Bank account question

What did the bank say when you called them?

SIMPLE SOLUTION - GOTO HUONG'S MONEY EXCHANGE SERVICE NEAR BEN THANN MARKET AND EXCHANGE VND FOR YOU HOME CURRENCY. JUST DECLARE IT AT CUSTOMS IF ASKED,

sanreza wrote:

hi,
when i left VN there were something around 40,000,000 Dong in my bank account; am not planning on returning to VN any soon;

Kytain wrote:

SIMPLE SOLUTION - GOTO HUONG'S MONEY EXCHANGE SERVICE NEAR BEN THANN MARKET AND EXCHANGE VND FOR YOU HOME CURRENCY. JUST DECLARE IT AT CUSTOMS IF ASKED,

It seems this advice is a day late and 22K VND short.

It's hard to get in touch with the bank.  Am not sure whether I could transfer the money to a foreign country bank.  China and VN have restrictions on international transactions.

right! it's too late for Kytain's solution. Why 22K short?

Sorry that I didn't notice your home nationality but it is an American idiom,  "A day late and a dollar short" meaning that you missed it completely.   22K VND ~ $1  Since Kytain is from the US he probably got it.

I do sympathize with your problem even though I don't have a solution.   Dealing with banks in VN is hard enough in person.  We kept our CITIbank account open but even though they have an English hotline it has been cumbersome to work with them over the phone.

Do you have access to the account to be able to transfer money within VN to another account, then get that person to transfer the money to you through an external bank.

It is easy. Do you use the Internet Banking ?

log in your account in the internet banking, trnasfer the amount to the person you know in Vietnam , and they will get from their bank account and exchange to USD and send to youby Wester Union.

I thought you cant send money out via Western Union.

I thought about this solution but can't do it online;  although theoretically I could do online banking (transfer, deposit, ....) .  I can only view my statements.  I hope they don't close my account and bye-bye / adios    $$$$.

I thought about this solution but can't do it online;  although theoretically I could do online banking (transfer, deposit, ....) .  I can only view my statements.  I hope they don't close my account and bye-bye / adios    $$$$.  thanks for suggestion, though.

Well transfer it to someone's account in Vietnam, otherwise it will just sit there. PM me if you need any help.

sanreza wrote:

I thought about this solution but can't do it online;  although theoretically I could do online banking (transfer, deposit, ....) .  I can only view my statements.  I hope they don't close my account and bye-bye / adios    $$$$.  thanks for suggestion, though.

In this case,, you money shall be there all year untill the bank is bankrupt.

Or you can call directly to their customer service and ask for help.

You opened a local bank acct?  Is it still "open"?   Have the money  transferred to your current one.    There will be conversion fees etc.   I would ask your new bank.

Rick2016 wrote:

Very easy.  Take your ATM card to a machine wherever you are and withdraw the money.

I didn't think about it; that's ATMs are for.....

You didn't mention what bank is it or if it's linked to any international card of yours. There is no way for you to get that money over the phone or internet banking if it's a local bank as transfering USD out of Vietnam is a pain in the butt. I tried that and sooooo much paperwork. Getting help from someone is your only chance in that case.

Where are you based in America? I will go to Hongkong for a business trip mid-April then fly out to America on April 21st and I'll stay in America for 2 weeks if you need help.....

the bank is OCB; seems to be an important bank in VN; it looks like that it is not affiliated /associated with any international banks.  I can't transfer the amount to some other bank account.  For some strange reason can't do it online.  I have my ATM card here in the U.S.  and money is sitting there in my bank account.   

Ahhaha. OCB can be an important bank in Vietnam. Sorry I seriously had to laugh ))
OCB had declared bankruptcy few years ago and was "rescued" by State Bank of Vietnam. The government could not let it go bankrupt as it would scare the people. System failed when people all withdraw their money out. I work in a building few meters away from OCB HQ.

You probably have to ask for internet banking activation/registration from the bank first before being able to use Internet banking. Go to their website and call Hotline service then pray you would get decent English speaking support.

If all failed then you would have to send the card to Vietnam.

I've tried to contact OCB in order to activate online banking, have tried to talk to my branch's employee, ... all of my efforts were to no avail.  If you get a chance to talk to them try to find out how come my online banking is not working to make a transfer.

Then I need your account number and name.

Have you asked the bank to allow you to transfer money through your online account.  Get them to change your online banking setup.

I can access my account online but can't transfer.  could you ask them in general terms what one should do in order to activate the online banking.

There should be a "contact us" on the online platform. Use that to ask them.

hey, if you have a friend here in vietnam then send the atm card to them, then you let them withdraw, then send to you, easy man