Hi guys!
Glad to be here. I'd like to share my experience with being a non US citizen or a residence with a Wyoming LLC and opening a US bank account.
So, we all know Mercury and how it's somewhat easy to open an account and actually use their system to operate an account (compared to the big legacy brick and mortar banks).
So I opened my LLC a few months ago. Pretty straight forward and easy. Got the EIN within 2 weeks or so still waiting for my ITIN after over 2 months now.
Opened a Mercury account with ease. I had a trip planned to Cancun so I also decided to fly by to Miami to open a bank account with the big banks.
After checking BoA, Chase, Wells Fargo I was denied right away as I did not have a proof of address.
Regions Bank and First American bank told me it's possible however they'll have to submit an application first and that will take several weeks and heck knows if'll be approved.
So, I went to Citibank (that will be referred as ShittiBank from now on).
They were happy to open me an account with no problem providing an Israeli proof of address. Told me get a utility bill, translate it yourself (not even notarised) and we'll get it done.
Amazing, within 2-3 days got my account opened.
I was excited and thrilled. 2 days later I wired 250k from my HK company. Was sure they'll ask questions and have problems but #blessed they got the wire same day, no questions asked.
Got the online banking setup after receiving my debit card, took some calls with their support but eventually got it.
My Israeli number didn't get their IVR calls for the one time passowrd. No problem. Got a voip US number and that solved that issue.
Scott free I felt. So I got 250k, before I will send the extra funds about 800k, I wanted to send a wire out. Wire from Citi to Wise biz (same company name).
Now the hell began.
So submitted the wire instructions. at 2am I get an email that I have a secure message. I login I see that the wire needs verification. Ok. I call, hold on the line like a good boy.
Finally I explain the situation give the reference number I got in the secure message. Dude cannot find the wire. Eventually he does. Now I'm told he can't approve cuz I don't have a security word and question.
Sends me to customer service, customer service sends me to security dept. Security dept with broken English dosn't know what I want. Eventually Wire after 24hours gets canceled.
Now we try again. I call to approve, now I'm asked for a phone number to verify. I give the VOIps which the IVR uses to give me the OTP. Mechanical turk at support says can't verify that number (probably cuz it's a voip).
Now I'm told there is no other way to approve. Either number or f**k off. So I call again just wanting to schedule a meeting with my banker (cuz their fucking online appointment doesn't work with my branch for some reason).
For some reason Beatrice at support thinks I wanna approve the wire (I was sure it was canceled). I say sure lets approve! She asks me a few KYC questions for the wire purpose, myEIN, dob etc. sends me a one time password to my email.
Puts me on hold whole confirming with whomever dept. Eventually she says all done. wire approved. Praise the lord! I ask 5 times, are you sure???? she says yessir all good. you should receive an email within several minutes.
Email never arrives. Next day no funds have left the account. I call again. This time Fredrick answers. Fredrick confirms that according to the notes, all is well. He checks with Fraud, Wire, Account manager. Eventually he says wire was canceled he has no idea how it happened. I ask to speak to a Supervisor - Mary. Mary explains to me. I complain depict all this ordeal. She says send another wire, if funds don't leave within the hour call again and verify.
I send another wire. Funds don't leave. I call again. Guess what? Back to square one, can't approve because of the # numbers.
FML I say. I ask to speak to a supervisor. This time Juan. Juan truly does his best. At the end he tells me because the account is less than 30 days, the only options for approval are the phone number. He tells me after 30 days there will be extra options for them to approve. He assures me he put some notes telling me after 30 days it should be possible.
It's now 30 days. Monday is a bank holiday in the US. In the meantime I already hustled and found services offering non VOIP real Verizon numbers. Paid them in BTC.
So on Monday I'm prepared again. Hopefully more options should open and hopefully my non voip numbers will work and I'll get actually an SMS using those services (F me if I know, as those services are not a real solid company. my test sending and SMS did get the reresult, but who knows).
So 250k stuck. Tuesday I'm sending a wire AM, calling them right away and seeing what happens. Ill be in Miami in the branch just in case. If again can't send wire, I'll tell them F U close my account send all to Mercury and I wish you burn in hell.
Guys? Does ShittiBank have a grudge against me? Am I just unlucky? I've worked with dozen of banks in my life. this is the first US bank I have an account with. WTF?
Share your experiences and maybe some tips. I've lost 30 years off my life in these past 2 weeks.
