An elderly Bermondsey couple who have ‘never used the internet’ say closing one of the last Barclays branches in Southwark is ‘infuriating’ and they can’t believe they are the only regular customer using the bank exclusively in person.
This week, Barclays Bank revealed they are closing two of their branches in Southwark, including one in Bermondsey they claimed ‘only has one regular customer who uses the bank as the only way to do their banking.’
Peter and Eileen Wisby, have been using the Barclays bank branch on Tower Bridge Road since their nearest one on Southwark Park Road closed a few years ago.
The branch on Walworth Road is also set to close in April.
Peter, 84, has mobility issues due to a motorcycle accident in 2003 and would struggle to get to the last two remaining Southwark branches – Borough High Street and Rye Lane.
“The letter we got from Barclays announcing the [Tower Bridge Road] branch is closing said ‘this is how we can help you’ – and I thought, ‘how in god’s name are you helping when you’re shutting the bloody places down?’, Peter explained.
“It’s so infuriating.”
One of the reasons Barclays gave for closing the branches was that they were ‘less well-used’ and the majority of customers now use online or telephone banking.
Across the two branches, Barclays say they found that 96 per cent of customers are using alternative ways in which to undertake their banking, including via the telephone, online and the mobile app.
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Peter and Eileen said they have never used the internet – so online banking is not an option for them.
“And I don’t want to use the machines,” he said. “They’re confusing and half the time they don’t work. When I go to the bank, they do it all for me. I don’t know what I’ll do now.”
Even if they changed banks, they haven’t got any close by anymore. Wife, Eileen, 81, said: “We not only lost Barclays, but we also had TSB – then last year they closed that and now we haven’t got a bank we can walk to.”
They said they go to the bank for many reasons – one being to sort out any issues in person, such as fraud. They were thankful for this recently after they noticed someone was spending hundreds on Just Eat and Debenhams using their card.
People who don’t get their statements online, like them, have to wait until they come through the door.
“You can only see it when it comes through – so we then went in and got it sorted and the money was back in the account within a week.”
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Issues concerning fraud cannot be sorted out at the post office – so now without a bank to go into, the couple say people like them don’t feel comfortable sorting these issues out over the phone.
“It’s frightening. Even my granddaughter has been scammed – you can’t trust them.”
Both said Barclays’ claim they only have one regular customer using the Bermondsey branch exclusively and not interacting with the bank in any other way is hard to believe.
“The only time that’s true is when the weather’s bad,” Peter said. “But when the weather’s reasonable – you get a load down there.”
“Last time I went, about two weeks ago – there were people there asking for a loan, people were using the machines. So it’s a load of old flannel.
Another local agreed that the closures don’t make sense.
Sue Price, Welfare Officer at Southwark Charities said: “Given the amount of older people that reside in both areas [Bermondsey and Walworth], it seems ludicrous to say these branches are under-used.
“I often use the Walworth Road branch and it’s a struggle to get in because there are so many people using it.
“They need to take into account that not everyone feels comfortable using services online and over the phone,” she added. “Many people are now suspicious of scams – which is why in-person services are so crucial.”
The News asked Barclays Bank to comment and they referred us to their earlier statement, saying: “Our customers’ behaviour has changed significantly in recent years, with the majority choosing online banking. As we adapt, we are closing less well-used branches such as Walworth and Bermondsey, Tower Bridge Road branches, whilst investing in brilliant customer service and digital technology.
“We plan to open a Barclays Local – a pop-up cashless banking site where customers can meet a colleague face to face for banking support, as they would in a branch without the need to travel.”
They said they are in the process of trying to identify a suitable location and are working with the community to do so.
“Over 150 are already open, and we believe this supports customers in a much more flexible and sustainable model, in places where branch use has declined,” the spokesperson said.