Harassment for not switching to online banking

colsten

brianposter said:

Tokmon said:

brianposter said:

Bank branches are not needed until something goes wrong - which happens quite frequently.

eg;   https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6231440/debit-card-frozen#latest

There is no reason that a bank can't verify someone's identity online and many banks do this quite effectively currently. So it certainly is possible for all banks to operate without branches they just don't have all the technology in place yet.

And when something really goes wrong are they still going to be happy with online verification ?

There's not much that can go wrong with biometric identification

Tokmon

brianposter said:

Tokmon said:

brianposter said:

Bank branches are not needed until something goes wrong - which happens quite frequently.

eg;   https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6231440/debit-card-frozen#latest

There is no reason that a bank can't verify someone's identity online and many banks do this quite effectively currently. So it certainly is possible for all banks to operate without branches they just don't have all the technology in place yet.

And when something really goes wrong are they still going to be happy with online verification ?

Well with banks like Monzo and Starling they have no facility at all for in person verification so they certainly will be happy with it no matter what. Many online Gambling Companies are very strict on age and account verification and they are happy with it all being online. 
When I bought my last house I used a local solicitor but actually never visited there and they were happy with remote verification of my identity for a very large transaction.

So any bank that isn't happy with an online verification system just haven't implemented it correctly as they legally do not require in person verification. 

robatwork

If Covid gets worse and banks shut their doors - what's your Plan B?

At least if you have online/phone as an option you won't be stuck. You don't have to use it.

brianposter

robatwork said:

If Covid gets worse and banks shut their doors - what's your Plan B?

At least if you have online/phone as an option you won't be stuck. You don't have to use it.

The banks may be quite happy with phone/online but there is little evidence that it works well for the customer.

Here is a typical example from recent Telegraph comments:

" I bought some hifi in Italy 18 months ago (requiring £6,000 to be transferred to the business acount of a guy - a very well known dealer in a particular area of high-end audio - I had negotiated with face to face in Munich the previous week at the huge annual Hifi expo there).

But despite repeated attempts and multiple phone calls, Halifax/Bank of Scotland refused to send it. I had to take time out from work and physically visit a branch with my passport; even then it took over an hour to get it sorted."

eskbanker

brianposter said:

The banks may be quite happy with phone/online but there is little evidence that it works well for the customer.

Here is a typical example from recent Telegraph comments:

" I bought some hifi in Italy 18 months ago (requiring £6,000 to be transferred to the business acount of a guy - a very well known dealer in a particular area of high-end audio - I had negotiated with face to face in Munich the previous week at the huge annual Hifi expo there).

But despite repeated attempts and multiple phone calls, Halifax/Bank of Scotland refused to send it. I had to take time out from work and physically visit a branch with my passport; even then it took over an hour to get it sorted." 

That might be typical in the context of comments there but sending large bank transfers overseas is hardly typical activity in the broader sense!  How often have you done it?

brianposter

eskbanker said:

brianposter said:

The banks may be quite happy with phone/online but there is little evidence that it works well for the customer.

Here is a typical example from recent Telegraph comments:

" I bought some hifi in Italy 18 months ago (requiring £6,000 to be transferred to the business acount of a guy - a very well known dealer in a particular area of high-end audio - I had negotiated with face to face in Munich the previous week at the huge annual Hifi expo there).

But despite repeated attempts and multiple phone calls, Halifax/Bank of Scotland refused to send it. I had to take time out from work and physically visit a branch with my passport; even then it took over an hour to get it sorted." 

That might be typical in the context of comments there but sending large bank transfers overseas is hardly typical activity in the broader sense!  How often have you done it?

About once a month - the next one on Monday.

The world is less provincial than you appear to think - here is a link to the original article

. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/katie-investigates/hsbc-barred-165k-donation-wifes-cancer-treatment/

eskbanker

brianposter said:

eskbanker said:

brianposter said:

The banks may be quite happy with phone/online but there is little evidence that it works well for the customer.

Here is a typical example from recent Telegraph comments:

" I bought some hifi in Italy 18 months ago (requiring £6,000 to be transferred to the business acount of a guy - a very well known dealer in a particular area of high-end audio - I had negotiated with face to face in Munich the previous week at the huge annual Hifi expo there).

But despite repeated attempts and multiple phone calls, Halifax/Bank of Scotland refused to send it. I had to take time out from work and physically visit a branch with my passport; even then it took over an hour to get it sorted." 

That might be typical in the context of comments there but sending large bank transfers overseas is hardly typical activity in the broader sense!  How often have you done it?

About once a month - the next one on Monday.

The world is less provincial than you appear to think - here is a link to the original article

. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/katie-investigates/hsbc-barred-165k-donation-wifes-cancer-treatment/

Fair enough, it doesn't seem out of the ordinary to you, or other Telegraph readers drawn to a story about such a transfer - I'm certainly not claiming it's unheard of but would still stand by my comment that it's not 'typical' activity for most bank customers, many of whom won't even have had a £6K balance at any point....

colsten

brianposter said:

About once a month - the next one on Monday.

It doesn't appear to be very MSE to use Halifax/BoS for regular overseas payments as bricks & mortar banks generally don't give you the interbank rate and/or charge high fees. If your payments are always to Italy/the Eurozone, Starling Bank seems the way to go. They will definitely not ask you to attend in a Branch since they haven't even got any. If other currencies are involved, or if you don't mind about lack of FSCS cover, Transferwise would be your other alternative. Again, no need for a Branch visit as they a wholly online.

VXman

I would have thought having online access as POA would be  useful. I understand your parents not wanting it but as POA it might  be beneficial for you. As POA can you not set up online access for you. Do your parents need to be involced in anyway? It doesn't stop any in branch activities happening when needed/wanted.

As for staff attitude - I'd be telling them where to get off next time and putting a complaint into management.

lazza1973

Things evolve. No-one has a right to a branch without paying for it. You need to consider other solutions ,; different bank, use post office, why do they need branch r.g. use cards more