Machine Manners

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuAt6voOTf4 What do you do when your machine eats your card? Nothing is more frustrating than a machine that malfunctions. How can we hold them accountable? The banking institution that provides the machine refuses to be accountable for the machines malfunction, so what is a consumer to do?

Banks are the bane of our impolite society. They may provide safe storage of money up to $100,000maybe $500,000 now that our dollar is worth less, but seriously what else do they do for us? Remember when banks wooed you to deposit with gifts and high interest? That's how old I am, I remember.

Here's how I get back at banks...I keep as little money as possible in them. When I use their debit/credit card, I always charge it because that costs the bank money. If you use the card as a debit card you will most likely be charged a user fee among other fees. Debit cards are scary. Credit cards are good, but you must pay off your balance every month, otherwise the bank wins again. WRITE checks. Banks do not like checks. But if you get a low check writing account, free checking then you can write checks. Seriously, you won't be writing that many checks. Banks are so inefficient that when you write a check even though it is run through a computerized system they still have a check counter! More inefficiency.

Also, has anyone run into a nice, efficient teller that is well groomed and good mannered? My tellers are all ex-makeup artists for the goth look.

So the question is...where do you keep your $. The stock market. If you're super conservative then buy CD's, but shop around. Use an online bank. After all, your money is seriously only numbers in an account. But online banks pay way more interest and are easier to deal with and very forgiving. If you make a mistake and catch it within 24 hours they waive any fee...try that with a banker.

As far as I'm concerned the only good bank is a blood bank.
Manners for everyday situations,
xoxoAmanda