Live data from Hacker News

Bank tells customers to disable updates and not upgrade to iOS 16

coutts.com

31–40 of 312 posts

Re: Bank tells customers to disable updates and not upgrade to iOS 16

#31

This is one of the most exclusive banks in the world, counting the British Royal Family among their notable clients, and they can't even be bothered to keep their mobile app up to date. Pretty much sums up what rich people think about technology: make it sexy and powerful but I don't want to hear about ongoing maintenance costs. According to Wikipedia, new clients needed £500k in disposable funds to set up an account…

What unique services does a bank like this offer it’s clients?

The warm feeling that they don’t waste time dealing with the peasants.

Re: Bank tells customers to disable updates and not upgrade to iOS 16

#32

This is one of the most exclusive banks in the world, counting the British Royal Family among their notable clients, and they can't even be bothered to keep their mobile app up to date. Pretty much sums up what rich people think about technology: make it sexy and powerful but I don't want to hear about ongoing maintenance costs. According to Wikipedia, new clients needed £500k in disposable funds to set up an account…

What unique services does a bank like this offer it’s clients?

Well, not on the same level, but my dad used to have an account with a small bank in our town, and as a business owner he could literally walk in and speak to the owner of the bank within 10 minutes tops. Any issues with his accounts or international payments, there was an employee(usually the same one) looking into it personally.

It was just a lot more personal service than any large bank could ever offer.

I imagine this is exactly the same, just on a bigger scale.

Re: Bank tells customers to disable updates and not upgrade to iOS 16

#33

This is one of the most exclusive banks in the world, counting the British Royal Family among their notable clients, and they can't even be bothered to keep their mobile app up to date. Pretty much sums up what rich people think about technology: make it sexy and powerful but I don't want to hear about ongoing maintenance costs. According to Wikipedia, new clients needed £500k in disposable funds to set up an account…

> they can't even be bothered to keep their mobile app up to date

Guessing their clients aren’t banking via mobile apps, their staff having lines to their banker. Most top-tier private banks barely have an online presence. If you want something, you (or your assistant) calls or texts your banker.

Re: Bank tells customers to disable updates and not upgrade to iOS 16

#34

This is one of the most exclusive banks in the world, counting the British Royal Family among their notable clients, and they can't even be bothered to keep their mobile app up to date. Pretty much sums up what rich people think about technology: make it sexy and powerful but I don't want to hear about ongoing maintenance costs. According to Wikipedia, new clients needed £500k in disposable funds to set up an account…

What unique services does a bank like this offer it’s clients?

All the staff you interact with have been to the same handful of British public schools (ie private fee schools) so you never have to talk to someone who is ignorant of precisely your standing in the British class system and they will all speak with comforting RP, follow the cricket, and drop an occasional Latin phrase into the conversation. Banking service is basically as shite as all the rest. [source: I ran a company that for very strange reasons ended up having to use them for business banking services]

Re: Bank tells customers to disable updates and not upgrade to iOS 16

#35
post #19

This is one of the most exclusive banks in the world, counting the British Royal Family among their notable clients, and they can't even be bothered to keep their mobile app up to date. Pretty much sums up what rich people think about technology: make it sexy and powerful but I don't want to hear about ongoing maintenance costs. According to Wikipedia, new clients needed £500k in disposable funds to set up an account…

That's not a lot for a wealth managament firm.

> not a lot for a wealth managament firm

Not sure why downvoted. Many private banks have $1 to 10mm minimums.

Re: Bank tells customers to disable updates and not upgrade to iOS 16

#36
post #23

The reviews of this bank on TrustPilot are rather telling. https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/coutts.com

My experience with just pretty much all major banks in the UK as a telecom startup has been beyond horrible. No international trade allowed - whatsoever, on any of them. Opening an account is nearly impossible. And those who open... Inbound payments from Brazil? Not allowed. A transfer from UAE? That's a high-risk country - bloody terrorists. Oman? Just forget about it. Exclude all Africa, Middle East and Latin Americas completely from your user base. EU? Well, maybe, if your client is not too far to the East. Slovakia sounds dodgy.

That's all while they are laundering billions of corrupt cash.

Never in my entire life I saw a financial system failing and undermining a fundamental function of the society so much. Seriously, I can't wait for the entire UK banking system to go to hell.

Re: Bank tells customers to disable updates and not upgrade to iOS 16

#38
post #23

The reviews of this bank on TrustPilot are rather telling. https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/coutts.com

They don’t care about the clients who use the app because their bread and butter clients don’t want to use the app— they want to call or they want to text or they want to email. The uber wealthy clients this bank caters to want white glove service with a “private banker” at their beck and call all hours of the day and night. The people leaving these reviews are probably trust benes whose opinion doesn’t matter to the bank in the slightest.

Re: Bank tells customers to disable updates and not upgrade to iOS 16

#39

This is one of the most exclusive banks in the world, counting the British Royal Family among their notable clients, and they can't even be bothered to keep their mobile app up to date. Pretty much sums up what rich people think about technology: make it sexy and powerful but I don't want to hear about ongoing maintenance costs. According to Wikipedia, new clients needed £500k in disposable funds to set up an account…

What unique services does a bank like this offer it’s clients?

> What unique services does a bank like this offer it’s clients?

No clue about Coutt’s. But for a top-tier private bank, you have someone you can contact 24/7 (if not them personally, someone you know on their team) to help you. You can effortlessly escalate to the bank’s senior leadership when problems arise.

As a result, having cash overnighted in the event of a lost wallet, cabs paid for over the phone on the firm’s account, or international wires processed instantly and without fees happen. (Also, Formula 1 tickets and access to the firm’s Parterre box at the Met, as well as, for the up and coming, introductions to the bank’s other clients.)

Re: Bank tells customers to disable updates and not upgrade to iOS 16

#40
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not a lot for a wealth managament firm.

> not a lot for a wealth managament firm Not sure why downvoted. Many private banks have $1 to 10mm minimums.

It was 21 years ago. The figure on the website now is £1M.
Post reply on HN