Debit Card

It's still 2008, I have my visa and passport sorted.  I'm not sick of paperwork yet so I decide to apply for a debit card. 
It's a simple process I am told.  I was told wrong. 
They lied to my face.

RIGHT TO MY FACE.

A common occurence when dealing with bureaucracy.

I was told I would need three forms of identification.  I asked what was best, and they told me that as I was young so not likely to have much identification yet that a provisional license, a birth certificate and a letter addressed to my house would do.

I arrive with the documents and lined up for 20 minutes, only for them to tell me my birth certificate was not valid because it doesn't have my face.

My birth certificate has caused me many problems over the years.  For one it has my place of birth as a suburb not the city I was born like it is supposed to so I often need to clarify my country of birth.  Not having my face is also a common issue.

So I asked what else I could have.  A student ID would be ok as it would also have a picture of my face.

The next day I returned with the provisional license, student ID and letter.  Again I was denied for not filling out the page of paerwork properly.  I had not completed the signature portion.

I was a little confused at this as the signature portion specified it had to be done in the presence of the teller.  I told her this and she told me 'No it has to be done in the presence of your parents.'

I told her I was 18 now and not likely to need parental signatures. She told me that was the case and I needed to come back with the paperwork, documents and a parent.

I went back the very next day with all three only to be told I was right the first time and the paperwork had to be signed in front of a teller.  I took the paperwork off the lady and filled it out right there, ignoring her protestations that I was holding up the line.

She took the paperwork and signed it and told me to wait 4-6 weeks for the pin number followed by the new debit card.

4 weeks passed and I recieved the card with no pin.  I went to the bank after hunting for it and asked what could be done.  The teller took the card and said I would have to be issued a new one.

4 weeks passed and I recieved a pin number and no card.

I went back and gave them the pin and said I was not waiting another 4-6 weeks for them to screw up again.  They blamed the Post Office, me and even asked if my dog could have gotten to the letters first. I assured them the problem was theirs and even if it wasn't I didn't care I wanted my damn debit card.

They handed over a card the very next day.

Not my last issue with debit cards, but probably the lengthiest.