Question: Safety deposit boxes

[Rachel Caldecott]

I have a scene at the end of my story, where the protagonists go into a bank to access a safety deposit box they have been left in a Will.
Strangely enough, I have never had or accessed a safety deposit box in my life. My only knowledge about them comes from Hollywood movies.

My questions are: once you've accessed the contents and want to put it back into the locker (if there is one... there is in films), do you need a second key to lock the locker? (assuming you need a bank employee to help you access it with their key in the first place). How do you leave the room? Do you need to be shown out?

 

[Barbara]

In Switzerland (and this may not be uniform, but only specific to one small bank): It's not a locker but a drawer. Think Bourne Identity when Jason goes to the bank in Zurich. What the film shows there is pretty accurate of how I've experienced it. (Apart from the grumpy woman at the desk who phones security.). You have a key and the bank has a key. (I think, but my memory is vague, the box has two keyholes. One for them, one for you.)

You go to the bank and say you want access. Following an ID check, the bank person shows you to a booth with a curtain where they'll bring you your box, then open their part and leave you to open it up with your key. You can put anything you want inside it as long as it fits (your in-laws won't. Just a heads up.). You can take out what you need or put in what you want. When you're done, you're not shown out as such, but you bring the box back to the employee who is discreetly available nearby who then locks up and puts it back in the vault. This is information from around 2002, so it might be outdated.

UK. I recently spoke to a mate who gets paid to crack dormant safety deposit boxes open to root through them to see who they belong to. He does that for a bank which is getting rid of them. I believe there's a trend to 'abolish' saftey depo boxes. You might want to google that.

I've also heard that Barclays have safety depo boxes in form of envelops. You'll need to check this out. This was mentioned to me as an option also back in around 2002

 

[JohnBertel]

You can put anything you want inside it

Within reason, I guess. It may be an urban legend, but I heard of an unsatisfied bank customer who left a fish in the box.

 

[Dorm Ant]

Make it up. As long as readers can visualise it, it's fine.

I have a character given a key to a secure locker in my story and it's like a PO Box. My character expects to be shown into a room full of lockers, where he finds the one matching the number on the key, though the woman on the enquiry desk takes the key, goes to the wall of lockers behind her and hands the contents over. (In my case, a pistol in a padded envelope).

 

[E G Logan]

I have a scene at the end of my story, where the protagonists go into a bank to access a safety deposit box they have been left in a Will.

I think in the last analysis, it's with @RG Worsley: just make it up.

It must depend on where this is. If it's the kind of place, like BrinksMat or whatever, or where banks offer the service routinely (i.e. not London), and locked rooms with walls of boxes are common...

For example, I have some bits and pieces (and documents) in a deposit box with my bank. A high street bank. In London, in the City. To get something out, or just check it, I have to phone the bank, giving a couple of days' notice, make an appointment. I go in, am shown into a meeting room inside bank, wait. Someone comes in with my (own) small office-type cashbox, we check it is mine, they go out. I unlock with my key, do whatever, re-lock, wait. I'm shown out again through bank. Sometimes they have offered tea...

That might work for you if you wanted to draw it all out a bit, but in reality it is very low-key.

 

[E G Logan]

That might work for you if you wanted to draw it all out a bit, but in reality it is very low-key.

And I don't think I've ever been asked to prove who I am. Not because I am special (ha!), or wealthy (ha! ha!), or live very nearby (yes), BUT because that's the way it is. If I have an appointment, can recognise the box, and have the key – that's always been enough.

 

[Pamela Jo]

Still have a security deposit box in Switzerland. Hopefully. If husband has remembered to keep up payments. Had one in Zurich where you accessed with eyeball ID. That was back in about 2005. Box was brought to you in a private room. The one near St Gallen is a small branch bank. Go down in the elevator with employee who waits discreetly outside to lock up again after you are finished then ride back up with you. In small-town Kansas it was a room you are allowed entry with your key and lock up yourself but again escorted by bank employee to and fro. Bank has duplicate key -they expect you to lose it... Smalltown bank-they know you so no ID required though technically on the books. CH. Absolutely must show ID or paperwork that gives you right to open. Like being executor for will of dead owner.

 

[Peyton Stafford]

Still have a security deposit box in Switzerland. Hopefully. If husband has remembered to keep up payments. Had one in Zurich where you accessed with eyeball ID. That was back in about 2005. Box was brought to you in a private room. The one near St Gallen is a small branch bank. Go down in the elevator with employee who waits discreetly outside to lock up again after you are finished then ride back up with you. In small-town Kansas it was a room you are allowed entry with your key and lock up yourself but again escorted by bank employee to and fro. Bank has duplicate key -they expect you to lose it... Smalltown bank-they know you so no ID required though technically on the books. CH. Absolutely must show ID or paperwork that gives you right to open. Like being executor for will of dead owner.

This is more like reality...

 

[Peyton Stafford]

I have had safe deposit boxes for legal documents, software, and financial instruments in multiple US banks. The routine is to show ID and key at a service desk.

The bank employee walks you into the vault. You insert and turn your key. The employee turns cos. The employee leaves. You pull out your box, actually a drawer, put it on a counter and do what you wish.

You could break into someone else's box. The employee is back at cos station, outside the vault, winking at you, bending over to straighten her shoes...

You switch out your floppy disks or rare stamps, and maybe some Spanish boullioun. I preferred chicken. Pardon the humor.

Bank employee returns after you insert the drawer into the wall. This is serious stuff, so no one drops their drawers.

The drawers slide in smoothly and settle into place as they were made to. Lots of room for malfeasance.

Go @Rachel Caldecott!

 

[Pamela Jo]

I have had safe deposit boxes for legal documents, software, and financial instruments in multiple US banks. The routine is to show ID and key at a service desk.

The bank employee walks you into the vault. You insert and turn your key. The employee turns cos. The employee leaves. You pull out your box, actually a drawer, put it on a counter and do what you wish.

You could break into someone else's box. The employee is back at cos station, outside the vault, winking at you, bending over to straighten her shoes...

You switch out your floppy disks or rare stamps, and maybe some Spanish boullioun. I preferred chicken. Pardon the humor.

Bank employee returns after you insert the drawer into the wall. This is serious stuff, so no one drops their drawers.

The drawers slide in smoothly and settle into place as they were made to. Lots of room for malfeasance.

Go @Rachel Caldecott!

And now I know why there are cameras in the Swiss vaults and the drawers would take a grenade without a scratch.