Terribly rude service in Halifax - withdrawing money

2

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  • Rupert_Bear
    Rupert_Bear Posts: 1,303 Forumite
    leanne88 wrote: »
    Hi there,
    Today I went to withdraw £900 at my local Halifax branch.
    I filled in a slip, had my provisional drivers license with me and of course my card.

    The woman was very blunt and when I showed the slip, seemed shifty then asked me "where did the money come from?"

    Surely she can't ask that!? How rude! I told her it came from compensation money, which it did! But then remembered I had transfered it from my current account that day. So I told her and told her I have 3 accounts with them.

    She was still very rude to me then she counted out £700 not £900! So she did it again and still £700! To which she realized and then counted again and added the rest. Cheek of it!

    Anyone else think this was incredibly rude service!?

    Very surprised she was like that considering today is meant to be the happiest Monday of the year.

    Also may be you had attitude and as such brought the worst out of her.
  • ses6jwg wrote: »
    We are required to ask this for large withdrawals or where you are making a transaction which is not classed as "normal" for your account, for anti-money laundering and fraud purposes.


    SES6JWG is right

    If you are an employee of a bank then ML is shoved down your throat and how you are personally responsible and can be held liable if something isnt reported therefore I can imagine any branch member will feel obligated to query unusual transactions. Its not personal to the customer just a job.
    :j
    May 2013 new beginnings:j
  • Paul_Herring
    Paul_Herring Posts: 7,481
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    SES6JWG is right

    If you are an employee of a bank then ML is shoved down your throat and how you are personally responsible and can be held liable if something isnt reported therefore I can imagine any branch member will feel obligated to query unusual transactions. Its not personal to the customer just a job.

    http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/mlr/your-role/resposibilities.htm
    When do you need to apply customer due diligence measures?

    You must apply customer due diligence measures:

    when you establish a business relationship
    when you carry out an 'occasional transaction' worth 15,000 euros or more
    when you suspect money laundering or terrorist financing
    when you have doubts about a customer's identification information that you obtained previously
    as and when it's necessary for existing customers - for example if their circumstances change

    Asking "where did this money come from?" for a transaction of £900? I'm sorry, but I'm finding it terribly difficult to accept money-laundering regulations for the OP's experience.

    Unless the €/£ exchange rate has dropped to 6p to the euro suddenly.
    Conjugating the verb 'to be":
    -o I am humble -o You are attention seeking -o She is Nadine Dorries
  • I had no attitude.

    I am very polite, well spoken with good manners. I approached her in a friendly manner and even thanked her for her terrible service. Obviously all I said was "thank you" with a smile. I didn't complain about her rude service but I sure wish I did.
  • BillTrac
    BillTrac Posts: 1,869
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    When I am taking money out of my account then I tell the teller when asked any questions that it is none of their business.

    I don't care what they are trained to ask.

    If they don't like it then I will move my accounts.

    I have as much loyalty to my bank/BS as they do to me.

    For crying out loud, this is why this country is in the mess it is, when banks/BS are trying to control us who ensure they have a bloody business...:mad:
  • opinions4u
    opinions4u Posts: 19,411 Forumite
    edited 31 January 2011 at 9:03PM
    Anti-money laundering? I don't think so. How can you launder money coming *out of* an account?
    Money laundering requires much more than simply depositing cash. That's just the highest profile check point.

    Removing the funds, especially in cash, effectively cleans it completely and is effectively the final step in the money laundering process.

    That said, I think the transaction in question here is unusual for the OP's account and the cashier has simply tried to ascertain that everything is in order before releasing the funds.
    I filled in a slip, had my provisional drivers license with me and of course my card.
    Cards can be stolen. A driving licence can be forged. So making additional checks for a larger than usual transaction isn't unreasonable.
    "where did the money come from?" Surely she can't ask that!?
    Of course she can. And it's likely that the bank will have records to support your answer. It's also likely that a fraudster wouldn't know the answer.

    I think you have experienced security procedures being applied clumsily and tactlessly and that's a shame. But in reality they have been applied to ensure your money isn't withdrawn by somebody who is not entitled to it.
    I didn't complain about her rude service but I sure wish I did.
    To be honest, it would probably be better if you did raise you concerns with a manager. They may already have concerns about the cashier's attitude and are looking for examples to help her understand what she needs to change. It may be that the cashier is new and needs to be trained better. It may be that the cashier has personal problems and you got the sharp end of it - and perhaps a little more support and flexibility from her employer is needed. It may be that she's an incompetent buffoon who shouldn't be in a customer facing role but without the evidence to support a discipliniary case management can't get rid of her. Or it may be that she is simply over-zealous in applying due diligence to the risk of transactional fraud or money laundering.

    It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it.
  • Biggles
    Biggles Posts: 8,209
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    Very surprised she was like that considering today is meant to be the happiest Monday of the year.
    Unhappiest (just in case anyone believes in this sort of 'statistic' at all). I think the 'happiest' is in June.

    But the cashier seemed perfectly polite, it sounds like the OP was put out by the actual question rather than the manner in which it was asked.
  • ses6jwg
    ses6jwg Posts: 5,381
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    edited 31 January 2011 at 9:19PM
    BillTrac wrote: »
    When I am taking money out of my account then I tell the teller when asked any questions that it is none of their business.

    I don't care what they are trained to ask.

    If they don't like it then I will move my accounts.

    I have as much loyalty to my bank/BS as they do to me.

    For crying out loud, this is why this country is in the mess it is, when banks/BS are trying to control us who ensure they have a bloody business...:mad:

    You're right, it is about control. Risk and control. Ensuring that funds are released to the correct individuals in a world where, from my personal experience of being "the other side of the counter", fraud and unauthorised transactions are becoming more and more common.

    The country is in a mess for a whole variety of reasons, not just the banks. The deficit, the "spend now worry later" attitude of a succession of governments, the "I want it now" mentality of the late 20th century plebs, and the "here we are, we'll give it to you" attitude of the banks up until very recently.

    Yes, it's true, the bank holds your deposits, paying you a rate of interest and in turn using that deposit to make a profit by loaning it out at higher rates or making better returns in other, riskier investments. In return, in theory, they also provide a place for your funds which is more secure than under the floorboards in your attic.

    This is the system. 99% of financial institutions operate in this way. Even building societies have anti-money laundering measures in place, and rely on deposits to loan out as mortgages, so any building society worth its salt will instruct it's tellers to "retain funds" wherever possible (please see Nationwide and their famous 110% mortgages of the late 90s). If you do not like, it may be an idea to prise up the floorboards, however you won't get much interest and I'm fairly sure they are not covered by the FSCS.

    Unless you hold a large amount in savings with a bank, or are a heavy user of credit such as mortgage or UPL customer, it is very likely that you are in fact costing the bank money, as they are paying for your card and statement to be printed, your transactions to be authorised etc
  • redcard
    redcard Posts: 1,563 Forumite
    http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/mlr/your-role/resposibilities.htm



    Asking "where did this money come from?" for a transaction of £900? I'm sorry, but I'm finding it terribly difficult to accept money-laundering regulations for the OP's experience.

    Unless the €/£ exchange rate has dropped to 6p to the euro suddenly.

    "Where did the money come from?"
    "It was laundered through my fake fruit and veg company"
    "Right ladies, we got one, set the alarms!"
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  • theGrinch
    theGrinch Posts: 3,122
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    just following orders? hammer, no sledgehammer.....no demolition ball to crack a nut comes to mind
    "enough is a feast"...old Buddist proverb
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