# BoI obstruction of cash withdrawals



## Starbuck (23 Mar 2010)

I've been banking for 30 years with the same BOI branch in Dublin. My salary is paid directly into it every fortnight.
I'm not in debt, and not in financial trouble. Maybe the opposite - I've got substantial savings with them.
I also have a lot of money in my current account as a result of closing and transferring from my Halifax savings account.

The other day I went into the branch - about 20 minutes before closing. I wanted to withdraw 5K in cash. 
A spotty teenager behind the counter copped an attitude immediately, telling me he 'would only give me 4K'.
Now, there are signs at the tellers counters saying you can withdraw a maximum of 5K per day. I asked where this 4K limit was coming from? He stared at me like a goldfish. I asked again. Where does this 4K figure come from? 
"Security reasons" sez he.
Whose security sez I?
"Its almost closing time" sez he.
So what, sez I!!
"You should have given us notice" sez he.
Where does it say I have to give any bloody notice to withdraw my own money sez I.
"you need clearance from the customer service rep, over there" sez he.
OK, I said, and proceeded to the 'Customer service' counter.

I explained what I needed to the female clerk. She then picked up the phone and called spotty teen, and commenced cajoling and whinging to him , could he give me (30 year customer) my OWN 5K pretty please??

After several mutterings back and forth she asked me to sign a withdrawal slip, and then said "I have have to get this approved by the Branch Manager" and slipped off into a backroom.

After several minutes she reappeared and said - ok, we'll give you the money, but can I ask you, why do you want it in cash?
I replied - no you cannot ask me.
I took the slip, got the money, and left.

Now I've banked all over the world, most recently in the Far East where I withdrew 12K over the counter in cash and nobody even blinked.

What is it with the Irish banks?
Are they afraid of a run??
5K, fer gods sake! You'd think I was pulling out a 100K or something.
I'm inclined to find a new bank which doesn't flip at the sight of cash.
Anybody know one?


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## DrMoriarty (23 Mar 2010)

There's that big one up on St Stephen's Green, what's it called again...?


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## Starbuck (23 Mar 2010)

The Bankers Club? That'd be cash only alright.


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## TOFFEEPOD (23 Mar 2010)

ATTIDUDE on both sides seems to be a problem in this post
starbuck 

"A spotty teenager behind the counter copped an attitude immediately, telling me he 'would only give me 4K'.
Now, there are signs at the tellers counters saying you can withdraw a maximum of 5K per day. I asked where this 4K limit was coming from? He stared at me like a goldfish. I asked again. Where does this 4K figure come from? 
"Security reasons" sez he."


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## DrMoriarty (23 Mar 2010)

Starbuck said:


> The Bankers Club? That'd be cash only alright.


No, opposite side of the Green, nos. 18-21...


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## mathepac (23 Mar 2010)

TOFFEEPOD said:


> ATTIDUDE on both sides seems to be a problem in this post ...


I'd have a bit of an attitude myself if I was refused access to my own money and got a series of makey-uppy reasons (aka lies) for the refusal into the bargain.


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## Bronco Lane (23 Mar 2010)

There may have been a shortage of cash in the branch at the time. Most branches give their cash order to their cash control centre at the beginning of the week for delivery on a Thursday or Friday. It is a balancing act trying to calculate how much cash you will need for the Thursday/Friday withdrawals taking in to account the Lodgments on a Monday and Tuesday from the business community.
I remember one instance where I had to hand out 50p coins on a Friday afternoon at closing time to one customer, I had already handed out my "soiled" notes.
Needless to say I had no problem balancing my cash that day.  Great times.


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## Starbuck (23 Mar 2010)

First - it was a Friday.
Second - the real reason (revealed during mutterings) was the spotty twerp had done his 'cashing up' or whatever they like to term it - twenty minutes before closing, and I was inconveniencing him by asking him to open up again. 
Third - attitude??? Its MY MONEY. OUR MONEY!!

This also does not explain where the hell they got off asking me why I wanted cash. I simply said NO to their nosey question, but I could well have been a lot ruder and said 'who the hell do you think you are asking me that'. Lets face it, if I was a crook I'd make up a story, say I was buying a car or somesuch. Do they really think I'd say 'I'm off to buy drugs' or 'I'm putting it on a horse'?


