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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 266
OP Offline
For the record, ScotiaBank sucks! It took them over a month from when I put in a request with all of the proper paperwork to open a savings account, to tell me that I was approved for a non-interest-bearing checking account! Then another 3 weeks from when I asked them to contact the central bank to ask specifically about a savings account for them to do...absolutely nothing! Worst.Bank.Ever!


The Immortal Words Of Socrates: I Drank What?
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,000
R
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R
On the surface that seems terrible. About 2 years ago I opened a savings/checking account at Belize Bank and it was done while I waited. I did have to wait a little while for an ATM card and checks but that is to be expected.

I would hope that things haven't changed that much since then. I know that last winter I found out that there was a daily limit for certain institutions on the amount of USDA they could accept in one day.

Electronic Financial Transactions such as bill pay and transfers have a ways to go before they catch up to the rest of the world. Maybe there is a good reason for that?


Jim
Formerly from somewhere on a beach in Belize
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 6,267
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Central Bank seems to be the sticking point. Unfortunately not too much we can do to change that ...... they are under pressure from the US and other places to do a certain level of due diligence on depositors.
If you want to be mad at somebody check in with the big guys in Washington DC.

Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 266
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While no bank here seems to be as fast as you describe from 2 years ago, I've had a wonderful experience with Heritage Bank across from Central Park, and Belize Bank has worked for me as well. This was, for me, specifically an issue with ScotiaBank.


The Immortal Words Of Socrates: I Drank What?
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 266
OP Offline
Diane - all the banks I've worked with here go through Central Bank, and none of the other banks gave me the problems that ScotiaBank did. The system seems to have broken down long before it got back to Washington!


The Immortal Words Of Socrates: I Drank What?
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,822
JZB Offline
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Every bank here can cause you to pull your hair out on occassion but I do agree about Scotia Bank. They made errors setting up an account for me and 6 months later I'm still trying to get them fixed. I would not recommend them.

Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 420
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On a recent visit (last month) I had to go to Belize Bank to:

1. retrieve my debit card after the ATM @ Wings captured it. That was a bit unsettling, I might add!
2. take a cash advance on my card as there was no way in hell I was going to put my card back into any ATM.

They charged me a fee of $15BZ to process the CA. I needed the cash right then so I paid it.

Later in the week, I needed to get another cash advance and was right by the airstrip so I when to ScotiaBank. They didn't charge me any fees to process the CA.

I was pleasantly surprised.


A hug is the shortest distance between friends. ~ Author Unknown
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,828
Hon Offline
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I opened an account at ScotiaBank at the beginning of May. Everything appeared to go smoothly and I patiently awaited the arrival of my cheques to my address in Canada, as was promised.

About 4 weeks later, after numerous emails to our customer service rep that went unanswered, I phoned her with concern that the cheques had not arrived and might have been misdirected/stolen. 'You sent an email? Four? No problem, Miss Hon. I'll take care of it right away.'

Three weeks later, no cheques, no email response. Phone call to rep. Same scenario.

Two weeks later, when I called, our customer service rep was out of the office on vacation and I ended up talking to a reception person. 'Please give me your email address and I will take care of it right away.' I'm thinking...ya, right darlin'!
In the end it turned out that the cheques had never been ordered and there was no authorization to send them even if they had been.

I dealt with the reception person exclusively from that point on and after at least 7 emails and 2 phone calls I was assured that 'the cheques are in the mail'.

Finally on September 8th, mas o menos, 4 months later, my cheques were delivered by courier to my door.

According to my mister: the moral of the story...trust but verify...and never deal with ScotiaBank Belize again!


Newfoundlanders are the only people in heaven who want to go home.
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 295
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JMO, I have worked with 3 banks in Belize/ Scotia is by far the hardest to deal with. Central Bank has some regulations to make try and stop money laundrying and such. But Scotia goes way overboard. I don't know what their business model is, but it doesn't seem to be to help the customer that's fa sure.


Dr Walkabout Buzzard


Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 8,880
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To me, it sounds like bad management, bad staffing and bad training, as opposed to bank policy.


A fish and a bird can fall in love, but where will they build their nest?

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