Santander Cash deposit machines

Santander Cash deposit machines

Author
Discussion

heebeegeetee

Original Poster:

28,591 posts

247 months

Monday 20th February 2017
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Hi all,

Looking for some thoughts or feedback on making cash deposits at Santander ATMs and their new machines.

I have to make cash deposits for my small business, usually once every 2 weeks. I have always used the ATM at one particular branch of Santander, which is near my home and where parking is easy (often right outside the branch at the times I would visit).

The machine there was a bit of an old relic, with a screen that was difficult to read in daylight. However as far as depositing cash was concerned, it worked well. Insert card, tap in requirements, tap in the amount depositing, a slot opened and I'd slip an envelope of cash from pocket straight into the machine. Job done.

Not anymore. I went to make a deposit as usual on Friday last, found the new machine, couldn't get it to accept my money so had to rearrange my weekend plans and visit the branch Saturday morning.

You now have to place the cash only (no envelope) into a slot, the machine counts the cash (reasonably quickly but a slower process nevertheless), but it rejects the notes that are not fresh enough/too used etc, so you have to withdrawer notes, smooth them out etc and reinsert, (while a queue forms behind).

This was all demonstrated to me by an assistant in the branch, but one £20 note had to be exchanged, the machine wouldn't accept it.

What rather alarms me though is the notion of handling all this cash out in the open, in the street. I can't understand how anybody could think this is not a reduction of safety and security to customers to quite some degree. It looks like in future I'll have to arrange to use the machine in branch, which means I have lost a more convenient and safer method of banking and may mean I have to carry the cash with me for longer than I did before.

Just wondering if anyone else here uses these machines and if they have any thoughts?

Sycamore

1,726 posts

117 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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My local Smart specialist has stopped taking large cash payments due to these machines, for the same reasons you mentioned above.

They reject the less than perfect notes, and having to carry lots of cash through Birmingham is asking for trouble.

MockingJay

1,311 posts

128 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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My local Lloyds have one, it's crap. It gets jammed, rejects notes and is generally a PITN so I just take it to the counter anyway to deposit.

Edit: The first time I was asked to use it by the cashier, she came over to it with me, fed it the cash and then it jammed and took 15 minutes to sort out, cue embarrased cashier who explained using the deposit machine would be far quicker than over the counter laugh

condor

8,837 posts

247 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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Do they have a night safe that you could use instead?

rufmeister

1,332 posts

121 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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I have been using Santander Business for 8 years now and had the same headache when all of our local branches changed over to the new style machines.

Deposits went from 2 seconds to frequently 30 minutes plus, and the odd 1 hour.

This was extremely frustrating, as the machines would regularly miscount, or reject items, or just take them and spit them all back after making me go through a 20 minute transaction.

I spoke to my local branch which happens to be Santander head office in Milton Keynes, and they arranged a few meetings with me, to meet the technical team, and other people involved in the roll out of these machines. I requested they accompany me during a transaction, to see just how long it takes, and how their machines are not fit for purpose, as they simply didn't work as was intended, and the timescale for business customers with numerous transactions was unacceptable.

They all agreed, and said they would address the issues, I was offered the use of postal banking, but the 1st transaction was a disaster, "losing" £2300, then finding it 2 weeks later.

Another discussion later and it was agreed that I was able to use the counter facilities as a drop off service, similar to the old system, except using envelopes that were sent internally to the clearing office.

It's probably 18 months since all of this, and nothing has changed. If there's a queue in the bank, I will try the machines, but they still suffer the same issues.

They really need to find a solution, as for personal banking, depositing small sums of cash or cheques, it works fine, but to for business customers.

55palfers

5,893 posts

163 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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Nothing ever seems to be for he benefit of the customer does it?

Your old system worked well, why change it?

Knowing banks, it's just another way to eliminate another "non-productive" (i.e. instead try to flog 'em dodgy insurance, hokey investments, overpriced loans and mortgages, etc.) job.

rufmeister

1,332 posts

121 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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As I understand it, the cashiers used to have to manually put the cheques and cash on their system, but now the customer does it via the machine, so saves them a job, freeing them up to sell sell sell.


heebeegeetee

Original Poster:

28,591 posts

247 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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Well this is all very alarming. I'll possibly copy and paste some of these comments, but let's face it, they are not going to change it.

