Bank Fury! How Stupid Are UK Banks?

I just thought I would share my latest annoyance on here and it concerns my half-witted bank. This was for a money transfer to pay for my new camera:

1) I phoned my bank, answered security questions and was identified as account holder.

2) Gave them the account details of the person to be paid.

3) Was told that it was done and that they would receive the money the next day.

4) Contacted the seller to say the money would be with them the next day.

FOUR DAYS LATER . . . .

I received a phone call today, informing me that they had stopped the transaction as a possible fraudulent payment!

Well, how absolutely stupid is that, considering that I had identified myself as me via the security questions in order to arrange the transfer in the first place? Also, in order to identify myself today, and confirm that the request was genuine, I went through the same identification process again!

Now I look an idiot because I promised the seller that the money would be with them the day after I arranged it.

Mike

I spent a year in England and really, their service is extremely poor. After trying to use their banking system I just cracked the ****s and sent my money to Australia and used netbanking.

You're in pretty bad shape when it's easier to use netbanking from another country than walking into a branch next door.

One of the best things I heard while I was in a branch was:
"I can't give you a 50 pound note"

"Why?"

"The bundle isn't open"

The guy stared blankly and the teller and then fired off
"You're a bank, and you're telling me you can't give me money...Get me your manager!"

That sounds about right!

I wonder how high the UK ranks in the global league table for half-witted banking practices.

Mike

I think if there was a league table, then we would either top it or be second (to US banks!)

I'm just wondering who would top the league table for incompetent postal services.

USPS seems a bit hit and miss, based on my past experiences, but Royal Mail's Parcel Force would surely beat all league table competitors into oblivion, in much the same way that they beat a lot of parcels into oblivion.

Mike

I see the problem with the USPS is that there is just too much of it. Too many drivers trying to drive too many trucks. We have about 4 different drivers during the week that stop by our house. Many I only see once, we may get one letter a day or an entire pack rolled up with a rubber band. Unlike UPS where they have certain divisions or neighborhoods which they drive and only one person a day working the same exact spots. Trying to find a lost envelope or package at USPS is not easy, as they must track down certain vehicles and drivers. I will give them credit though. For the amount of work and pieces they receive a day, they do an excellent job. Its just hard to keep it consistent with so much. They have also been looking at cutting back from 5 deliveries a week, to 3. Seems like they could be more consistent with less.

It must be a nightmare trying to cover some of your more isolated regions over there. No excuses by comparison over here really.

Once I had to make a bank wire to the US and the bank over here messed it right up (as usual). In the end I gave up and sent cash in an envelope via a guaranteed delivery time service. I can't remember which service it was, but it cost about £30.

The envelope managed to leave the UK in good time (as part of the subsequent investigation confirmed), but it took over three weeks to reach the seller, which didn't go down too well with them, even though it was 'their' fault, due to USPS taking so long!

Mike-DT6 wrote in post #8522523
It must be a nightmare trying to cover some of your more isolated regions over there. No excuses by comparison over here really.

Once I had to make a bank wire to the US and the bank over here messed it right up (as usual). In the end I gave up and sent cash in an envelope via a guaranteed delivery time service. I can't remember which service it was, but it cost about £30.

The envelope managed to leave the UK in good time (as part of the subsequent investigation confirmed), but it took over three weeks to reach the seller, which didn't go down too well with them, even though it was 'their' fault, due to USPS taking so long!

They don't even try out here in the boondocks. We don't have mail delivery service in my ZIP code. If I want my mail, I must go to the post office to get it.

And it's not even mine! When my wife thumbs through it I hear her muttering "Bill's, Bill's, Bill's".... I have no idea who the hell this Bill person is.

A likely story!

I used to do a lot of business in the UK and I was always amazed how antiquated just about everything is over there. One could almost bet that some sort of transportation would not work - be it the tube, the busses or the cab drivers on strike. I never understood why the Brits just put up with it. If the Metro in New York broke down for 15 minutes with all the lights out, all hell would break loose - in London however, you will not hear a single complaint. People just sit in the dark and wait and wait and wait.....

5Dmaniac wrote in post #8522701
I used to do a lot of business in the UK and I was always amazed how antiquated just about everything is over there. One could almost bet that some sort of transportation would not work - be it the tube, the busses or the cab drivers on strike. I never understood why the Brits just put up with it. If the Metro in New York broke down for 15 minutes with all the lights out, all hell would break loose - in London however, you will not hear a single complaint. People just sit in the dark and wait and wait and wait.....

Noone to complain to. Staff are on strike because they haven't had a decent pay rise in line with inflation while the directors of the transport company (and, in fact, the banks) are giving themselves multi million buck bonuses even though their company is running at a loss. We sit in the dark mulling this over and thanking god that we can't walk into a walmart on a whim and buy an automatic pistol to blow our brains out.

Have a nice day!

5Dmaniac wrote in post #8522701
I used to do a lot of business in the UK and I was always amazed how antiquated just about everything is over there. One could almost bet that some sort of transportation would not work - be it the tube, the busses or the cab drivers on strike. I never understood why the Brits just put up with it. If the Metro in New York broke down for 15 minutes with all the lights out, all hell would break loose - in London however, you will not hear a single complaint. People just sit in the dark and wait and wait and wait.....

Well, what actual good would running around shouting do, except raise the temperature and peoples frustration level even more. People do complain about such things afterward. Perhaps Americans are too quick to release Hell?

I also think our Post Office do a fair job, quite honestly. They aren't perfect but if you think of the job they are required to do, going to every little village and hamlet, they don't do too badly.

Don't tlak to me about banks though. Their charges to handle a foreign currency cheque are outrageous, and the time it takes to process a payment is poor as well, especially for electronic payments which should happen almost instantly. Is it the 21st century or what?

jrfoto wrote in post #8524845
Well, what actual good would running around shouting do, except raise the temperature and peoples frustration level even more. People do complain about such things afterward. Perhaps Americans are too quick to release Hell?

I also think our Post Office do a fair job, quite honestly. They aren't perfect but if you think of the job they are required to do, going to every little village and hamlet, they don't do too badly.

Don't tlak to me about banks though. Their charges to handle a foreign currency cheque are outrageous, and the time it takes to process a payment is poor as well, especially for electronic payments which should happen almost instantly. Is it the 21st century or what?

I hate to say it but our post office SUCKS!!

My address is one of only three with the same postcode (equivelent to Zip code in the US) and they still manage to screw up deliveries. They have 3 doors to choose from and cant manage to get the right one! Oh and there are numerous times we have recieved things for a completely different street!

Oh and this is within a capital city!

Unfortunately banks are not as highly efficient and intelligent as some people may think. My brother recently was able to impersonate my father by providing the customer service representative with a date of birth, bank account # and address. He transferred $12k from my fathers retirement fund into his account via online bank transfers that he was able to get the agent to activate over the phone.

Bank's response to my father when he reported the fraud? "You didn't tell us you wanted maximum security questions when you opened your account".