A Dollar Saves the Day
I’d lost $8,000 and neither the sending nor the receiving bank knew where it was. Lost in the banking ether between Florida and Edinburgh. “It’s up to the sending bank, we haven’t received it,” said the receiving bank. “We’ve sent it. It’s up to the receiving bank,” said the sending bank.
“Where on earth is my money!” I said.
Why the problem? All the numbers I’d been given were correct – SWIFT accounts, addresses, everything. So the lost money was a result of some idiosyncrasy on the part of the banks.
And so, for six whole weeks, my money floated around. I received it… eventually… and even got a “consideration” from one of the banks whose New York transmitting branch had sat with the money until we tracked it down. But finding it took a lot of haranguing on my part. ($8,000 is peanuts in the world of international finance.)
This experience taught me a lesson. Now, whenever I send any money from my bank to anywhere – whether to set up a monthly transfer to pay the gas bill or get funds to my kids in Europe – I send a dollar first as a test. If the dollar arrives, I send the full amount.
For the past eight years (since my $8,000 “incident”), I’ve done my “dollar test.” Three times, the dollar either didn’t arrive or arrived after some delay. In each case, a call to customer service of the relevant company resolved the “why” and further transactions with them proved trouble free.
Could a dollar save your day?
David Cross
Although David hails from Blackpool, England – which is often referred to as the “Las Vegas of England” – he shunned a career in show business and instead followed a meandering career path overflowing with “life’s great experiences,” working or living in over 20 countries along the way. Chef, teacher of Transcendental Meditation, guest presenter on QVC, earthquake relief volunteer, CEO of a web hosting company, marketer at a radio station and all combined with years of direct marketing, PR and sales experience for clients as diverse as health food stores, small charities and right up to multinational public companies. David brought unique talent and experience to his role for six years as Senior Internet Consultant to Agora Publishing Group. Working closely with Agora’s publishers and marketers to test new ideas and marketing campaigns, Agora’s Internet revenues topped $200 million in 2007. David understands and can communicate fluently with creative “right-brain” marketers and analytical “left-brain” IT and software teams, all with equal ease. He has a proven track record for generating results and creative thinking and excels at making trouble to find new ways of making things happen! He lives on a small farm close to Mount Hood in Oregon with his wife Cinda, a veterinarian, and their four children and a menagerie of animals (no more, please!). When not marketing or brainstorming you’ll find David following a dream of self-sufficiency for food, power and water within 10 years, tending the land and caring for the farm and animals. Not surprisingly, David is an engaging and knowledgeable speaker with many amusing anecdotes from his work and travels over the years.