Some Are Sicker Than Others

at

This afternoon.

Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty has called AIB’s move to charge customers quarterly fees today “disgraceful”.

The fees don’t apply to AIB members who have more than €2,500 in their accounts.

He released the following statement about the bank, in which the State has a 71 per cent share… 

“Today, tens of thousands of workers who have lost their jobs and income as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak will receive their first COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment of €350. This payment will be needed for workers to pay their bills and feed their families.

“It is disgraceful to learn that AIB, instead of providing relief to these customers, have on the same day decided to charge quarterly fees to many of these customers who have just lost their jobs.

These fees do not apply to customers with more than €2,500 in their accounts, but if you have just lost your job as a result of this outbreak they do. That AIB are charging workers and families who have lost their jobs and have little in their accounts these fees is a disgrace.

I have been in contact with constituents who have lost their jobs and were relying on today’s payment of €350 to get them and their families through the week. This morning they were hit with quarterly fees by AIB of up to €100.

“The COVID-19 Unemployment Payment was not intended for the banks, and this pandemic should not be an opportunity for banks to squeeze more out of their customers.

“On March 18th the Government and Banking and Payments Federation announced a suite of measures adopted by the five commercial banks to provide relief to customers.

“We know that this has involved the banks charging customers additional interest of as much as €2,000 for applying for mortgage breaks. To find out that they are still charging quarterly fees of up to €100 to customers who have just lost their jobs is further proof that banking culture has not changed.

“The State is the major shareholder in AIB. It is time for the Government and Central Bank to challenge the actions of the banks and put the interests of citizens first.”

Anyone?

AIB charging of quarterly fees on day customers receive COVID-19 unemployment payment a disgrace – Pearse Doherty TD (Sinn Féin)

Rollingnews

UPDATE:

Meanwhile…

Good times.

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25 thoughts on “Some Are Sicker Than Others

  1. edalicious

    “We know that this has involved the banks charging customers additional interest of as much as €2,000 for applying for mortgage breaks”

    I don’t know if I’m reading this wrong but it comes across as a bit misleading. If you take a mortgage break, you’re not taking a break from the interest accruing over that period, you’re just taking a break from having to make any payments for a period. Is he implying that the banks are adding additional interest above what would normally have accrued over that period? If not, using both the words “charging” and “additional” would seem to be inappropriate in the context.

    Not that I don’t disagree with the gist of what he’d saying, just that there’s no need to oversell it.

  2. Cian

    Firstly, I agree and think AIB should waive these fees for a few months until this is sorted.

    But “quarterly fees of up to €100” is bonkers.

    AIB’s fees are €4.50/quarter plus:
    – Automated Transactions €0.20 each (contactless is free)
    – Self–Service Transactions €0.35 each (include ATM)
    – Paper/Staff Assisted Transactions €0.39 each

    In a 90-day quarter you can get 477 automated transactions or 272 self-service or 244 staff transactions for €100!

    For people with no money they sure are using the bank an awful lot!

    1. Jonickal

      Sorry, how dare you interject in to this discussion with sensible thought through arguments. There’s only room for Sinn Féin-led populist thick notions here.

    2. GiggidyGoo

      I have a vague recollection that AIB weren’t giving people with €2500 in their account any more free banking, but that they then waived that change due to the Covin-19 virus.
      As for the €100 – he’s saying they got hit with large fees today (which would have been adding up while they were working) Seems high alright.
      Here’s another report which says someone had a charge of €66 taken from their account. Still high.
      https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/coronavirus-ireland-outrage-aib-charges-18015300

    3. Darren

      Is it right though that the banks would enforce charges for its services where customers / people are holding less than 2500 in their account? Because it seems like if that is what is the issue there should be none. Maybe if there is less profit made on small figure accounts there might be a greater incentive for banks to align wit all other state services to increase the wealth in their customers pockets. I think while SF are a political party and cian was decent enough to do the missing maths the issue of enforcing these sorts of charges is rightly being publicised to those who may not miss such amounts from their own balance.

