SCB Headache

Sometimes, certain promises may be too good to be true, even if they are corporate banking giants.

I am frustrated by SCB's inefficiency.

After applying for SCB's credit card, I opened my mail only to discover this. Clearly, the tele-marketeer who called me over the phone had failed to inform me about this. After contacting him, he "added" the extra info that company name will be printed on all platinum business c.c.

So, fine. I had to call customer care to make the necessary change as I absolutely will not carry a c.c. with a person's name in place of company name. Therefore, my previous 'company' name, "XY", was printed there.

Next, I received the first e-statement and found that I had to access it with a default password. Following closely to the instructions given, I failed to open up the document. I thought I must have gotten something wrong. Yet, I wasn't too concerned as I knew I'd be getting the paper statement and it arrived a few days later.

Within one month of receiving their first paper statement and e-statement, I received a letter in March informing me that the bank will cease to send paper statement to their customers as they are adopting an environmentally friendly approach to "save" trees and cut down on the use of paper. Should I wish to continue receiving paper statement, I'd have to call customer service to activate it and I'd be charged a fee. I wasn't too happy about this as I prefer to keep hard copies especially on credit transactions for my references. I had specifically asked the marketeer about this and was assured that there will be paper statements at no extra charge and the box for 'paper statement' was clearly pre-checked in their application form.

So I went online to check on their policy but could not find how much they are charging. So I thought that my web-surfing skill was flawed. Still, I could not access the second e-statement and yet I wasn't too concerned as the second paper statement arrived a few days later and I knew how much to pay.

I knew I wouldn't be receiving any paper statement this month  and I still couldn't access the third e-statement. Finally, I called up the customer service to inquire about accessing the document - just to double-check where I had gone wrong. The instructions given were exactly how I had been keying in the  default password. To give them the benefit of doubt, I tried again upon hanging  up but to no avail.

So I called again, this time to the BM line, to inquire why I still couldn't access it. He suspected that the bank has yet to update my birth date and true enough, after clicking on his keyboard, he confirmed that it wasn't. So for three months, this fine bank has been sending three password-protected documents to me which could not be accessed since it has yet to update my particulars! Don't they know that? Isn't the system linked or something or whatever? Why do they insist on e-statement when they did not even get their data correct? The fact that the operator could guess beforehand why I couldn't access my password-protected document shows that this must have been a common problem. Why is it still happening? And I had to call twice just to get to the bottom of the problem!

I was very annoyed by now. The operator said that once updated, I'd receive new documents which would be accessible. It would be emailed within 24 hours but since Saturday and Sunday are non-working days and Monday's a replacement holiday for Labour Day (Sunday), I'd get the email on Tuesday. Double annoyed.

Upon asking him about the charges of paper statement and informing him that I couldn't find the info on their website, he said he wasn't sure as it is a newly implemented policy. However, he said  that if I were to request a printout from the branch, I'd be charged RM5 per piece and then proceeded to inform me that the bank would be charging me RM5 per statement if they mail it to me. Sigh... Does he know or not know?

The operator's line: "The bank has yet to update my particulars" sounds familiar and I immediately recalled that the lady operator had said the exact same thing when I called them in January to remove the company name. She said that I must put my exact company name and yet asked me for the name again and said, "The bank has yet to update my particulars" and the company name wasn't listed online. I could have just rattled off 'Bloomberg', 'Pfizer', 'HSBC', 'Ernst & Young', etc and they wouldn't know. But silly me was too lost for words and chose "XY".

Actually, I am now quite lost for words though the post is lengthy and seems incoherent. There is just too much inefficiency during such a short period of time in using just one of SCB's products. SCB's inefficiency does not live up to its aggressive effort in gaining a new credit card user. For a bank of SCB's status, this is too much of a disappointment. I guess my expectation was too high.

And by the way, I find the customer service quite 'icy'. Had spoken to three different operators in three months. Can't really put a finger on it but somehow there's this iciness or am I being defensive?

I doubt I will be using SCB's credit card for the long run. Sigh... my quest for a good credit card for my convenience and advantage remains illusive.

