MSE News: 193 bank branches to close next year – check if yours is on the list, plus alternatives

[Deleted User]

It was previously the case but never really advertised that personal customers of Halifax and Lloyds can deposit cash/cheques at each others branch network using a pre-printed credit (Bank Giro Credit) slip. 

Stuart_W

Bank branches will go the same way as whale bone corset retailers eventually, surely.

In the 1980s I lived in a small village and didn't want to the pay bus fare to access my own money, so I banked with girobank back then, used the post office and did anything else by phone or post. These options are still available for those that want/need it. You can still bank without a branch and without the internet. I am astonished so many bank branches still exist.

Rob5342

Stuart_W said:

You can still bank without a branch and without the internet. I am astonished so many bank branches still exist.

So am I, it must be a huge overhead for virtually no return. I've been banking online for 23 years, but even before that my payments would be paid straight in, I'd pay in cheques or pay bills by post, arrange a loan by phone and get statements by post. Even then using a branch was a rare occurrence.

TimSynths

I had to use a bank this year for the first time in 18 years to pay a large cheque in (too large to use the app and photo it- and why are insurance companies still using cheques, antiquated madness). As an alternative I had already used the Post Office paying in service- a great idea with longer opening hours, but after two week the cheque had failed to materialise as they had lost it so once I got a replacement issued I drove to the branch @ 15:00 on a Friday afternoon, walked straight in and paid it in- no one else in there.

More branches will close but Cities will still have branches and there may be super hubs popping up in small towns.

I work for a bank.

Grizebeck

Stuart_W said:

Bank branches will go the same way as whale bone corset retailers eventually, surely.

In the 1980s I lived in a small village and didn't want to the pay bus fare to access my own money, so I banked with girobank back then, used the post office and did anything else by phone or post. These options are still available for those that want/need it. You can still bank without a branch and without the internet. I am astonished so many bank branches still exist.

Agh yes i remember that when you had a kind of cheque cashing card and you could only use one branch to cash cheques etc

oldagetraveller1

ForumUser7 said:

oldagetraveller1 said:

jbrassy said:

Went into a bank branch for the first time in years last Saturday. Had to show my ID at Barclays in Lewisham to verify myself for a mortgage application. Absolutely shocking service. Had to wait over an hour to be seen. Won't shed a tear if that place closed and everything was moved online.

Although that wait is uncceptable, how would you verify yourself without an alternative? Travel to a different branch or forfeit the mortgage?

It would be better if they used a platform like DigiDocs, or HooYu to allow people to upload and verify documentation (incl ID) online

They obviously don't though. jbrassy hasn't returned to answer whether they would rather forfeit the mortgage. Notwithstanding their reported poor service at a particular branch.

ForumUser7

oldagetraveller1 said:

ForumUser7 said:

oldagetraveller1 said:

jbrassy said:

Went into a bank branch for the first time in years last Saturday. Had to show my ID at Barclays in Lewisham to verify myself for a mortgage application. Absolutely shocking service. Had to wait over an hour to be seen. Won't shed a tear if that place closed and everything was moved online.

Although that wait is uncceptable, how would you verify yourself without an alternative? Travel to a different branch or forfeit the mortgage?

It would be better if they used a platform like DigiDocs, or HooYu to allow people to upload and verify documentation (incl ID) online

They obviously don't though. jbrassy hasn't returned to answer whether they would rather forfeit the mortgage. Notwithstanding their reported poor service at a particular branch.

I know they don’t quite yet - I’m just saying given Barclays are closing branches LR&C, and making people wait ages for appointments, it’d be better if they let people use an online service for some things that currently require a branch visit.  If you found the online service wasn’t working properly, you could still visit a branch, but it’d be good to have an alternative to the poor in branch service. I’ve not personally had problems with HooYu, but of course YMMV

Bridlington1

ForumUser7 said:

oldagetraveller1 said:

ForumUser7 said:

oldagetraveller1 said:

jbrassy said:

Went into a bank branch for the first time in years last Saturday. Had to show my ID at Barclays in Lewisham to verify myself for a mortgage application. Absolutely shocking service. Had to wait over an hour to be seen. Won't shed a tear if that place closed and everything was moved online.

Although that wait is uncceptable, how would you verify yourself without an alternative? Travel to a different branch or forfeit the mortgage?

It would be better if they used a platform like DigiDocs, or HooYu to allow people to upload and verify documentation (incl ID) online

They obviously don't though. jbrassy hasn't returned to answer whether they would rather forfeit the mortgage. Notwithstanding their reported poor service at a particular branch.

I know they don’t quite yet - I’m just saying given Barclays are closing branches LR&C, and making people wait ages for appointments, it’d be better if they let people use an online service for some things that currently require a branch visit.  If you found the online service wasn’t working properly, you could still visit a branch, but it’d be good to have an alternative to the poor in branch service. I’ve not personally had problems with HooYu, but of course YMMV

Even a freepost address that you can send photocopies to would do so far as I'm concerned. Would be a heck of a lot less hassle than using HooYu in my experience.

ForumUser7

Bridlington1 said:

ForumUser7 said:

oldagetraveller1 said:

ForumUser7 said:

oldagetraveller1 said:

jbrassy said:

Went into a bank branch for the first time in years last Saturday. Had to show my ID at Barclays in Lewisham to verify myself for a mortgage application. Absolutely shocking service. Had to wait over an hour to be seen. Won't shed a tear if that place closed and everything was moved online.

Although that wait is uncceptable, how would you verify yourself without an alternative? Travel to a different branch or forfeit the mortgage?

It would be better if they used a platform like DigiDocs, or HooYu to allow people to upload and verify documentation (incl ID) online

They obviously don't though. jbrassy hasn't returned to answer whether they would rather forfeit the mortgage. Notwithstanding their reported poor service at a particular branch.

I know they don’t quite yet - I’m just saying given Barclays are closing branches LR&C, and making people wait ages for appointments, it’d be better if they let people use an online service for some things that currently require a branch visit.  If you found the online service wasn’t working properly, you could still visit a branch, but it’d be good to have an alternative to the poor in branch service. I’ve not personally had problems with HooYu, but of course YMMV

Even a freepost address that you can send photocopies to would do so far as I'm concerned. Would be a heck of a lot less hassle than using HooYu in my experience.

Yeah that’d be good too - just would be quite slow with the postal strikes

Eco_Miser

Everyone seems to be looking at this from a Personal Banking perspective - there's also businesses and Clubs & Associations using branches.

As an individual I hardly ever use a branch, but as treasurer of a community group that organises a summer carnival and winter market every year I need to pay a lot of cash in after each event.