Opening Bca Checking Account

[Periwinkle]

OH DEAR GOD, sending my husband was a huge mistake. He was so nice, he agreed to wait another three days for "processing!"

:Cry:

 

[William King]

Well, it's the IRS, rather than your whole country. I was last there in November, and had a very delightful time, with not a single complaint.

 

[Periwinkle]

Well, it's the IRS, rather than your whole country. I was last there in November, and had a very delightful time, with not a single complaint.

Yes, I was being facetious. But I think it is universally agreed that the IRS are, in fact, wankers.

 

[atlantis]

A word of caution concerning BCA. If you can, avoid the type of account which is called Tahapan Gold.

I use my BCA account only as a secondary account just to receive money transfers from clients and withdraw Rp 10 jt / day at the ATM for business purpose.

The problem with the Tahapan Gold account is that EVERY transaction is recorded in your bank book even if you don't pass by your agency to print them in your book for some time. Other banks wouldn't bother and would resume it in just two lines: you last transaction and the new balance.

With 5 withdrawal a day + transfers in and out, the number of transaction quickly becomes important and I get in trouble whenever I need to go to a loket for an operation which requires my book to be updated.

The last time it happened (I needed a large sum in cash and therefore had to update the bank book to the last transaction) I stayed three and half hours with the CSO, printing 17 books requiring 17 signatures from me! A total joke and half a day wasted but I had no choice.

I live in fear at the moment because I am gonna soon need to update the damn book, thing which has not been done since December I think...

Remember, if you have the choice, give a miss to the Tahapan Gold thing.On top of that I think it even has a higher monthly fee. Not only they waste your time, but you have to pay for it.

 

[dafluff]

I dislike BCA for a lot of reasons and would never recommend them to anyone.

However it sounds like you have no choice of other banks at the moment. The extra processing time due to FATCA is understandable, but the horrendous customer service is not. Unfortunately it's standard fare at BCA.

If you can't get this resolved in the next visit, you probably need to take it above the branch manager's head.

 

[Periwinkle]

The last time it happened (I needed a large sum in cash and therefore had to update the bank book to the last transaction) I stayed three and half hours with the CSO, printing 17 books requiring 17 signatures from me! A total joke and half a day wasted but I had no choice.

God, the absurdity of this bank never ceases to amaze me. What complete and utter garbage. Thanks for the warning, I definitely won't be getting that type of account but it's good to know anyway.

 

[Periwinkle]

I dislike BCA for a lot of reasons and would never recommend them to anyone.

However it sounds like you have no choice of other banks at the moment. The extra processing time due to FATCA is understandable, but the horrendous customer service is not. Unfortunately it's standard fare at BCA.

If you can't get this resolved in the next visit, you probably need to take it above the branch manager's head.

Thanks, I've given up with BCA and told my employers that they need to take care of it. I will sign any paperwork they need, but I'm not doing all of this running around for these SOBs anymore.

My employers also sounded fed up so I guess I'll just wait and see what happens.

 

[Vicissidude]

The problem with the Tahapan Gold account is that EVERY transaction is recorded in your bank book even if you don't pass by your agency to print them in your book for some time. Other banks wouldn't bother and would resume it in just two lines: you last transaction and the new balance.

Those "passbooks" make absolutely no damn sense to me. I guess it's in place of a mailed bank statement, which I could see because people rarely receive mail at home here. But welcome to the 21st century -- just use online statements. They put a lot of value on that damn thing... OCBC told me they couldn't replace a lost card without it, so it's best to keep it with other important docs at home, like my BPKB for my motorbike. Thankfully, there's no passbook for my CIMB Niaga account.

 

[Vicissidude]

Thanks, I've given up with BCA and told my employers that they need to take care of it. I will sign any paperwork they need, but I'm not doing all of this running around for these SOBs anymore.

My employers also sounded fed up so I guess I'll just wait and see what happens.

Hell yeah. Interested to hear how it turns out!

 

[jstar]

I would try Citibank.

 

[Zavia]

Yes. It is because FATCA. Essentially the US government is coercing various banks around the world to take additional information (and also transmit them to the US), otherwise they will not be allowed to do business in the US. I'm surprised BCA even let you open an account, many banks simply won't bother.

As an aside, even Indonesian citizens are affected by FATCA. My wife when opening a bank account last week had to sign off a FATCA compliance document stating that she is not a US citizen/resident, does not have an address in the US, etc etc. What a complete farce: an Indonesian citizen with no ties to the US, opening a bank account in Indonesia, has to sign a freaking form for the IRS.