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## NorfBank (23 Mar 2010)

Change bank. 
I would, otherwise this will just be a rant. 
We love to complain but unfortunately most of us do nothing about it.


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## thedaras (23 Mar 2010)

I agree with you starbuck .
But I think the reason they ask you why you want the money is for your own protection.

I will explain further,there has been many cases of old people going into banks and withdrawing money for some scammer who has cojolled them into it,for doing their driveway for example.

Are you really old..

Other than that, unlike some places where there are no consequences for your actions,you can lodge (excuse the pun  ) a complaint to the manager about the tellers attitude and be happy that he will be dealt with.


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## Starbuck (23 Mar 2010)

Norfbank, I'm removing all my deposits. All I'm leaving them with is my debt. The Salary payments will go next. 

Thedaras, I'm a fit and handsome 40 year old. Making this difficult for me was just an excuse to make their own lives easier on the day.


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## wbbs (23 Mar 2010)

I am not taking the side of the bank, more of the worker.  There are normally strict rules regarding amount of cash being withdrawn due to security and cash management rules.  Again a cashier balancing up early would not be uncommon as it is often done in stages to enable that cashier to possibly do some other task such as balance the ATM.  These decisions are normally made by manager or supervisor and it might not have been the cashiers idea to balance up early.   Also again there are onerous responsibilities on bank staff re money laundering which could account for your questioning, they know that if you were doing something underhand with it you would of course lie but they just need to 'tick the boxes' and show they asked.  They also will be questioned by their superior as to whether they could have retained the money (in case it was going to another institution).   I know you dont care about these issues but they are very real for bank staff at the moment, staff will not take any chances breaking rules as banks are just looking for any excuse to get rid of staff, before anyone comments about the breaking of all rules that has gone on this was at the top and not the poor lowly counter staff.


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## Papercut (23 Mar 2010)

wbbs said:


> Again a cashier balancing up early would not be uncommon as it is often done in stages to enable that cashier to possibly do some other task such as balance the ATM.


  If a cashier is not open, all they have to do is put up their closed sign. I suspect that the cashier having already balanced for the day was a lie. For security reasons cashiers are not supposed to keep a large amount of cash in their drawer anyway, so it would be just a case of getting what’s needed from the safe. Similarly, if the cashier accepts a large cash lodgement – they are supposed to offload it asap to the safe. Going to & from the safe is part of a cashier’s daily routine.

  If it was the case that the safe was on a timelock, then the customer should have been informed of this.




			
				wbbs said:
			
		

> They also will be questioned by their superior as to whether they could have retained the money (in case it was going to another institution).


  Why then did the cashier only attempt to retain €1,000 of the €5,000?


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## DrMoriarty (23 Mar 2010)

Starbuck said:


> I've been banking for 30 years with the same BOI branch...





Starbuck said:


> ...I'm a fit and handsome 40 year old.


Maybe the spotty youth felt intimidated by you? 

As Norfbank says, vote with your feet, otherwise it's just a rant (the AOM factor rises steeply after 40). Drop their Head Office a line explaining why BoI has lost your custom for the next 40 years. That way, if it's the spotty youth's fault, he'll get his just desserts, and if it's not, his 'superiors' might reconsider how productive their rules are.


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## thedaras (23 Mar 2010)

Starbuck;101999
Thedaras said:
			
		

> Agree! about making their lives easier that is..dunno about the handsome and fit/40 bit though.Sure 40 is old to a spotty teenager...
> 
> Seriously though,I do agree ,that you did the right thing and I do think you should not let it go,a quick phone call to the bank manager will sort it.
> 
> I


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## rob30 (23 Mar 2010)

Problem is which bank to run too. 

I have good savings, but my bank, NIB, would only offer me a 70% mortgage. BOI made a much better offer so I have switched to them ( but backed out of buying a house in the current market).

Swings and roundabouts I suppose.


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## Starbuck (23 Mar 2010)

Alright - 40 something. I'm not giving you my birthday. 

If the problem is having the cash a half hour before closing, why not just put words to that effect on the notice about cash withdrawals?
The explanations I'm getting from some of you sound reasonable enough - so why didn't spotty teen just explain in clear and simple language? A smile and some courtesy go a long way in customer service. This guy hadn't a clue about that, and plainly could care less.
Maybe the Manager is his Daddy.....


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