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Another vent on Mac's administration

 
Old 08-23-2010 at 07:32 PM   #31
drew4008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jhan523 View Post
As I said, McMaster is primarily a research institute (in my eyes anyways). They don't care about students and it would cost them too much to implement the system.
Don't you find that to be a fundamental flaw of a university? I couldn't agree more though, and Mac continues to prove this to me.

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Old 08-23-2010 at 07:41 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drew4008 View Post
Don't you find that to be a fundamental flaw of a university? I couldn't agree more though, and Mac continues to prove this to me.
Definitively. But that's the way it is. Research wouldn't get enough funding otherwise.
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Old 08-23-2010 at 08:23 PM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drew4008 View Post
Once again Mac is woefully letting me down.

I'm trying to pay my bill and I am literally blown away at how hard they make this.

Someeeehow, yet I can't fathom why, Mac's system is not set-up to allow any payments by credit card, which is by far the most popular form of payment for anything that costs thousands of dollars. So there goes that form of payment.

On to the debit card. "Interac Online", which I'm assuming is a simple online interface to pay with your debit card like you normally do online with your credit card, also does not work for me. Nearly every banking institution (RBC, Scotiabank, TD, BMO, etc.) has this set up for Mac's online payment system. My bank, CIBC (the 2nd largest behind RBC I believe), does not.

Alright whatever, I'll go in person (which I did today). And firstly, Mac's parking is so incredibly abysmal that I have to park at the Pancake House and walk 15 minutes in the rain to get to Gilmour Hall and the administration. But that's another issue and I'm sure it's already been exhausted. First up... credit card again? Nope, the system is the same in-person and they don't allow this yet again, for whatever reason. Alright, my debit card then has to work, right? Nope, there is a withdrawal limit (of course). I call the bank and they say I can't have a limit over $3,000, and in fact, even my dad cannot pay from his account since the same limit applies to him (and every other CIBC customer, no matter their status).

Okay then, Mac... can I just pay $3,000 now and come back to pay another ~$3,000 when I'm able to? Nope, no dice. You have to fall in line with one of their "flex plans". I was so pissed off at this point that there was no way I was even going to get in to what this meant, so I can't touch on any of that and how effed up I'm sure it is as well.

Jesus christ... I guess I'll have to call and see if I can pay by cheque or money order (seriously, who uses cheques now-a-days?) and spend another 2 hours of one of my last days of summer on all this bullsh*t.

Insane... but I've come to expect no less from Mac.
You are doing it wrong. I also belong to CIBC, go into online banking, click Pay Bills, set it up for McMaster university, then the payee account number is your student number. Pay your dues.
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Old 08-23-2010 at 08:35 PM   #34
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Interac is the only online method of payment that would have a limit not allowing you to pay. If you are unable to pay this way just pay via online banking. You just set it up like you'd pay a bill and basically pay to McMaster University and your student number. I've paid this way every year, it takes like a minute.

If you want to play by Interac (which is just like debit and as far as I know immediate, as opposed to waiting 3-4 days for online banking to go through) than just call your bank and up your limit temporarily because you want to pay your tuition.

Paying your tuition by credit card? Really? I think that could get a lot of students into a lot of trouble financially. Its probably better that this isn't an option.
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Old 08-23-2010 at 10:27 PM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BlakeM View Post
You are doing it wrong. I also belong to CIBC, go into online banking, click Pay Bills, set it up for McMaster university, then the payee account number is your student number. Pay your dues.
THIS.

The instructions are clearly stated on the student accounts website.
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Old 08-23-2010 at 11:26 PM   #36
changturkey
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Yeah, online banking, takes like 5 seconds to make the payment. I made a payment of $7000 no problem last year.
Old 08-24-2010 at 12:08 AM   #37
MCHEDDENITE
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i do bill payments n it seems to work
Old 08-24-2010 at 02:35 AM   #38
MD-L
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Yeah I have done it a few ways. The interac thing was easy for me because after working for the summer, I just deposit my money into my chequing account and after calling td made the deposit. Also this year did the create a McMaster account and then enter in your student number and it was pretty easy.

The credit card thing....heh I have never had one maybe all those after school specials about getting into debt with credit cards etc freaked me out...that or im lazy...probably the lazyness.

Also I find every year something new is done to the water fountains... I wonder what will happen next
Old 08-24-2010 at 08:40 AM   #39
Crzyrio
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The only real benefit, that i would consider using a credit card for something like this would be for points or cashback .

But like everyone said, that percentage going to the cc company is better of put towards the school.
Old 08-24-2010 at 02:06 PM   #40
Sideout
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drew4008 View Post
Once again Mac is woefully letting me down.

