European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 27, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and strikes letters Page 11 Ann Landers banking customer critical of merchants i am having a bit of a problem and know that others Are in the same situation t sincerely Hope that this can to explained to everyone s satisfaction and not simply receive the same old Story thai has been passing through the years. First i do not Sec Why any banking institution would fight so hard for a contract whereby there Wilt be Joss of Revenue. There Are no Banks who Are i business solely for the customer but rather to make a profit. That is Normal and t have no complaint with thai. However How they mate their profit is a matter of it appears that no one in High places is the least bit concerned. Fact she current Bank in Usa eur is Here by Federal contract to support authorized customers and no the general population. With this in mind Why Arethey allowed to take both German and american holi Days has to do with German Laws Tine. Bin Donot allow them to take american holidays As Well. There is simply no rationale for being allowed to take both. A. / fad the current Bank a to Stop sending Bac processed checks supposedly so that we do not have to stuff them in shoe boxes this was initiated to reduce overhead expenses to better serve us the authorized customer. They will keep checks on microfilm and Only charge us Al for each assert that now their tellers will not be in the backroom putting processed checks into envelopes. 1 maintain Hal they were not anyway As this process Wasno accomplished at local Banks but rather at their. Headquarters. " fact that statements concerning interest paid on Loans arc not sent out even yearly Loaid the customer. This is supposedly to reduce overhead expenses. You must go to the Bank and pick up a statement and then it is not a statement which will be accepted by the irs it is written by hand on a piece of paper that happens to be close at hand. Why this is a matter of Norma business Back in the United states. None of us have been away so Long that we have forgotten what it is Lineback there. But the Bank continues to expound on the radio All thai they do for us. It seems that the Bank is not Here to support tis Butlo make a profit and the larger the better. The highly praised Green machine is an example. I have see machines take cards and not return them. When you go to another machine and there arc Only two area it docs not have any dollars or Marks. Why v / " Vav the Bank has spent a great Deal of Lime telling us on i ctr Little program Bank shots of problems we May encounter when going toy or the like Back to the. Stales. Then they turn right around and Tell us to keep our account Here until we get settled so Hal our Money will be Safe. What Good is my Money Here if a stateside Bank will not Honor my Check either we have a serious problem within the total banking system or therein some doubt of the credibility of merchants in the states a v. / we have been told a lot of what the Bank is doing to save us Money but is there anyone who has seen a reduction in any Cost 1 doubt it the Bank though has had its profit margin grow. If there really is a reduction where is it going Why can l these people just be honest and Tell us the truth they Are Here for a profit and if there happens to be a Little something forthe customer Fine but the profit comes first. As my Law professor Back in College used to Tell us Friend ships and relations Stop at the Cash in one ofic Bank shot presentations it was explained that the Banks can offer nothing which would compete wit local German Banks. Need i say any More 1 would simply like to know what Are the services for which we pay dearly and Are supposed to be receiving Why can t we enjoy some of the reductions in expense when the Bank enjoys them the favorite excuse is that it is covered in the contract and under the provi Sions of the sofa. That is a cop out when you do not wish to Tell what you Are doing or Why. Rubi ii k. Cadenhead Schwetz Ngen West Germany editor s note Yvonne Wist manager Public affaire. Merchants National Bank Community banking replies banking for the military in a foreign environment is Complex operation. You hive railed seven issues which require clarification and i will address each one As it we mentioned. Three contractor presently operate military banking worldwide. Merchants National Bank was awarded the contract to manage banking in Germany Holland and Greece in May 1988. Terms of the contract state that the department of defense will receive Revenue and absorb losses incurred in the Day to Day Hank operation. Merchant and the other contractors receive Only a set monthly fee pins certain incentive awards for managing their contract. Common Ltd Banks in Germany operate under Hast country labor Laws and Are therefore closed on German Hollday. With the exception of the Berlin Tempelhof Branch which enjoys special status All our branches reopen on american holidays. Tellers customer service representatives and often managers have manually