Australia: banks & phones

[juliet]

Any Aussies reading this, I could do with some advice. I need to open a bank account, and I figure I should also pick up a local prepay mobile.

Banks: is it like the UK (where banks are nationwide, in general) or like the US (where they're state-based)? i.e. if I open a bank account in Adelaide, will this be a PITA when I get to Sydney? Also, any particularly good/bad experiences or suggestions appreciated.

Phones: argh, prepay is horribly complicated. But anyway. Good/bad networks?

Comments

[indigo-violet.livejournal.com]

When we were out there we bought a cheap Vodafone handset on PAYG and it worked just fine.

And didn't cost a mint either.

[lovingboth]

You could ask this of cryx.

[fivemack.livejournal.com]

Banks are pretty much nationwide; when I was in Australia in July-September 2003 I opened an account with Westpac, which was surprisingly painless. They have ten branches around Adelaide, at least ten in Sydney, and one in Alice.

My only complaint with them is that they still haven't replied to the letter I sent in November 2003 asking to close the account and send me the balance, so you probably want to do that before you leave the country.

banks

[wintrmute.livejournal.com]

Re banks: There are several major national banks, and then a lot of smaller statewide ones. The big banks almost universally have terrible deals though - eg. YOU PAY THEM to have an account, and then you still don't get any interest, and often pay for every transaction you make as well.
*splutters indignantly*

I'm with MECU who are a smaller bank, with better deals, and who claim to be nice and ethical, a-la Smile. They don't have terribly many branches though.

It may be easiest to just open an account with, say, BankWest. They have more branches, but also don't have the shitty deals than people at the bigger branches do. I think Bank of Queensland were another that was in the medium-sized group and alright. (And oddly, are not just found in Queensland)

Or, if you're travelling a LOT, then go for one of the biggies, ANZ or Westpac.

Avoid the Commonwealth bank at all costs. Bunch of pricks.