Insanity in Dealing with Westpac

LOzBurger on 18/09/2019 - 13:59

I signed up for a Westpac choice account, expecting to simply fulfil the requirements, collect the $50 bonus and then close the account.

Put in my drivers licence and medicare for online verification (which I did with St George only a fortnight before) and was told that I need to go into a branch to verify the details.

Well flip that! I work mon-fri and I'm not driving to a bank on my lunch break to do something that I should be able to do online.
How about on a Saturday? A big nope to that as well, I'm busy with sports with my kids and I'm not going to spend that valuable time queuing up in a bank to do something I should be able to do online.

Today I call up Westpac to explain the situation to a confused but polite lady in the O/S call centre.
As there is a hold on my account, I need to go into the branch to close it.

WTF? So, I've explained why I'm not going into the branch and to just close the account, now the only way to close it is to do exactly what I don't want to do?
Why not just leave it? Well there is the $5 a month account keeping fee, because I'm not depositing $2000 into an account I can't access. So I advised that this fee is going to be charged, interest accrued and charged again. Then eventually it will go to debt collectors and I'll take it to the newspapers.

Part of me is tempted to say flip this, ask to leave work early and go into the branch to just close the account. Part of me wants to watch the world burn.

OzBargain, what do?

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Comments

  • lockmc on 20/09/2019 - 21:04
    +1

    I'm with westpac and have been reasonably happy but yeah they are so backwards. My account got locked for no reason one day due to suspected fraud. I had to go into a branch to get it sorted. It took over an hour to get them to release the lock on the account. It made no sense. And there was no after hours number to call to get it sorted.

    • ribbonsofnight on 20/09/2019 - 23:26

      I've been helping a friend and the fact that they're with Westpac has at time seemed like it was causing some of the trouble.

  • gimme on 20/09/2019 - 23:08

    May be it's just me but OP's lack of self awareness baffles me. Strange entitled world we live in. I guess this sort of stuff is normalized on Ozb.

    As far as I'm aware all banks should provide an online method of closing a cc. So in theory there shouldn't be a technical issue with a savings account. Doubt it's a security measure, rather a lazy tax. So yea you have to earn your $50

    • ribbonsofnight on 20/09/2019 - 23:27

      Some people have opened an account without leaving their computer. Others have to go into a branch. It must be a security measure.

      • gimme on 20/09/2019 - 23:29

        We're talking abt closing mate after you already have an online accout. Of course they may tell you it's for your security like every other bs measure out there.

        • ribbonsofnight on 20/09/2019 - 23:39

          I guess you're right but early in the original post it says

          Put in my drivers licence and medicare for online verification (which I did with St George only a fortnight before) and was told that I need to go into a branch to verify the details.

          And to close an account that has never been verified and is empty is perhaps something that shouldn't require going in to a branch.

  • witsa on 20/09/2019 - 23:48

    Yep, Westpac is pretty annoying.

    I recently wanted to start a new savings account with them.

    After I did it all online, they still needed be to come in to the branch to show id. Which is idiotic because I already bank with them.

    The more idiotic thing was it was a joint account with my wife and for some reason we both need to come in. Couldn't come in separately, we had to come in together.

    We both work full time. I don't have time for that.

    I ended up just creating an account with ING.

    • serpserpserp on 21/09/2019 - 22:15

      A joint account with ING?

  • funnysht on 21/09/2019 - 09:01

    post on their facebook site- they usually respond to social media due to public opinion etc

  • techlead on 21/09/2019 - 09:42
    -2

    From my previous experience with the account keeping fee. If you don't have any transactions in the account for that month, it will not be charged. It's not going to keep charging you $5 a month if you don't use it.
    Just leave it, don't waste your time and eventually it will become a dormant account and even longer still they will close the account down automatically. I don't think you need to worry about it anymore.

    • gimme on 21/09/2019 - 12:48
      +1

      Yea nah I wouldn't leave any dormant accounts around. Ozb post 2030, I owe the bank 34577 and my credit is ruined.. help!
      As pointless as it is, If one doesn't have time to pop into a branch then may possibly need to reevaluate life.

    • JacobHarvey on 21/09/2019 - 13:01

      I have personally seen St George bank keep charging the $5 account keeping fee on a dormant, unused account that I thought I had closed. Sent the account into overdraft (plus interest charged on this overdraft) and only discovered it months later when a paper statement arrived.

      Never ever rely on a bank to stop charging the $5 fee on a dormant account, always be careful and make sure 100% that you have closed these types of accounts if you don't need them

  • Christy Bambi on 21/09/2019 - 15:26
    +1

    On the other hand they make billions from shuffling money, lol. Most worthless types of business on the planet.

  • [Deactivated] on 21/09/2019 - 16:54
    +5

    OP you're on /r/choosingbeggars lmao. First few comments aren't too flattering.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/ChoosingBeggars/comments/d76gms/ope…

  • Weezle on 21/09/2019 - 21:28
    +1

    Not sure if anyone has pointed this out yet. But this isn't a Westpac policy, it's AML/CTF requirements. All banks are bound by this law set up by AUSTRAC/ASIC. Even to close an account, if your identity isn't verified then tough luck.

    Go complain to ASIC if this is a problem for you.

    • gimme on 21/09/2019 - 22:26
      +1

      You mean the law says that the only way to close an account is to go into a branch? If so, there are a number of banks that are in breach of this law. Not to mention the online only accounts e.g ING, RAMS etc

      • Weezle on 22/09/2019 - 15:09

        Nope, but the OPs identity probably failed electronic verification, meaning he has to do it physically ie in a branch. The online lenders you mention, require you attend a post office to verify physically if required.

        • gimme on 22/09/2019 - 15:34
          +1

          Yea my mistake. I didn't read the OP properly. Although it's a bit silly that if you can't be verified they still open the account and charge you fees but you just can't access the account. They should not activate the account period. Westpac is trying to have it both ways. Probably stuck in some bureaucratic loop.

          • Weezle on 23/09/2019 - 08:37

            @gimme: honestly I think all the banks do that. Kinda like how they take your money in seconds but take 5 business days to refund money 😂

  • Junnyjun on 22/09/2019 - 07:57

    If you leave it open and do nothing. They will charge you for a month or 2. Then close the account and waive the fees.

    • gimme on 22/09/2019 - 09:48

      So 1-2 mths of inactivity will close the account? hmmmm

  • DarkOz on 22/09/2019 - 19:32
    +2

    As much as I hate Westpac but you are asking too much. Why would they give you $50 for free on your own terms and not theirs?

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