Online woes

So several of the companies I use have changed their online access stuff.  Most frustrating is the 401K account that requires that I call them for a username – but never answers the phone…

Just called the mortgage company, which is one of those companies that does a bajillion different banking and financial services.  I used to have an online ID and password with them; they’ve streamlined their mortgage info pages in with the rest of their banking services pages, and discarded the old mortgage passwords in favor of the (apparently separately established) banking passwords – a problem, if you don’t happen to have a banking account with them.

The customer services rep informed me, in apparent sincerity, that “Oh, you can’t use the online services page unless you have a banking ID with us.”  Asked how I get a banking ID, she said I could only have that if I have a bank account or credit card with them.  I said “So you’re saying that unless I establish a bank account with you, I’m no longer allowed access to my own mortgage statements?”

There was a pause and a thoughtful “um…” and then she said she’d connect me to the department who handled online services.  Those people handled my problem promptly but…  wow.  Would you want a customer service rep who blurts out answers for stuff where she actually has no clue what’s going on?