12/21/99
I experienced the following at a Japanese bank
and also at an American bank in the center of Tokyo Metropolis:
I received a personal check in U.S. dollar from
a friend of mine in U.S.A. for adjusting our travel expense. First
I went to a Japanese bank at Ohtemachi , a big business center
in Tokyo to deposit it in my account. At the entrance, I asked
a guide to tell me where the dollar deposit counter was. He could
not understand what the dollar deposit was and told me you might
go up stairs where a foreign exchange counter was. I showed a
check to a receptionist at the counter, telling her to deposit
it in my dollar account. She was bringing around my check to a
few staffs one by one in the office and finally returned to me,
telling the collection charge was \2,500.
Then I went to an American bank next to the
Japanese bank. At a customer counter in its entrance lobby, a
receptionist replied my question that the collection charge was
\1,000. If I proceed to deposit the check in my account today,
I would be able to get money in my account by January 6, taking
a bit long because of holidays. He prepared a necessary document
for me and handed it to me with a wait-number- ticket. I waited
about ten minutes until my wait number was called. At the deposit
counter, the teller accepted the check immediately.
While I was waiting, I looked at a brochure
of the bank, finding the following explanations about the bank
services:
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* For 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, foreign
exchange possible. * Deposit/Draw at the bank's ATM without charge
for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. * With your bank card, you
can draw money at more than a hundred countries and regions in
world in local currency. * You can make overseas remittance by
phone banking. without charge. * Free issue of traveler's check.
* ATM of associated municipal banks and local banks can be used
for draw without charge. * For 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,
telephone banking is possible. * CD/ATM of post offices can be
used for deposit/draw without charge. |
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The said Japanese bank advertised for its foreign
currency accounts once. But in reality they never had managed
well itself to have such accounts and furthermore their collection
charge was 2.5 times higher comparing with the rates of foreign
banks. They do not have any sign that they are willing to be competitive
with foreign banks. I was disappointed with them.
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