Company Name?

Some banks are going all out to get more people to sign up for their credit cards. Whether you use it, that's another matter.

After some hard-chasing, by phone and through e-mail, by a very polite yet persistent agent promoting SCB card from West Malaysia, I finally succumbed and signed up for another card. That is after I'm certain that I won't be paying for the RM50 gov tax (contra) and future annual fees.

The perks are the RM188 rebate, 0.5% cash back on retail transactions,  and 50% discounts off "when you dine at Platinum Partners" (quoted from their brochure) although I doubt SCB are able to partner with enough "partners" in Sabah. Sadly, promotions and perks are mostly applicable to West M'sia while those of us here in the East will only get to browse through their catalogue.

After filling in the application form and I had it reverse-collected, the card arrived today. With a credit limit of RMXX,XXX printed on the letter - an amount so outrageous that I never will swipe on any given card, I checked out the new shiny platinum plastic only to discover an unwanted and wrong embossing of company name below my name.

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Company Name: Datin xxxxx!!!

Jan 24: SBC Credit Card

Gaaaahhhh!!! How frustrating! I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry!

Do they not know how to differentiate between the name of employer and the name of company?

I will never be caught dead with my former employer's name embossed on my c.c.! Called up the card centre to inform them of their mistake and to get rid of the company name.

Alas, since this is a 'business' c.c., the company name MUST be embossed on the card.

I will be getting another card within 7 days - with the name of my 'company' forever etched on the card.

How uninspiring! -.-

Coffee, Anyone?

A few years ago when I arrived at QQ's house for a 2-week holiday, I was surprised to see a huge, ugly-looking 'equipment' which seemed quite out-of-place in his tiny kitchen. Apparently, it is a heavy-duty water filter which is crucial for filtering KL's questionable 'clean' tap water.

Water Boss

Uncle said that it was necessary to get the water filter because the usual smaller unit is not capable of filtering the amount of dirt found in the piped in water from Selangor's reservoir.

I was quite skeptical of uncle's claim until I saw with my own eyes how much dirt was trapped by the filter system when uncle cleaned his water filter that very weekend.

This time, I managed to snap some pics of the water that flowed out of the filter when uncle went on his weekly routine of back-washing and rinsing the filter.

Dirt water at the start of the first back-wash

Middle of the flow

End of the flow

Like the washing machine, it has a rinse cycle too!

More dirty water at the start of the rinsing cycle

Middle of the rinsing flow

Clear water at the end of the rinsing flow

You would think that the filter is clean at the end of the rinse cycle since the water already runs clear, right?

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Wrong!!!

More dirty water!

July 10: Uncle's kitchen sink

Repeat the back-wash and rinse cycle for another two times before the core filter is 'adequately' cleaned. 'Adequately' because uncle had tried the fourth cycle and still light brown water flowed out from the filter. He thinks that the filter is quite clean after the third cycle because cleaning the filter wastes copious amount of water and time.

Oh, did I mention that you'd have to clean the filter on a weekly basis?

Here's a video of the process.

Bye-bye $$

Payment Counter
Jan 5: Great Eastern HQ

Thus comes the time for my annual 'pilgrimage' to this particular office and cough up a chunk of of money to pay for my insurance.

Jan 5 is always the last day of the grace period when my money is due.

After paying my due for more than a decade now, the date is now firmly imprinted on my mind except for the year 2008 when I had totally forgotten about it because I was stressed out over dad who was stricken with stroke.

I dislike going to the banking area because of the jam and difficulty in finding a parking space. Therefore, I was prepared to park at Suria, since parking is free for the first two hours, and walk over.

Fortunately, as I was passing by behind Wisma Merdeka from the direction of the wet market, I saw two men heading to their respective cars. So I had an immediate parking lot which was not the norm.

I cut through Wisma Merdeka and went directly to the GE HQ and settled my bill within 15 minutes. Then, I went to CIMB to settle yet another insurance payment which had been credited to my credit card.

