[usurp]

I am really pissed off at my bank. If you are a Mac user and you try to access their online banking
https://online.nbk.com.kw/WOLWebUI/login.aspx
you HAVE to use Internet Explorer.

I spoke to their IT guy yesterday and he told me that IE is more secure then Firefox. I told him if he was willing to be on that he replied telling me he was in the banking business not betting business.

I asked him ok lets say IE is more secure and IE is the best software ever made.. what do we mac users do? He was like use IE, i told him its not available anymore it doesnt exist on macs.. he was like it does i was like no it doesnt, go check microsofts website they tell u its no longer available for download and that we should use safari.

he tells me to contact management higher up so i do. Today I get a reply telling me I should go buy a PC because they don't support macs!

The thing is I can access the online banking site using firefox and user agent switcher and it works perfectly i am just pissed off cuz the it guys at the bank are idiots!

[Brad]

That's the typical story of computer idiocy, I'm afraid.

What if you use Safari's debug menu to change its user agent to appear like IE?

[Mac+]

usurp - I have the same problem with the nab in Australia.

The irony is that they are Safari compatible for their main website, but the margin lending side of the business requires me to keep IE on hand.

I spoke to them about consistency within their own organisation and they said they are looking into it. I'm not holding my breath though.

[EDIT] - Safari debug -> User Agent to Mac MSIE 5.22 or WIndows MSIE 6.0 doesn't work for me on this site either.
http://marginlending.national.com.au/Public/Start.asp

[Luca]

I just copy-pasted the URL into Safari after changing the user agent in the Debug menu and it seemed to work fine. Of course I don't have an account there so I can't check to make sure, but it seems like it should work.

What pisses me off most is when web developers throw up a roadblock outright preventing anyone from getting by unless they have a specific browser. It'd be just as easy for them to put up a caution page warning that they simply do not support other browsers and to proceed with the knowledge that the site may cause problems for your browser.

[Mac+]

Well, the page loads of course, but I can never get into the log on options.

[Wickers]

Originally Posted by Mac+ scratt - I have the same problem with the nab in Australia.

I thought usurp started this thread?

[Mac+]

oops - he did ... my bad (editing now)

[usurp]

well i can go and login using firefox and changing the user agent but that just solves MY problem not the actual problem itself which is why the bank is forcing me to use IE or buy a new computer so i could access my account. I am a geek, i can figure out that I could change my browsers user agent but what about the mac users who dont know thats possible. New macs now dont have IE installed on them and since you cant download IE from microsoft people are just going to get confused. I already posted about this on my blog and a lot of people have been emailing the bank including Linux users and the bank IT department just seems to ignore everyone. Now we are trying to find someone above the IT department who will listen to us.

http://www.248am.com/mark/kuwait/wat...rnet-explorer/

[Gargoyle]

If I were you I would change bank. If they are relying on user agent settings for anything then I wouldn't trust their system.

First rule of security (especially web applications): Trust NOTHING from the user.

[JsnSA]

Originally Posted by Gargoyle If I were you I would change bank. If they are relying on user agent settings for anything then I wouldn't trust their system. First rule of security (especially web applications): Trust NOTHING from the user.

I second that. Find another bank and send the bank a letter explaining why they lost you as a customer.

Remind them of the increase in apple users with the popularity of ipods and that they risk losing more bank members if they won't do something as simple as supporting another web browser besides IE.

[scratt]

Originally Posted by Mac+ scratt - I have the same problem with the nab in Australia.

Do I get points or anything for that?!?

usurp - I feel ya man! If you want me to come down there and kick some butt at your bank you only have to call....

I think that it's the unjustified and totally ignorant smugness of morons that really makes your blood boil!

[intlplby]

change banks.... screw them..... tell them just just lost a customer... send a letter to the VP of customer service explaining the complaint. make sure you document everything including the names of the people (like the IT guy) that you talked to and include it in the letter

things rarely change from the bottom. things usuallychange from the top.... unfortunately those as the top often never hear about problems because they are removed from customer

[Kickaha]

More to the point, hammer home that they lost you *not* because they won't support the Mac, but because they are under the illusion that IE is more secure, and you simply can't trust your money with an institution that treats security so loosely.

That'll get their attention.

[usurp]

i can't change banks.. my agency does all their advertising, i handle their account actually lol

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Actually, what you need to do is send that mail (don't do email, write an actual letter) before you change banks. Tell them that if they want to retain you as a customer this is what you expect from them.

Writing a letter after they've lost your business won't their feet to the fire as much as a current customer explaining why they will change banks if the issue isn't addressed.

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by usurp i can't change banks.. my agency does all their advertising, i handle their account actually lol

Wait... you feel tied to this bank because your employer does work for them??

That's twisted, IMO. I work at IBM. I use a PowerBook for all my work.

I don't see how what contracts your employer has should impinge on what your personal banking choices are.

[intlplby]

since your agency does al their advertising then you should be able to contact someone important and make your voice heard.

supportng IE which is insecure and not supporting Apples is unacceptable... tell them so

[Banana]

You know, people who's lapdog to Mircosoft would say IE is the most secure browser, while people who thinks that Mircosoft is the most shitty company ever to darken the Earth's doorstep would say FF is much more secure than IE...

