Guaranteed Cheques...

PSHCRG

Hi guys

I phoned my bank around 6 weeks ago and asked them to cancel some cheques for me - which were guaranteed - I was assured this had been done - however was told it could not be confirmed in writing.


Fast forward to last Thursday and I notice one of the cheques has left my account. I was told by somebody at the bank that the person I had spoken to had not cancelled the cheques at all, apart from one. The money was refunded to me within 5 minutes, i also cancelled my whole cheque book.


It has now happened on a further 2 cheques which have left my account on Friday and Monday. I was told the money would be back in my account by 7pm yesterday evening.


I have now just been told that as the cheques were guaranteed I cannot be refunded, however they have already done it, as the stops werent put on which I asked for - and they had 5 weeks notice to stop the cheques. All I have been offered is a customer complaint leaflet


Can they do this?


Im in early pregnancy and I dont really want to have to sit in the bank again for 2 hours to speak to an english person that will help me and give me my money back.


Any advice greatly appreciated

chexum

PSHCRG wrote: »

I have now just been told that as the cheques were guaranteed I cannot be refunded, however they have already done it, as the stops werent put on which I asked for - and they had 5 weeks notice to stop the cheques. All I have been offered is a customer complaint leaflet

I'm afraid they're right - the point of guaranteeing cheques is that they are guaranteed (up to the limit, of course, etc). Once they/you followed all the points of guaranteeing a cheque, it's done.

The only way (and usually the only "free" way) of stopping a cheque is claiming it's lost, or stolen. If you claim it's lost/stolen but someone shows a valid guaranteed cheque, the bank will know who's committing fraud... :eek:

If whoever you wrote the cheque for claimed they lost the cheque, and you wrote another one, you can only take it up with them, not the bank.

You can complain about the bank telling you that it was possible, but that's not likely of much help, and not too quickly either, I'm afraid.:o

PSHCRG

Thanks for the reply.

I do understand the means of a guarantee but it was cancelled 4 weeks ago, and he hadnt put the stops on as I ask.

Plus they have already refunded me a guaranteed cheque and I asked for the book to be stopped then - he did put this down as lost.


Does this not come into it at all?

premierfella

It is feasible that if a cheque book is reported lost and then a cheque is presented with a valid cheque guarantee card number on the back, the bank may well pay it on the assumption that (assuming the cheque card was not also reported lost) the wrong cheque book was cancelled.

As to the one cheque you have already got the bank to refund you on - the bank may have simply swallowed that one and made an ex gratia payment to you based on customer service (i.e. they did not reclaim the value of the cheque from the party who presented it).

Not that it makes any difference to your position as far as I can see (the cheques were not lost or stolen and were guaranteed, so the bank are unlikely to "refund" you the value of them IMO) but can we clarify what what said to the members of staff when you made the attempts to cancel the cheques/cheque book? Which of the follow applies?:
- I have lost the cheques;
- The cheques have been stolen;
- Another reason given other than the two above.

And did you tell the members of staff on these occasions that you had guaranteed the cheques, or did you simply keep quiet about that when you requested the stops on the cheques?

Fiddlestick

Were they payday advance cheques?

EarthBoy

PSHCRG wrote: »

Plus they have already refunded me a guaranteed cheque ...

I'd say you were very lucky indeed if this is the case, and I can only presume they didn't notice it was guaranteed. Normally, all banks will refuse point blank to cancel guaranteed cheques. That's the whole point of them, i.e. payment is guaranteed to be made. The guarantee isn't worth the paper (or the plastic card) that it's written on if customers can still cancel the cheques.

jonesMUFCforever

Agree if the cheque guarantee system has been used correctly the drawer cannot stop the cheques if they are within the guaranteed limit on the card.

WelshPaul

I don't want to jump all over the "op" but why are you writing so many guaranteed cheques then asking the bank to cancel them?

If you don't have the funds, don't write the cheque.

Techhead_2

It seems to me that there isn't enough information in the posts for anyone to offer advice. The unknown circumstances could change the advice dramatically.
If the details are too personal to reveal in the forum, perhaps some other more confidential advice source is appropriate.