### Postbank’s Withdrawal Saga: A Rethink of Banking Convenience
The Deutsche Bank’s ambitious endeavor to completely absorb Postbank’s private customer segment by the end of 2023 has notably failed. What was supposed to be a monumental stride in banking consolidation has culminated in an operational debacle, drawing ire from consumers and regulatory watchdogs alike.
#### Unprecedented Wave of Complaints
Postbank’s integration journey has been anything but smooth. Technical glitches, a surge in customer complaints, and significant delays in processing terminations, account transactions, and customer inquiries have raised red flags across the board. Not only have consumer protection organizations raised their voices in protest, but the financial supervisory authority, BaFin, has also been keeping a close watch on the efforts to remedy these issues since last fall.
The digital infrastructure of Postbank, in particular, seems to have been a thorn in Deutsche Bank’s side. The vision was to seamlessly migrate Postbank’s 12 million customers into Deutsche Bank’s system, thereby expanding its private customer base to about 20 million. Instead, online banking portals and new apps failed across various instances, despite Deutsche Bank’s phased approach to customer migration.
#### „Retreat from Physical Presence“
For existing Postbank customers—who had just about come to terms with using Apple Pay after several years of delays and navigated through the tumultuous merger—a new challenge looms on the horizon.
According to Handelsblatt, by the year after next, Postbank plans to shut down nearly half of its approximately 550 branches. Furthermore, its partner branches will no longer offer financial services. This means that customers who have been accessing Postbank services in parcel shops, stationery stores, kiosks, and late-night shops will soon have to brace for the discontinuation of financial services in almost 2,000 partner shops.
These changes are expected to take effect in the fall. While affected partner branches will continue to handle payments for stamps and parcels, they will no longer provide cash withdrawal or other financial services.
This restructuring marks a significant shift in how banking services are accessed and presents a challenge for customers accustomed to the convenience of Postbank’s wide service network. As the banking landscape continues to evolve, the move raises pertinent questions about the balance between digital transformation and the preservation of accessible, physical banking touchpoints for all customer segments.
source: https://www.ifun.de/postbank-nach-app-debakel-jetzt-rueckzug-aus-der-flaeche-228002/
