# Danske Shut Down Telephone Banking



## Lightning (15 Aug 2013)

Danske Bank, who have shut their branch network, closed their ATM network, removed cash services, ended free banking, hiked mortgage rates and shut many deposit products, have now decided to shut down their 24/7 telephone banking.

According to an advertisement in The Irish Times, Danske's T&C's are changing "to reflect the removal of Danske Bank's automated 24/7 banking service".

The service appears to end on 15 October 2013.


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## Brendan Burgess (15 Aug 2013)

So what's left? 

Expensive mortgages and online banking? 

Presumably one can get cash through other ATMs? 

Brendan


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## gunnerfitzy (16 Aug 2013)

Some have been speculating for some time that their complete withdrawal from the Irish market is only a matter of time. 

It is becoming unceasingly difficult to think otherwise with the continuing downgrading of services.


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## Lightning (16 Aug 2013)

Brendan Burgess said:


> So what's left?
> 
> Expensive mortgages and online banking?



Yeah, online-only deposit products, (largely) online-only current accounts, Laser cards, credit cards services and expensive mortgages. 



Brendan Burgess said:


> Presumably one can get cash through other ATMs?



Yeah. 



> Some have been speculating for some time that their complete withdrawal from the Irish market is only a matter of time.
> 
> It is becoming unceasingly difficult to think otherwise with the continuing downgrading of services.



Yeah, the next big decision will be if Danske will replace Laser cards with Visa Debit or exit the current account market. SEPA is just months away and Danske have not yet made a decision about what to do with their debit card services.


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## gunnerfitzy (17 Aug 2013)

CiaranT said:


> Yeah, the next big decision will be if Danske will replace Laser cards with Visa Debit or exit the current account market. SEPA is just months away and Danske have not yet made a decision about what to do with their debit card services.



Money Guide Ireland are saying that Danske will issue MasterCard Debit cards.

'AIB is currently rolling out Visa Debit cards to customers and Danske Bank (formerly National Irish Bank) will issue Mastercard Debit cards to their customers later this year. EBS have issued Mastercard Debit cards already.'

http://www.*****************.com/category/debit-cards


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## Lightning (17 Aug 2013)

Dankse, about 2 years ago at this stage, told the SBP that they were replacing Laser with Mastercard Debit. Danske then changed their tune and said that had not made up their mind. 

Danske, recently said that they had not made a final decision on a Laser replacement. Time is ticking if Danske are to continue to offer a debit card product.


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## Willy Fogg (17 Aug 2013)

I can't see the big issue here, to be honest. With the rise of internet access and smartphones etc what tiny percentage of Danske's tiny percentage of account holders were using the automated service anyway?

Their Internet Banking product is far superior than anything that could be accomplished via an IVR automated system, so it makes sense to channel people towards that.


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## Lightning (17 Aug 2013)

In isolation, it is no big deal. 

As part of a bigger picture, of the ongoing increasing withdrawal of Danske Bank services and the consequential growing questioning of Danske's commitment to continue to offer Irish current account products, it matters.


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## theresa1 (18 Aug 2013)

"Our automated 24/7 Telephone Banking is state-of-the-art, convenience banking. This allows you to carry out many of your everyday banking transactions from anywhere you wish, at any time of the day or night."

So I guess it's not state-of-the-art anymore! But yes people who used it have mostly moved online. The older generation more and more are getting left behind and a Kiwibank type bank made up of PTSB with An Post should be considerd. Put it another way - a newer PostBank is badly needed with free current account otherwise you can forget competition (last hope KBC).


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## Lightning (19 Aug 2013)

Charlie Weston ran an article on this today. 



> A spokesman for the bank denied the latest scaling back of its operations was a precursor to a full closure.



Watch Danske's words. I agree that there wont be a full closure of Dankse Ireland. Danske seem committed to the SME market. The point is there could be a closure of their current account product. A current account product closure seems to be coming closer to reality. 



> He claimed there was little demand for the telephone banking service, despite the close of the branch network.



Interesting. If this is the case with other banks, we might see the closure of other telephone services.


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## Willy Fogg (19 Aug 2013)

> Interesting. If this is the case with other banks, we might see the closure of other telephone services.




