Metro Bank is the experiment over?

Emily_Joy

Rob5342 said:

sheramber said:

How many people advocating for  Metro to open on Sindays have  visited a Metro branch on a Sunday?

How many have visited any branch at all in the last ten years? It's hard to imagine why anyone would have a need to visit a branch.

By coincidence, I needed to visit a Lloyds branch today. I am still eligible to open LISA and well under 80. The reason for the visit was that I needed to close my regular saver to get interest in this tax year. It was not possible to do so online, an attempt resulted in a request to visit a branch. Several weeks ago after hopelessly fighting with HooYu for hours I eventually went to a (NatWest) branch to have my identity verified. Last year I visited several branches to arrange deposit transfers to my solicitor as a part of the house purchase (the deposit was over 250k). So I disagree that branches are not needed. It would be good to have late opening once a week and maybe Sunday opening once a month. 

gt94sss2

The changes to Metro Banks opening hours are going to have a considerable impact on customers who have safe deposit boxes with them - it's a service which had been very popular with certain segments of their customers who will have used Metro for banking as they offer this service.

By definition you can't access security boxes online/remotely when a branch is closed and limiting opening hours to standard weekday hours for most branches is going to hurt

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any real competition in this area of banking.

Bridlington1

Emily_Joy said:

Rob5342 said:

sheramber said:

How many people advocating for  Metro to open on Sindays have  visited a Metro branch on a Sunday?

How many have visited any branch at all in the last ten years? It's hard to imagine why anyone would have a need to visit a branch.

By coincidence, I needed to visit a Lloyds branch today. I am still eligible to open LISA and well under 80. The reason for the visit was that I needed to close my regular saver to get interest in this tax year. It was not possible to do so online, an attempt resulted in a request to visit a branch. Several weeks ago after hopelessly fighting with HooYu for hours I eventually went to a (NatWest) branch to have my identity verified. Last year I visited several branches to arrange deposit transfers to my solicitor as a part of the house purchase (the deposit was over 250k). So I disagree that branches are not needed. It would be good to have late opening once a week and maybe Sunday opening once a month. 

I appreciate it's probably not much use to you now but on this point there is an ``indirect" way of closing a Lloyds regular saver online. You can renew it into an EA account online, once it has become an EA account you can close the account from there.

Emily_Joy

Bridlington1 said:

Emily_Joy said:

Rob5342 said:

sheramber said:

How many people advocating for  Metro to open on Sindays have  visited a Metro branch on a Sunday?

How many have visited any branch at all in the last ten years? It's hard to imagine why anyone would have a need to visit a branch.

By coincidence, I needed to visit a Lloyds branch today. I am still eligible to open LISA and well under 80. The reason for the visit was that I needed to close my regular saver to get interest in this tax year. It was not possible to do so online, an attempt resulted in a request to visit a branch. Several weeks ago after hopelessly fighting with HooYu for hours I eventually went to a (NatWest) branch to have my identity verified. Last year I visited several branches to arrange deposit transfers to my solicitor as a part of the house purchase (the deposit was over 250k). So I disagree that branches are not needed. It would be good to have late opening once a week and maybe Sunday opening once a month. 

I appreciate it's probably not much use to you now but on this point there is an ``indirect" way of closing a Lloyds regular saver online. You can renew it into an EA account online, once it has become an EA account you can close the account from there.

Thank you for the remainder. I had some vague recollection that it was possible to do so online from last year, and this might come useful again in the future. However, my point still stands - it is necessary to visit a branch sometimes, just as well it is necessary to be able to speak to a real person rather than to a chat bot.

Rob5342

Emily_Joy said:

Bridlington1 said:

Emily_Joy said:

Rob5342 said:

sheramber said:

How many people advocating for  Metro to open on Sindays have  visited a Metro branch on a Sunday?

How many have visited any branch at all in the last ten years? It's hard to imagine why anyone would have a need to visit a branch.

By coincidence, I needed to visit a Lloyds branch today. I am still eligible to open LISA and well under 80. The reason for the visit was that I needed to close my regular saver to get interest in this tax year. It was not possible to do so online, an attempt resulted in a request to visit a branch. Several weeks ago after hopelessly fighting with HooYu for hours I eventually went to a (NatWest) branch to have my identity verified. Last year I visited several branches to arrange deposit transfers to my solicitor as a part of the house purchase (the deposit was over 250k). So I disagree that branches are not needed. It would be good to have late opening once a week and maybe Sunday opening once a month. 

I appreciate it's probably not much use to you now but on this point there is an ``indirect" way of closing a Lloyds regular saver online. You can renew it into an EA account online, once it has become an EA account you can close the account from there.

Thank you for the remainder. I had some vague recollection that it was possible to do so online from last year, and this might come useful again in the future. However, my point still stands - it is necessary to visit a branch sometimes, just as well it is necessary to be able to speak to a real person rather than to a chat bot.

It sounds more like the banks in question didn't have decent systems in place rather than there being any fundamental need for the branches. As mentioned you could have closed the account indirectly. Was there a particular need for a NatWest account or could you have gone with someone else? Starling and Marcus are online only and you can make large transfers with both of them.

boingy

It's easy to forget that this forum only represents a certain subset of the general population and folks on here are probably less likely to need a branch than most. The fact is that people must still be using branches because branches still exist. Branches are in decline but they'll be around for a good while yet I think. I expect we'll eventually see banking hubs in most towns and cities. How effective they will be is a different matter!

WillPS

Emily_Joy said:

Bridlington1 said:

Emily_Joy said:

Rob5342 said:

sheramber said:

How many people advocating for  Metro to open on Sindays have  visited a Metro branch on a Sunday?