  3. Frank

    theres zero defense of this. if you’re defending it you’re either on the payroll of AIB, you’re a FFG shillbot or you’re an idiot.
    the bailout banks were given 35 year tax free on profits in the bank guarantee . now they want to impose punitive penalties on the tax payers that gave them a sweetheart 35 THIRTY FIVE YEAR tax free deal.
    that is disgusting, deplorable, inappropriate and opportunistic.
    sinn Fein and pearse Doherty is quite right. stand up and say NO.

  4. Emily Dickinson

    Wrong target. At least the banks are providing a service.

    The insurance companies, on the other hand, have collected roughly €100m this month in fees for private health coverage that – properly – no longer exists.

    Many of those who have lost their jobs will feel trapped into continuing to pay hundreds every month (for nothing) becuase, under government rules, anyone who drops out of the system, even for a short time, will face a lifetime financial penalty when things return to normal.

    I’m surprised the issue isn’t getting more attention.

    1. GiggidyGoo

      Spot on. And it was Varadkar who introduced that penalty by the way. People that were made redundant had to give up the health insurance, and when they got re employed, they found that they were hit with a levy because they had lapsed.

  5. :-Joe

    Idk.. Do you think maybe using previously known corrupt commercial banks is not the best way to go…?
    -Just change banks and close your aib accounts for good.

    Every single euro you choose to spend has the same power, often even more than a vote at the ballot box… Be more consciously aware of who and what it is exactly that you choose to support or encourage to grow and profit from your investment in their success.

    :-J

      1. :-Joe

        – Ideally…. Budget for the day or week etc.. Go to the ATM, take out what you need for that day/week in cash..

        Spend each unit of your physical hard-earned money with conscious awareness of what you are supporting… e.g.. STOP!.. THINK! – Resist the idiocy of buying the latest plastic/electronic junk that ruins the environment and helps to create worldwide pandemics.

        Where possible for everything else, use direct lodgement / bank transfers Digital Cryptocurrency(Good practice for the future/present), anonymous tokens, gift cards or trade and barter systems if outside the use of digital cryptocurrencies.

        Your data is now the most valuable asset you have and that’s why they all want control of it, FIAT money is practically worthless…

        The reason you think Crypto is bad or dangerous is because if we all switched to it suddenly overnight and gained financial and economic freedom and autonomy then the traditional corrupt banking system would have to f*** off and die a fast death. Instead the banks are stalling to figure out ways to game the whole new future finacial system all over again for the rest of the 21st century .

        Your potential financial and economic freedom and autonomy to make choices through digital cryptocurrency is useless and pointless if they already own and control all your data.

        IMHO / NOT financial advice -not that anyone would be daft enough to listen to it … right?

        :-J

        1. Rob_G

          this is definitely not financial advice – please, everyone, disregard all the above and don’t do any of what Joe says

          1. millie aka oprah

            For the sake of balance – and not necessarily because I disagree with you, Rob – could you maybe outline why?

        2. Rob_G

          It’s a hodgepodge of terms that he doesn’t fully understand, mixed in with some conspiracy theories and a dollop of wrongheadedness.

          Anyone who thinks that using gift cards (which can expire, the company issuing them can go out of business, company doesn’t have to accept them if they don’t want to) is somehow preferable to keeping your money in a bank where your deposits are guaranteed by a national government can be safely disregarded.

        3. :-Joe

          Oh, here we go again….

          As usual @Rob_G (known for knee-jerk reactions) is having a knee jerk reaction and it is himself who hasn’t a clue.

          In particular, a clue of what to do with new information not fed to him by the establishment since circa the 1980’s.