But no concise argument has been presented in why X is more secure than Y....

Mind if some of you put down a couple of points why IE sucks big brown bear balls in terms of security?

[Kickaha]

How about this?

Secunia is a company that tracks bugs, exploits, etc. They tend to be a bit frenetic in their PR sometimes, but their bug database is pretty well respected.

Firefox: http://secunia.com/product/4227/

IE: http://secunia.com/product/11/

Summary: IE, fully patched and up to date, is affected by one or more exploits rated Extremely Critical (ie, bad stuff happens mon), while Firefox is rated down at Less Critical, 60% further down the critical scale. IE, in case it isn't obvious, pegs that meter at 100%.

Safari, BTW? Not Critical.

[Mac Donald]

Originally Posted by usurp I am really pissed off at my bank. If you are a Mac user and you try to access their online banking https://online.nbk.com.kw/WOLWebUI/login.aspx you HAVE to use Internet Explorer. I spoke to their IT guy yesterday and he told me that IE is more secure then Firefox. I told him if he was willing to be on that he replied telling me he was in the banking business not betting business. I asked him ok lets say IE is more secure and IE is the best software ever made.. what do we mac users do? He was like use IE, i told him its not available anymore it doesnt exist on macs.. he was like it does i was like no it doesnt, go check microsofts website they tell u its no longer available for download and that we should use safari. he tells me to contact management higher up so i do. Today I get a reply telling me I should go buy a PC because they don't support macs! The thing is I can access the online banking site using firefox and user agent switcher and it works perfectly i am just pissed off cuz the it guys at the bank are idiots!

Post their email addresses so they can get some feedback. Serious. THis is idiotic customer service.

[Mac Donald]

Originally Posted by Kickaha That's twisted, IMO. I work at IBM. I use a PowerBook for all my work.

Didn't IBM make the chip in your PowerBook (OK, not really, but it designed the architecture jointly with Moto/Freescale and Apple) so I'm not sure your example works. But I agree with the point. I use Macs, and when my firm's IT department told me that they "recommend" using a PC, I just laughed at them.

By the way, I hear Macs are pretty popular at IBM these days. IBM is no fan of MS in any event -- every one knows that.

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by Mac Donald Didn't IBM make the chip in your PowerBook (OK, not really, but it designed the architecture jointly with Moto/Freescale and Apple) so I'm not sure your example works.

True, but they also have no problem with my getting a MacBook Pro - no PPC at all.

It was actually a running joke when I first showed up. "A Mac? Well, I guess that's okay, it's got one of our chips in it..."

But I agree with the point. I use Macs, and when my firm's IT department told me that they "recommend" using a PC, I just laughed at them. By the way, I hear Macs are pretty popular at IBM these days. IBM is no fan of MS in any event -- every one knows that.

Too true, but Linux and MacOS X are tenuously happy bed buddies at best.

They are, at least, now not frowned upon here. A lot of the top researchers use them.

[usurp]

because the bank is our agencies client all employees are "recommended" to have an account with this bank. I love the bank and they have never failed me, thats why i am upset over this issue.

why should i change banks, let them fire their stupid IT staff instead!

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by usurp because the bank is our agencies client all employees are "recommended" to have an account with this bank.

Yeeeeeah, I've had employers 'recommend' things as well outside of work, and I've always ignored them. It's ridiculous and unprofessional of them.

I love the bank and they have never failed me, thats why i am upset over this issue.

Now that's a reason to stay and try and affect change.

why should i change banks, let them fire their stupid IT staff instead!

Unfortunately, for them, the former is easier.

[Banana]

Kickaha, thanks for that sweet link. Nice to see an actual detail about what is, as opposed to "well, he sez so!"

[GWARREN]

Both of my banks used to only support IE, but they now both support Safari which is great. Keep hassling them, you never now, it might work! I didn't really hassle, I sent a quick email once, and they said they were just waiting on Apple to implement some security features in Safari which they utilised in their system or something.

[stacy]

Switched user agents on Safari with my bank, and it works fine. They have always been IE compatible, and Safari regularly wouldn't work with their site. Camino and Firefox do work, but Firefox has never been good for me on OS X, and Camino lately lacks things Safari and Shiira have.

[iCraig]

I must be lucky I bank with Barclays in the UK, and they support any modern browser. As do most UK banks.

[Mugge]

Originally Posted by usurp because the bank is our agencies client all employees are "recommended" to have an account with this bank. I love the bank and they have never failed me, thats why i am upset over this issue. why should i change banks, let them fire their stupid IT staff instead!

I had the same problem with my old bank. And since nothing was demanding my loyalties, I just found another bank with a really nice web based netbank that works with everything.

Irony would that my old bank then became Mac compatible a few months later. Why didn't they just tell me that?



Well usurp, Since you say they are generally nice people, I hope you get the opportunity to tell them how easy it would be for them to solve their problems with Macs.

[Legodude522]

My school's tech guys told my teacher who does the TV class that the Macs won't work on the school's wireless because its a Mac.

BS! lol.