To think that banks need to sort themselves out?

[AnnaQuayRules]

Banks have closed branches as most people now bank online. So why do they not adapt their practice to support online banking???

DH's mother died a few months ago, and probate has just been granted. She had some money in her bank accounts which now goes to DH and his (step) sibling.

Bank have refused to transfer the money into DH's bank account as it is too big an amount. I don't know what their cut off is, but apparently the amount being inherited is too high. So they are sending DH a cheque.

DH has two bank accounts at different banks. One has said they no longer accept cheques, even from another bank. The other bank says that DH can post them the cheque but, given the value, they would advise DH to bring it into a branch and pay it in in person. However, the nearest branch to us is closed for refurbishment and the next nearest is over 70 miles away, and not open on Saturdays.

It seems madness that, in this day and age, banks can't do bank transfers in these scenarios. If necessary DH can take a half day of leave and go to the bank 70 miles away but it feels ridiculous.

AIBU to think that, if banks want to be online businesses, they need to ensure that people can send and receive money virtually. And if they insist that people visit a physical branch then they need to have one to go to?

I feel your pain. I’m executor for an estate and it’s a nightmare getting money from the banks.
You have to take death certificates, probate certificates in to a branch which maybe miles away. Alternatively you can post the documents which are rarely returned so you need to make sure you have several death certificates (at £15 each).
The worse thing is proving my address. They want a copy of a utility bill etc , but won’t accept one that has been downloaded. However everything is online now, including the banks!
Madness

Just post the cheque - its safe, not sure why the bank said it wouldn’t be.

The reason you can’t just transfer a large amount of money is due to fraud checks - they are actually safeguarding you

Could you pay the cheque in via the post office??

The FCA should be making rules for all banks to cover this.

They are. It’s a scheme called cash access UK where banks join up, buy a branch between them and on Monday it’s a Barclays, Tuesday a NatWest etc. coming to a high street near you soon.

I’ve just sold my house and I’ve needed to visit the bank in person twice. Both things could’ve been done online happily by me if the bank had the will to put the necessary systems in place.

I don’t think it’s ok to close branches but not offer robust online solutions instead. I overheard a number of customers telling the staff that they’d tried and failed to achieve what they wanted online.

If they are so interested in that they need to have more accessible branches.

These problem having nothing to do with safeguarding, they have to do with money grubbing and shit service.

They know they control the money and people have no real choice but to use them, they have created a world of electronic money and an electronic economy.

It turns out all the people who pointed out how much control this gives to banks were right.... An important principle of politics and warfare is that the ones who controls the infrastructure are really in charge of the system.

Bollocks. They allow scammers to move huge amounts of money and do nothing to stop it. Suspicious activity is ignored, people spending fortunes on romance fraud are unlikely to challenged.

They do it because they have updated the processes which make them money. The ones that don't are still based in the 1950s.

It's strange how I can open an account with an overdraft online but to get money from the account that you have proven belongs to a dead relative, you need to provide paper copies of documents that don't exist in 2026!

@Flossette we have a "Banking Hub" in our town that does exactly this. However, neither of the banks DH and I bank with are a part of that. DH is seriously thinking of opening a bank account with one of the ones that is part of it just to avoid this issue. However, he went in there earlier this week to ask and was told he would have to make an appointment with a "customer services officer" and the first available slot is mid June!

We have a banking hub that’s newly opened. Different banks on different days. It’s a good idea.

It's a good idea if you bank with those particular banks. We don't.

I wonder why they don't have a branch like this with "mini" banks in it all week long? So you go in and you can choose the wicket for the bank you want?

Use First Direst - they have only ever been online and are totally set up for it. I’ve been with them 25+ years and found them excellent. Many ex-high street banks are useless because they haven’t evolved.

I bank with one of the big banks and they sorted payments over 250K for several beneficiaries following a bereavement. Is it not possible for your DH to open a bank account online for one which uses the Banking Hub?

Fair enough if your bank isn’t represented at a banking hub but there’s a good selection with 2 different banks on most days that could assist a large proportion of people that use banks. I do t suppose they’ll offer comprehensive services like the main branches do but folk around here, especially older people, are grateful it’s opened.

The cheque is for MUCH less than £250k!

Yes, DH could open an account online with one of those banks but he'd still need to make a F2F appointment to pay the cheque in apparently - and there aren't any of those for 2 months.

@FlapperFlamingo one of DH's accounts is with Chase which is completely online, and they are refusing to deal with cheques, even ones issued by banks. I think DH used to have a First Direct account years ago, but closed it.

A quick glance suggests Barclays let you pay a cheque in remotely

https://www.barclays.co.uk/ways-to-bank/mobile-banking-services/paying-in-a-cheque/

Yes I find it so frustrating. I’ve been at your level when dealing with parents in law passing away and dealing with their estate…but it also frustrates me on a very low level that I’m a low level mobile user/laptop/ipad/whatever. Yes ironic that I’m posting about it in a forum using my phone! But what I mean is I’m not a fan of apps, downloading apps, putting all these things on my phone. I’m very very old. For us oldies , it’s not so easy to remember all the technology even if you use the app. I want to go into my local high street to do my banking. Over the years as each bank has gone from the high street , we’ve opened another account at the any of the others left, but gradually they’ve all gone. Like you, we’re now expected to go into a much bigger town further away for any in person banking. So my husband has all the apps and does all the banking, but what about the time he’s not here (can’t bear to think about it😢😢😢😢 but still). They just don’t care. They’ve taken away jobs from the bank and local services for the community

And even if you do, they are not much use. I bank with LLoyds and my elderly mother gave me a cheque for Christmas. I do use Internet banking - but on my laptop, as I don't have a smart phone or the App,

I carefully waited until Lloyds day in the banking hub and took my cheque in, only to be told that they didn't accept cheques, and neither did the Post Office. I was told I had to take it into an actual Lloyds branch, not the banking hub.

I pointed out that they have closed all the local Lloyds banks in my area and the nearest one was now 40 miles away, meaning an 80 mile round trip to a city centre.

They were not interested.

Only up to £5k though - so it depends on how much the OP's cheque is for.
First Direct offer the same service, but their limit used to be £1k I think, not sure if it has changed since I last used it.

The Bank of Scotland doesn't allow that anymore, that includes the banking hubs which are run by the Post Office. You have to go into the branch, where you are instructed to put it into the automatic hole in the wall thing. Do not, under any circumstances, ask to speak to a teller, that would be very, VERY unreasonable 🙄

And breathe ...

@P00hsticks it's for just under £100k.

Even if and when DH manages to pay it in, he will then have the hassle of trying to send half of it to his step brother. I don't know which bank his step brother banks with but I can foresee an issue with DH trying to do an online transfer to him, and his stepbrothers bank flagging it as potential fraud .....

I agree, they’re nightmares. DH got a surprise refund from Amazon (I believe a lot of people did) The cheque was in dollars and couldn’t be paid in via the app. He also had to pay a fee if he paid it in as it was in dollars. Our nearest branch is also a long way away.

The cheque had an expiry date and we missed it 🤷‍♀️ I would imagine a lot of other people did due to the same sorts of difficulties, allowing Amazon to say they offered the refund but missing out the fact it was very difficult to claim.

I know from my own experience that you can pay up to 5000 at a time then do another one then do another one etc. until sorted.

My bugbear are outfits who will happily take a bank transfer but then only issue a refund by cheque.