Vent : When did the Post Office stop changing bagged coins for notes ?

theclonetrooper

As title says, I went into the main post office in my home town with £198.00 in counted & bagged coins, (£2's, £1's, 5p's, 2p's & 1p's. BTW the 5p's + 2'ps +1p's = £16.00 total the rest was the £2's & £1's and a few loose £2's).

There are at least 10-12 positions with only 2 positions with staff so waited for nearly 20 minutes in the queue only to be told by the staff member that we could not change the coins for cash but could "pay a bill" or "pay it into a post office account", which I don't have.

I asked why & when this had change only for the staff member to go and get the manager who told me the same thing as the staff member, (pay a bill or pay into a post office account), but he could not tell me why it could not be changed into cash or when the "rule" had changed.

I was advised to got to Sainsbury's as they have "A machine", I replied why should I have to pay nearly 10p in every £1 to change my money and that in May of this year I change a load of coins for cash without a eyelid being battered in this very post office.

BTW the money was saved as my wife & myself go away twice a year for a long weekend in May, (the month of our anniversary), & October, (the month of my wife's birthday).

So can anyone please enlighten me as to why the post office won't change coins for notes anymore?.

whitewing

In some respects, apart from history, why would you expect them to? You are taking up their resources without there being any fees for them?

dzug1

Officially, they never have changed coins for notes. If they have been doing so it's either been a favour for a customer or because they needed the coins themselves. Or an ill trained clerk.


Sounds like a new manager (or an old one who has got told off) is enforcing the rules that have always existed

Butlers1982

Coin is harder to store than notes and takes up more space.

Also it's not viable for them to provide a change service as there is no income generated and ultimately they are a business who exist for their benefit.

daytona0

Op, you better get reading up on this; http://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/policies-and-guidelines/legal-tender-guidelines

Frogletina

Rare for banks to take more than 5 bags of coins and I've not found any that take copper coins. I only save £2 coins now.

However some Nat West branches have coin machines for depositing coins with no deductions made.

KxMx

I just paid in a bag of 2p's at HSBC this past week.

RedBanana

Why would you think the Post Office ought to spend a minimum of 5-10 mins weighing, checking, sorting, exchanging and then storing your coins if you are not actually entering into a transaction?
Contrary to popular belief, most PO staff are just normal people who want an easy life as much as anyone else, but turning up with £198 in coins and expecting it to be changed into notes for free is a bit optimistic, especially if they were short-staffed.
As for changing it there in the past....maybe they were short of change that week!

RichardD1970

KxMx wrote: »

I just paid in a bag of 2p's at HSBC this past week.

Yes, our HSBC will change bagged coins for notes, but you need to be an account holder.

photome

because the PO is about making a profit not doing something that will cost them.

It costs more to store and count coin

ShadowPuma

Take them to your own bank - you *may* need to take them in in 5 bag lots though.