This whole thing is getting f*!ing silly now. STILL no card.
Citibank promised me that everything would be okay once I deposited the NT$300,000 in my NT$ account. Then they demand an NT$50,000 deposit. Fine. Originally they tried to fob me off with a zero interest two-year deposit but I told them to stick it where the sun don’t shine and we ‘negotiated’ to a 6 month deposit at 1.1% (I get 7.7% net in my UK account!) That was 3 weeks ago and every two days I get another call from the same lady asking for some new document or extra piece of information. Maybe she just fancies me? Who knows, but it’s getting me down. I feel like the whole banking system in Taiwan is one big scam where everyone is laughing at me behind my back.
In the meantime a good friend tried introducing me to his contact at the Bank of Overseas Chinese. He’s very rich and well respected so I thought this would be a surefire thing. But nope, apparently they don’t want my business which I really can’t understand. I have substantial assets, a proven successful business, high banking turnover and use a lot of funky (and expensive) international banking services. I am in a foreign country and have to be on my best behaviour lest I lose my visa/business license/livelihood. Shouldn’t that be the perfect customer for a salivating Taiwanese branch manager?
I have a number of friends who would act as guarantor without a moment’s thought but I would never ask them out of principle. Friends are friends, money is money and never the twain should meet. Before I left I slapped down one of my Taiwan bank books with about US$10,000 on deposit and offered to transfer it there and then as deposit on the measliest little high-risk high-interest Mastercard they had. ‘Mei ban fa’. Fair enough, f*** you all and your f***ing ban fa. I need a stiff drink.