Bankwest customer ‘absolutely gobsmacked’ after 130km cash withdrawal trip ends in failure
- Replies 39
In an era where digital transactions are becoming the norm, it's easy to forget the importance of physical cash.
However, for many Australians, especially those in rural areas, cash remains a crucial part of daily life.
A recent incident involving a Bankwest customer in Western Australia has highlighted the growing concerns about cash accessibility and the potential implications of a cashless society.
Graeme Reid, a resident of Latham, a rural town about 300km northeast of Perth, recently embarked on a 130km round trip to his nearest Bankwest branch in Dalwallinu.
The purpose of his journey was simple: to withdraw $300 in cash. However, upon arrival, Reid's wife was denied the withdrawal.
The teller advised her to visit the post office for the withdrawal instead.
This incident left Reid and his wife 'absolutely gobsmacked'.
Reid expressed his disbelief, stating, ‘I said, “If you can't get money out of a bank, you may as well close” and [the teller] said, “Well, we haven't been told we're going to close, but I guess it won't be long before that happens, it's what banks are doing now.”’
The Reids were not the only ones facing this issue.
Another customer at the bank was also denied a cash withdrawal.
While the Reids were able to withdraw a limited amount of cash from their personal account at the post office, they were unable to access funds from their business account.
‘You can't do that down at the post office there because you've got to have a pin number for that account,' Reid said.
The situation in Dalwallinu is not unique.
Glen Jones, a resident, shared that many locals are frustrated with the bank's refusal to dispense cash, even when withdrawals have been pre-arranged.
Customers are being directed to a bank branch in Moora, an hour's drive away. The bank has also refused cash deposits, causing difficulties for local businesses.
'Someone like the footy club, they want to get cash out for a big function this weekend...they have to go to Moora to get the cash,' Jones said.
Jones added the bank branch also refused cash deposits, making it difficult for local businesses.
'The cafes, the roadhouses, the pubs...you can't deposit, they tell you to go and deposit at the post office, and sometimes it's not even open,' he said.
The fear among locals is that Bankwest might be considering the complete closure of the branch, following the trend of major banks shutting down hundreds of regional branches.
A Bankwest spokesperson, however, stated that the bank does not have a policy limiting the number of customers able to withdraw cash from a branch.
They added that withdrawal limits were set at $3,000 per day per customer, with higher values requiring 48 hours notice.
According to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, almost 800 bank branches have closed in regional and rural Australia since 2017.
Recently, the National Australia Bank (NAB) has announced its decision to close five branches nationwide on 7 March 2024—Tuggeranong in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Scone in New South Wales (NSW), Emerald in Greater Melbourne, Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast, and Balmain in Sydney.
On the other hand, big banks still limit access to physical money, with NAB, ANZ, and Commonwealth Bank opening ‘cashless’ branches.
How about you, members? Have you gone through something like what the Reids experienced? Tell us in the comments below!
However, for many Australians, especially those in rural areas, cash remains a crucial part of daily life.
A recent incident involving a Bankwest customer in Western Australia has highlighted the growing concerns about cash accessibility and the potential implications of a cashless society.
Graeme Reid, a resident of Latham, a rural town about 300km northeast of Perth, recently embarked on a 130km round trip to his nearest Bankwest branch in Dalwallinu.
The purpose of his journey was simple: to withdraw $300 in cash. However, upon arrival, Reid's wife was denied the withdrawal.
A Bankwest customer couldn’t withdraw cash after taking a 65km trip to his nearest branch. Credit: Unsplash
The teller advised her to visit the post office for the withdrawal instead.
This incident left Reid and his wife 'absolutely gobsmacked'.
Reid expressed his disbelief, stating, ‘I said, “If you can't get money out of a bank, you may as well close” and [the teller] said, “Well, we haven't been told we're going to close, but I guess it won't be long before that happens, it's what banks are doing now.”’
The Reids were not the only ones facing this issue.
Another customer at the bank was also denied a cash withdrawal.
While the Reids were able to withdraw a limited amount of cash from their personal account at the post office, they were unable to access funds from their business account.
‘You can't do that down at the post office there because you've got to have a pin number for that account,' Reid said.
The situation in Dalwallinu is not unique.
Glen Jones, a resident, shared that many locals are frustrated with the bank's refusal to dispense cash, even when withdrawals have been pre-arranged.
Customers are being directed to a bank branch in Moora, an hour's drive away. The bank has also refused cash deposits, causing difficulties for local businesses.
'Someone like the footy club, they want to get cash out for a big function this weekend...they have to go to Moora to get the cash,' Jones said.
Jones added the bank branch also refused cash deposits, making it difficult for local businesses.
'The cafes, the roadhouses, the pubs...you can't deposit, they tell you to go and deposit at the post office, and sometimes it's not even open,' he said.
The fear among locals is that Bankwest might be considering the complete closure of the branch, following the trend of major banks shutting down hundreds of regional branches.
A Bankwest spokesperson, however, stated that the bank does not have a policy limiting the number of customers able to withdraw cash from a branch.
They added that withdrawal limits were set at $3,000 per day per customer, with higher values requiring 48 hours notice.
According to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, almost 800 bank branches have closed in regional and rural Australia since 2017.
Recently, the National Australia Bank (NAB) has announced its decision to close five branches nationwide on 7 March 2024—Tuggeranong in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Scone in New South Wales (NSW), Emerald in Greater Melbourne, Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast, and Balmain in Sydney.
On the other hand, big banks still limit access to physical money, with NAB, ANZ, and Commonwealth Bank opening ‘cashless’ branches.
.png){kind=icon}
not customers 