I already wrote about my issues when I had an USA ITIN (expired) at one time. If I'm asked to say 'have you ever been a USA Tax Payer', and I'm honest, I'm excluded from making many investment purchases from UK Financial Institutions.

Very true. Everything I do with banks both in home country and here has the "are you american citizen/greencard" "do you pay taxes to them" and other such questions.Tons of paper is being signed stamped and kept by literally all proper banks internationally for all their customers for multiple transactions.... to satisfy the USA's IRS.
It was quite amazing to me when I first learn't the scope of it. Does it work as intended?

 

[Davita]

to satisfy the USA's IRS.
It was quite amazing to me when I first learn't the scope of it. Does it work as intended?

The world-wide extent of the US IRS is profound and they are often heavy-handed and robotic but I agree with them. The US Dollar is the worlds-currency when it comes to corruption, drugs and money laundering so...in a sense, the USA are involved world-wide.
If and when the Chinese Renminbi or the Russian Rouble becomes the International currency they will need to take that responsibility... and I doubt if they'll be as 'nice' as the IRS.

 

[Silet]

A word of caution concerning BCA. If you can, avoid the type of account which is called Tahapan Gold.

I use my BCA account only as a secondary account just to receive money transfers from clients and withdraw Rp 10 jt / day at the ATM for business purpose.

The problem with the Tahapan Gold account is that EVERY transaction is recorded in your bank book even if you don't pass by your agency to print them in your book for some time. Other banks wouldn't bother and would resume it in just two lines: you last transaction and the new balance.

With 5 withdrawal a day + transfers in and out, the number of transaction quickly becomes important and I get in trouble whenever I need to go to a loket for an operation which requires my book to be updated.

The last time it happened (I needed a large sum in cash and therefore had to update the bank book to the last transaction) I stayed three and half hours with the CSO, printing 17 books requiring 17 signatures from me! A total joke and half a day wasted but I had no choice.

I live in fear at the moment because I am gonna soon need to update the damn book, thing which has not been done since December I think...

Remember, if you have the choice, give a miss to the Tahapan Gold thing.On top of that I think it even has a higher monthly fee. Not only they waste your time, but you have to pay for it.

With all due respect to your post above, I dont have this problem with BCA Tahapan. I don't think whether or not the account is gold or platinum affcts the account, merely it controls the amount that can be taken off the card.

I have, or should I say we have (my wife and I ) three such accounts, all Gold.

I won't go into the details of what is transfered where and when nor the monies involved but I am also lazy like you in that I just use the ATM or whatever and only visit the bank on rare occasions, sometimes more than one year.

When I ask for my books marking up I get as you state here:-

Quote :- Other banks wouldn't bother and would resume it in just two lines: you last transaction and the new balance.

not as you state here

Quote :- The last time it happened (I needed a large sum in cash and therefore had to update the bank book to the last transaction) I stayed three and half hours with the CSO, printing 17 books requiring 17 signatures from me! A total joke and half a day wasted but I had no choice.

I obviously cannot explain why there is a difference between our experiences but only state there is.

Maybe you should ask why your local Branch of BCA does this when other BCA branches do not?

I'm not defending BCA as they are a pain in the neck at times but so is Indonesia in general with its stupid bureaucracy of which we are all victims.

 

[jstar]

Standard BCA; they keep the transactions active for three months. So if you have a huge amount, and go to the loket, the printing of the books takes forever, yes.

Again; for a US citizen I would suggest to look at Citibank.

 

[atlantis]

With all due respect to your post above, I dont have this problem with BCA Tahapan. I don't think whether or not the account is gold or platinum affects the account, merely it controls the amount that can be taken off the card.

hi Silet,
Thanks for your post. There are some very interesting points in it.
I reckon that I never really dug the question of knowing why BCA is insisting in printing all my bank books rather than just doing what most banks do, just printing the balance after a while. With my Mandiri account I think that anything past 15 days is just resumed to a one liner and it's just fine. Other banks we bank with have a slightly longer time I think but nothing as ridiculous as printing the whole history, even after 1 year not visiting them, as BCA in Manado do.

However I once asked to a CSO why the heck they needed to print everything, the CSO answered that it was because it was a Tahapan Gold and it was for "security matter". I still have in memory the complicit smile she had when telling me that, as if I was a lucky customer to profit from such level of service! When you hear this kind of sh1t as an answer you know you'd better not ask more questions.

