Irritated

Yesterday I wrote a letter of complaint to my bank in California. I am really quite upset with them! Usually I let things slide over me but I've called (long distance) three times now requesting help with money transfers to my children. I've used this bank for 5 years! There have been times when I've had to call them in the past too but usually the result is successful wire transfers. BUT NOT THIS TIME!

I keep trying to send money to Leiya. I've been trying since April. For some reason the bank changed their computer system so the money no longer gets sent with a click of my computer button. I'm all for security but this is ridiculous!

Four times. No transfer. Okay... Try Takumi. Can I send money to him? And it turns out no. He can't get money either. Now granted, I am not very computer literate. I don't think Leiya is either. But if Takumi can't figure out the bank's system then it is the dumb bank that has the problem!

So Leiya keeps getting more and more desperate. Tetsu keeps getting more and more upset with me.

"Why can't you do something? Why doesn't the California bank follow through? This would be unacceptable in Japan. Are you sure you have explained the situation to them fully? Tanya, maybe you aren't handling this right."

And finally I have written a nasty e-mail to the bank.

"I am extremely upset with your bank! Your online banking service is of no help whatsoever if your customers can't figure out how to use it! I will be closing my account as soon as I get to the States this summer. I wish I could do it sooner!"

And I have once again turned to my mother for financial help. Grandma seems to be my private banking service whenever the bank screws up. (Once they went bankrupt and I couldn't transfer money for tuition!) I don't think Grandma minds but it means my sister-in-law has a lot of extra work to do. (Grandma just signs the check.)

Marcy called this morning to let me know she was putting the Grandma banking service in motion but that it was a three day, bank holiday, weekend. I was at crosswalk duty when Marcy called so she got to talk to Tetsu which means there wasn't a whole lot of communication.

Later Marcy says to me,

"I really need to learn Japanese so that I can talk to Tetsu. I feel so bad when he says things to me in Japanese and I don't understand."

Excuse me... I think it is Tetsu that needs to learn English. That has been on the agenda for the past 35 years and that is why I am the one who is dealing with the dumb California bank.

Can you tell that feathers are flying in the Watanabe house?