How many have visited any branch at all in the last ten years? It's hard to imagine why anyone would have a need to visit a branch.

By coincidence, I needed to visit a Lloyds branch today. I am still eligible to open LISA and well under 80. The reason for the visit was that I needed to close my regular saver to get interest in this tax year. It was not possible to do so online, an attempt resulted in a request to visit a branch. Several weeks ago after hopelessly fighting with HooYu for hours I eventually went to a (NatWest) branch to have my identity verified. Last year I visited several branches to arrange deposit transfers to my solicitor as a part of the house purchase (the deposit was over 250k). So I disagree that branches are not needed. It would be good to have late opening once a week and maybe Sunday opening once a month. 

I appreciate it's probably not much use to you now but on this point there is an ``indirect" way of closing a Lloyds regular saver online. You can renew it into an EA account online, once it has become an EA account you can close the account from there.

Thank you for the remainder. I had some vague recollection that it was possible to do so online from last year, and this might come useful again in the future. However, my point still stands - it is necessary to visit a branch sometimes, just as well it is necessary to be able to speak to a real person rather than to a chat bot.

You raise a decent point but it's only needed because their systems require it though.

There are banks which exist with no branch presence whatsoever. On the flipside Barclays are the worst offender for arbitrarily requiring branch visits to do simple tasks (like order a chequebook for the first time) while simultaneously cutting their branch network drastically, even leaving smaller sized city centres without a branch it seems.

You would hope that if things continue as they are things like closing an account early will be enabled. Indeed 18 months ago it wasn't possible to open a joint account with Lloyds (nor BOS/Halifax for that) without a branch visit but it now is.

Rob5342

WillPS said:

Emily_Joy said:

Bridlington1 said:

Emily_Joy said:

Rob5342 said:

sheramber said:

How many people advocating for  Metro to open on Sindays have  visited a Metro branch on a Sunday?

How many have visited any branch at all in the last ten years? It's hard to imagine why anyone would have a need to visit a branch.

By coincidence, I needed to visit a Lloyds branch today. I am still eligible to open LISA and well under 80. The reason for the visit was that I needed to close my regular saver to get interest in this tax year. It was not possible to do so online, an attempt resulted in a request to visit a branch. Several weeks ago after hopelessly fighting with HooYu for hours I eventually went to a (NatWest) branch to have my identity verified. Last year I visited several branches to arrange deposit transfers to my solicitor as a part of the house purchase (the deposit was over 250k). So I disagree that branches are not needed. It would be good to have late opening once a week and maybe Sunday opening once a month. 

I appreciate it's probably not much use to you now but on this point there is an ``indirect" way of closing a Lloyds regular saver online. You can renew it into an EA account online, once it has become an EA account you can close the account from there.

Thank you for the remainder. I had some vague recollection that it was possible to do so online from last year, and this might come useful again in the future. However, my point still stands - it is necessary to visit a branch sometimes, just as well it is necessary to be able to speak to a real person rather than to a chat bot.

Indeed 18 months ago it wasn't possible to open a joint account with Lloyds (nor BOS/Halifax for that) without a branch visit but it now is.

We tried to open a joint account with Halifax a few years ago and were astonished when they said we had to visit a branch. We couldn't be bothered with all that hassle so opened one with Santander instead and have now moved to Monzo who are far more up to date.

Emily_Joy

WillPS said:

You raise a decent point but it's only needed because their systems require it though.

I agree with you here. I am staying clear of any bank that requires me to use an app. The reason being that I don't want to carry a large device with me and my phone is not capable of running apps of any kind. In my experience at the moment UK banking apps are very difficult for people with physical disabilities or limitations. In particular, the ones I have seen are not adapted for screen readers software. Having to take a photo of yourself or your passport with an iPad is a pain too.

[Deleted User]

Rob5342 said:

WillPS said:

Emily_Joy said:

Bridlington1 said:

Emily_Joy said:

Rob5342 said:

sheramber said:

How many people advocating for  Metro to open on Sindays have  visited a Metro branch on a Sunday?

How many have visited any branch at all in the last ten years? It's hard to imagine why anyone would have a need to visit a branch.

By coincidence, I needed to visit a Lloyds branch today. I am still eligible to open LISA and well under 80. The reason for the visit was that I needed to close my regular saver to get interest in this tax year. It was not possible to do so online, an attempt resulted in a request to visit a branch. Several weeks ago after hopelessly fighting with HooYu for hours I eventually went to a (NatWest) branch to have my identity verified. Last year I visited several branches to arrange deposit transfers to my solicitor as a part of the house purchase (the deposit was over 250k). So I disagree that branches are not needed. It would be good to have late opening once a week and maybe Sunday opening once a month. 

I appreciate it's probably not much use to you now but on this point there is an ``indirect" way of closing a Lloyds regular saver online. You can renew it into an EA account online, once it has become an EA account you can close the account from there.

Thank you for the remainder. I had some vague recollection that it was possible to do so online from last year, and this might come useful again in the future. However, my point still stands - it is necessary to visit a branch sometimes, just as well it is necessary to be able to speak to a real person rather than to a chat bot.

Indeed 18 months ago it wasn't possible to open a joint account with Lloyds (nor BOS/Halifax for that) without a branch visit but it now is.

We tried to open a joint account with Halifax a few years ago and were astonished when they said we had to visit a branch. We couldn't be bothered with all that hassle so opened one with Santander instead and have now moved to Monzo who are far more up to date.

I'd question that - Mickey Mouse banking more like.
Was on a flight recently and all pre-paid, Revolut and Monzo cards were all persona non grata.