Thanks!
Glad to be here. I'd like to share my experience with being a non US citizen or a residence with a Wyoming LLC and opening a US bank account.
So, we all know Mercury and how it's somewhat easy to open an account and actually use their system to operate an account (compared to the big legacy brick and mortar banks).
So I opened my LLC a few months ago. Pretty straight forward and easy. Got the EIN within 2 weeks or so still waiting for my ITIN after over 2 months now.
Opened a Mercury account with ease. I had a trip planned to Cancun so I also decided to fly by to Miami to open a bank account with the big banks.
After checking BoA, Chase, Wells Fargo I was denied right away as I did not have a proof of address.
Regions Bank and First American bank told me it's possible however they'll have to submit an application first and that will take several weeks and heck knows if'll be approved.
So, I went to Citibank (that will be referred as ShittiBank from now on).
They were happy to open me an account with no problem providing an Israeli proof of address. Told me get a utility bill, translate it yourself (not even notarised) and we'll get it done.
Amazing, within 2-3 days got my account opened.
I was excited and thrilled. 2 days later I wired 250k from my HK company. Was sure they'll ask questions and have problems but #blessed they got the wire same day, no questions asked.
Got the online banking setup after receiving my debit card, took some calls with their support but eventually got it.
My Israeli number didn't get their IVR calls for the one time passowrd. No problem. Got a voip US number and that solved that issue.
Scott free I felt. So I got 250k, before I will send the extra funds about 800k, I wanted to send a wire out. Wire from Citi to Wise biz (same company name).
Now the hell began.
So submitted the wire instructions. at 2am I get an email that I have a secure message. I login I see that the wire needs verification. Ok. I call, hold on the line like a good boy.
Finally I explain the situation give the reference number I got in the secure message. Dude cannot find the wire. Eventually he does. Now I'm told he can't approve cuz I don't have a security word and question.
Sends me to customer service, customer service sends me to security dept. Security dept with broken English dosn't know what I want. Eventually Wire after 24hours gets canceled.
Now we try again. I call to approve, now I'm asked for a phone number to verify. I give the VOIps which the IVR uses to give me the OTP. Mechanical turk at support says can't verify that number (probably cuz it's a voip).
Now I'm told there is no other way to approve. Either number or f**k off. So I call again just wanting to schedule a meeting with my banker (cuz their fucking online appointment doesn't work with my branch for some reason).
For some reason Beatrice at support thinks I wanna approve the wire (I was sure it was canceled). I say sure lets approve! She asks me a few KYC questions for the wire purpose, myEIN, dob etc. sends me a one time password to my email.
Puts me on hold whole confirming with whomever dept. Eventually she says all done. wire approved. Praise the lord! I ask 5 times, are you sure???? she says yessir all good. you should receive an email within several minutes.
Email never arrives. Next day no funds have left the account. I call again. This time Fredrick answers. Fredrick confirms that according to the notes, all is well. He checks with Fraud, Wire, Account manager. Eventually he says wire was canceled he has no idea how it happened. I ask to speak to a Supervisor - Mary. Mary explains to me. I complain depict all this ordeal. She says send another wire, if funds don't leave within the hour call again and verify.
I send another wire. Funds don't leave. I call again. Guess what? Back to square one, can't approve because of the # numbers.
FML I say. I ask to speak to a supervisor. This time Juan. Juan truly does his best. At the end he tells me because the account is less than 30 days, the only options for approval are the phone number. He tells me after 30 days there will be extra options for them to approve. He assures me he put some notes telling me after 30 days it should be possible.
It's now 30 days. Monday is a bank holiday in the US. In the meantime I already hustled and found services offering non VOIP real Verizon numbers. Paid them in BTC.
So on Monday I'm prepared again. Hopefully more options should open and hopefully my non voip numbers will work and I'll get actually an SMS using those services (F me if I know, as those services are not a real solid company. my test sending and SMS did get the reresult, but who knows).
So 250k stuck. Tuesday I'm sending a wire AM, calling them right away and seeing what happens. Ill be in Miami in the branch just in case. If again can't send wire, I'll tell them F U close my account send all to Mercury and I wish you burn in hell.
Guys? Does ShittiBank have a grudge against me? Am I just unlucky? I've worked with dozen of banks in my life. this is the first US bank I have an account with. WTF?
Share your experiences and maybe some tips. I've lost 30 years off my life in these past 2 weeks.
Thanks!