Bear in mind, this is their automated system, not telephone banking as a whole.


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## Alex (21 Aug 2013)

i have just sent a very stern email to danske asking them to clarify their position regarding current account products, laser replacement, a possible withdrawal from ireland and so on. i guess they will fob me off by telling me what they think i want to hear but i really don't see the point in keeping my easy plus current account and paying for it when they might be planning on an exit. milk me for every cent possible then turn their back on me. i am looking into joining kbc. i would love to see acc bank offer a personal current account too. they should look into it. why not?


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## Buddyboy (21 Aug 2013)

I just received a letter from them stating that they were withdrawing their *automated telephone banking *due to lack of use by their customers. They stated that they still were operating their normal telephone banking facility.

I would agree with them, if as they say, that it is not being used a lot. And I can't see how it would be if internet banking is available.  I would have thought automated telephone banking would be a PITA (but have never used it) if it is anything like using the ESB meter reading by phone - inputting all the relevant numbers/codes on the handset and then having to confirm them all.  

I don't see any conspiracy to shut down their Irish operations.  I am more than happy (hell, I'll stick my head out and say _delighted_) with their internet banking service.

(But then, I'm happy with Ryanair as well - maybe I'm easily pleased)

So I won't be sending any stern letters anytime soon <grin>


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## valery (21 Aug 2013)

If they are planning to exit the Irish market, any chance they will give holders of tracker mortgages a discount to pay off early?


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## Buddyboy (22 Aug 2013)

valery said:


> If they are planning to exit the Irish market, any chance they will give holders of tracker mortgages a discount to pay off early?


 
I was talking to them this month and asked this question.

I was told that they had no plans to offer a discount for early repayment (more's the pity).


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## manninp2 (23 Aug 2013)

The key phrase is "total withdrawal from the Irish market" ala Halifax and BOSI

I don't think that's their plan.

I think they're trying to target the higher income end of the market and are shaping their services towards them.

Danske will not be a bank for everyone.

How they'll manage their legacy plebs (me included) remains to be seen. They'll probably up their fixed current account fees or put salary minimums in place and tell us to get a BOI or AIB current account, while they see out their bad mortgage book.


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## Lightning (25 Aug 2013)

The SBP comes to the same conclusion today. 

Danske Ireland will target corporate and institutional clients and high-worth private clients. 

Danske Ireland will not be in "retail". 

This would suggest that there are more cuts to come to the Danske Ireland current account service offering.


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## orka (6 Sep 2013)

CiaranT said:


> Dankse, about 2 years ago at this stage, told the SBP that they were replacing Laser with Mastercard Debit. Danske then changed their tune and said that had not made up their mind.
> 
> Danske, recently said that they had not made a final decision on a Laser replacement. Time is ticking if Danske are to continue to offer a debit card product.


Got a letter from Danske this morning saying they were issuing Debit Mastercard in November.  Not impressed that there will be an ATM withdrawal charge in the UK - 3.5%, min €3.17.


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## ang1170 (6 Sep 2013)

orka said:


> Got a letter from Danske this morning saying they were issuing Debit Mastercard in November.


 
Same here - letter arrived this morning. When I e-mailed them to say I didn’t want the card (and more to the point, wouldn’t pay for it), as the only reason for the account now is to service my mortgage with them, I was told their sales team would contact me, to “discuss your options”. I can’t wait to see what they are…..


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## Lightning (6 Sep 2013)

orka said:


> Got a letter from Danske this morning saying they were issuing Debit Mastercard in November.  Not impressed that there will be an ATM withdrawal charge in the UK - 3.5%, min €3.17.



Danske have left the decision on a debit card replacement to the last minute, pre full SEPA implementation. 

That is the same non-EUR withdrawal charge as with the old Laser card.


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## gunnerfitzy (7 Sep 2013)

I got my letter yesterday morning also. I'm glad to finally see that they have made a decision on this. Hopefully this indicates in some way that they are committed to remaining in the Irish market for the medium term at least.

Would I be right in saying that when the associated automated transaction charge will become payable in August 2014 those with easy plus and prestige accounts will not have to pay any additional charges. i.e. use will be free as part of the account package?

