Banking

I gained access to online banking today. Quite a feet since the instructions are in Italian and so is the entire website. During my first full week here, Lothar took me to his bank, UniCredit Banca di Roma, to open an account. Let me pause a moment to introduce two important people, Shazia and Lothar Ferricchio, my first friends, hosts, and employers in Ancona.

Shazia is from Canada. Lothar is from Ancona. His father started PSG (where I work) originally as a language school. The translation and localization business grew out of the school although the school still offers lessons in 14 different languages and is where I am learning Italian.

Back to banking. On the day we went to open my account we had an appointment with Lothar's business banker, Signora Daniela Morlacchi who had agreed to help us out. She would regret offering to do us this favor. Much as I'm sure would happen in an American bank, the Italian software was not created to open accounts for non-Italians. Because I don't have a resident permit yet (subject of a future entry) I have to have a non-resident account and we have to use my US address and other information. My address does not fit in their boxes. Neither does my Social Security number. There were other questions and pieces of information needed that I didn't have that I can only guess at because it all happened in Italian and quite loudly. Question: how many Italians does it take to open one American's savings account? Answer: Five. One to work the computer and four to offer helpful suggestions over her shoulder. It's only funny if you're there watching it all. As with all my encounters with Italian bureaucracy, I sat mutely on my side of the desk and tried to be simultaneously polite and invisible. After two hours, we were all set and I walked out with a stack of contracts and my very own account, with no money in it.

A week later, my PIN number and ATM card arrived in the mail. Using a combination of guessing and Google translations, I went online to set-up my account. My username was assigned to me on the day the account was opened and as I discovered after several failed attempts, it is the eight digit number on page six of the contract I was given. The number not helpfully highlighted. Nonetheless, account successfully activated. And after logging on, I find a pleasant reminder of home. I've already been charged a service fee and an overdraft fee. My paycheck from work hasn't cleared yet. The service fee for October posted and since I don't have any funds in the account, I was charged 20 euros for insufficient funds. In a strange way, it makes me feel welcome.