          A gift card e.g by mastercard(a credit card company) allows you to buy items online without divulging all your personal data and spending habits which, although unfortunate that you seem to have no clue about two decades into the 21st century, is actually good for you and everone around you for civil liberties and human rights reasons that I’m not sure you know much about either…

          I wasn’t talking about storing all your money in gift cards or relying on gift cards in any way or on any specific brand e.g. all for one cards or whatever nonsense you’re thinking about…

          At least re-read the part wher I explicitly state that I use BOI for necessity and at no point mention only using gift cards.. so you know you are wrong even if you won’t admit it, which I know you won’t.(It also makes you seem like an eejit tho)

          Of everything else you could have questioned that’s what your going to pin your whole argument on?.. Your already obviously limited knowledge of Gift Cards?.. Pfff.. weak stuff.

          Just for what it’s worth. The whole point I am making is about protecting your personal data by using anonymous or disposable mediums or heavily regulated and protected methods of payment at the very least.

          If you want your financial advice from the 1980’s, the greed is good establishment for the failed neo-liberal economic policy and the benefit of only the banking class from the deluded victims.. well, you know where to go for half of a start…

          Rob_G, 80’s financial watchdog…

          :-J

        4. Rob_G

          No; you’re just saying words that you learned on the internet that you don’t understand

          … FIAT money is practically worthless “ – ALL forms of money are fiat currency, unless you are trading in grain or cattle or similar. You don’t seem to understand this.

          Recommending bitcoin, which is hugely volatile commodity, as a viable alternative to banking, is stupid.

        5. :-Joe

          It depends on your definition of money.

          Moolah as in “cash”… or ching-ching as in, Currency, bonds, assets, investments etc.. or coin as in “wealth” in general?..

          Not all forms of money are in the form of FIAT currency or paper money/currency.
          – Gold, silver and digital crypto-currency are some of the most common.

          FIAT money has no intrinsic value, the value is set and agreed by financial systems of nations usually by a government and then everybody agrees to use it.

          Technically, because of the state of fractional reserve based banking systems, every dollar printed is a dollar of debt… It’s not even backed by a real store of tangible intrinsic value such as gold.

          It’s hard to honestly argue that FIAT money is even money at all hence, the statement I made earlier that FIAT money is practically worthless.

          Also, btw, I wan’t promoting bitcoin, you’re being an eejit again…

          I was advocating that people should learn more about cryptocurrency and look past the recent and current volatile, boom and bust nature of bitcoin(which I think is about to make another massive jump soon btw)

          As usual I have to argue with you and defend statements you have somehow imagined I’ve made. Clearly, if you had bothered to read the above statements properly in the first place you would know I had not made them in the first place… what’s the term for that type of argument often mentioned on BS?..

          I get the impression you just don’t like me for some reason, which is unfortunate but also fine. Just stop making yourself look daft by arguing with me in a way that only makes you look like an eejit and wastes all the time it takes to reply.

          At least make your argument against me or your attempt at discrediting my opinion out of irrational anger / spite / frustration / jealousy / admiration / love etc. etc..??? .. based on something I’ve actually said for once… If, it is in fact an argument that you’re really after?..

          Also, your argument that money stored in a bank on guaranteed deposit is 100% safe is not technically or in actuality 100% true because of another potential(inevitable) crash, banks failing without warning and corrupt, rigged economic systems etc. Nobody can be certain of what may happen in the future.
          Although to be fair, it is the safest option for storing FIAT if that’s all you want to use and for most people to use at the moment.

          You can learn a lot about many things via the internet if you just keep an open but skeptical mnd… or haven’t you tried?..
          You could even use the internet to learn about FIAT vs Cryptocurrency, China / Russia et al. and what already happening / likely to happen in the near future!..

          & Try to have a conversation about it…

          :-J

        6. Rob_G

          Not all forms of money are in the form of FIAT currency or paper money/currency.
          – Gold, silver and digital crypto-currency are some of the most common.

          What is the intrinsic value of the zeroes and ones that make up bitcoin?