I'm trying to pay my bill and I am literally blown away at how hard they make this.

Someeeehow, yet I can't fathom why, Mac's system is not set-up to allow any payments by credit card, which is by far the most popular form of payment for anything that costs thousands of dollars. So there goes that form of payment.

On to the debit card. "Interac Online", which I'm assuming is a simple online interface to pay with your debit card like you normally do online with your credit card, also does not work for me. Nearly every banking institution (RBC, Scotiabank, TD, BMO, etc.) has this set up for Mac's online payment system. My bank, CIBC (the 2nd largest behind RBC I believe), does not.

Alright whatever, I'll go in person (which I did today). And firstly, Mac's parking is so incredibly abysmal that I have to park at the Pancake House and walk 15 minutes in the rain to get to Gilmour Hall and the administration. But that's another issue and I'm sure it's already been exhausted. First up... credit card again? Nope, the system is the same in-person and they don't allow this yet again, for whatever reason. Alright, my debit card then has to work, right? Nope, there is a withdrawal limit (of course). I call the bank and they say I can't have a limit over $3,000, and in fact, even my dad cannot pay from his account since the same limit applies to him (and every other CIBC customer, no matter their status).

Okay then, Mac... can I just pay $3,000 now and come back to pay another ~$3,000 when I'm able to? Nope, no dice. You have to fall in line with one of their "flex plans". I was so pissed off at this point that there was no way I was even going to get in to what this meant, so I can't touch on any of that and how effed up I'm sure it is as well.

Jesus christ... I guess I'll have to call and see if I can pay by cheque or money order (seriously, who uses cheques now-a-days?) and spend another 2 hours of one of my last days of summer on all this bullsh*t.

Insane... but I've come to expect no less from Mac.
Have you tried Telephone Banking? It's very convenient. Instructions for this payment method can be found here: http://www.mcmaster.ca/bms/student/p..._methods.p df
Old 08-25-2010 at 02:31 PM   #41
madBiologist
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I don't know if that's true or not, but if I were running a multi million dollar research/learning institution, I sure as hell wouldn't risk losing tens of thousands per year to credit card companies so a couple of lazy people could save 30 seconds of their precious time.

Plus, from a wider perspective, the government has no way of nabbing you for private or credit card loans if you were ever to declare bankruptcy. However, student loans follow you for your entire life, bankrupt or not. If more people could pay tuition via credit card, less people would get OSAP. And yes, more would go into crippling debt and declare bankruptcy. See what I'm getting at?
Old 08-25-2010 at 02:52 PM   #42
drew4008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by changturkey View Post
Yeah, online banking, takes like 5 seconds to make the payment. I made a payment of $7000 no problem last year.
This is way more difficult than you make it sound. First I didn't have the branch transit # or my bank account #, so I called CIBC and got that. And then I didn't have a "temporary banking password", something you get from "telephone banking" or through a banking machine. You need all of these to do their online banking. Going to have to just go to the bank sometime and talk to someone. First order of business once I have time: switch banks, CIBC is awful.
Old 08-25-2010 at 02:56 PM   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drew4008 View Post
This is way more difficult than you make it sound. First I didn't have the branch transit # or my bank account #, so I called CIBC and got that. And then I didn't have a "temporary banking password", something you get from "telephone banking" or through a banking machine. You need all of these to do their online banking. Going to have to just go to the bank sometime and talk to someone. First order of business once I have time: switch banks, CIBC is awful.
o.O I'm with PC which is a branch of CIBC. When I paid this is what I did:

Logged into my account on PC's website.
Set-up a Bill to McMaster (Which is pretty much just entering McMaster and selecting the right institution)
Put in my Account Number (Which is my student number)
Then pay the bill (entering the amount I want to pay and when to pay it)
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Old 08-25-2010 at 04:40 PM   #44
Sideout
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drew4008 View Post
This is way more difficult than you make it sound. First I didn't have the branch transit # or my bank account #, so I called CIBC and got that. And then I didn't have a "temporary banking password", something you get from "telephone banking" or through a banking machine. You need all of these to do their online banking. Going to have to just go to the bank sometime and talk to someone. First order of business once I have time: switch banks, CIBC is awful.
I can't comment on how difficult online banking may or may not be ... but I do know that telephone banking is simple. Once you've used it a few times, you could probably navigate the system with your eyes closed just by feeling for the numbers on the phone's touchpad (more difficult to do if you have one of those swanky touch screen phones). Look on the CIBC website for information about setting things up.
Old 08-25-2010 at 07:05 PM   #45
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I just use my parents' credit line to transfer the money to my student acc and pay from there, although that's still not done cause processsing apparently takes a week.
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