Cash is King

CEF said:
All the banks near us have shut down. Have to travel 5-6 mile to the nearest one. Disgrace really.
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Nearest branch of my bank involves a 60 mile round trip.
But its never really been an issue, cos I've never needed to go in.
Opened a Post Office account just in case I needed counter service for something,but haven't really needed it tbf.
 
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Georgewhitt said:
So why is the PO a shitter alternative?
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Because you're often at the mercy or 1-2 members of staff processing a load of parcel deliveries and various other things - often takes ages. Before they closed my local bank, they had a fair few machines to just deposit myself. Infinitely faster and always better to have actual bank staff there if needing to go over any other queries at the same time.
 
Longcount said:
Because you're often at the mercy or 1-2 members of staff processing a load of parcel deliveries and various other things - often takes ages. Before they closed my local bank, they had a fair few machines to just deposit myself. Infinitely faster and always better to have actual bank staff there if needing to go over any other queries at the same time.
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Fair points.
More of a staffing issue mainly, rather than the services provided though by the sound of it.
 
Georgewhitt said:
Fair points.
More of a staffing issue mainly, rather than the services provided though by the sound of it.
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It's a capacity issue. You'd need much bigger POs in a lot of instances to even get the staff needed in there.

I also like the idea of the staff actually having a clue about the bank I'm using incase I've got any other queries or things to do while in there.

One of the bigger POs local to me has staff from different banks come in for one day per week for a few hours, which is slightly better.
ebb said:
PO is the best option if you want to launder money.
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I used to go to the bank and cash bank via a machine with my card and pin. I now go to the PO and cash it via a person with my card and pin. Not sure how it's much different in that regard tbh.
 
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Longcount said:
It's a capacity issue. You'd need much bigger POs in a lot of instances to even get the staff needed in there.

I also like the idea of the staff actually having a clue about the bank I'm using incase I've got any other queries or things to do while in there.

One of the bigger POs local to me has staff from different banks come in for one day per week for a few hours, which is slightly better.
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Yeah, these "Banking Hubs" will help with that if they are ever rolled out properly.
 
DaveH said:
That is a commercial decision of the banks, not a decision of society. If they thought branches still had value then they would have kept them open as a loss leader.

The most common services (withdraw, paying in, and I think funds transfers) can now be done over post office counters, after banks struck a deal. Since a lot of post offices moved to be counters in small supermarkets, they now open longer than post offices and banks did. I did end up with a pile of cash at one point that needed paying in, so it was great being able to sort it locally at a post office outside normal working hours.
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Should be made to, by law, for the good of society.
SAFC_Marc said:
Made by who? And why just banks?
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The government.
Which other service are you refering to?
Georgewhitt said:
Nearest branch of my bank involves a 60 mile round trip.
But its never really been an issue, cos I've never needed to go in.
Opened a Post Office account just in case I needed counter service for something,but haven't really needed it tbf.
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Canny trek that. Are there other banks near by, or are you miles away from them all?
 
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CEF said:
Aye, should be branches available for everyone. Should be made to keep them open. As said it's a cold, heartless, I'm alright jack, cashless future. Society? There's no such thing as society.
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Very socialist that. But banks are probably the most market-driven businesses going.

The Lloyds local to me a few years ago opened for five hours a day with three staff (always had to be three for security reasons). They served on average thirteen customers a day. Not even three an hour. They didn't leave people cashless though when they closed it, there was a perfectly usable free-to-use ATM at the Co-op over the road. Hardly anyone ever goes inside a bank to withdraw money anymore so I dunno where this leaving people cashless comes from by a branch closing.
 
Paddy O'Dors said:
Very socialist that. But banks are probably the most market-driven businesses going.

The Lloyds local to me a few years ago opened for five hours a day with three staff (always had to be three for security reasons). They served on average thirteen customers a day. Not even three an hour. They didn't leave people cashless though when they closed it, there was a perfectly usable free-to-use ATM at the Co-op over the road. Hardly anyone ever goes inside a bank to withdraw money anymore so I dunno where this leaving people cashless comes from by a branch closing.
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It was just an extra take on the cashless thing.

Market-driven, and have shown they can't be trusted with it. 15 years on and we're all still significantly poorer since they crashed the world's economy.

Should have kept them in the public's hands and ran then for the public good, providing sensible mortgages, loans, and advice.
 
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CEF said:
Should be made to, by law, for the good of society.

The government.
Which other service are you refering to?

Canny trek that. Are there other banks near by, or are you miles away from them all?
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Got a Lloyds and a PO.
Opened a PO account when my bank left, just in case I needed counter service, but never use it really.
 

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