Self-Serve Banking - A backward step :(

[Fulvio]

the Big Business Model. They couldn't care less.

Isn't this part of the problem, and not a solution?

Taken to the ultimate level, every aspect of our lives would be plugged directly into some corporate's rent-taking business model, and nothing would be free. Even the air we breathe would either be 'Pay-per-Breath' or filled with ads, and there's be a service charge for CO2 emissions. :diablo:

I dunno, maybe I'm too old school, but I don't think our personal interests align with those of the commercial world, nor do I think they're any less important.

And yes, I know I'm in a minority.

[JeffH]

Make that a minority of two.

[Goldseeker]

Make that three.

[Sapyx]

The nearest old fashioned suburban centre to where I live is Holland Park. When I was a child, there were four bank branches there. The other three closed back in the Nasty Nineties, but not Commonwealth - they even had a sandwich board out on the footpath saying, "the other banks are closing up, but we're staying here!".

A couple of months ago, they finally closed up too and simultaneously opened a new "branch" inside the nearby Greenslopes mini-mall. It's all self-service machines with no tellers, as the OP reports. The branch in the nearby Mount Gravatt shopping centre likewise "renovated" a month later, so don't take their word that "if you want full-service, you can still go to..."., because the suggested "go to" place will likely become roboticized in a few years, too.

The new coin deposit machines are OK, I guess - last time I used one, I found five foreign coins in the reject tray! - but my mum hates these newfangled "branches". Every month, she gets a pension cheque from Canada she has to bank, and she has to deposit it manually at a teller because even though it's in Australian dollars, the automatic cheque-readers in the ATMs can't read foreign-printed cheques. She now has to catch a bus out to the nearest Westfield megamall (Garden City) just to bank a stupid $25 cheque.

[Mister T]

I can envisage a time when if you don't have a business account with a bank you won't be able to withdraw coinage for personal use/noodling without incurring a fee :angel:

Hm, I've seen a QTMB that has fees for handling any more than $100 worth of change at a time.

[Fulvio]

the automatic cheque-readers in the ATMs can't read foreign-printed cheques. She now has to catch a bus out to the nearest Westfield megamall (Garden City) just to bank a stupid $25 cheque.

Are there no old-school ATM's left there?

CUA shows a branch at Carindale and a ton of ATMs surrounding you... AFAIK the don't do the cheque-reading thing yet. http://www.cua.com.au/about-cua/contact-us/locator

[Pedro]

Just went to my local branch where I take my noodled leftovers. They let me exchange coins for notes one last time. Their coin counting machine leaves the premises tomorrow.

Can still deposit the coins there automatically but proceeds must go into an account then you need to withdraw cash to re-start the cycle to feed the coin machine.

Will have to put the thinking cap to come up with a cleaner option  but at least with the automated coin machine it now means I will be able to get rolls there that I haven't noodled before.  

Pedro

[runway]

I always get rid of coins to my bank to put directly into my account

[ausjack]

another 10 years and we might get these machines but I hope not, one good thing about living in the bush :winkextra:

[Pedro]

Power outage overnight, change machine down. Long live automation

Pedro

[ausjack]

:laugh2:
Now that wouldn't be a facetious remark would it Pedro but it really is all a really bad joke, shame it's not funny