Christopher Barrow
A trusted custodian for your most personal valuable possessions
‘When we opened our Chiswick vault in 2019, the fundamental aim was to provide a flexible, affordable service,’ says Christopher Barrow, Chief Executive of Metropolitan Safe Deposits. ‘Vaults were – and often still are – seen as solely for the super-wealthy: our philosophy was to ensure that people from all walks of life could rent a safe deposit box.
‘Hence, while most safe custody businesses offer only four to five box sizes, we have a dozen. That, in turn, allows us to set competitive rates: our smallest box is £115 p.a (includes £10,000 insurance) – the industry entry point is usually over double that – and it is ideal for jewellery, watches and precious keepsakes.’
Metropolitan’s smaller boxes are also perfect for storing ‘retail’ gold and silver bars and coins. ‘Many investors have bought them, and continue to do so, as a rainy day hedge against inflation and currency de-valuation,’ explains Christopher.
‘The growth of crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin has prompted a new demand from that sector. Owners use a private key (a 16-digit code) to access and manage their digital coins. However, if that key is hacked or the numbers forgotten, there’s no ownership register; in effect, the money is lost. So, the simple solution is to transfer the code to a USB device or even a piece of paper and put that in a box.
‘Convenience is essential to our operation,’ adds Christopher. ‘We open seven days a week and, once security procedures are completed, customers can come and go as they wish. If privacy is required, there are rooms in the vaults that are not monitored by the otherwise comprehensive 24/7 CCTV system.
‘In the UK we are still less familiar with what Americans call a Bank Box. If you would like to find out more, do make an appointment to come in: one of our friendly professional team will be happy to explain the options available.’
Metropolitan Safe Deposits
329 Chiswick High Road
Chiswick W4 4HS
020 3928 2828
chiswick@metrosafe.co.uk
https://www.metrosafe.co.uk/