However, I overlook the fact that I could not transfer the amount due because of the ATM card limit and I also did not bring my bank book. Luckily, the due date was Jan 6 so I had the next day to settle it or else I'd unwittingly have to pay the late charges.

As I cut through Wisma Merdeka again, I stopped by my favourite place there - the Takoyaki outlet - and bought four sets of the deliciously hot snack.


Yumz!!! But the bad thing is the price has been increased to RM3 from the usual RM2.80.

Haiz... semuanya naik harga...

Bureaucracy

Working with the government is not an easy task. So much bureaucracy and red tapes!!!

I found out today at the Education Department that some documents are missing from my file. These papers are supposed to be from my school but they are not there. This means the support staff have not been updating our files!

I have been updating it myself by handing in the documents there but some docs are meant to be handled by my school, ie leave, Kew8 form (pay statement) and some government option forms.

The thought of dealing with my school's clerks, both from admin and accounts department, sends shudders through my whole body. Maybe it's because I know how slowly they work or worse still the docs are not around.

I am quite pessimistic when it comes to matters such as these. How do I overcome my mindset that they work slowly, never own up to their mistakes and in the end, should the unprocessed docs go missing, it will affect my study leave?

The lesson today is hard. Even as I mull over my pessimistic thought now and my heart's heavy-laden, there is God's still small voice at the back of my head telling me to trust Him.

However, the carnal being in me is just dejected, fearful, stressed and depressed over the looming protocol of going in to see the clerks, requesting them to process these docs.

I know going off is not an easy task but sometimes I really wish that the paperwork associated with it could just be easier... :(

Yes, am whining and complaining again.

I wonder how God could ever put up with and stand the sight of such whiner who obviously, again, has forgotten her supreme Father and has chosen, yet again, to complain first and bear the unnecessary burden herself...

Sorry... :(

So yeah. Again, I am reminded to go down on my knees (my bed) and commit everything into His big and mighty hands instead of whining...

How frail and weak is my thought... but I am learning to capture it all in Christ.

Stressed!

Sigh... the process of completing all existing tasks is just so frustratingly stressful. There's just so many gross errors in the previous year's magazine. I am truly depressed...

Seriously, I am just so down-trodden... I feel insanely guilty and depressed of such poor quality work... my work as the main teacher-in-charge of the mag.

Handling it many years ago while I was still a greenhorn proved to be a challenging experience. I had enjoyed it. However, in these recent two years, the magazine has become such a burden than a joy. It is just like an enormous saddle bag that refuses to unload itself.

Seriously, what have become of me? Why do I feel so depressed over the quality of my work? Does my work define me? Does it matter that much?

Sigh... I am just very tired...

I can't see the silver lining, at least in the area of my school work.

How do I prevent future burn-out such as the one I am facing now? How can I say no to tasks? I do not even have a choice... well put by my boss... :(

I would like to leave this school with dignity - without worries gripping my mind and heart. I would like to leave in peace but as it is, there is no peace. Am I leaving at the wrong time? Why do I even feel like this? Am I not letting go correctly?

Dear DD, please help me!!!

exercise for dear life!

And so, the blood test result's out. I had the previous one done in Oct 2007 which showed me having slightly higher cholesterol level.

This time around, I thought my cholesterol level would hit an all-time high but it was not. It is good.

However, the scary news to me is, my screening for diabetes yielded a result of 5.9, which is only 0.1 away from 6.0, the NORMAL range for people free of diabetes!

My dear doctor says that it is okay. Treatment is needed for those who have a level of 6.5 and above. And yours truly is only 0.6 away from 6.5!

And so, on the way home after my visit to the doctor, I drove by Gaya and turned in at the juncton to the small park.

Yes... I checked out the park where I will be exercising for... ever... or at least until my 5.9 drops to a more acceptable level.

Sigh... yes... the time has come when I will have to exercise for my dear life! And also lessen the intake of carbohydrates (my favourite) from my diet.

So, my dear kaki makan, please do not lure me with buffet invitations or pig-out sessions. My heart's gonna bleed...

TakBolehSiokLagi :(