Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

Very appropriate petition now circulating done by a pensioner protesting about the exclusion policies of the major banks insisting on increased reliance on digital networks instead of face to face contact in branch.
https://elpais.com/economia/2022-02-...esta-aqui.html

Now got over 600,000 signatures - definitely strikes a cord as one battles to do the most simple transactions in a secure manner.

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

This nonsense doesn't have wind me up...

"I'm almost 80 years old and it saddens me to see that banks have forgotten about older people like me."

If high street banks close then they are closed to all, not just to older people. We all like to pop in and see someone face-to-face at times to resolve issues and not just depend on emails / electronic messaging. At the moment I have emailed my branch numerous times to no avail to resolve one issue so in the end it will take a visit to my not so local branch to actually sort this issue. Older people cannot claim exclusivity on being disadvantaged if branches close!



At the end of the day banks are businesses and have to make a profit, period. Footfall has dropped dramatically and the traditional banking model which supports numerous high street outlets is obsolete. The key driver here is profitability, delivering a service which meets the majority of its users and ultimately a shareholder dividend.

Whoever thinks that banks are there to provide a social service is on a hiding to nothing.

Adapt to the changing world or you will go the way of the dinosaurs.

My mother is over 80 and has had to adapt as best she can to a changing world. She didn't embrace new technology when it came along preferring to adopt the mindset of a Luddite. My father was the opposite.

If we do not let banks evolve to a leaner model and they are held back by a diminishing number of octogenarians then we are letting the tail wag the dog.

I am a bit short on empathy here as in my opinion it would be misplaced.

As for the 600,000 people who have signed this petition, if we adopted their mindset, then mankind would never have embraced any form of progress and we would still living in caves!

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

My mother will be 88 in a couple of weeks and does much of her banking on-line, including making occasional transfers to my account. And I know she hasn't been into a bank in nearly two years, though possibly a lot longer. I can't remember the last time I necessarily* went into a bank for anything other than to access our safe deposit box (which we have now closed), but it's probably been more than a decade. :unsure:

* I still drop off deposits occasionally at a nearby branch, though that is just because I can, not because there isn't an alternative that would work equally well, or better, and I have successfully transitioned most of my clients to paying by direct transfer, or failing that, by cheque. I did call in to a branch a few years ago to discuss a loan, but the assistant explained that if I applied there, at the branch, she'd just be putting the application into the same app that I could access on-line, and there was no way she could provide any more supporting information/ explanations than the on-line form would allow. I thanked her and left without applying, and in fact I never did in the end.

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

The 600000 people who have signed the petition are probably the same ones who incessantly keep moaning about having to pay bank charges.

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

Whilst I am generally pro-technology (I worked in IT years ago) I do have some sympathy for the 600,000 - some of the processes using online banking via an app are difficult to follow and understand even for me and people can/are naturally nervous about losing their money or making a costly mistake.

Also it is now virtually impossible to maintain a regular relationship with a human being in the banking sector.

I think the banks have become take it or leave in their approach.

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

Although I agree with many of your comments I have to disagree with the "still living in caves" comment. Along with many others where I live, we do live in a cave home. Before you ask, yes, we do have mains electric (some have solar), mains water and main drains. We also have internet. What we don't have is the need for air conditioning in summer and central heating in winter - we do have a pellet burner which is lit for around 4 hours in the evening during the main winter months. So we are very happy living in a cave.

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

Apologies to all those living in caves!

Also, I see there is a website dedicated to buying cave homes...

https://www.kyero.com/en/spain-cave-...sale-0l55529g6

Seems to be quite popular.

There you go then!

Dare I ask what mode of transport you use?

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

A postcript to this before we digress to cave homes ( some excellent ones in Guadix ) - am in Brasil at the moment and just back from visit to Bradesco branch - battery of ATMs and a queue of pensioners with a lovely lady in a blue uniform with "Digital Assistant" in big letters across her back. As I queued to withdraw some cash from an ATM she was patiently helping others with paying bills , depositing money etc.etc Seems an excellent compromise between "The Old" and "The New" technology .

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

Assuming that she actually works for the bank, this is a great idea!

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

We use a Kia hybrid. Can't really go full electric as nearest large town is 26km away and not much in the way of infrastructure for electric vehicles to recharge up in the mountains.

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

It also doesn't help that Spanish bank security is generally strings and yoghurt pots held together by SMS and apps. Gimme a card reader.

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

Online banking I have no problem with. But www.booking.com yes.
Yesterday we had to cancel 2 of the 3 days we'd booked into a hotel in Burgos because my wife became ill & we decided to return home. To cancel the booking, we couldn't do it face to face with the receptionist, but had to ring booking.com!
I like to play devil's advocate; what if one doesn't have a mobile?
In future, I'll try to avoid using booking.com or other similar ones & try to book directly with a hotel.

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

I have noticed even more so over the last year that lots of things I do now require verification using my mobile phone.

It literally puts the fear of God in me what I might do if I lost my mobile, and that is when I am living at home.

If you were travelling and lost your mobile, the world would basically stop turning.

Re: Soy Major No idiota/I am old, not an idiot
 

To be fair to Booking.Com it is an online booking facility hence company name. They do have contact telephone numbers available though so they can be contacted from a pay phone to resolve issues. I know I have had to contact them by phone to resolve an issue all be it many years ago now and they were helpful and resolved my issue. I usually travel with a phone and a tablet as a back up. Worst came to worst there are usually Internet facilities one can pay for.
Here's a link to their phone numbers depending on country
https://partner.booking.com/en-gb/he...u-can-reach-us