ptodd@tekchips.UUCP (Philip Todd) (03/19/86)
I am a European living in the U.S., and have a question for natives.
Why are your banks so inconvenient for travellers?
In many aspects of life, you Americans have things arranged in a far more
user-friendly way - e.g. stores that stay open long into the night, movie
theatres which are comfortable and don't show advertisements - the list is
long - but your banking system is archaic.
I can cash a personal cheque from my local Bank of Scotland account in banks
all over Europe. In Oregon I can't even cash a cheque in a different part of
the same city - and as for cashing a cheque in nextdoor Washington - I might
as well forget it.
And as for the ridiculous delays in crediting cheques to your account.
I once had a refund cheque from the El Paso power company for 200 dollars
forwarded to me in Scotland. Now I know that my current bank in Oregon
would take 2 weeks minimum to clear such a cheque. My Scottish bank took
a couple of minutes to convert dollars to pounds and gave me cash on the spot.
Why then has arguably the most technically advanced nation on earth got
such a poor banking system? Partly I guess because of antiquated interstate
regulations, but more plausibly because of low expectations of the public.
If the banks of different countries in Europe (and this is not even restricted)
to the EEC) with different languages, national banking regulations, and
currencies cooperate smoothly, why can't the banks of Oregon and California?
"The flesche is bruckle, the Fend is sle"
Phil Toddmazlack@ernie.berkeley.edu (Lawrence J. Mazlack) (03/22/86)
>I am a European living in the U.S., and have a question for natives. >Why are your banks so inconvenient for travellers? > >In many aspects of life, you Americans have things arranged in a far more >user-friendly way - e.g. stores that stay open long into the night, movie >theatres which are comfortable and don't show advertisements - the list is >long - but your banking system is archaic. > >I can cash a personal cheque from my local Bank of Scotland account in banks >all over Europe. In Oregon I can't even cash a cheque in a different part of >the same city - and as for cashing a cheque in nextdoor Washington - I might >as well forget it. Well, there are two answers. One is that you can get a VISA/Master Card cash advance anywhere and this has displaced part of the need. The other is more relevant: In Europe, you can cash checks everywhere using the EUROCHECK system. (Uses a widely accepted form of check guarantee.) I agree that the US banking system is archaic in that we do not have a similar sort of system - also I wish that I could be able to use Eurochecks in Europe. Larry Mazlack UUCP {tektronix,dual,sun,ihnp4,decvax}!ucbvax!ucbernie!mazlack New style mazlack@ernie.berkeley.edu ARPA | CSNET mazlack%ernie@berkeley.ARPA BITNET mazlack@ucbernie.BITNET telephone (415) 528-0496 snail CS Dept, 571 Evans, U. California, Berkeley, CA 94720
browne@savax.UUCP (Duff Browne) (03/25/86)
> >I am a European living in the U.S., and have a question for natives. > >Why are your banks so inconvenient for travellers? > > > In Europe, you can cash checks everywhere using the > EUROCHECK system. (Uses a widely accepted form of check guarantee.) I > agree that the US banking system is archaic in that we do not have a similar > sort of system - also I wish that I could be able to use Eurochecks in Another item in there is *TRUST*. I've notice an incredible lack of trust up here in New England, versus Virginia. Then again, it may be in larger university towns (mostly where I've lived during my school and work careers) that stores, restaurants, and banks are a little easier on check cashing. Duff