Our opinion on the Max card of the Crédit Mutuel Arkéa: a disaster!
Travelling around the world for the last 2 years, we have been using the international option of the Société Générale to avoid paying foreign exchange fees abroad. Very happy with this option, the annual fee is however a little high compared to the competing services that have developed in the meantime, so we have just created an account on the bank N26 which everyone tells us is very good.
Wishing now to have both a card with an international option (from 2 different banks), it was when I was about to sign up to Revolut that I heard about the Max card from Crédit Mutuel on Twitter.
Max used to be a personal banking assistant and recently became a neobank (100% online banking) supported by Crédit Mutuel Arkéa. The offer is promising for travelers like us :
- 0 € monthly contribution
- 0 € per credit card
- 0 € withdrawal fee
- 0% exchange rate
On paper, this simply makes the Max card the most attractive credit card for travelers. All competitors (N26, Revolut, …), although very interesting, have monthly fees or limitations on the number of free transactions.
The promise convinced us, let’s open the account!
First step: create an account on the application
Before applying for a credit card, you must first install the application and register for Max. Like many neobanks, Max doesn’t have a website, everything is done on the application.
First surprise, the Android application has a very bad rating. It’s quite a stain for a fintech, especially when compared to competitors.
But it’s not a bad grade that will discourage me 🙂
After installation, I start the registration process.
Second surprise, Max isn’t available, he is supposedly training for new “super powers”, but…
So I come back to try my luck a few hours later. This time Max seems awake, here we go!
Third surprise, Max asks me many personal information: monthly salary, amount of assets, professional status, …
If traditional banks have gotten us used to wanting to know everything about our lives, neobanks are generally more discreet and don’t usually ask for any of this. Especially since I’m not yet at the request of a bank card, I’m simply in the process of signing up for a personal assistant!
Max, let me tell you that you are a little bit indiscreet.
Fourth surprise: the application plants in the middle of the process. So I have to restart the application and start all over again. #notgood. I’m starting to wonder, the application is clearly unreliable, it would be a shame if it snapped between my fingers one day when I need it on the other side of the world. Especially since there is no backup: Max is only a mobile application, no backup website in case…
I finally arrive at the end of the process with the traditional passport photo to prove his identity. Then I have to wait for the validation of the document.
About 24 hours later, my account is validated and Max offers me to order my credit card, yoopi! Thanks Max, you’re so cool!
Second step: ordering the Max credit card
Another bad surprise, Max asks me for new personal information. Some of which he had already asked for when he created his account.
Well…
I must then send a photo from a different ID than the one used for the first registration (my passport in this case). Instead of offering me to instantly upload the photo, the application asks me to go through the support chat. My interlocutor asks me to send him the photo, it’s done in a few minutes, I have to wait again for the validation.
And again a bad surprise happens, I receive an e-mail on June 28th telling me that Max didn’t succeed in validating my ID, I have to send it to him again (it was well worth asking me to go through the support chat ).
We are on the plane at the moment we receive this email and therefore do not answer immediately.
Third step: divorce!
Even before having time to answer, the same day (June 28th), we receive a new e-mail from a certain “ZZC CONTACT NEW WAVE” (ahaha, with such a name we thought it was a spam at the beginning).
But it’s not spam, it’s Max telling us that he’s not happy with us.
Thinking of an error, we ask Max for explanations, but it is confirmed, Max is angry 🙁
We tried to understand why Max was rejecting us, we are lucky to have a comfortable income, we are owners and for the last 10 years we have been clients of CIC, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, BNP Paribas, Boursorama, N26, and even the Crédit Mutuel (Max’s dad!) without the slightest problem.
I don’t know why my ID was not validated, I suspect a problem with my foreign name because later, JB with exactly the same folder, was able to create his account without any problem, with an IP address abroad as well.
We receive a registered mail (when Max isn’t happy, he sends registered mail, it’s no joke) confirming the breakup of our relationship. We can’t say that the mail is very explicit.
However, we think we can find the reason for Max’s anger in the famous article 2.9 of “the said convention” (it’s all right Max, you could tell us simply, we can understand that we aren’t made for each other).
In fact article 2.9 simply states that Max can dump us whenever he wants, however he wants (a bit like a breakup by SMS in a way). P/s: to read real breakup SMS, consultez le compte Instagram Tejpartexto, c’est plus fun
In desperation, I try to connect to the application to get a face-to-face explanation. But Max has changed the lock, I can’t even go home anymore 🙁
Conclusion
Okay, sorry, that’s the end of the test. I don’t have that much to do, I’m going to give my money to Revolut. Max offers a free service but it seems rather select!
To tell the truth, I’m a little upset that I got thrown out as a mess when I never had the slightest problem with any of my banks (physical or online).
It’s pretty rude of Max to close my account overnight without giving a reason, when he sent us a request for proof of identity the day before. It’s rude, it’s offensive, but most of all it’s completely irresponsible.
Imagine that this happens on the other side of the world when Max is your only means of payment (by the way, it is strongly discouraged to go abroad with only one method of payment). Know that Max isn’t a faithful companion, he will not hesitate to break off your relationship without notice and leave you alone in the shit.
…. or block your card without your consent cf. another user’s notice(source)
Let’s hear it!
PS: when there was a suspicion of fraud on my card, Société Générale sent me alerts, issued a new card, and gave me 1 month to receive it before deactivating the old one. That’s what we call intelligent and respectful management.
PS2: Max, if you read me, I’d like to know what you did with all the personal data you asked me for. Please destroy them.
PS3: Since then, I’ve been able to open an account with Revolut and Boursorama without any problem
