The bank that won't let its customers withdraw less than £300 over the counter

lostinrates

I didn't know you could take out £300 at a cash machine: I always thought i was £250.

I wonder if this, among the not ''old or disabled'' issue, might be partly a female thing? (apologies PC aware....no offene to fearless women or fearful men implied) I think most women have felt slightly ''vulnerable'' in the street at times. One of the reasons I would never go out without flat shoes now, even if I could walk in my heels effortlessly all day, is that I've felt ''uncomfortable'' in the street enough at times without going to cash point.

Davesnave

hillcats wrote: »

Cash ?
What's that then, we very rarely deal with any cash nowadays...

Until I moved to the country, I felt like that.

Cleaver

lostinrates wrote: »

I didn't know you could take out £300 at a cash machine: I always thought i was £250.

I wonder if this, among the not ''old or disabled'' issue, might be partly a female thing? (apologies PC aware....no offene to fearless women or fearful men implied) I think most women have felt slightly ''vulnerable'' in the street at times. One of the reasons I would never go out without flat shoes now, even if I could walk in my heels effortlessly all day, is that I've felt ''uncomfortable'' in the street enough at times without going to cash point.

Maybe it is a female thing. However, if you feel vulnerable at cashpoints do you not pretty much feel vulnerable everywhere? Not sure there's that much difference between withdrawing £300 at the cashpoint or coming out the bank with it. You're still carrying around £300 in cash.

I just asked Mrs C if she feels vulnerable at cashpoints and she looked at me a bit gone out.

I should add that if I ever got mugged at a cashpoint it'd make me feel more vulnerable around people in general I guess, not really cashpoints.

lostinrates

Cleaver wrote: »

Maybe it is a female thing. However, if you feel vulnerable at cashpoints do you not pretty much feel vulnerable everywhere? Not sure there's that much difference between withdrawing £300 at the cashpoint or coming out the bank with it. You're still carrying around £300 in cash.

I just asked Mrs C if she feels vulnerable at cashpoints and she looked at me a bit gone out.

I should add that if I ever got mugged at a cashpoint it'd make me feel more vulnerable around people in general I guess, not really cashpoints.

Cleaver, its not like you to read casually, that's more of my trait! I did say I felt uncomfortable at times in the street without going to a cash point! Not everywhere, not in my little back water, not in most city locations. But yeah, in other places I would not go to a cash point. Not a problem for me, I don't live in one of them, but if I did I think I would want to be minimising the time I sent with my wallet/purse in my hand in stead of away.

NB: Maybe its the time I spent as a solicitor's clerk? I dunno. I stopped using night buses at about the same time I became more ''aware'' after one too many unpleasant incidences.

markharding557

If the banks who impose these limits,which in my opinion are understandable,then they should have an atm inside for those who feel insecure.
I generally use the one in my local coop store which is inside for that reason.

lemonjelly

Cleaver wrote: »

Woah, calm down. I'm sure if you feel uncomfortable using a simple piece of equipment, and you have a word with your branch, they will be happy to serve you over the counter too. The CEO was just using the example of the elderley and disabled as people who may have difficulties using a cash machine.

So no, the counter staff won't make you use the cash machine. They'll probably recommend you do, you'll tell them you don't want to, and they'll say fine. I imagine that's the scenario that'll play out anyway. Do you feel uncomfortable using a cash machine then?

There is actually a bigger issue here Cleaver.
This rule is primarily aimed at basic bank accounts. Essentially the kinds of accounts held by benefit claimants, the disabled, people with relatively low incomes.

Their income is likely to be less than £300p/w. Therefore what the bank is essentially doing is withdrawing its services from a significant sector of society.

They are doing this because they don't actually want these types of accounts. It isn't worth the hassle to them.

True story, Whitefriars housing association & Coventry CAB did a joint mystery shopping survey of banks in the local area to see how easy it was for people to get bank accounts. The focus was on basic bank accounts. The study showed (by getting staff & customers of both organisations) that if you walked into Lloyds & asked for a basic bank account, they would pull out a diary & tell you that the earliest appointment available is 3 months away. However, if you qualified for additional accounts (not the basic bank account) you could get an appointment within 48 hours - in a different diary.

The banks may tell you that they're all for financial inclusion. They lie. Remember that news story where halifax left a flip chart of customers they don't want on view?

