Why Are Banks Sometimes Obstructive?

anotheruser

Why is it that banking in particular seems to be unnecessarily obstructive?

For example, many banks allow customers to open joint accounts online.
Lloyds doesn't. You have to open it as a single glue person, then add another card holder (another word for making it a joint account officially?) by visiting a branch.

In this day and age, why are people being forced to book an appointment and mess about, when it's clear the high street banking sector is on the way out.

What if someone is bedridden? Or are too old that they can't get to a branch. Are Lloyd's saying they can't have a joint account?

I'm just not sure I understand it and nobody from the bank wants to explain why its like that.

JuicyJesus

That's not really being "obstructive" per se, that's just having crap systems and weird processes. Halifax have the same issue, although I was able to make my new "joint" account actually joint online with them.

"Obstructive" would be them making it deliberately hard and being unpleasant to you to put you off. I very much doubt they're doing that.

It's also not really "banks". It's Lloyds being odd.

PeacefulWaters

It's just an area of IT they've never prioritised for improvement.

Ironic that Halifax had the facility over a decade ago and the adoption of Lloyds IT scrapped it.

eskbanker

anotheruser wrote: »

For example, many banks allow customers to open joint accounts online.
Lloyds doesn't. You have to open it as a single glue person

Did you get stuck when you tried to open a joint account online?

anotheruser

It just seems a lot of hassle to open an account.
Not sure it's really worth it, especially as their banks have opening times when the joint person is at work...

It's funny as years ago, I was able to close an account with only my signature and receive the money, in cash, because they couldn't change my address on the account without a driving licence.

JuicyJesus

anotheruser wrote: »

It's funny as years ago, I was able to close an account with only my signature and receive the money, in cash, because they couldn't change my address on the account without a driving licence.

Things have naturally tightened up a lot since then. Banks are incredibly paranoid about fraud and money laundering, generally for good reasons.

My suggestion would be that if it bothers you to open a joint account with Lloyds, don't do so. I opened a joint account with Nationwide easily online.

EachPenny

anotheruser wrote: »

What if someone is bedridden? Or are too old that they can't get to a branch. Are Lloyd's saying they can't have a joint account?

That would be a good example of a reason for a bank to be 'obstructive'. It would be very easy to open a joint account with somone who was elderly or 'bedridden' and then use that account as a means to steal money off them.

If I were bedridden I might be unhappy that the bank was being difficult and not letting me open an account, but at the same time I would be grateful that there are systems in place to prevent people being ripped off, or entering into financial arrangements without understanding the consequences.

ValiantSon

Not just Lloyds who do this. Halifax too (and I suspect all of RBS) and TSB (since being split from RBS). There may be others.

ETA: I meant BOS, rather than RBS, as agrinnall so charmingly pointed out.

badmemory

But if they didn't have this excuse to force you into making an appointment & having the pleasure of seeing you face to face & the more dubious pleasure of you seeing them face to face then they would miss a "good" opportunity to sweet talk/push/bully you into paying them for something you really don't want. And that would be their bonus down the tubes!

Wizardy18

Title of thread "obstructive".

If Tesco didn't sell plastic plates would that be obstructive?!

The fact you don't agree with a individuals policy or terms, doesn't make them obstructive.
It makes it that you don't like the way they operate, therefore go elsewhere.

The thread titled obstructive is mis-leading and rather pointless.

System

TSB weren't split from RBS or BOS.