A question of trust: NatWest.

RFW

Something happened today, that is actually all sorted but I'm not sure what I'd have been able to do if it wasn't.

I paid cash in a machine at a branch of NatWest, the machine said the money had been retained and gave me my card back, it said to seek out a member of staff. After trying two members of staff who couldn't or were unwilling to help (customer service excellence!), I found one who was not surprised "It happens a lot when the machine gets full".

So he took a photocopy of my card and asked for my phone number, letting me know that it would be sorted by the end of the day. At that point I said thank you and walked out as I had other things to do. That lasted about 30 seconds and I turned around, I had no receipt or anything to even prove I'd been in the bank.

So I went back and asked if he could let me have a receipt or some record of the transaction, the answer was no. He seemed surprised I asked, I mean why wouldn't you trust a bank.....

I did try and get him to hurry up the process and he said it would be done in the next 20 minutes. I had to leave as I was on a parking meter, the money was there later. It did make me wonder what would have happened if it hadn't been there and the chap I'd spoken to had moved on.

I can't imagine standing for it in any other type of business, yet the bank seemed to think it was perfectly normal.

I probably should have pushed it more for resolution whilst I was there but I was made to feel I was in the wrong. Shouldn't banks, after all recent events show some humility and be more keen to help customers when they mess up?

JuicyJesus

They cannot give you a receipt for something they have not counted, credited or even have seen exists. They won't do so if they only have your word that there's any money in the machine. Considering the number of people who do make fraudulent claims, it's wise of them to not immediately trust anyone who says they happened to make a large deposit which has mysteriously gone missing. It makes substantially more sense to trust an organisation who have numerous checks and balances in order to prevent staff fraud and account for all cash held within a branch.

It may well be their security procedures do not allow them to open the machine while the branch is opened, or that it is not possible to immediately open it. I don't know. You're the one who had an urgency to leave. If you didn't have to leave immediately you may have received a quicker answer.

innovate

I largely agree with JJ - but there is no way Natwest (or any bank) should be taking cash deposits in machines if they are unable to confirm the deposit.

If their process says that help from a member of staff needs to be sought, then a fully trained and empowered member of staff needs to be at hand to sort the matter immediately.

If they cannot assure that a member of staff can fully deal with the matter immediately, they should be handing the cash back automatically, rather than retain it.

Glad the OP actually had their deposit confirmed, so there is no immediate issue. If I were the OP, I would write to Stephen Hester to make him aware of the issue. Before I get showered with abuse from people telling me that Stephen Hester won't read emails from Joe Bloggs: I know that. But equally, I know that Stephen Hester has an army of Executive support staff, one of whom will read the emails from Joe Bloggs, and the only hope Joe Bloggs has to get any significant change in processes is to make Executives / their support staff aware that there is a need for change.

RFW

I get that they can't give a receipt based on my word alone but why should I trust them any more than they trust me? Mistakes can happen and faults with electronics can occur but I was told this is a regular thing. Some kind of system of given a written statement that I had made the complaint and how much was involved should at the very least be part of the solution.

If the person or even persons checking the machine decided to pocket my deposit I would have no proof that I had even complained.

JuicyJesus, I never gave the impression I was in a hurry to leave I was given all the answers I was going to get, my next stage would have been to protest and probably not get anywhere doing so.

It makes substantially more sense to trust an organisation who have numerous checks and balances in order to prevent staff fraud and account for all cash held within a branch.

Does it though? We're faced with ongoing news stories that there is little sense in trusting such organisations. If a similar thing had happened in a self service checkout in a supermarket, I wouldn't have stood for "we'll check it out and bring you can pick your shopping up tomorrow", why should a bank be any different?

grizzly1911

RFW wrote: »

If the person or even persons checking the machine decided to pocket my deposit I would have no proof that I had even complained.

Can't speak for Nasty WEst but it use to be the case with Barclays that the machine was opened by two people and credits checked by two people.

Their machines only ever acknowledged you had deposited something in their machine. Could have been a packet of fags.

If you have deposited your credit in the machine and it has been accepted/isn't sitting in the chute/posting slot/drawer I wouldn't worry.

JuicyJesus

RFW wrote: »

I get that they can't give a receipt based on my word alone but why should I trust them any more than they trust me?

Because your deposit is likely checked by at least two people who would have to work in concert to commit any fraud, while you have precisely zero proof you ever made it at all until that happens.

If you do not trust the bank to that extent, do not use them.

Dr_Cuckoo3

JuicyJesus wrote: »

Because your deposit is likely checked by at least two people

Isn't the OP referring to an "immediate deposit" machine rather than the "envelope deposit" type ?

rb10

Dr_Cuckoo3 wrote: »

Isn't the OP referring to an "immediate deposit" machine rather than the "envelope deposit" type ?

It does sound like it, and the Immediate Deposit Machines (IDMs) are not necessarily operated by two people.

It's pretty bad if Natwest are allowing it to fill up. They clearly need to install another one to spread the load.