Horror story!
Yesterday, I took two postal money orders from the US to my local KB to exchange ($1400).
I'd exchanged a money order just a couple months ago, in the main branch at Myeongdong, no problems, right on the spot. I don't remember whether it was a postal money order or not. Didn't know it was a problem, either way.
In any case, yesterday, two guys looked it over, checked it out, I exchanged it, and sent my monthly bundle to the US to cover my bills. They're auto-debited, it's clean and convenient, "just have the money in the account" every month kinda thing. Whew! Bills all done this month! Right?
Wrong.
So just now, I get a call from the local branch saying that it was the "wrong kind of money order" and that they shouldn't have been exchanged. So they've canceled my international wire transfer ("fortunate it didn't go through yet", said the clerk) and are going to automatically debit the rest from my account.
So I tell the guy that no, that wasn't cool, because I'd already sent all my other money to all the people, bills, and crap I gotta do this month – it's not just a matter of balancing the books. That information has totally screwed me, because now I got about $1400 that is suddenly not accounted for in my budget and I've already sent my money, used it. I'm done for the month. What do I get?
A perfunctory "죄송합니다", like the one you get at the Burger King when they run out of chicken tenders. "Sorry. We're all out." Smile with empty stare.
I've been banking in Korea for about than 7 years total, and no crap like this has happened to me. When you exchange crap and get it in cash, like cash on the barrelhead – you don't expect the bank to call and be all "give us the money back."
WTF?!
So whatever, one of my auto-debits comes out tomorrow, and even if I got the money there today, I'll be overdrawn and charged $34. And I've got several more charges scheduled around the second week of the month. $34, $34, $34. And what am I gonna tell BofA? That this Korean bank made a mistake – please don't charge me the overdraft fees? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Anyway, I've got two US postal money orders that should have never been exchanged – thanks, guys – and I'm wondering if they can be used in a bank on the base? I just don't know, either way. So I'm asking.
If it is possible, then could I sign 'em over to you, you give me the cash, and I buy you a big dinner?
Or is that unfeasible or not possible?
Thanks – surely at least somebody out there can at least offer an answer to this question, if not a solution to the problem?
Yeah – I wish I was just able to whisk off and leave my life at times.
But I got bills, baby. And to paraphrase Dave Chappelle:
"That KB, man. They fuckin' up!"
Cue audience applause.
Which reminds me of what I really want to do right now, to return the favor of the Bank Man and his empty apology:
Hehe – Google Ads will never approve my blog now. "Excessive use of profanity" is not allowed on their partner sites. I guess now, I'm "fuckin' up" too.
"Negativity level – RISING. Self...control...weakening..."
ARGH!!!!
Sometimes Dave Chappelle is the only thing that can keep a brutha sane when the Norks are saber-rattling and the bank done fucked up your money.
At least I'm not "Rick James, bitch!"
Whew. Who needs a drink?