stuffed cancelled checks and recently rent and Utility automatic payment slips into envelopes with monthly statements since the beginning of military banking. This operation was never a com plumed at Headquarters. V cards an captured by the gift machine for a num Ber of it sons / incorrect pin number used three times expiration Date reached hoi card f a. ,./. Damaged card Green machines run out of Money because demand is higher than Supply. We have ordered 31 new machines with double capacity of these new machines will replace older models and the balance will be at new locations. ,. You have the option to keep your checking account at the Community Dank for three months after a per manent change of station pcs do you Ever wonder Why stateside Banks refuse in Cash your out of town Check while your Community Bank will even Cash a stateside Check fur you up to shoo whether you have an account with i s or Nolt seems to me we offer you More. I am pleased you Ore listening to tic Ai n Randlo show Bank it is doing the Job we intend. A customer asked Why we do not Otter euro checks. It has explained on the show that we want to offer euro checks to our customers but thus far have been told by the German government that the service would com Pete with private local Banks. Services let me name n few american bunk in a foreign country atm machines Loans both ear and personal certificates of Deposit automatic rent and Utility payments employees who serie you with excellence and x smile on their fact s. Furthermore nearly Alt services we offer Are at fees below those charged in the Stales or by local Banks Here in Europe. The Community Bank charges Tes under its Dod contract because the Dod will reimburse the Community Hank when eve Penis exceed Revenue. Dear Ann Landers today the Minneapolis pager an an and from the humane society urging people not to Wear furs. The and said it is cruel to kill an animal for its Pell. Recently i was shopping Down town in 20-Bctow-Zcro weather. A stranger walked up to me an said i wonder How Many Beautiful rabbits died of you could have that coat t noticed that she was wearing a Down coat so asked if the geese they got the Down from to make her coat were still alive. She looked surprised. Obviously she had never Given it a thought. If people arc so upset about cruelty to animals Why Don t they go after the folks who refuse to spend the Money to have their Pels neutered and spayed thou Sands of dogs Are put to death every year because the animal pounds can t feed and House them. Talk about cruelty to animals that s the Best example there is. Please Tell me what to say if i m approached again baby its cold outside dear Aby ". Judging from the Quick response you gave the woman in the Down Coal Yob Don t need any help from me. I did a bit of Homework however and this to what t Learned -. More than 75 percent of the fur produced in Nort America is raised on family farms. There Are about 3,700 Mink and Fox firms on this continent. Also bred Are Lynx Bobcat Rabbit and Chinchilla. Most of the fur farms in the United states Are located in Minnesota Wisconsin and Utah in Canada the majority of. He Mink farms arc in Ontario and Quebec. Sable comes i from Asia the soviet Union and Canada. Furs such As Raccoon and Beaver do not need to reproduced on farms since Here is overpopulation among these animals and trapping is not Only Legal but Essen tial for their survival. K is illegal to make Coats from endangered species such us Leopard and ocelot. In my opinion it is no More cruel to kill animals for their fur than it 1$ la kill them for their hide or fat food wonder if those folks who Don t want us to Wear fur Are willing to give up i Clr shoes twits handbag Saddle Sand Luggage and what did they have for dinner last ". Pear Ann shuddered when i read the letter from the. Mother. Who interceded and made her. Daughter who was unwed and addicted to drugs and booze keep her baby the girl conked out for three Days at a time and paid very Little attention to Trie baby the Mother complained that the. Responsibility for the child Lias fallen on her and that she Csc Elsil v i wonder How Many times will but out of touch relatives like the Mother who wrote have prevented babies from being put up for adoption thus sentencing these children to lives of hardship and neglect. Today welfare programs make it easier for single. Mothers la keep their babies. This is a tragedy Lar childless couples who Are aching to have a Tittle one in the Nursery please Ann invite letters from these couples who Long to have a baby and could provide a Loving and comfortable Home for an out of cd Lack child. Per haps it will help some pregnant girls decide that adoption is a Noble and unselfish Way to go. Loving Mother in Huntington Woods Mich. Dear Loving Mother i hate printed such tetters Over the Jears and 0ti have just provided me with another one. Thank you. Loj a wlm Tumi Send Ltd column la Teri Alcor a Row on in k or in can of tin Suri Tat in pm. Apo 09211, us Fer ii euro can to oltion a. Jeffrey m. 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