I went to Thanachart Bank today to deposit some money. The bank staff took my passport book and took a look at the amount of money in my account, even before checking the deposit slip, that I handed in at the same time.

Then the conversation went like this:

Her: "Would you consider an insurance policy with the bank? With 3 months fixed account, you have to pay tax, but with our insurance policy, you don't have to."

Me: "I already have a few policies, so that is alright. Thank you."

Her: "With the amount that you are putting into fix account, you will be earning more interest with our insurance policy. The premium you paid per year reaches the maximum quota for tax rebate, yet?"

Me: "Nope, but I already have to pay quite a large amount a year already. So thank you."

Her: "How many years are the term for your policies?

Me: "20." 

Her: "Then we have a shorter term that you can pay for x years and then get the money back at x year ... blah blah blah."

Only when she finished talking about the insurance policy, she processed on the deposit and handed me the passport book along with a pamphlet of the policy she was trying to sell to me.

How could the staff get the right to look at how much my saving is and use that information to sell me stuff? Isn't it supposed to be the same as going to the doctor and everything is confidential and not to being used to make more business? Or there's so much thing as ethic when it comes to money?  

If they know exactly what policies you have and they are not with them I would be concerned but otherwise they're just taking a guess that they can offer you a better deal.

What they did would be considered a hard sell but not necessarily an invasion of privacy (if the above is not the case).

Most of the time I just cut people off at the point I feel uncomfortable sharing information. For example:

Her: "Would you consider an insurance policy with the bank? With 3 months fixed account, you have to pay tax, but with our insurance policy, you don't have to."

Me: "I already have a few policies, so that is alright. Thank you."

Her: "With the amount that you are putting into fix account, you will be earning more interest with our insurance policy. The premium you paid per year reaches the maximum quota for tax rebate, yet?"

Me: I'm not interested in purchasing an insurance policy. Please process my deposit.

Her: But . . .

Me: Listen, I'm not interested. Either process my deposit or get me the bank manager.

Its a sign of the times I'm afraid. The banks want your business, and your money. You standing in front of them gives them the opportunity to give you the "hard sell".

I get it all the time, "Sir, you haven't had an account review for a while."

Its just an excuse to get you in a room and push you to take more services such as a credit card.

I am in fact in dispute with a bank over something they advised me to take, while not revealing the extra cost.

Better than the:

"Sir, you have a negative account balance. This check is ours. Now get out."

I hate that one.

yes...yes...and yes...

the scary thing about this is that the banks and marketing companies that have access to these big depositories of large amounts of information which are clearly confidential and personal...don't see it as such

scarrier yet is when it gets into the wrong hands or those with the intent of criminal mischeif..

If you pay bills as a consumer you have very little recourse...unfortunately I feel your pain

i think in this case the staff is the doctor...