THE EDITOR, Madam:
I RECENTLY inquired of my bank if it was possible to have a second ATM card on my savings account. I was informed that this was not allowed. The persons I spoke to insisted that there was no good reason for this and the technology does not allow it. I am sure the technology is not so encumbered that it would not allow an account in the name of just one individual to accommodate two separate ATM cards.
I was told I would first have to put someone else on the account and then the bank would allow independent ATM access for that person. Why must a customer of the bank be forced to go that route?
The account is the property of the customer and if as a customer I wish to allow somebody to access my money with the same level of ATM convenience I enjoy then I think that that request should not be denied.
There is at least one good reason for making this request. With the proliferation of accidents these days, what if one was involved in a terrible accident yet survived with serious injuries and one's ATM card got destroyed, stolen or lost in the process? Would it not suit me to be able to give a friend or loved one instructions on locating a backup card with which they could access my money in order to see about my well-being?
I hope a customer won't have to be faced with this unfortunate predicament before the banks see the need to remedy this situation. I am sure there are other circumstances in which individuals would elect to have this kind of flexibility and the banks too will see this as another service to charge customers for, unless it is deemed to be more profitable to prevent this kind of access even in extreme circumstances.
I am, etc.,
R. A. THOMAS
E-mail: tommy-rohan@hotmail.com
