About paying cheques into your bank at the Post Office

marshallka

I paid in two cheques at the post office for my bank. These are paid in in an envelope and a receipt is given. The envelope has your account number and sort code on and you are given a receipt for this with your account number and sort code on, date etc.

These were paid in on 4th May 2010 and they never got there. They were only two small amounts totally just over £20 but today I rang the bank (Co-operative bank) to see if they had them there end as it was long enough and they had not reached my bank.

The advisor at co-op this morning told me that it was not their fault and to go to the post office with your receipt and enquire there so I did.

I was told by the post office that is was nothing to do with them as they paid them in and got a receipt and to get back in touch with the bank.

I did this again and was told by the bank to make a claim for missing cheques they would need the bank account number, sort code and name and address of the people the cheques were made out from. I did not have all these details to hand and it would also take a long time to do this so I asked "who would actually write all this down when paying cheques in?". He agreed but said that after working for the bank he would advise anyone to actually photocopy the cheques you are paying in (yeah right, I am sure we all have time for that). He then said that as these are not likely to turn up now he would credit my account with £15 just out of courtesy which I thought was good of them TBH and I would have to chase around finding all this information out and getting the money back from the people that gave me cheques.

A lesson was learn't also. Do not pay cheques into the post office as NO-ONE take the blame if they go missing and to photo copy everything as that is what the bank requires you to do IF you need to make a claim.

I do wonder though why they actually give you receipts from the post office. They actually mean nothing as each blames each other and its no-ones responsibility.

natweststaffmember

So why not write to them and ask them to investigate this complaint since they would most certainly be able to find out if they had taken cheques to the value of £20 or if the credit slip was wrong. Do you know if the cheques were for unusual amounts, ie 10.99 and 9.01?
That would help them to search based on the date the cheques would have been sent for processing.....they are not looking hard enough.
Furthermore, if you know who wrote you the cheques, since that would be something you would write on your own records then contact them to see if the cheques had been paid. Copy of the front and back required and they will be able to do a better job looking for them.

marshallka

natweststaffmember wrote: »

So why not write to them and ask them to investigate this complaint since they would most certainly be able to find out if they had taken cheques to the value of £20 or if the credit slip was wrong. Do you know if the cheques were for unusual amounts, ie 10.99 and 9.01?
That would help them to search based on the date the cheques would have been sent for processing.....they are not looking hard enough.
Furthermore, if you know who wrote you the cheques, since that would be something you would write on your own records then contact them to see if the cheques had been paid. Copy of the front and back required and they will be able to do a better job looking for them.

I can actually get the cheques reissued but not just like that and I really feel that its someones fault as to them going missing. I had this happen from the same post office some years ago and it was a large amount. I did get compensated for it from the bank after moaning as they were large amounts that were specific to us paying something on a certain date.

The bank say that they can only investigate the matters IF I get the account number, sort code, name and address's of the two people that gave me the cheques and otherwise there really is nothing they can do. I was told that in future if I pay any cheques in this way then to photo copy the cheques before hand and then the information would be at hand for them to investigate it. They said if they had received any envelope with cheques in that had problems with the paying in slip or the cheques then they would still have a record on their account and my account as my number is recorded on the envelope also but there is nothing. The post office say they have a record of sending my envelope with my account number and sort code on to co-op. I really don't know why they issue receipts at the post office saying that you have paid in an envelope when there is nothing you can do with it if things do happen. Just very annoying TBH of how this works.

orc_2

Hi Marshallka

thats a pity you've had this trouble. It highlights a real fault in their procedures. I don't understand why they offer the service if all they do is take an envelope with cheques and then pass them on.

Whats in it for them, do they just accept your cheques and then forward them to your bank, without them debiting the accounts of the signee?

I take it theres a reason you don't take them direct to your bank?

marshallka

orc wrote: »

Hi Marshallka

thats a pity you've had this trouble. It highlights a real fault in their procedures. I don't understand why they offer the service if all they do is take an envelope with cheques and then pass them on.

Whats in it for them, do they just accept your cheques and then forward them to your bank, without them debiting the accounts of the signee?

I take it theres a reason you don't take them direct to your bank?

Hi Orc, Hope you are well.

