04.20.06
My PIN is 10 digits long
I opened an Italian bank account a few weeks ago. The sign up process itself was very easy, and it will make bill paying so much easier. I think I have mentioned before that the post office in Italy is also a bank. Kind of different.
Anyway, I signed up for online banking. It’s kind of a new thing here, and the person who opened my account wasn’t even sure how it all worked. But she handed me an instruction sheet that the printer spit out and sent me on my way.
First, I had to go online and sign up for a Post Office email address. Which seems kind of odd - the post office hawking an email account? Anyway, the screen instructed me that I should receive a telegram (!) within a few days verifying that I actually live where I said I did. After I got the telegram, with the secret code, I had to punch that into the website. Easy enough, and I got my first telegram!
Next, a 10 digit alpha-numeric code came in the mail. I will need this code anytime I use my account online. The website will randomly ask me for 4 out of the 10 digits. Yikes! I need to study.
Then, I got another number in the mail which is the PIN for my ATM card.
Then, I got an email with another code, which I had to take to the post office, which would activate my 10 digit alpha-numeric code.
And sometime, I’m supposed to get the actual card, and then I have to go and activate that.
And THEN … I can make a deposit. That’s right, I haven’t even given them any money yet.