'What's legal tender?' discussion

StumpyPumpy

dzug1 wrote: »

No - in a legal tender situation the exact money has to be given. If you give more the person you are paying can keep the change.

Ditto in a shop actually - they don't have to give change.

I understand what you are saying, but it doesn't make sense (I am fully aware that the law doesn't sometimes make sense, but let's gloss over that)

If it were true all it would do is shift the iniquity, because, if understand correctly, what you are saying is that if you, as a customer of mine, offer to purchase a 99p bottle of milk by tendering a 50 pound note: I can accept the contract you have offered and am under no obligation to give you any change. But as you have formed the contract with me by tendering the money you are obliged to relinquish your note and buy the milk. I doubt that would hold up any more that my original proposal. As a side-note: buying in a shop is not a legal tender situation in the eyes of the law unless you continually shop with a court order.

The reality is that shopping simply bartering with an intermediate step: usually, but not always, money. If I want to buy a pint of milk with 2 turnips and the shopkeeper agrees we have as much of a contract as if I had sold my turnips beforehand and given the money to him. He also has as much right to refuse either money or turnips (as long as doing so does not break any other law such as one concerning racial discrimination) Things only get complicated when you get into distance selling regulations.

The funny thing is, I look in my wallet and I currently have US Dollars that I could at least spend in Harrods, Euros which I could spend in my local M&S, Shopping vouchers destined for Boots and Chinese Yuan, which I admit, I don't know where I could spend in the UK. I don't have any sterling curency in there at all.

SP

tennisplayer

this is absolutely correct.scottish notes are not legal tender but may be accepted at the sellers dicretion. legal tender is a legal term meaning what is acceptable in exchange for a debt. scottish banks originally printed notes as a form of advertising but only the bank of england is the sole note issuing authority in UK. this was always the first question in scottish banking exams (which i passed) so know what i am talking about but have had arguments for years with others, with me arguing that they are not legal tender. However, that does not mean that shopkeepers should say they are not acceptable. whilst legally it is their choice whether to accept any note, i politely point out that they are perfectly acceptable and that their banks will exchange them for english notes or credit their account. the same situation arises with norther ireland sterling notes

bagand96

I can't believe how people here live in such a sheltered bubble and just have the most idiotic look on their faces when you hand them a Scottish note to pay for something. Absolutely thick.

WHY DONT THE ENGLISH ACCEPT SCOTTISH MONEY,ARE WE NOT A BRITISH NATION???
DO THEY THINK THEY ARE ABOVE US OR SOMETHING DOWN SOUTH??

Guys, or girls, I think you are reading too much into the issue.

The issue is nothing whatsoever to the English thinking they are better than the Scottish. It is a simple question of familiarity. We simply don't see them in day to day life. Of course in Scotland they are just part of day to day life. But in most of England, and Wales, they are incredibly rare.

Thats the reason it may cause the odd question or two. When people get handed one it is naturally drawn to their attention because it is different to what they are used to having. Its got nothing to do with a superiority complex or anything else.

Most people know Scottish notes exists, but very few know what they look like, or even that there are more than one variety. Thats because most have never even seen one. Unless you are suggesting we all go through some education programme? Maybe add it to the national curriculum?

I used to work in a big supermarket next to a big university. Scottish and Northern Irish notes were not common, but we did see them now and again, especially after holiday periods. Now and again cashiers, including myself, would double check with supervisors, only if to cover themselves. Not a problem, politely explain to the customer I was double checking because I don't see them all that often, and all was well. In fact the only time it was a problem was when the customer in question started lecturing me in a very loud and patronising way. Even though I had said I would accept them and that i was just double checking.

rapido

. .

bagand96

But refusal is not on, and anyone doing so, well maybe they shouldn't be handling cash for their jobs

My experience is only ever using big chains who nowadays generally tend not to have a problem. I have visited friends in Scotland numerous times and end up with Scottish notes on my return. I've never had a problem but then I keep them to spend in big supermarkets knowing there is not an issue.

As mentioned in this thread shop keepers are within their rights to refuse them. Whether you think thats right or not is a debate that will go until the end of time. Scottish notes are issued by retail banks, not a central bank. I believe the Scottish banks that issue them have to "back" their issue with sterling currency lodged with the bank of England.

My only point in my previous post is that this thread could easily descend into the age old English v Scottish debate with all the mud slinging that goes with it. When really I feel the Scottish note issue is just a simple unfamiliarity problem rather than any nationalistic slur on the English part.

:beer:

verne

After an unsuccessful attempt to use Northern Irish notes at my local Sainsbury's (in England), I emailed Sainsbury's and got the following response:

Dear ****

Thank you for your email. I am sorry to hear you were unable to pay with a Northern Ireland bank note in our ******* Sainsbury’s store. I can imagine how disappointed you must have been.

I have discussed this matter with *******, the Store Manager. He has asked me to pass on his sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. He will use this opportunity to inform his staff of our retail procedures to stop this from happening to other customers in the future.

If you do have any further concerns, please feel free to ask ***** the next time you are in the store. I know he will be more than happy to speak to you, to ensure your future shopping experiences at Sainsbury’s are much more enjoyable. Alternatively you may like to contact the store directly on *********** to arrange a convenient time for you to meet.

Please accept the 2,000 Nectar points as a gesture of goodwill for any inconvenience caused, along with my apologies. This equates to £10 and will be credited to your account within the next three working days. I hope you will use this to buy something that you particularly enjoy the next time you visit our store.

Once again, thank you for your comments. It is emails such as yours that help us see where improvements need to be made. Your views are therefore much appreciated.

Kind Regards

***** *******
Customer Manager

...................

I am a citizen of the UK. Why no Bank of The UK?

crystalmaze

Sorry to anyone that i may have offended on mse,I may have went off the rails a bit,Regarding England not accepting Scotland currency blah! blah! blah!
Was having my morn break and came across my mse email regarding this issue,And here's me rattling on like an old woman (no punt intended to all o.a.p's) as if i'm anti- english,Which i'm defo not,It's just this currency b*****ks.
And i take on board from jimbms,rapido & bagand96 that we are all in the same boat with different stories to be heard.
But there should be one currency for all in the British Kingdom,Simple as that!!!.
I'm just peeved off the hassle we have to go through in exchanging Scottish notes every time and just let off some steam this morn.

p.s The Scottish notes defo have real class designs on them that's for sure,Like a sort of euro note,If you know what i mean lol

johnfarquhar74

Feel like I'm stoking the fire here but what about those tour operators that utilise an exchange rate when scottish currency is used on inbound/outbound flights from/to scottish airports?!?
It's an annual thing (summer time) north of the border where the tabloid rag of the moment whips up a frenzy about these dastardly holiday companies and their inability to realise £1 english = £1 scottish!

trevort_2

Always tempted to spend the plastic Northern Bank £5 kept safely. Bet thatwould raise some eyebrows on the English side of the Irish Sea.

Be honest though I rarely have any problems with N Irish notes....mostly sent by Granny to my daughter.

But I do recall, when I first moved to England, taking my N Irish notes to the local bank to swap for BofE because of hassle in shops. The clerk took my notes, worked out the exchange rate (in the days the Irish Republic had the pound/punt) and gave me less than I expected.

Took a little while to explain to her that Belfast was in the UK and it wasn't foreign currency.....

jenniewb

This made me laugh today when I went to take out some money from the cash point which so happened to be an RBS cash point.
...Proudly displaying a computerised image of a scottish £20 note!