What a freakin' SCAM!

I've been an M&T Bank customer for about two years, and I've used Microsoft Money as my budgeting/forecasting software for about 4 years. I was using MS Money 2001. Through that program, I could contact my bank, download my statement, and it would automatically update my information in my Money 2001 files.

Today when I went to download my information, it didn't work. I know the bank has recently upgraded its own web banking system, and I know my version of MS Money is old, so I figured it was probably a situation where I needed to upgrade. $30 to upgrade, plus a lot of time on the computer as the damn thing installed. But no problem...it's worth it, in theory.

So I try to download my statement again...and again, no dice. I try several times, and each time I'm denied. Getting mad, here.

I finally call the bank's 800 number. I have to wait on hold once, get transferred, wait on hold again, get transferred again, then wait on hold a third time...and finally get told that, due to the bank's new web banking upgrades, I have to enroll in another Microsoft program that will allow the connection between the bank and my computer. My banking info would go to the Microsoft computers, and then get downloaded to me. I'm not liking this. On top of this, I find out that this "enrollment" is actually a monthly subscription fee that I would have to pay on top of what I've already paid for the program!

Can I switch to some other program, like Quicken, to download my info? Nope. My bank's old system used to support Quicken, but not any more. Now they only work with Microsoft, and only if I pay the additional subscription cost.

So much for supposedly free on-line banking. Sheesh.

UPDATE: Okay, turns out that the people at my bank's help line are idiots. I called up Microsoft, and the guy I spoke to sorted out all the problems. Things are now working as they ought, without any stupid subscription fee. Whew.