Date: Thu, 17 Aug 1995 09:12:19 -0400
From: Chris Newburn <newburn@aslan.ece.cmu.edu>
Message-Id: <199508171312.JAA18103@aslan.ece.cmu.edu>
To: bovik@ece.cmu.edu
Subject: bank recommendation and dis-recommendation


Looking for a new bank, or dissatisfied with your old one?  Check out PNC.
PNC has a payday program with direct deposit, lower minimum balances, free
checks the first time, a free mac card, automatic and telephone bill payment
for free, phone trasfers between accounts for free, a reduced mortgage
interest rate, higher interest rates, and CDs that bear much higher rates than
savings accounts but that can be redeemed without penalty in only 7 days.
Sounds to good to be true.  I've had excellent service there as well.  I
strongly recommend PNC.

I heartily disrecommend Parkvale, particularly the Oakland branch, where I
banked for 5 years before I came around.  There are three reasons: they have
made errors in my account, they have outdated equipment, and they have poor
customer service.  In the last six months, they made three errors on my
account and treated me as though I was at fault, made little effort to make it
easier for me to rectify the problem.  Their technology is outdated.  I bought
my checks from Current, and their machines don't recognize half of the check
numbers each month.  They have not computerized many of their transactions,
including opening new accounts, so it takes you longer.  Finally, I wrote
the bank manager and customer service a letter voicing these concerns and
offering to discuss them and I never heard back from them.  Oh, and by the
way, their interest rates are lower than PNC, you have to pay for the mac
card, and they have fewer branches than PNC.

Judge for yourself.