Chinese Banks

HELLO!!!  I've been trying to post this for weeks...but I'm just getting solid enough internet to make it happen!  I recently got my first Chinese paycheck and I am HAPPY!!!  I wasn't struggling, but getting paid just makes me wanna happy dance.

Anyway, because I still have to pay bills back home, I decide to go on a field trip with Momo to see what needs to be done.  Foolishly, I thought it'd be like living in the states:  stand in a long line, get to the counter, find out you were in the wrong line, and re-queue in the right line, find out I had the wrong paperwork, go home, get the right paperwork, come back, and start back at the end of the line...but all the while in the right building. 

I guess you can say the experience was similar here in China...only, the bank my company set our bank account up at is not able to wire money internationally...but they can help me withdraw (as the lady repeatedly said behind the counter).  The wiring money process in China may just be a bureaucratic wet dream filled with ridiculously difficult to understand paperwork and official stamps and official locations that will make your head spin! 

First, you have to find the right location.  One cannot blindly walk into ones bank and expect a simple bank to bank transfer.  No, no.  If you are fortunate enough to bank at the Bank of China, maybe....but your run of the mill local bank will not be able to help.   Did I add that my company only works with one bank, and it's not the Bank of China...nor does the Bank of China process transfers for non-members...and I can't read enough Chinese to open an account, so....yeah. 

Second, once you find the right place, this took about an hour and a half and 3 taxi rides, be prepared to western union your cash to someone on the other end. You'll need to be sure you have the right amount you want to send on hand.  You will also need to convert your money to USD, so any fees associated must be calculated.  This won't be such a bad issue for me when I repeat this process this week, but for someone like Momo just wanting to send money to the UK, you can see the problem.  They don't use USD, they use GBP....

The process looks like this get your RMB changed to USD, send via western union, get the person in the UK to change the USD to GBP and then deposit for you....it's a little....aggravating.  But I won't complain, at least I know the hassle, and expense, to expect when I get my sister to deposit money for me this week...