IN the letter Gone West (Review, January 19) the last sentence says: “There is nothing banks fear more than losing accounts.”

This should read: “There is nothing banks fear more than losing accounts from which they can make a profit.” 

So, they can do without small personal accounts that use cheques, or where cash or cheques are paid in, because all the cash and cheques have to be processed, stored and moved around the country.

If you want to see how the banks consider administration costs, look at the charges on business accounts where there is typically a 40p fee for each cheque paid in, 40p per £100 cash paid in, and similar charges for cheques written and cash withdrawn.   

For many businesses, the ideal customer pays by personal debit card using the card machine at the firm’s office, or even better send funds direct to the firm’s bank account. Anything else may involve a risk of card fraud, or credit card charges, or the need to spend a lot of time carrying cash and cheques to a bank branch if you can find one and then waiting to be served.     

While the staff at your bank branch will always be helpful, the bank’s directors only want to earn a large personal income and the shareholders want dividends.  They are not running a social service and have no interest in unprofitable customers in rural areas.   

The fact that the bank may have been bailed out by taxpayers, and then treat those taxpayers with contempt, is a matter for Parliament that has allowed the bank to do it. Perhaps our local MP has an opinion on this (does he ever turn down a chance to get his picture in the Review?) 

Some banks have made arrangements for cheques to be paid into accounts by using a service at local post office branches.   

Of course, this is only an option as long a we have the post office branches.

– C. Willey, Littledean.