This is a follow up to my post earlier today. I’m starting to feel like in a video game since I was sent on a side quest this afternoon!

I need a bank statement to get my refund. Simple, I thought, just print one from my online account.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I don’t know if all banks here work the same, but there is a very close relationship between HSBC online and mobile banking and there are things you can’t do with online banking if your mobile banking isn’t working.

I tried to set up mobile banking when I opened my account in September and failed. I asked for help at the bank and was told to call for help. I didn’t think I’d be able to sort something that complex out in Spanish over the phone and it wasn’t pressing, so I did without.

But today, I needed a bank statement and for that, I needed mobile banking to work.

I called earlier this afternoon and had no trouble getting through the phone tree and the steps to reset my mobile password. I was waiting for an email with a new activation code and figured I wouldn’t need help beyond that so I thanked the lady and hung up.

The email came in and still I could not get into the app. It said the system was down and to try later. This was absolutely ridiculous — I just want a bank statement. Could I please have one fewer detour (and queue to stand in!) tomorrow?!

Since I got through the first call, I hit redial on my landline phone and called back. I had to wait five minutes in the queue before another lady picked up. She was amazing. She walked me through every single step to getting my bank statement. I bet someone with a Ph.D. in computer science would not have been able to do it. It was a complete labyrinth of various passwords and having to use the desktop and mobile apps in the right order.

Once she actually got me into the app (which involved deleting it from my phone and then reinstalling it at precisely the right moment after doing some steps on the desktop app), after about 10 minutes, she remembered without prompting that I wanted my statement. She then guided me through that all the way to having the PDF opened on my computer and saved to my hard drive. She’s the hero of my day.

So now, I’m all set to go straight back to SAT in the morning. I just hope the coconut ice cream vendor is waiting outside again like he was today. 🙂