I was just posting really for a vent to highlight a problem that I shall be making the post office aware of as they accept an envelope with your account number written on and a paying in slip inside and the cheques and they issue a receipt. (You cannot get away with saying you paid cheques in either when you did not as IF you gave in an empty envelope to try it on your envelope would be recorded as empty and if you said you had paid in more cheques than you had done then again this would recorded by the bank).

My envelope never reached there again!!! I am just curious as to why they give you a receipt for your envelope when they do not accept any responsibility or the bank either if things go wrong.

If it stated on the envelope to take photo copies of all contents then I doubt anyone would really pay their cheques in there but I use ours just for convenience sometimes. I shall not in the future though. Its obviously not a safe option and you have no comebacks.


Any news on Cartel BTW????

natweststaffmember

marshallka wrote: »

I can actually get the cheques reissued but not just like that and I really feel that its someones fault as to them going missing. I had this happen from the same post office some years ago and it was a large amount. I did get compensated for it from the bank after moaning as they were large amounts that were specific to us paying something on a certain date.

The bank say that they can only investigate the matters IF I get the account number, sort code, name and address's of the two people that gave me the cheques and otherwise there really is nothing they can do. I was told that in future if I pay any cheques in this way then to photo copy the cheques before hand and then the information would be at hand for them to investigate it. They said if they had received any envelope with cheques in that had problems with the paying in slip or the cheques then they would still have a record on their account and my account as my number is recorded on the envelope also but there is nothing. The post office say they have a record of sending my envelope with my account number and sort code on to co-op. I really don't know why they issue receipts at the post office saying that you have paid in an envelope when there is nothing you can do with it if things do happen. Just very annoying TBH of how this works.

You are kinda missing the point. I'm not saying that it is impossible to find out but whether the cheques you paid in have been paid out by those who wrote the cheque to you. If they were paid then you have a case. If not, then unfortunately, they may have been lost.

Premier_2

marshallka wrote: »

...I was told by the post office that is was nothing to do with them as they paid them in and got a receipt ...

Ask for proof of this, together with a trace from their bank showing the money paid in actually was successfully delivered to the intended account.

marshallka

natweststaffmember wrote: »

You are kinda missing the point. I'm not saying that it is impossible to find out but whether the cheques you paid in have been paid out by those who wrote the cheque to you. If they were paid then you have a case. If not, then unfortunately, they may have been lost.

I am going to find that out also natweststaffmember. I will ask the people to check their banks also but they can be presented can't they anytime within 3 mths isn't it and also if they have to cancel the cheques they may incur charges on their accounts for it. I just may have to lose out TBH.

marshallka

Premier wrote: »

Ask for proof of this, together with a trace from their bank showing the money paid in actually was successfully delivered to the intended account.

They say they are not allowed to give me proof because of data protection and other amounts were paid in the same day. I have asked my bank to check with them also but they did not even take the post office name and address of where I paid them in so they have no intention of doing this.

Premier_2

marshallka wrote: »

They say they are not allowed to give me proof because of data protection and other amounts were paid in the same day. I have asked my bank to check with them also but they did not even take the post office name and address of where I paid them in so they have no intention of doing this.

How does the Data Protection Act stop them giving you proof of something that is private & personal to you?

Up to them to ensure they don't give you details of other persons details, but don't allow them to hide behind the DPA when it relates to your private & personal details.

Your bank won't help you any futher. They say they didn't get the money. You need to discover where it went and only the PO and their bank can do that.

Edit: The other possible option is if you remember where the cheques originated from, the payers may be able to help you trace them.

natweststaffmember

marshallka wrote: »

I am going to find that out also natweststaffmember. I will ask the people to check their banks also but they can be presented can't they anytime within 3 mths isn't it and also if they have to cancel the cheques they may incur charges on their accounts for it. I just may have to lose out TBH.

If the cheques have been sent to the Co-Op and processed then they would not be sitting somewhere(I would expect payment from the account holders of the cheques within 5 working days of the cheques being paid in via the post office). If they have been paid then there is a possibility that they have been credited to someone else's account. That is the basis for what I am saying. If the cheques have not been presented the the payers should cancel the cheque as they have been lost and then re issue you with new cheques. If they have been paid then copy of front and back will be required so that your bank can trace and apply the amounts to your account. I hope that makes sense?