The chief executive of SBS Bank\u00a0has responded to an\u00a0East Gore pensioner, who told Allied Media\u00a0\u00a0last week\u00a0he was \u201cdisgusted\u201d its\u00a0Gore branch would not let him withdraw cash at the counter.<\/p>\n
Allistair Meikle, 84, went to the Gore branch of Southland Building Society (SBS) Bank\u00a0last month,\u00a0and when he asked to withdraw cash from an account, was\u00a0told he could not do so, and was not given an explanation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On September 30,\u00a0Mr Meikle emailed SBS\u00a0Bank Group chief executive Mark McLean,\u00a0making his case on why the bank he had been with since he was 15\u00a0should have cash\u00a0available.<\/p>\n
Mr Meikle said he received\u00a0a phone call from Mr McLean on Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said nothing\u2019s going to change as far as the SBS is concerned,\u201d Mr Meikle said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re not going to be having money [cash]\u00a0in their bank to dish out to people like myself who go in and want some.\u201d<\/p>\n
The email to Mr McLean detailed Mr Meikle\u2019s 69-year history banking with SBS, which had included cash withdrawals\u00a0and borrowing\u00a0money to buy homes in Southland.<\/p>\n
SBS Bank stopped offering cash services at its Main St branch at the end of August.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI shouldn\u2019t have to beg the bank to respond to my request to withdraw my own money . . . they said they couldn\u2019t do that,\u201d Mr Meikle\u2019s\u00a0email\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMark, how then can I spend my own money?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Meikle said\u00a0Mr McLean apologised to him, but not regarding the cash withdrawal bugbear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was just apologising that he didn\u2019t reply to me sooner because his\u00a0.\u00a0. .\u00a0\u00a0staff didn\u2019t pass the email on to him,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
,On Thursday, New Zealand First MP Shane Jones, speaking at the Gore Town and Country Club at a public meeting,\u00a0slammed SBS Bank Gore\u00a0 for denying Mr Meikle cash on site.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr Meikle, in response to comment\u00a0made by Mr\u00a0Jones, said\u00a0he supported the party\u2019s proposed buyback of Australian-owned Bank of New Zealand (BNZ).<\/p>\n
Mr Meikle said he would remain with SBS as he was not comfortable changing to a Gore\u00a0bank that was not New Zealand-owned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got nowhere else to go,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n