TO: Banking Ombudsman, Re: case 90290

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your letter of 7th.

It is my contention that the term "telegraphic" IMPLIES immediate transfer. As it was, a more honest description would have been "Delayed". I think this is straight deception.

Show that you are not just a front for the banks and try to approach this from the customer's viewpoint. If you perform your functions poorly you will be replaced by a statutory body. I will certainly be making representations to that effect when the new government comes to power

TO: Banking Ombudsman

Dear Sir,

Last month I went in to the Stones Corner branch of the Bank of Qld to arrange for a "telegraphic transfer" of some money to a UK account.

How long would YOU think a "telegraphic transfer" would take to go through? Silly little people like me would think that it would be like the internet -- instantaneous. But NO! I was told it would take "several days"

I could see no reason for this so wrote to the BOQ about it and got back a reply from some drongo named Gavin Watts. The full limit of Mr Watts’s interpersonal skills was to tell me that the bank was legally entitled to do what it did!

I subsequently wrote to the BOQ chairman about the matter but was ignored.

Blind Freddy knows that money transfers these days are electronic and instantaneous so I can only conclude that the hold the BOQ put on my money was to earn them a few cents of interest while they held it. Since I paid them $30.00 for an instantaneous service I am most aggrieved by this pettiness and believe that I should be refunded the $30 I paid for a service which was not delivered.

TO: Chair, Bank of Qld

Dear Mr Roberts,

As a long-term BOQ shareholder, I like to do a certain amount of business with the bank in order to check on stupidities in the bank's operations. And, as you know, I find plenty. I am sure you appreciate the opportunities my comments give you to upgrade your operations.

I would therefore like to draw your attention to another stupidity in your bank's internet service.

When users log on to inspect details of their account, they are given several options for what is displayed. They can see the last week's transactions, the last month's transactions etc.

But that does not apply to Visa card accounts. "Since last statement" is the only option given.

Why? If you are going to provide an internet service why can you not do it properly?

Note that I have NOT directed this letter to Gavin Watts. His idea of customer relations is to tell people that the bank has a legal right to do what it does -- full stop. Is he the best you can do? He sure needs lessons in how to win friends and influence people.

TO: Gavin Watts, Bank of Qld

Dear Mr Watts,

For a manager of customer relations, you are most disappointing. I have your totally irrelevant letter of 11th. I asked for an explanation, not a legal argument.

Please try again. You ARE allowed to think, you know. You have shown you can use italics. See if you can do more.

Absent an intelligent response from you I will have to refer the matter to the Banking Ombudsman. He is generally sympathetic to requests for information and explanation

TO: Chair, Bank of Qld

Dear Mr Roberts,

I was today once again foolish enough to use a BOQ service. It looks like I am going to have a lot to raise at the next AGM.

I went in to your Stones Corner branch and arranged for a "telegraphic transfer" of some money to a UK account.

How long would YOU think a "telegraphic transfer" would take to go through? Silly little people like me would think that it would be like the internet -- instantaneous.

But NO! I was told it would take "several days"

Please explain

TO: V.C. Dougherty, MD staff, BOQ

Dear Ms Dougherty

Thank you for your letter of 11th.

May I suggest that there is a simple way for the bank not to be called "boneheads"? Don't act that way.

Apropos of that I would like to ask you just one question:

Why was I allowed to transfer $5,000 out of my account one day without a token but next day I was allowed to transfer not one cent? Certainly not $5,000.

You can guess what I think of that great and unexpected inconvenience to which you subjected me.

I think a policy change on that is clearly called for. Don't you?

Your absurdly complex token system has simply persuaded me that I should no longer keep significant funds in my BOQ account. I was for some time keeping substantial funds there for the sake of convenience but since you have taken the convenience away I have taken the funds away.

TO: Chair, Bank of Qld

Dear Mr Roberts,

I must be a hero of persistence. Once again I have been victimized by gross BOQ stupidity. You have sometimes been able to help in the past so I am alerting you to this matter too.

I have been accustomed to using internet banking on my A/c 90-REDACTED. Transfers to other banks are however limited to $5000. So I put in to raise the limit to $15,000. The new limit was approved.

End of story? No way! Not with the boneheaded BOQ. Now I cannot transfer ANYTHING at all! The upgrade has turned into a severe inconvenience. I am told that I now have to go into a branch to get a new password or otherwise get stuffed.

I am going in alright -- to draw out all my money

Yours Incredulously