TY FHB

I do not know what made me stick with FHB in Saipan since I used to bank at BoH in Guam, hanging on to FHB even after I moved to teach at one of China’s northeast universities. The convenience of a checking account, an MC that accrued mileage, and accessibility online provided rationale, though having lived through the vicissitudes of credit cards I should have known better on the MC.

I arrived on island Sunday and on Monday the 9th I deposited cash to accounts at the Oleai FHB branch. I had China guests on island and I meant to show them around. FHB holds that a deposit before noon qualifies for credit that day so I took it for granted that both debit and credit cards would be available by the end of the day. Well, was I red faced all of Tuesday!

First, a tooth bridge done by Seventh-day Dental Clinic a few years back broke off a day before coming to Saipan. As soon as I got on island, I went in to have it repaired; a new brace or implant(s) were not within my $ means. The cost of service to ensure that my right bite was not too compromised did not make me bat an eye but the MC was refused. I thought I had sufficient funds in the account without the cash deposit so it might have been just a matter of pesetas; without checking the Internet record, I pulled out the debit card and we were on our way.

We ate at a diner for its brand name value. Used to pictures of food in Chinese menus that look so sumptuous only to have a measly sandwich, the group expected the same at this global chain. Our jaws literally dropped to the floor upon seeing the quantity of food delivered from our one-dish-per-person order. The serving portions were humungous, which should not have surprised me given the prices. 

A guest quipped that now he understood why so many people in the CNMI were size triple X triple L. The waiter commented that we must have gotten off some energy-draining tour for we appeared very hungry based on our order. But the MC went through and I thought we were finally in the clear.

It was the following day, Tuesday, that I was alerted to FHB taking until Wednesday to acknowledge a Saipan deposit on Monday because Hawaii was behind a day in calendar time. I have no qualms with that since it worked to my favor when it came to paying due accounts; it gave me a 20-hour reprieve.

But it was Tuesday, a good 24-hours since I deposited cash, already Monday in Hawaii but charges against the card were rejected. There was my three-day hotel bill denied payment. Then a stop at a utensil and furnishing store for the new apartment, like a toaster and rice cooker, and a hair blower and a portable butane gas stove like the one I used five years before (alarmed upon reading the instructions that it was not to be utilized in enclosed spaces including the home or “it would kill you”). TG I am still alive but returned the item pronto!

Anyway, since the Century Hotel room for my guests was in my name, the desk was kind enough to defer the MC charges on my room until I checked the other room out. But Tuesday night, I desperately needed bottled water and groceries. For a bill of slightly under a hundred, the MC was denied. Ironically, splitting the charges between the debit and credit cards would have settled the matter.

I did not have anything against the French when I first discovered that FHB was not a Hawaiian-owned bank but instructed out of Paris. I am global who cares about glocal realities and as long as the French bankers serve Pacific islanders’ interest, I raise no objections.

The Oleai branch has been friendly. In a time of instantaneous communications, however, FHB takes at least 48 hours to credit an account. I deposited cash again on the debit account Wednesday as advised, then transferred the amount to the credit card before noon to be credited the same day. I waited until Friday. Red face all over again.

Living in Saskatchewan, I supported the Quebecois when they were asserting their legal prerogatives in bilingual Canada. Crepes breakfast at Montmartre in gay Paree endeared the “frogs” (non-pejorative use here) of France to my heart and at FHB, my measly quarters when taken around the world in 48 hours do pick up a few pennies. I don’t mind FHB doing that on my account but let me access it as well. Cash deposit after all is cash and should be instantaneous!

The grocery store cashier had a good sense of humor. I went back Wednesday night for essentially the same items that were returned to the shelves the day before and when I checked out, she looked me in the eye and said: “Sorry sir, but the charges were denied.” 

Then she cracked a smile before I turned livid, and said: “Just kidding!” I just found a friend!