Pensioners queuing at banks?

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    It's often puzzled me why pensioners stand in queues outside banks. I used to think it was because of bureaucracy, but no, it's because they like to take the cash out and keep it at home.

    They also prefer to pay their bills manually at kiosks and other places, since they can't get to grips with online banking. I have sympathy for them in this respect, but today, walking out of a bank with say, $40,000 is a dangerous game.

    Only today, Banco Industrial in La Matanza was robbed at gunpoint of all its cash, leaving the pensioners worried and scared.

    Apparently banks don't like to keep vast amounts of cash for this purpose, either and charge customers $200 for windows extractions vs ATMs. Not to mention staff cuts.

    No names, but I do know several pensioners who walk out of the bank with thousands of pesos and then walk the streets paying bills manually.

    That’s a problem I never even thought about. Another challenge of life in BsAs for older people. I do so admire the very elderly people bravely carrying on with walkers, on sidewalks filled with clueless chattering school kids, little ones out of control on scooters, paseadores with a dozen dogs, delivery guys darting in and out - - and then they have to contend with the banks as well as thieves watching as they walk through the doors.

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    A few year ago there was an interview on La Nación to some guy working on digitalization of the public administration. They were interviewing him about the shift to 100% electronic utility bills which was just announced for yet another service (maybe water?).


    He said that elder people felt left out and protested, as they claimed they are unable to know when they are supposed to check their email/account for their utility bill, provided they are able to.

    And they like to pay their bills with cash at the kiosko, so they need to print the invoice but often are not computer literate and/or do not own a printer, so that they have difficulties in executing the payment.


    A further piece was interviewing a banker, and he confirmed that old people like to withdraw money going at the teller and interacting with a human being, because they are wary of ATM machines and also because they have time to spare and like to interact with human beings while waiting or carry out whatever transaction. The same banker said that elders like to go to the bank as much as possible, so that there is a good percentage of pensioner who walk out with just the money needed for that week, so that they have to pay a visit to the bank every week.


    Banks are trying to weed off these behaviors by forcing people to use ATMs below a certain amount and instituting a fee whenever you want to interact with a teller. When I first arrived here I found the ATM machine a little puzzling as in Italy it doesn't work like here with the envelop and this bill is accepted, this other is not... and the first thing you are asked is your DNI, which I didn't have back then.


    I am still not fond of banks here because every bank has their rule on ATM machines - what's the minimum amount to NOT having to use one, WHICH ATM are to withdraw and to deposit, for client or non client, what's the maximum number of bills accepted, what face values are NO LONGER accepted... so complicate!

    Quote from serafina

    I am still not fond of banks here because every bank has their rule on ATM machines - what's the minimum amount to NOT having to use one, WHICH ATM are to withdraw and to deposit, for client or non client, what's the maximum number of bills accepted, what face values are NO LONGER accepted... so complicate!

    Yes the banking system here is a farce probably as a result of them having too much power. The customer is always made to feel as if the bank is doing them a favour. It used to be like that in the UK but it changed yonks ago....there, the customer now has the edge.

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    I read this week on a local FB group of a bank scam to a pensioner.

    The 85 years old lady went to the bank to collect her monthly 15,000 pesos pension and the teller gave her a neat stack of bills, held together by rubber bands. When the lady came home, she found out that only the top and bottom bills were $200 bills, the ones in the middle were $5 bills.


    The daughter published this online hoping to make some noise. So far, she has been communicating with the bank, that said that it's her elder mother's word against the teller's. Of course, the cash difference is in the pockets of the teller, so the accounting in the casher is correct.

    The daughter is requesting to inspect the videotape of the teller, but I doubt she'll be successful.

    Terrible. If this is true, the bank should do a better job of screening potential employees and monitoring current ones. And they should be forced to turn over the videotape.


    I worry about elderly people taking money home from the bank and setting themselves up for home robberies.