Nationwide to restrict small cash counter withdrawals

[haydnwalker]

Originally Posted by Angua

So children who only have bank books are stuffed

No the article says people with cash cards only (ie not debit cards or passbooks) are affected.

Its a bit of a non-issue really as in the article the main demographic that have the problem with it are the elderly who are scared about withdrawing money in the street...well they don't have to do it in the street, as Nationwide still has cash machines inside their branches without having to use the counter service.

Halifax say you can't withdraw less than £300 over the counter and make you use the cash machines.

[Ignitionnet]

It is more aimed I think at those with basic bank accounts to be honest.

[Stuart]

Here's a radical idea for reducing queues. Employ more counter staff. When my local nationwide was a portman building society, it had four windows, and usually three open (four between 12 and 2).

The Nationwide took it over. They closed the branch for a refit, removed one of the counters. Of the remaining three, they only open two at lunch time. The rest of the time, there is just one.

[Flyboy]

Originally Posted by Russ

If you have less than £100 in your account and it's an amount of say £83, how can you access it? I can see a lot of low-earners and people on benefits leaving them over this.

One can still withdraw money from the cash machine, I don't think the machines discriminate against low earners. The only difficulty will be the three pounds, but I am sure if the customers ask, they will be accommodated.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Flyboy

One can still withdraw money from the cash machine, I don't think the machines discriminate against low earners. The only difficulty will be the three pounds, but I am sure if the customers ask, they will be accommodated.

You've missed the point. Low earners and those on benefits will make every penny count. If the balance of their account ends in a figure between zero and 10 and they need to withdraw it, what will the bank say? Let's hope they do use discretion and common sense but banks aren't known for that.

Originally Posted by Flyboy

One can still withdraw money from the cash machine, I don't think the machines discriminate against low earners. The only difficulty will be the three pounds, but I am sure if the customers ask, they will be accommodated.

it'll be the seven pounds as most cash machines only carry 10s and twenties

this sort of policy will affect people who have benefits paid into the bank ,as russ said every penny counts for those people

What they really want is everyone using internet banking and ATMs so they can reduce the staff they employ.

What those on really low incomes with little chance of access to the internet are is a nuisance to the banks.

If banks are after a truly moneyless society then they need to stop making it hard for debit card users to use their cards for small amounts..Those £5 limits in some retail stores are not helpful.

[Ed2020]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

What they really want is everyone using internet banking and ATMs so they can reduce the staff they employ.

My local Natwest has had a refit recently and replaced more than half their counters with ATMs. A lot of the time I still queue up at the counter (as I do in Tesco and B&Q, both of which are going the same way). When asked whether I realise that I could have completed my transaction more quickly at a machine my response is always the same - that I'd prefer not to see the staff all replaced by machines. Their silence after I say this suggests to me that they feel the same.

My other objection (and I realise this may be slightly irrational) is that these companies are pushing what was once their job onto the customer. In a lot of examples it's not the machine that saves the money, it's the fact that they're getting the customers to take on some of the work. Automated answering services with umpteen options to select from make me feel the same way.

Rant over.

Originally Posted by Ed2020

My local Natwest has had a refit recently and replaced more than half their counters with ATMs. A lot of the time I still queue up at the counter (as I do in Tesco and B&Q, both of which are going the same way). When asked whether I realise that I could have completed my transaction more quickly at a machine my response is always the same - that I'd prefer not to see the staff all replaced by machines. Their silence after I say this suggests to me that they feel the same.

My other objection (and I realise this may be slightly irrational) is that these companies are pushing what was once their job onto the customer. In a lot of examples it's not the machine that saves the money, it's the fact that they're getting the customers to take on some of the work. Automated answering services with umpteen options to select from make me feel the same way.

Rant over.

i totally agree
i have noticed B&Q ,supermarkets ,banks,all are replacing traditional tills and tellers with machines that would do the same job ...IF THE BLOODY THINGS EVER WORKED

[Ed2020]

Originally Posted by martyh

i totally agree
i have noticed B&Q ,supermarkets ,banks,all are replacing traditional tills and tellers with machines that would do the same job ...IF THE BLOODY THINGS EVER WORKED

In fairness I suspect that a lot of the time problems I experience with these machines (particularly those self-service checkouts in Tesco) are more a case of me not working, rather than the machine not working

You'd have thought that a computer programmer would be able to navigate those checkout screens with ease.

Originally Posted by Ed2020

In fairness I suspect that a lot of the time problems I experience with these machines (particularly those self-service checkouts in Tesco) are more a case of me not working, rather than the machine not working

You'd have thought that a computer programmer would be able to navigate those checkout screens with ease.

The other day I used the Asda version of these tills.I swear I bought 8 items and everyone of them gave me trouble despite me being very careful to follow instructions and keep up the rhythm .The number of times the assistant had to help me made it seem that I might as well have used one of the manned tills.

[Halcyon]

The reason there are more queues are becuase the stupid banks are reducing their amount of staff which means less desks to serve the public.

I've seen my bank go from 8 desks to 4.

Originally Posted by Halcyon

The reason there are more queues are becuase the stupid banks are reducing their amount of staff which means less desks to serve the public.

I've seen my bank go from 8 desks to 4.

Its exactly the same in the HBOS opposite Belfast City Hall....

Five years ago there where 10 - 12 tellers in the branch. Now I believe there six tellers, and 3 - 4 ATM style machines for the customers to pay in cash/cheques, and to pay bills at.... Its a bloody joke, considering how much they screw out of us in charges....

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Seems reasonable. I have a couple of times been caught behind people making small cash withdrawals from the bank, an elderly lady who chatted away to the person behind the counter for about 5 minutes to withdraw a few quid came to mind.

That says more about society today than the bank imo the poor old girl might not have spoken to anyone else that day and may not know when she'll speak to anyone next. When I am at work I encounter someone similar once every couple of weeks, yeah it's a bit of a chore listening to him especially when he gets on to the Korean war but tbh rather that than just be another person that doesn't have time for him, must be a lonely existance.

Alternatively the old bint in the bank might just have been a talk a holic in which case, move along granny.

---------- Post added at 15:04 ---------- Previous post was at 15:02 ----------

Originally Posted by martyh

i can see natwest starting this soon ,but hey i'm not bothered cos i,m sure it will mean a nice reduction in bank charges and possibly an increase in interest payments on my current account

or a rise in banking bonuses....

[Will21st]

Originally Posted by Ed2020

In fairness I suspect that a lot of the time problems I experience with these machines (particularly those self-service checkouts in Tesco) are more a case of me not working, rather than the machine not working

You'd have thought that a computer programmer would be able to navigate those checkout screens with ease.

Thank Lord I'm not the only one.....

they are a bleedin nuisance,they are!