I have had a PPI claim upheld which – when I eventually get it – will be a nice little windfall. But the key word in there is “eventually”.
We’re in the 21st Century, but it drives me crazy that I can only pay cash into my account specifically at one of my bank’s branches. That means having to get to a high street somewhere, with parking and fuel costs, not to mention the general inconvenience (don’t get me started on old people waiting in the West Bridgford car parks without buying a ticket while their spouse does the shopping, blocking everyone else). And when I get there I have to keep my fingers crossed that there isn’t a queue, because it seems that 99.9% of other bank customers use the places for the sole purpose of raising impossibly complex queries that take ages to resolve and tie the only cashier working up for ten minutes. Even with just a couple of people in the queue and more than one cashier working (which isn’t often at Halifax), this can lead to a 10-15 minute wait just to deposit cash and cheques..
At my local branch they have a fast-deposit machine. That’s a very funny joke, because it isn’t fast at all (though admittedly it’s usually slightly faster than going to the cashiers’ desk when it’s working), and doubly so when someone else is trying to use it and is reading every single word on the screen and putting their money in all mixed up (and why the bloody hell do they then go straight to the withdrawal machine to check that it’s gone in? The other one just told you it had accepted your deposit, and you got a receipt. It’s the same system. Are you really that stupid?) Anyone over 35 – except for me – should be kept away from the automatic system, or maybe even forced to use a bank specifically for old people who are frightened of technology and who don’t trust banks with their money!
But all banks seem to want to raise bureaucracy to new heights in every area of their business. You see, the PPI refund I am waiting for to appear in my account is being paid by another bank – one I was with many moons ago and which stopped being a bank, hence my move elsewhere. I got a call from them on 30 May telling me the claim had been upheld, and that a letter would be sent out within 10 days for me to accept the offer formally.
We could have sorted it all out on the phone there and then, but that’s not how banks work. Instead, I had to wait 10 days – and we’re talking about WORKING days, so there were two weekends in the middle – for the letter to arrive, and that was after discovering that after the 30 May conversation the letter only went out on 6 June (oh, it was ordered on 30 May, they told me, but it wasn’t printed until a week later). I now learn that they will pay out “within 28 days” of receiving the acceptance form. Of course, the chances of that turning out to be much less than 28 days are extremely remote. I assume that the interest they’ll be earning on my money will pay for all the unnecessary arseing about involved – albeit only at their end.
Then this week, in a totally separate incident, a household bill for £200 I had paid by debit card last week was charged again by standing order – in other words, I have paid £400 instead of £200. The second £200 was removed from my account in ten seconds flat, but I now learn it will take “3 working days” for it to be credited back – and with the weekend now looming (thanks to the day and half already taken to discuss it and agree it WAS an error and not some fraudulent claim by a Master Criminal) that means Monday at the earliest.
Why is it that money can be taken in the blink of an eye, and yet giving it back takes forever?
I’m keeping my eye on services like Barclays Pingit. On paper it is a great idea, but until all banks offer something similar the extra hassle of topping up a separate “wallet” account for non-Barclays customers means it isn’t going to be that useful for taking lesson payments (the crap internet phone signal and/or availability is another downside).
But anything that removes the need to physically visit a branch or cash point can’t be all bad.