Fills you with confidence, doesn't it? Someone who can't ever have had to bank cash himself has come up with a non-working design and management signs it off.

rufmeister

1,332 posts

121 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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Forgot to add that it's annoying, I know have to make sure I go during the banks opening hours to hand over my items, which they send internally to processing.

Bristol spark

4,381 posts

182 months

Tuesday 21st February 2017
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HSBC have had these for years, although they are inside the bank.

If you go in on a Saturday you have to use them, as the desk is not manned!

rufmeister

1,332 posts

121 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
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My local branch calls it Express Banking...

Just tried the machine while the queue died down. 17 cheques took 9 minutes.

The Moose

22,821 posts

208 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
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Do you have a local MetroBank branch? Their opening hours are much more convenient.

j3gme

883 posts

193 months

Thursday 23rd February 2017
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You can bank your cash at a main Post Office with Santander....depending on the amounts you bank with them, I managed to negotiate 22pence per £100

Patch1875

4,893 posts

131 months

Sunday 26th February 2017
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Thankfully for the moment my branch has the old machine.

Used the new one a couple of times for paying in cheques think the q was 10
deep by the time it had finished!

ymwoods

2,177 posts

176 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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I suppose the new machines are to stop the times when customers swear blind that it was £1,000 in the envelope but then when the bank count it they only find £990. The customer then probably says the bank ripped them off. With the new machines its counted infront of the customer just like at the desks...but if the machine is such a pain in the arse then whats the point to be honest...

I'm lucky in that I don't handle cash often, when I do, I just use it as petty cash rather than putting it in the bank. I only deal with them every now and again...luckily only the envelope ones though so far!

heebeegeetee

Original Poster:

28,591 posts

247 months

Monday 27th February 2017
quotequote all
j3gme said:
You can bank your cash at a main Post Office with Santander....depending on the amounts you bank with them, I managed to negotiate 22pence per £100
That's a point I need to explore, I do use a nice, Asian, family-friendly post office not too far away. If the Santander arrangement isn't in place there, I wonder if I could open a post office account and transfer cash from one bank to the other?

M42L

43 posts

111 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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Reading this topic I thought I'll posted it myself in my sleep. I hate causing a long queue so try to choose a quietist time but even when a branch has 3 ATMs it normally takes 20mins for the machine to chug along and accept money/chqs and corrections. Usually end with a trip to the desk to pay something in that the machine rejects. Painfull. Watched the installers of these machines of frustration one evening from the comfort of a pub. Never instilled my confidence watching from that moment. Proved correct.

dudleybloke

19,718 posts

185 months

Monday 27th February 2017
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Sycamore said:
My local Smart specialist has stopped taking large cash payments due to these machines, for the same reasons you mentioned above.

They reject the less than perfect notes, and having to carry lots of cash through Birmingham is asking for trouble.
Tell him I will buy the creased notes off him for 38% of the face value.

heebeegeetee

Original Poster:

28,591 posts

247 months

Wednesday 15th March 2017
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Update - just been to my lovely local post office in Witton, Birmingham. To their surprise they weren't able to bank my cash into my Santander account, they didn't know why, perhaps it's because it's a business account but who knows?

So I'll set up a Post Office cash account - they were very helpful in explaining all their accounts but I'll see if I can just set up a bog standard current account, pay cash in to the post office and hopefully transfer it via bacs.


mjb1

2,552 posts

158 months

Wednesday 15th March 2017
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heebeegeetee said:
Update - just been to my lovely local post office in Witton, Birmingham. To their surprise they weren't able to bank my cash into my Santander account, they didn't know why, perhaps it's because it's a business account but who knows?

So I'll set up a Post Office cash account - they were very helpful in explaining all their accounts but I'll see if I can just set up a bog standard current account, pay cash in to the post office and hopefully transfer it via bacs.
I pay cash into my Santander Business accounts at the Post Office, have done for years with no trouble. Usually (if not always) appears in my account same day as well. I think it's free of charges up to a monthly allowance (have a feeling it's £1000/month, which works ok for me).

Give Santander a call, maybe they need to enable the facility on your account? My Santander Business accounts are the postal/online only ones though - I once tried to pay in cheques in one of their branches, only to be told they couldn't accept them for my account, could only be done by post/PO counter.