However, if you tell me that with a Tahapan Gold you don't get the same torture than I have here in Manado, I am gonna seriously question it for my next visit, especially since I know that this one will again involve another ridiculous amount of books.

 

[centurion]

In defense of BCA when I requested to print the saving book they printed only the last 7 or 14 days. I also have the gold account.
Besides this BCA has one of the best exchange rates for USD/IDR when done online, almost same or better than in most of the exchange offices, both for buying and selling.
Cannot compare with HSBC, that has probably the worst exchange rates. I also have HSBC and limit for USD cash withdrawal is shameful 1000 USD (previously was 3.000). More than that you have to pay a fee. BCA has a monthly limit for USD, I think it is around 15.000 and there is no daily limit if the bank has USD cash, which mostly medium and big branches have.
I use HSBC only for overseas transfers and they are pretty fast in that.

 

[jstar]

Besides this BCA has one of the best exchange rates for USD/IDR when done online, almost same or better than in most of the exchange offices, both for buying and selling.

That is key here. Their e-rates might be good but at the loket with cash or so, even Mandiri is better.

 

[Zavia]

• hi Silet,
  Thanks for your post. There are some very interesting points in it.
  I reckon that I never really dug the question of knowing why BCA is insisting in printing all my bank books rather than just doing what most banks do, just printing the balance after a while. With my Mandiri account I think that anything past 15 days is just resumed to a one liner and it's just fine. Other banks we bank with have a slightly longer time I think but nothing as ridiculous as printing the whole history, even after 1 year not visiting them, as BCA in Manado do.
  
  However I once asked to a CSO why the heck they needed to print everything, the CSO answered that it was because it was a Tahapan Gold and it was for "security matter". I still have in memory the complicit smile she had when telling me that, as if I was a lucky customer to profit from such level of service! When you hear this kind of sh1t as an answer you know you'd better not ask more questions.
  
  However, if you tell me that with a Tahapan Gold you don't get the same torture than I have here in Manado, I am gonna seriously question it for my next visit, especially since I know that this one will again involve another ridiculous amount of books.

Gunakan layanan Autoprint untuk mencetak sendiri buku tabungan tanpa perlu antri di CSO.*
It would seem you can get it printed without queuing?

 

[atlantis]

Gunakan layanan Autoprint untuk mencetak sendiri buku tabungan tanpa perlu antri di CSO.*
It would seem you can get it printed without queuing?

You can't use Autoprint when it exceeds one book, Zavia. Autoprint is only valid when you need to print a few pages on the same book. When they have to issue a new book you must ask for it to the CSO

 

[Silet]

@atlantis, Hi, ref your post #35. I have just looked back through my last old book, BCA Gold as you and the updates in that 2015 were exactly as jstar writes above, i.e, I had a full three months transaction printed which took over half the book up, if not more.

Then :-

On the 2nd May 2016 I had the book updated again and it is as Centurion says above (well almost) They went back to April 15 2016. So just over 2 weeks.

This is what I remembered when I posted the above. In October 2016 I went back and received a new book shortly as the previous book had only one line left and that was printed the same, the last two weeks or so in transactions. The new book started several 100 Jt in and a slightly smaller amount out. I've not had it updated since so I really hope it's the same again. LOL.

All the transactions before 15 April 2016 (from God knows when) were lumped together in Jt in and Jt out.

I can only check on one book from the three accounts at the moment with sufficient transaction in it.

Initially my wife had her own BCA account, so I went to BCA and opened the account above to keep things in the family and the same bank so to speak. (Better with any problems with major funds the same bank is handling the household cash and inter account transfers).

My wife never bothers about her book whatsoever even though it is used used for all the housekeeping, food and utility bills etc. I just leave her to get on with it as she wishes, it's her household to run.

The account above which I am quoting takes in my income and anything other than I cover through my wife's account.

The third account takes our surplus purely until it can go into a deposito. So that just gets monthly ins and then an almost total withdrawal. So not many transaction on that account at all.

So in a nutshell you should now get no more than the last two weeks transactions as Centurion posts above.

(I'm also wondering if it is the CS person at the desk as I'm sure I once heard under the breath there were too many transactions, followed by a few moments on the keyboard before the printing began. Maybe they can dictate how much is printed and sum all previous credits and debits as they wish). I don't really know.

Any way good luck, I hope you have more patience than me with BCA as every time I go I have to hold my breath with the whole rigmarole. It takes me over one hour just to make a simple deposito and that's the only time the books get marked up really. I once thought about asking them if they had any rooms available for the stay.