kiddij

Hi

Has anyone else tried to open an on-line cash manager account with Citibank in Australia. So far we have come up against a brick wall. Every time we send our identification documents (to Sydney) they disappear. The call centre is in The Phillipines, can't get an e-mail address in Oz and the call centre don't seem to know anything about us. On the first attempt we got an e-mail to say that because we sent our documents back too late our application had been cancelled and we had to start all over again. We have applied again and the same thing seems to be happening.

Would appreciate advice from anyone who has encountered the same problems.

welshgirl

We opened one - we applied on line and then had to get the mountains of paperwork signed and certified by JP etc. Then by the time we sent them off we had changed address so had to send more paperwork with the new address. I phoned the number that they give you on the paperwork where your account and reference number is and they gave me the fax number for faxing the extra docs too. I have to say that they never once phoned me - it was always me doing the chasing - we had our house sale proceeds sitting in a current account for a few weeks too many. But once I had sent the correct paperwork it was activated within days. Rec'd ATM cards, Telephone banking pins, and ATM pins within a week. Try the number on the email they send you with your account number (the one you have 30 days to activate). I'll have a look tonight to see if I still have the fax number for you. Now it's open everything seems fine - though it was a bit of a palaver!

kiddij

Hi

Glad to hear it is up and running and seems to be fine. Are they ok with you faxing documents? We were asked to send originals bills etc with certified copies of passports.

By the way, how is Perth? How long have you been there?

Thanks

welshgirl

They were fine with us faxing copies. I don't recall sending certified copies of passports, just copies of bills with our names and addresses on.

We've been in Perth nearly 2 years - off back to the UK for the first time in May, and then we are able to apply for citizenship in July (would've been June but now leaving country for a month). I can't believe how quickly the time has gone. It took me a while to settle down but now I love it. For instance today is a great example - a bit nippy this morning but now blues skies all round and heading for 28 degrees today. We are contemplating a move over East but that's for experience purposes rather than because we don't like it here.

CreditCardKing

I opened one of these no problem, but they only pay 5.5% interest. Bankwest Telenet saver is much better they pay 6% interest. Its the same type of account, Bankwest is owned by UK Halifax/Bank of Scotland. The only drawback is there is a maximum limit of A$1,000,000 per account.

mamichelle

I had a few probs with the forms disappearing, but when on the phone to them, they miraculously decided that we didn't actually need them anymore (obviously just found them......) I took them in person to the branch on Park/George St in the Sydney CBD and they still went astray. It is a good account though so worth the hassle of all the forms.

mamichelle

i just read that it is actually 5.25% with a bonus 0.75% for the first year. I am interpreting it wrong?

ABCDiamond

I was just comparing the banks on http://www.infochoice.com.au/banking...e/fees/QLD.asp

and Citibank are shown as charging $2 per EFTPOS transaction, whereas the others are all Free. And $2 for every ATM transaction after the first two per month.

mamichelle

It's a savings account though, so that just encourages me to make less transfers out! Bear in mind too, that some of the others on that list don't even have eftpos facilities, because it is internet banking access only, that is why there are no fees.

I have a dragon direct linked to my current account and a Citibank online cash manager. I transfer definite savings into the Citibank account and any money that I allow myself to use during the course of the month into the dragon direct, then feed into my current account each week - so I can balance out my spending over the month. Citibank is not designed for that, so I got the dragon direct. It is great for totally hiding my money away because $2 per transaction is daylight robbery!

ABCDiamond

We used to have a Dragon Direct account (current rate 5.25%), but didn't use it as the HSBC (at the time) had the highest rates (they've dropped a bit in the charts now at 4.75% ! )

I went past a Suncorp Bank yesterday and saw the sign outside saying 6%, but didn't take in what account it was.