Ridiculous delay in lodgement for Halifax accounts paid over counter in Post office

ebayqueen_2

I am finding that it takes a ridiculous amount of time for cash lodgements and cheques to reach my Halifax account when paid in via Post office Counter.
We made a lodgement of 3 cheques on 31st Dec and the amount wasn't credited until the 10th and then 4/5 days to clear. A cash amount was paid in the same day and the exact same result.
I paid in a cash amount last tuesday the 11th and it only came onto my account this afternoon.
We were informed when this new system was introduced that our lodgements would be approx 1 day later than usual.
Found out today that all lodgements are sent to main processing location in England.
I find this unacceptable. Has anyone else had the same problem.

motorguy

ebayqueen wrote: »

I am finding that it takes a ridiculous amount of time for cash lodgements and cheques to reach my Halifax account when paid in via Post office Counter.
We made a lodgement of 3 cheques on 31st Dec and the amount wasn't credited until the 10th and then 4/5 days to clear. A cash amount was paid in the same day and the exact same result.
I paid in a cash amount last tuesday the 11th and it only came onto my account this afternoon.
We were informed when this new system was introduced that our lodgements would be approx 1 day later than usual.
Found out today that all lodgements are sent to main processing location in England.
I find this unacceptable. Has anyone else had the same problem.

Well, it is what it is. I would doubt there enough use of this service through the post office to warrant the investment in a proper infrastructure.

Several choices i guess

(a) deposit at a halifax branch / ATM machine
(b) change banks to one that has more local branches to you
(c) use bank transfers if / where possible
(d) accept that this service takes a bit longer than you'd like

Dont forget this is in addition to the branch network, rather than instead of.

Jock221

I have also I think made some sort of record as my cheque lodged into the Post office took 17 days to clear, the last one took 10 days. I rang Halifax I expressed my disgust that they didnt consult with their customers before shutting down all the local branches. They tell me they are now doing market research in an effort to open a few local branches- cart and horse comes to mind. Then they blamed my local post office for the delay, having spoken to them they tell me if the cheques are lodged am they go that day if they are lodged pm they go the next morning, but an interesting factor is that all the cheques go to a central sorting and processing centre in England where they are keyed and recorded and then processed on to Halifax. It is very poor customer services and when I contacted them I got a gesture of £20,my advice is to ring and express your concern because until they realise the inconvience for their customers only then will they realise their mistake. My local branch is 22 miles away now before it was a 5 mile radius.

ebayqueen_2

I think its a disgrace since our nearest is 30 miles away!!! I complained but didnt get £20! I think maybe this is one for Mr Nolan...what do you all think.

Jock221

ebayqueen wrote: »

I think its a disgrace since our nearest is 30 miles away!!! I complained but didnt get £20! I think maybe this is one for Mr Nolan...what do you all think.

Yes Mr Nolan could have a go at this one make a change from talking about his weight.

motorguy

ebayqueen wrote: »

I think its a disgrace since our nearest is 30 miles away!!! I complained but didnt get £20! I think maybe this is one for Mr Nolan...what do you all think.

Why not just vote with your feet and change banks?

Do you really think its your right that you should have a bank branch within 5 miles of you? If it wasnt cost effective to keep it open, then they've closed it. They are a business, not a public service.

Either change banks to one with a local branch OR accept the delay if you use the Post Office service. There are really more important things in life to get hot under the collar about.

absoluteutopia

Alliance & Leicester is similar, sometimes up to 7 days from the post office even though their CS state its instant

Jock221

pgilc1 wrote: »

Why not just vote with your feet and change banks?

Do you really think its your right that you should have a bank branch within 5 miles of you? If it wasnt cost effective to keep it open, then they've closed it. They are a business, not a public service.

Either change banks to one with a local branch OR accept the delay if you use the Post Office service. There are really more important things in life to get hot under the collar about.

Can you suggest somewhere as we recently had Nationwide and Halifax branches shut down and now have to travel 23 miles to either lisburn or Belfast. No one is saying its a right to have a branch close by but I have been with the Nationwide for over 30 years and never expected it to close down. There are a lot of things not cost effective but remain open stuffed up with tax payers money perhaps they should close them as well instead of draining the public purse. With advances in technology I dont see any reason to have to wait 7, 10 or 14 days to clear a cheque. It may not be so easy to change banks now as a lot of people perhaps now retired would not meet the criteria and with so much unemployment people who have had accounts for years when they had a steady income may find it hard to get a bank to take them.



:A:jLife's a gift not a right

Snoozle

A&L are like this, if you lodge cheques at the post office it can take 3 weeks or more for the money to reach your account, but it is debited from the drawer's account within a couple of days.

Its ok saying 'vote with your feet' etc but the bottom line is that if they are going to offer this service at all, they should provide a proper service. If they are not up to the job, then they shouldn't bother.

motorguy

Jock221 wrote: »

Can you suggest somewhere as we recently had Nationwide and Halifax branches shut down and now have to travel 23 miles to either lisburn or Belfast. No one is saying its a right to have a branch close by but I have been with the Nationwide for over 30 years and never expected it to close down. There are a lot of things not cost effective but remain open stuffed up with tax payers money perhaps they should close them as well instead of draining the public purse. With advances in technology I dont see any reason to have to wait 7, 10 or 14 days to clear a cheque. It may not be so easy to change banks now as a lot of people perhaps now retired would not meet the criteria and with so much unemployment people who have had accounts for years when they had a steady income may find it hard to get a bank to take them.



:A:jLife's a gift not a right

As i dont know where you live, it might be tricky for me to make a recommendation?

I would suggest that the post office gather up the cheques and send them periodically to a central postal office. They would then be sorted from there and sent to the respective banks, who would then process them centrally.

Its easy therefore to see how a significant delay can be introduced.

I would suspect that the issue isnt the technology but the sheer cost of trying to integrate the post office branches with every bank so that cheques can be processed more effectively.

Find a bank closer to you OR accept it for what it is are probably the only real options.

Sorry.

ebayqueen_2

pgilc1 wrote: »

Why not just vote with your feet and change banks?

Do you really think its your right that you should have a bank branch within 5 miles of you? If it wasnt cost effective to keep it open, then they've closed it. They are a business, not a public service.

Either change banks to one with a local branch OR accept the delay if you use the Post Office service. There are really more important things in life to get hot under the collar about.

Hi Paul
First of all I dont expect a branch within 5 miles of me but I do expect a bank to fulfil what it has promised me. Halifax have not fulfilled what they said they would. Just in case you might think I am a wee bit thick and that I hadn't considered your ideas, we are def moving back to UBank in the near future.
I would be interested to know if you live in a rural area and how would you feel if you paid your salary into your bank and had to wait 2 weeks before you could access it. I find this unacceptable in the modern hi tech world we live in.

Oh and by the way what makes you think I am getting hot under the collar. This is a board to ask this reasonable question. Thanks to all who have answered my question.