        7. :-Joe

          The zero’s and one’s in binary or any other number system used for code in a computer program or algorithm, just like the zero’s and one’s written on the front and back of FIAT paper money or displayed on financial computer screens representing numbers… have no intrinsic value in and of themselves whatsoever… – I hope you know that already?
          ….Unless a group of people suddenly get together and agree to put a value on the numbers between them and then stick to it. – I’m not aware of, or interested if or why anyone would be doing that but good luck to you if you’re that way inclined…

          The question I think you are actually asking me when translated is ” OK then prove that bitcoin is not even more worthless than FIAT currency that’s backed by a bank guarantee on deposits?”…

          A better question you probably should be asking is “Why is cryptocurrency or specifically bitcoin better and will also replace FIAT money or Gold as a store of value?”

          So, I was originally talking about cryptocurrency in general and how it’s adoption to replace the corrupted FIAT system is inevitable.. but my answer to all this is and specifically Bitcoin is fairly simple..

          Since dropping the gold standard in 1971, FIAT money has been routinely printed to manipulate inflation which has devalued the USD and what we use as FIAT currency down to nothing and now the value and price of Gold and Silver are also being manipulated and heading the same way.

          FIAT/USD used to be backed up by physical Gold as it’s intrinsic and reliable store of value but that is not the reality anymore. The ship has long since sailed, crashed into the iceberg and sank to the bottom.. Gold is now an unreliable store of value because of similar market manipulation on FIAT currency.

          The intrinsic value of Bitcoin is that it has an even more specific and finite scarcity than gold as a store of value which is hard coded in it’s secure, decentralised cryptographic blockchain algorith… In other words, no more Bitcoin can be discovered or created than is already known to exist… Although, some can and has been lost already by people losing their security keys.

          It is also even more soverign than gold as it is decentralised, more secure, not subject to the same market manipulation and the exact total maximum number of units that can exist is quantifiable.

          it also cannot be confiscated as easily as gold either by force, decree, or by the system being hacked. It is under constant attempted hacking and all efforts have failed since day one. The only way to hack it successfully is to take control of the complete decentralised blockchain system or every one of it’s users at the same time. Practically, although not 100% scientifically impossible.

          The most important reason from an economic use or wide adoption point of view with the cryptographic blockchain algorithm as currency in general or specifically Bitcoin… Is that every single transaction is also the settlement at the same time… Unlike any transaction with gold, FIAT or any other currency or any traded commodity which is slower and more complicated to process.
          – Unless maybe you include theft or destruction as a transaction and settlement at the same time.

          Cryptocurrency designed by governments and banks is inevitable, Bitcoin will remain as the main store of value like a digital gold to the other digital currencies.

          I know there are easily a million detracters in the finance world all following people like Buffet and Dimon’s declarations as the word of the corrupt financial gods that crypto is a scam or it’s worthless or etc etc…

          Well guess what, they are either spoofing you the public for financial gain as usual or they are just plain wrong. Look for and at, the already existing clear and obvious facts.

          Ask yourself why are all these detractors, one by one including nation state’s, the big financial institutions, hedge / wealth / investment funds and soon even more than before but most importantly all the regulators.. all changing their tune and investing heavily into cryptocurrency more and more every day?..

          The denial, lies and slow adoption is to do with power and control and trying to find a way to game the system and steal public wealth to the maximum again for the future.

          A lot more I could say from what I understand and from what I am aware of or know is going on but you should start by finding out the answers for yourself…

          You really need to look into all this for yourself and look past the surface level tension and the opinions you think you should agree with and go deeper into what is really going on.

          Be open minded to ideas but always be skeptical. Look for the opposing viewpoints to what you agree and disagree with from both sides and make up your own mind, rinse and repeat with every new bit of information.

          Denying that cryptocurrency is already a reality now is like denying the existence of the internet even after the dot com bubble.

          :-J

  6. SB

    I did some shopping in Dunnes yesterday and they had the cheek to charge me for it!!! During this crisis!!!

    Where do you stop with this? No bills for anyone? I knew there was a “free everything” brigade, but why single out banks? I dislike paying my bank charges but I’m aware I’m liable for them, so I’ve moved most of my transactions to Revolut to avoid the per-transaction fee, and am considering fully moving account after 35 years, but I don’t get why they should just WAIVE charges.

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