5 cheques not appearing in my new Halifax current account :(

littlewren

I opened a new current account with Halifax a couple of months ago and duly deposited my £100.

I then went into the branch 9 days ago and deposited 5 cheques, totalling £100.01.

These cheques have still not appeared in my account when I view my balance online.

I phoned Customer Services on Friday and was told that no, they weren't in my account and they would 'look into it' and someone would contact me. They didn't.

I am now really concerned at the thought of these 5 cheques going missing.

I had this with Nat West, surely 5 cheques can't go missing at once?

What other explanation could there be?

Any advice would be great, many thanks.

Valli

Did you pay them in over the counter and do you have a receipt?

littlewren

Hi Valli, yes I paid them in over the counter and have a receipt.

rb10

Are you able to get to the branch that you paid them in at? If you can go in there with your receipt, the code line along the bottom of the receipt will tell them what they need to look into it further. They will be able to check the cashier's journal roll to see what happened to them.

They should have appeared on your account instantly, as soon as you paid them in.

littlewren

rb10 wrote: »

Are you able to get to the branch that you paid them in at? If you can go in there with your receipt, the code line along the bottom of the receipt will tell them what they need to look into it further. They will be able to check the cashier's journal roll to see what happened to them.

They should have appeared on your account instantly, as soon as you paid them in.

No, not easily rb10, it's not my home town and I won't be able to get to that particular branch for a couple of weeks or so.

It wasn't a good start to my banking experience with Halifax. The member of staff was sullen and took my cheques silently. She then queried the fact that two people had addressed their cheque to me by using my shortened name of Carrie and not Carol as it said on my bank card. When I said that I was known as that too, she simply turned back to the cheques, put them through and gave me the receipt.

I have deposited cheques loads of times with my previous bank and sometimes it said 'Carol' other times it said 'Carrie.' No-one ever questioned it so I don't see how that could be the problem.

Extant

littlewren wrote: »

I have deposited cheques loads of times with my previous bank and sometimes it said 'Carol' other times it said 'Carrie.' No-one ever questioned it so I don't see how that could be the problem.

Sullen attitude aside, she was right to question it - Carrie could be a different name to Carol, and the cashier has a legal duty to at least check if the cheque is crossed as account payee only.

Valli

Then photocopy your receipt, and write a letter giving as much detail as possible about the cheques paid in and ask them to look into it. If these were 'personal' cheques from people you know you should be able to find out whether, and when funds left their accounts.
If none of the cheques have cleared I would suggest you suggest they check their drawers in case your cheques are lying around somewhere. Doesn't bode well for the future though, does it?

Always a good idea though to get cheques made out to you in the name you bank in...

littlewren

Thankyou for your replies.

These cheques weren't personal ones, three of them were for surveys I'd completed (one from an America company but written on a British bank cheque, if that makes sense - I often receive cheques from them) one from a housing association and the other one I can't remember who it was from. So I can't even chase one of them up and the US one took 7 weeks to get to me as it was!

No, it doesn't bode well for the future and I'm quite concerned as I need this money.

littlewren

Valli, sorry I forgot to answer your point about having cheques made out in the name I bank in.

I prefer to be known as Carrie rather than Carol and where possible I use that name, but there are going to be times when a more official cheque might be made out in the name of Carol. As I say, I have never had a query from Nat West in all my years of banking with them.

I will ask them then if they can check their drawers in case they've been left there but if they have, that's pretty bad isn't it?!

cottager

This is going back a little while but I used to bank a few cheques into my SIL's Nationwide Flex a/c as she couldn't easily get there herself. Her two initials are D.E. but she's known by her E. name so they would be made out to E. or that name in full, and once one was refused but I can't remember of which variety. I think she had to endorse it on the reverse, but then tried to ensure her two initials were always put on cheques.

littlewren

Hmm, she didn't ask me to endorse them though, she seemed satisfied.