The proposal is simply a way of withdrawing financial services from those with a low income. Bad move imo. Not a good social idea. Perhaps someone should take it up?:money:;)

Idiophreak

I used to bank with HSBC. One day the cash machine was broken outside, so I joined the queue in the branch. 45 minutes later I got to the front and said "I'd like to take out £10 please" and the woman said "we don't give cash over the counter, you have to use the ATM". I said "the ATM's broken". She said "oh, no, it's fixed now". I said "but I've queued here for 45 minutes...can't you just give me the cash". She said "no, we don't give cash over the counter" and that was that. I don't bank with HSBC anymore.

Lokolo

lemonjelly wrote: »

There is actually a bigger issue here Cleaver.
This rule is primarily aimed at basic bank accounts. Essentially the kinds of accounts held by benefit claimants, the disabled, people with relatively low incomes.

Their income is likely to be less than £300p/w. Therefore what the bank is essentially doing is withdrawing its services from a significant sector of society.

They are doing this because they don't actually want these types of accounts. It isn't worth the hassle to them.

True story, Whitefriars housing association & Coventry CAB did a joint mystery shopping survey of banks in the local area to see how easy it was for people to get bank accounts. The focus was on basic bank accounts. The study showed (by getting staff & customers of both organisations) that if you walked into Lloyds & asked for a basic bank account, they would pull out a diary & tell you that the earliest appointment available is 3 months away. However, if you qualified for additional accounts (not the basic bank account) you could get an appointment within 48 hours - in a different diary.

The banks may tell you that they're all for financial inclusion. They lie. Remember that news story where halifax left a flip chart of customers they don't want on view?

The proposal is simply a way of withdrawing financial services from those with a low income. Bad move imo. Not a good social idea. Perhaps someone should take it up?:money:;)

That's a load of rubbish imo.

Basic accounts can still use cashpoints. Can still use debit card in shops. Only places they can't be used are things such as unmanned petrol pumps and trains whereby it authorises it offline.

They're cutting costs because of stupid people wasting time wanting money from a cashier which they could have easily got from a cashpoint.

In all honesty, these are the people that annoy me the most! They're the ones that cause me to queue for 30minutes when I am trying to do something which can't be done automatically by a cashpoint or other machine.

Nothing to do with them not wanting the poor or low income to have basic accounts. They just want to stop them using costly services.

lilac_lady

I prefer to use ATMs inside banks or cashback when I'm in a supermarket. On the few occasions I need £200/£300 I wouldn't withdraw it in the street.

lemonjelly

Lokolo wrote: »

That's a load of rubbish imo..

Well that is your opinion. However Whitefriars HA & Coventry CAB have published a report, so it is rubbish backed up by evidential fact, whereas your post is nothing other than your opinion, & complaints about how other people inconvenience your life.

Lokolo wrote: »

Basic accounts can still use cashpoints. Can still use debit card in shops. Only places they can't be used are things such as unmanned petrol pumps and trains whereby it authorises it offline.

Not all accounts offer a visa debit card.

Lokolo wrote: »

They're cutting costs because of stupid people wasting time wanting money from a cashier which they could have easily got from a cashpoint...

I think part of the issue is around customer service. There will be many people who for numerous reasons will want to work with a real person, not a machine. You can't ask a machine a question. You can clarify something with a person, not a machine.

Lokolo wrote: »

In all honesty, these are the people that annoy me the most! They're the ones that cause me to queue for 30minutes when I am trying to do something which can't be done automatically by a cashpoint or other machine.

Ever taken a look around you? The world does not revolve around you. Everyone is not here to service your needs. There are the needs & desires of over 60 million other people in this country. believe it or not, there will be times where their needs outweigh yours.

Lokolo wrote: »

Nothing to do with them not wanting the poor or low income to have basic accounts. They just want to stop them using costly services.

Seriously, get over yourself & your vastly inflated sense of self importance. This plan will have large impacts on significant numbers of people.

banks have for some time worked on various ways of restricting access to all sorts of financial services to significant numbers of people. This is just one more, along with the 2 I highlighted in my original post. It is a shame that you feel this is all rubbish as it doesn't impact directly on you. Perhaps in the future you may come to see the implications of some of these policies. Perhaps, if you fall on especially hard times you may even learn to look at the bigger picture as you grow up, & won't need reminding the world does not revolve around you.