another Costa Rican bank to me! All I need is one that will let me have a debit card I can use outside of CR. Is that too much to ask?
Banex is a bank, based in Mexico, I think, and used to be BanCrecen. I have had more problems in the two months that I've had an account at Banex than in the SIX YEARS that I've had an account at Banco Cuscatlan. In fact, I still have the Cuscatlan account and use it for most everything. The only reason I opened an account at Banex is that they have a debit card one can use outside of Costa Rica (and if anyone knows of another bank here that offers a similar service, I'm all ears).
But, Banex is about the worst bank I have ever had to deal with. Here's my short list of (ahem) "issues" since opening my account:
1. I had to have some $ wire transferred into my account from the U.S. Generally a simple process, once one has the correct information. The wire transfer was sent, but no money in my Banex account. Waited a few days, still no money. Called "customer service." The first person I talked to said that it takes 14 days (WHAT? FOURTEEN FREAKIN' DAYS?) to get a wire transfer into your account. I was livid. What would be the purpose of the wire transfer, then? I had my (Tico) husband call the bank. ("When in doubt, get a local" is my motto.) He talked to someone completely different, who said that, in fact, a wire transfer shows up within an hour, but this one hadn't gone through, so send it again. Sent it again, went through in an hour. That was an "easy" probem to solve.
2. I often get paid from clients in the U.S. by check, which I need to deposit into my bank account here. Banco Cuscatlan takes 10 days from the time you deposit the check until it is cashed. I suppose they basically just hold onto your money so that they (not you) can earn interest on it, but whatever. Anyway, I made the mistake of depositing a rather substantial check into my Banex account. The infamous 14 days passes, still no money in my account. So great, time to call "customer service." I get some kind of story that, because of the weekends, blah blah blah, it's more like 21 days. After waiting for the 21 days to pass, still no $ in the account. So I call again, and I get some ridiculous excuse that since there was a federal holiday in the U.S. (President's Day, I believe it was), it is taking an extra day, and of course since it's Saturday, I'm gonna have to wait until Monday for the money to be in my account. President's Day? We don't even celebrate that in Costa Rica, so what in the hell does that have to do with anything? Time to get esposo on the phone again. This time he threatens to close my account if the money doesn't show up immediately, and guess what? It's there within the hour, even though they insisted there was no one there to deal with it on a Saturday. And that's the last time I deposited a check in that bank.
3. I sometimes use PayPal, and have a website hosted at Yahoo, both of which I pay for using said debit card from Banex. Both sites charge you $1, which is then supposed to appear back in your account after a few days, something about verifying the credit card. Ok, fine. I don't have a problem with that. I do have a problem, though, when PayPal makes a chargeback to my card and it never shows up. I also have a problem when I am charged twice for my webhosting, though I never made the second charge. PayPal tells me they initiated the chargeback over a month ago. Yahoo says they never charged me the second time. Guess what. Time to call "customer service." Mi esposo this time suggests we go to the bank in person, so I write down all of the $1 chargebacks that have never appeared, and the larger chargeback, and the extra charge. The person at the bank has no idea what I'm talking about, so she has to call over another fellow to help her out. Then the supervisor comes over and starts telling me (with some rather annoying attitude, I might add) that "I have to get the company I work for to redo the chargebacks." Huh? Um, dear! Help! About a half an hour later, they finally find the substatial chargeback that was processed but never showed up in my account. The three $1 chargebacks are MIA, apparently. When we get to the double charge, the guy starts telling my husband that I have to go back to Yahoo and they have to do a chargeback for the amount. Ah, yes, but I already spoke to Yahoo and they have assured me they only processed one charge. So I ask, what would one do in the case of an unauthorized charge being made on one's card? Well, he explains, one would put in for that charge to be taken off, but of course if they see it has come from Yahoo, they are not going to take it off the accout. I don't get this. Of course it comes from Yahoo, but it was not authorized. I fill out the paperwork anyway. He insists I call Yahoo and see what they can do about the second charge. I notice he has the wrong date on the paperwork. Since there are two charges on my accout for the same amount, but on different dates, I figure they would need to know for which date I am requesting the charge be removed. Duh, right? When I had a similar problem some years ago at a different bank (an ATM didn't give out the $ -- never use the ATM inside the Mas x Menos in Escazu!), I had to explain what happened, get the thing notorized, etc. This was just like, check a box and sign your name. I wanted to explain, but no go. I am quite sure that, after a month of Sundays has rolled around, the charge will not be taken off my account by my bank. Oh, and those three $1 chargebacks? They have no idea what happened to them, and suggest I call Yahoo/PayPal and have them reprocessed. Like I am going to spend my time doing that, which I exactly what they want me to do: not bother. Sure, $3 is not much to me, but add up all the other people that the bank is taking advantage of in this way, and it adds up. And how many people are going to complain about $1 here or there? I guess I just have a 'thing' about getting your money for nothing, even if it is $1 or two. So maybe I'll call Yahoo and PayPal after all.
One thing all this has taught me is not to use this account except for the things I absolutely need to use it for: i.e., using the card to pay for something outside of the country. And I warn everyone away from Banex. Blah. Seriously, though, if you have had the patience to read this far, please, please suggest another Costa Rican bank to me! All I need is one that will let me have a debit card I can use outside of CR. Is that too much to ask?
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