I took a quick look at some of the other banks charges for non-euro transactions and it appears that the 3.5% for non-euro cash withdrawals is pretty much the standard.

Withdrawals from Danske Bank UK ATMs will apparently cost less. The Danske Bank UK site lists all the locations.

[broken link removed]

I don't think there are any Danske Bank ATMs in mainland UK ??


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## twofor1 (7 Sep 2013)

gunnerfitzy said:


> Would I be right in saying that when the associated automated transaction charge will become payable in August 2014 those with easy plus and prestige accounts will not have to pay any additional charges. i.e. use will be free as part of the account package?
> 
> Withdrawals from Danske Bank UK ATMs will apparently cost less.


I regularly use my Danske Bank laser card for sterling withdrawals at Danske Bank ATM’s in the north, the applicable selling note rate at that time is applied, no additional fee is charged, if I use any other bank’s ATM’s up north the additional 3.5% charge is applied.

Danske have confirmed that this will remain the case with the new Debit Mastercard, however this may be subject to change.

Danske have also confirmed that the 0.25cent charge for Contactless Payments with the new Debit Mastercard (Free until Mar 2014) will not apply to packages such as Easy Plus after March 2014, as transaction fees do not apply to these accounts.

If you had to pay the 0.25 cent charge for Contactless Payment, and used it twice daily, that would be an additional annual banking charge of €182.50 for this facility alone.


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## gunnerfitzy (7 Sep 2013)

twofor1 said:


> I regularly use my Danske Bank laser card for sterling withdrawals at Danske Bank ATM’s in the north, the applicable selling note rate at that time is applied, no additional fee is charged, if I use any other bank’s ATM’s up north the additional 3.5% charge is applied.
> 
> Danske have confirmed that this will remain the case with the new Debit Mastercard, however this may be subject to change.
> 
> ...



Many thanks for the info.


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## Lightning (7 Sep 2013)

Yorky said:


> My mortgage with them is 1% (ECB + .5%)- hardly expensive ...



Brendan was referring to Danske Banks current offerings.


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## ronnach (9 Sep 2013)

twofor1 said:


> If you had to pay the 0.25 cent charge for Contactless Payment, and used it twice daily, that would be an additional annual banking charge of €182.50 for this facility alone.



This sunset clause on free contactless payment a possible dealbreaker for me. 

It is excessive and the timing is crafty. It's not being introduced immediately to keep us on board until most have forgotten about it, and then being introduced quietly during a holiday period.

I've set my calendar to review my options next June.


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## Lightning (18 Sep 2013)

According to the Danske Bank website, Danske Bank have removed secure email, via their app, as a way to contact customer service. 

The drip drip removal of services continues.


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## gunnerfitzy (19 Sep 2013)

CiaranT said:


> According to the Danske Bank website, Danske Bank have removed secure email, via their app, as a way to contact customer service.
> 
> The drip drip removal of services continues.



I installed the newly updated Android app yesterday and it still has secure email option. Overall the app is smoother, looks better and has more features.


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## ashambles (20 Sep 2013)

On the IOS app after the last upgrade you can still contact them via an email like facility in the app.

Also they've added an option to view your stock trading account, and buy and sell shares from your phone. Comprehensive list of securities, if you want a Japanese, Australian, US etc.. share they're all there. Also it looks like there's a long list of Vanguard funds to buy as well.

I'm not sure if any other bank offers Irish customers anything like that?


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## dam099 (20 Sep 2013)

ronnach said:


> This sunset clause on free contactless payment a possible dealbreaker for me.
> 
> It is excessive and the timing is crafty. It's not being introduced immediately to keep us on board until most have forgotten about it, and then being introduced quietly during a holiday period.
> 
> I've set my calendar to review my options next June.


 
I noted previously that AIB are playing a similar game and waiving the charge until some time in 2014. 

It seems like a bit of a bait and switch to get people using the contactless payments, then lob on the charges (which I think in their case will be 20c) when they are in the habit of using the card.

If contactless payments are to be a true alternative to cash there will need to be a rethink on charges for micro payments. Hopefully some of the potential non-bank players here like Google/Paypal and others might offer cheaper alternatives that make the banks charging plans a non-runner.


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