It’s been a while since I write a new post for the blog because I’ve been busy moving into a new house and cleaning the place where I used to live. Like hiking in a forest, I shouldn’t leave anything behind or take anything other than what I own.
Moving is fun till something technical mishap happened.
The rent was paid through post-paid cheque of one person. In Canada, it is cheaper to pay for a house with several renters or housemates.
I paid my housemate for my share of the rent and one month advance deposit through Tangerine Interac e-Transfer that comes with a $1.00 (loonie) fee.
Alternatively, the Tangerine Email Money Transfer (EMT) is free and takes 2-3 business days for the recipient to receive the fund. Unlike on Interac, the transfer happens instantly; the money is taken from chequing account faster than saying goodbye.
I’ve sent payment several times through Interac and quite confident by now of how reliable it is. Well it is and it isn’t.
How to Send a Tangerine Interac e-Transfer
These are the steps in transferring money through the mobile app. The steps are somewhat the same for most Canadian banks.
- Login on Tangerine.
- Choose Email My Money.
- Add the contact information of the recipient (eg. email, security question, answer etc).
- Choose the Transfer Type (Interac e-Transfer).
- Check and confirm the transaction.
If that’s how easy it is then how did my Interac e-Transfer was not deposited? Human error caused by not having patience or simply an honest . . . human error.
It’s easier to blame the technology. Another human error, I know.
How the Interac e-Transfer was not Deposited
The security question and answered I chose are simple. Plain word won. No numbers and special characters.
Although I was tempted to use Latin phrase like Nosce Te Ipsum which means Know Thyself. Deep and meaningful words that have better use for something else like for a motto and tattoo. Or both.
And just like a tattoo full of regret, I was stunned to see the message from my housemate. It was the biggest value I’ve transferred through Tangerine Interac . . . that failed.
It’s a month rent for a shelter. My new home. The excitement of my first moving out was replaced with panic.
What will I do?
Tangerine offers online banking for free unlike the famous Big Five (eg. TD, RBC) and other Canadian banks. It is acquired by Scotiabank from ING.
Online banking system allows Tangerine not to charge the client in opening a chequing, savings, and registerd accounts (TFSA and RRSP).
Note: Tangerine Account 1 Year Inactivity Fee = $10
It also means that you can hardly see any Tangerine offices. They do have Tangerine Cafes but quite few (refer to Tangerine offices below).
In times of glitches, I am eager to talk to a customer support as fast as I could, just like ordering in a drive thru. Tea please and a cinnamon. Thank you.
My Only Hope
This is definitely a disaster to remember and with Mandy Moore singing the soundtrack. I hang on to hope.
The best way to communicate regarding banking services of Tangerine is through phone call. But before I did, I checked the email first and followed the instruction.
Nothing happened. My money was still in limbo, floating in cyberspace.
Next step was to make a human interaction. I made a phone call and endured listening to lengthy menu and instructions several times. Time is running out and so is my patience.
Feeling stress out but optimistic, I made a phone call to the Tangerine Cafe in downtown Calgary.
With little introduction full of complains, I was advised to call 1-888-826-4374 and dial 0 to talk to the operator.
How silly I was. It’s that simple.
The person on the other line cancelled the transfer and the money went back to my chequing account.
I was happy 🙂 and relieved to reunite with my hard-earned money. Once again, when things and people fail, hope endures. Long live hope and the staff I talked to on that day. Bless you.
Will I Use Tangerine Again in Sending Money Online?
Although, I had my first horrible experience with Tangerine, I’ll continue banking with them. The Interac disaster could have been avoided through clear communication.
And while others are complaining about Tangerine on Reddit, I’m not airing my grievances on social media but will definitely share on how to resolve Interac issues.
I hope no more disaster will happen on my account from now on. Don’t jinx my plea. Please.
Tangerine Offices
You can use the Tangerine app to learn the updated contact information. Go to Menu then Contact Us.
For quick reference here are some contact information:
Bank Information
Institution Number: 614
Transit Number: 00152
Tangerine Cafe
Downtown Toronto Cafe: (416) 644-5929
North Toronto Cafe: (416) 758-5344
Montreal Cafe: (514) 396-2233
Vancouver Cafe: (604) 732-1028
Calgary Cafe: (403) 539-5520
Tangerine Client Services: 1-800-464-3473
Tangerine Credit Card Services: 1-888-826-4374
Have you had the same problem as I was on Tangerine or other Canadian banks?
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