On the way to work this morning I stopped to get some cash from the hole in the wall at Ipswich Station. Unfortunately the machine decided to eat my card, instead I just got a bit of paper telling me to contact my bank. Apparently the fault code on the paper meant that there had been a jam, rather than me being insolvent (I’m guessing like a big printer there was a 20 pound note getting ripped in half somewhere inside!).
So when I got to the office I phoned the bank who were very apologetic and said they’d "rush" a new card out to me, how long will that be… you guessed it, 5 working days. So at best I won’t have a card until next Wednesday! In the meantime to get money I have to go into the bank and go through the rigmarole of queuing up and then proving who I am.
Luckily the security procedures are laughable so it doesn’t take long. When I went in at lunchtime all I had to do was provide the sort code and account number and my post code (that’s ZIP code for friends over the pond). There was no checking of my signature (which they have on file and I would assume is stored in a document management system online somewhere), or any "proper" security information such as mother’s maiden name etc. I think it actually ended up quicker using the counter system to get at my cash than to use the cash machine! A bit of a tip there for anyone with criminal tendencies, just get hold of a thrown out bank statement and you’ve got access to free cash with no hassles!
This is the difference between the British and American way of doing business. If I lose my card, I can walk into my bank branch and walk out with a new card. Or I can call the 24×7 help line and have one sent to my over night, without any additional cost.
Sean—
The scary thing is that apparently I am a “premier” customer, normal mortals wouldn’t get their card for an even longer period!
I don’t know what bank Sean deals with. The bank I deal with here in the US would need to send me a new card from one location and a new PIN code from another location. And for the duration not only would I not be able to use the ATM machines for cash, but I also would not be able to use the bank’s web access for my account either, since it uses the ATM card number. Five business days sounds about right. Although admittedly, I haven’t been through this for a few years.
US banking varies wildly from state-to-state in my experience. My main bank in Indiana could give me a card and PIN there and then. The affiliate branch in Tampa could do nothing of the sort.
Whereas in the UK, all banks are crap http://www.11tmr.com/11tmr.nsf/emoticons/DLYH-5MZVLY/$FILE/smile.gif“> See, we’re consistent.