More Monetary Waiting
Yesterday we spent a good almost three hours waiting in the bank just to talk for five minutes with the only customer service agent. Frustrating, but not unexpected. Mondays are hell at our bank. We're in the middle of selling the remaining stock market holdings we own and moving them down here to buy another CD.
Tip: The banks in Costa Rica pay 8% on CDs. Try getting that in the States. Just make sure you buy your CDs at one of the two government owned and operated banks, Banco Nacional or Banco de Costa Rica. Scotia Bank might be safe too, because they are multi national, out of Canada and BAC while privately owned is huge so it might be safe. The rest of these banks in Costa Rica? Privately owned and not safe at all. I have heard expats who have lost all their money by putting it in one of the private banks that ends up going under. You really have to be careful who you bank with here.
Plus, if you are planning on transferring in more than 10K at a time it really behooves you to go into your bank and let their customer service rep know, telling him exactly what the money is for. We had a hell of a time last year bringing in 300K to buy our house, put in a pool and buy a CD because we started with our brokerage first. But since then it's been smooth sailing transferring the funds in.
Here you have to do it backwards, start with the bank, prove where the money is coming from, where you came into possession of the money and that it's not drug money. It will go smoothly, a three day wire transfer. Otherwise we're talking a month with lots of paperwork.
Speaking of money and Costa Rica, the reason we ended up waiting so long is that there was another American couple in front of us in there that took nearly the entire three hours. The wife had answered the phone to someone speaking English insisting they were with one of the government agencies here. She gave them enough identifying info that the guy drained their account. There's nothing they can do. The bank is not going to reimburse them colonie one, or even file any paperwork for them. The couple is having to file with the police on their own, but there's no chance of getting anything back.
The bank helped them open up new accounts and transfer over what was left in their other account. This all took a lot of time.
This is why, in the States or here, you never give any info over the phone to anyone, never never never~ Scammers are not just in Nigeria or the Congo. If someone calls you and says they are with the IRS, or your bank or anything else and they start demanding money or access or information you just hang up on them. I am amazed that anyone falls for these guys.
Today I'm doing a little last minute cleaning. We have friends coming over at noon and I need to sweep.
Tip: The banks in Costa Rica pay 8% on CDs. Try getting that in the States. Just make sure you buy your CDs at one of the two government owned and operated banks, Banco Nacional or Banco de Costa Rica. Scotia Bank might be safe too, because they are multi national, out of Canada and BAC while privately owned is huge so it might be safe. The rest of these banks in Costa Rica? Privately owned and not safe at all. I have heard expats who have lost all their money by putting it in one of the private banks that ends up going under. You really have to be careful who you bank with here.
Plus, if you are planning on transferring in more than 10K at a time it really behooves you to go into your bank and let their customer service rep know, telling him exactly what the money is for. We had a hell of a time last year bringing in 300K to buy our house, put in a pool and buy a CD because we started with our brokerage first. But since then it's been smooth sailing transferring the funds in.
Here you have to do it backwards, start with the bank, prove where the money is coming from, where you came into possession of the money and that it's not drug money. It will go smoothly, a three day wire transfer. Otherwise we're talking a month with lots of paperwork.
Speaking of money and Costa Rica, the reason we ended up waiting so long is that there was another American couple in front of us in there that took nearly the entire three hours. The wife had answered the phone to someone speaking English insisting they were with one of the government agencies here. She gave them enough identifying info that the guy drained their account. There's nothing they can do. The bank is not going to reimburse them colonie one, or even file any paperwork for them. The couple is having to file with the police on their own, but there's no chance of getting anything back.
The bank helped them open up new accounts and transfer over what was left in their other account. This all took a lot of time.
This is why, in the States or here, you never give any info over the phone to anyone, never never never~ Scammers are not just in Nigeria or the Congo. If someone calls you and says they are with the IRS, or your bank or anything else and they start demanding money or access or information you just hang up on them. I am amazed that anyone falls for these guys.
Today I'm doing a little last minute cleaning. We have friends coming over at noon and I need to sweep.
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