When is a letter box not a letter box?

Spanishomelette

Unfortunately I wasn't well on Saturday and had to ask my teenage son to put some cheques totalling just over £200 in the letterbox at my local Halifax branch. I enclosed a letter asking for them to be paid into my current account - all details provided - and checked Halifax's clearing times for cheques. When the money wasn't showing on my account yesterday evening (Tuesday) I was getting very nervous, so I phoned my branch this morning, who told me their letter box has a bit of a ledge in it and my envelope was still sitting there - 4 days later!

I said I needed the cheques cleared quickly (please!) because I have less than £20 in my account and need to buy food for myself and my two children until the cheque clears next Tuesday, and petrol to attend a funeral on Monday. I was put through to their online banking department, who told me they couldn't give me a temporary overdraft, as my credit rating isn't good enough, and that they would ask the branch to ring me.

I waited and waited and phoned the branch myself, and eventually spoke to someone who told me that they don't empty their mail box every day because the postman brings the post into the branch (and I knew that because?) and there was nothing Halifax could do. I asked for the manager to call me back. He did. His response was - we don't guarantee to empty the letter box. Paying cheques in that way is not a service we offer! Priceless.

When I asked if there was a notice saying that cheques would not be paid in if put in the letter box, he said no, there isn't. But equally there isn't a notice saying don't slide envelopes under the door and people still do that. Arrogant pig.

When I explained that I have two children and need to buy food this weekend, he just asked if there was someone I could borrow money from. There isn't. He told me very bluntly that he couldn't just 'give' me money. I wasn't asking for that, just that a temporary overdraft facility be provided (for only half what I had paid in in good faith), but apparently that is not possible.

Although I was unaware that I could not put an envelope containing a cheque through the letterbox and I now understand what he was saying about only being able to pay a cheque in over the counter or through an ATM, which one of those does the postman do when he visits the branch?! I can't see the postman queueing up at the counter. Seems like splitting hairs to me, and the branch manager trying to cover his !!!!!.

I don't feel I am being unreasonable, and feel disadvantaged by this branch's lack of care. As it happens, I could probably do with a few days without eating, but my two kids need feeding.

Should I take this further, or is it just my bad luck that I didn't know that something I have done at each of my previous banks (Nat West, Midland and Nationwide) over the years is no longer acceptable?

alanq

Either the letter box should be emptied daily or sealed. How much work can it be to check it each day?

colsten

Spanishomelette wrote: »

Arrogant pig.

Really. Is this what you were meant to write.

Spanishomelette

Thanks, alanq. That's what I thought. If there had been anything to say not to post things in the letterbox, or that the letterbox was only opened when there was a full moon and a following wind, my son wouldn't have done it.

shortcrust

I guess you should be able to expect that things you put through a bank's letter box are received and processed but I can understand why the bank don't check the box. It's probably never used. Still, that's their problem. I'd expect them to fix things if I were the OP.

Odd way to pay cheques in though.

Spanishomelette

Yes, Colsten. That is exactly how I felt. The manager was arrogant and condescending. And didn't accept even partly that his branch's mailbox might just as well not be there if it wasn't going to be emptied.

Spanishomelette

Thanks shortcrust. To be honest, cheques are quite a rarity to me these days. And it was the fact that I was ill and knew I had to get the cheques to the bank and paid in on Monday, to clear on Friday, which meant my son had to hand deliver them.

colsten

Spanishomelette wrote:

Arrogant pig.

Really. Is this what you were meant to write.

Spanishomelette wrote: »

Yes, Colsten. That is exactly how I felt. The manager was arrogant and condescending. And didn't accept even partly that his branch's mailbox might just as well not be there if it wasn't going to be emptied.

You felt like an arrogant pig? Or do you mean you would call the branch manager an arrogant pig to his face? Did you call him that?

I'd love to hear the recording of the phone call with the Branch Manager as it might contain clues as to why the Branch Manager did not go out of his way to help you on this occasion. Although he may have had other reasons as well.

Spanishomelette

colsten wrote: »

You felt like an arrogant pig? Or do you mean you would call the branch manager an arrogant pig to his face? Did you call him that?

I'd love to hear the recording of the phone call with the Branch Manager as it might contain clues as to why the Branch Manager did not go out of his way to help you on this occasion. Although he may have had other reasons as well.

No, I was very polite, and merely asking for help. He was belittling and rude, saying "What do you want us to do about it? We can't just give you money". I was merely explaining to him that I had no idea that something as simple, to me, as posting an envelope through Halifax's letterbox and asking for cheques to be banked was not permissible, as it is something I have done several times over the years. As other posters have asked, what is the point of having a mailbox if it is neither for use, nor checked regularly? Sorry, if my heat of the moment punctuation was confusing.

Westie983

Letterbox should be checked at the same time as emptying the ATM of deposits, but I can only assume that as the postman doesnt use the letterbox they dont check, you should be able to get a temporary OD, on your account, by speaking to head office, it may not be an official OD, as you say you have already been down this route, but you can go into a branch and speak to the counter manager and they should be able to authorise a payment over the balance in your account (push a payment through) to allow you to get food, till the cheques clear, you maybe charged for this facility but its a solution that can be offered as they have caused this issue by not checking the postbox...

they is no special clearance procedure now that all cheques clear within four working days, I do suggest to customers that they dont use the letter box and we cant guarantee that is will be opened at the beginning of the day (it does get opened but maybe after 4pm, and that will be a added clearance day to the cheque) so if they are in need of paying in cheques and clearing to use the IDM deposit machine or the counter, or to use the post office facility...

System

Ultimately, it's for you to ensure they get the cheque and for them to process it.

The problem here is neither party is right or wrong here.