I do not know what made me stick with FHB in Saipan since I used to bank at BoH in Guam, hanging on to FHB even after I moved to teach at one of China\u2019s northeast universities. The convenience of a checking account, an MC that accrued mileage, and accessibility online provided rationale, though having lived through the vicissitudes of credit cards I should have known better on the MC.<\/p>\n
I arrived on island Sunday and on Monday the 9th I deposited cash to accounts at the Oleai FHB branch. I had China guests on island and I meant to show them around. FHB holds that a deposit before noon qualifies for credit that day so I took it for granted that both debit and credit cards would be available by the end of the day. Well, was I red faced all of Tuesday!<\/p>\n
First, a tooth bridge done by Seventh-day Dental Clinic a few years back broke off a day before coming to Saipan. As soon as I got on island, I went in to have it repaired; a new brace or implant(s) were not within my $ means. The cost of service to ensure that my right bite was not too compromised did not make me bat an eye but the MC was refused. I thought I had sufficient funds in the account without the cash deposit so it might have been just a matter of pesetas; without checking the Internet record, I pulled out the debit card and we were on our way.<\/p>\n
We ate at a diner for its brand name value. Used to pictures of food in Chinese menus that look so sumptuous only to have a measly sandwich, the group expected the same at this global chain. Our jaws literally dropped to the floor upon seeing the quantity of food delivered from our one-dish-per-person order. The serving portions were humungous, which should not have surprised me given the prices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A guest quipped that now he understood why so many people in the CNMI were size triple X triple L. The waiter commented that we must have gotten off some energy-draining tour for we appeared very hungry based on our order. But the MC went through and I thought we were finally in the clear.<\/p>\n
It was the following day, Tuesday, that I was alerted to FHB taking until Wednesday to acknowledge a Saipan deposit on Monday because Hawaii was behind a day in calendar time. I have no qualms with that since it worked to my favor when it came to paying due accounts; it gave me a 20-hour reprieve.<\/p>\n
But it was Tuesday, a good 24-hours since I deposited cash, already Monday in Hawaii but charges against the card were rejected. There was my three-day hotel bill denied payment. Then a stop at a utensil and furnishing store for the new apartment, like a toaster and rice cooker, and a hair blower and a portable butane gas stove like the one I used five years before (alarmed upon reading the instructions that it was not to be utilized in enclosed spaces including the home or \u201cit would kill you\u201d). TG I am still alive but returned the item pronto!<\/p>\n
Anyway, since the Century Hotel room for my guests was in my name, the desk was kind enough to defer the MC charges on my room until I checked the other room out. But Tuesday night, I desperately needed bottled water and groceries. For a bill of slightly under a hundred, the MC was denied. Ironically, splitting the charges between the debit and credit cards would have settled the matter.<\/p>\n
I did not have anything against the French when I first discovered that FHB was not a Hawaiian-owned bank but instructed out of Paris. I am global who cares about glocal realities and as long as the French bankers serve Pacific islanders\u2019 interest, I raise no objections.<\/p>\n
The Oleai branch has been friendly. In a time of instantaneous communications, however, FHB takes at least 48 hours to credit an account. I deposited cash again on the debit account Wednesday as advised, then transferred the amount to the credit card before noon to be credited the same day. I waited until Friday. Red face all over again.<\/p>\n
Living in Saskatchewan, I supported the Quebecois when they were asserting their legal prerogatives in bilingual Canada. Crepes breakfast at Montmartre in gay Paree endeared the \u201cfrogs\u201d (non-pejorative use here) of France to my heart and at FHB, my measly quarters when taken around the world in 48 hours do pick up a few pennies. I don\u2019t mind FHB doing that on my account but let me access it as well. Cash deposit after all is cash and should be instantaneous!<\/p>\n
The grocery store cashier had a good sense of humor. I went back Wednesday night for essentially the same items that were returned to the shelves the day before and when I checked out, she looked me in the eye and said: \u201cSorry sir, but the charges were denied.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then she cracked a smile before I turned livid, and said: \u201cJust kidding!\u201d I just found a friend!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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