Smile Post Office paying-in envelope

PinkGal_2

Hi,

I've been having a problem receiving post office paying-in envelopes from Smile. I've been asking them for the last 3 months and none has arrived so far. I am really getting desperate to cash my cheques. There are no co-op bank near me either and I don't want to post my cheques as I'm afraid that they will get lost.

I'm wondering if anyone is kind enough to scan the front of the envelope so that I can print it out and stick it to a blank envelope.

Your help is much appreciated.
PinkGal

PBA

You do realise don't you that the post office envelopes just get picked up by a postman at the end of the day and sent up to Smile's HQ (or whichever bank) along with the normal post. So your deposit is just as safe (or unsafe, as you prefer) if you put it in a postbox with a first class stamp.

If you're worried about them going missing, take a note of as many details as possible from the front of the cheque, or take a photocopy, before banking it. Even if the physical cheque gets lost it's still possible to get your money if you can give the bank all the details.

Hazzanet

From their website:

cheques - you can pay in cheques at any UK Post Office using the special envelopes we provide or at any Co-operative Bank Branch.

You can also post it to us in an envelope along with a paying in slip to: smile, FREEPOST NEA 14877, Northampton, NN4 7BR. Remember to jot your sort code and account number on the back of each cheque.

You can also pay cheques into some other UK bank's branches (although they may charge you for this).

PinkGal_2

Thanks guys.

After spending my precious Saturday morning queing up at Barclays (one my banks), NatWest and Abby to see if they'd take the cheque in, but no such luck. I really didn't wanted to post the cheque so, in the end, I printed the smile logo, glued it on a white envelope, wrote my sort code and account no on the envelope & back of the cheque. Post office accepted it. What a hassel!

PinkGal

arrowsmith

PinkGal wrote:

Thanks guys.

After spending my precious Saturday morning queing up at Barclays (one my banks), NatWest and Abby to see if they'd take the cheque in, but no such luck. I really didn't wanted to post the cheque so, in the end, I printed the smile logo, glued it on a white envelope, wrote my sort code and account no on the envelope & back of the cheque. Post office accepted it. What a hassel!

PinkGal

You are far better posting it, its free,its got a lot less chance of getting lost as less people are involved and the best thing is I've found it much quicker than giving it in at the post office. :j

nick74

I've been routinely paying cheques into various banks by post for nearly 20 years (Girobank,Natwest,Abbey National,Barclays,FirstDirect & Smile in that time) and never lost a cheque. It doesn't mean it can't happen, but the risk is very small in my opinion. I never pay cheques in over the counter unless I happen to be passing a branch anyway, or need the funds in my account very urgently.

simongregson

My envelopes also didn't arrive. I sent them a secure message. It turns out that the address wasn't being printed correctly by their machine. A helpful person at smile bunged some in an envelope and wrote the address on by hand, solving the problem.

Good to see some initiative for once from a bank, well done Smile.

realaledrinker

PBA wrote:

You do realise don't you that the post office envelopes just get picked up by a postman at the end of the day and sent up to Smile's HQ (or whichever bank) along with the normal post.

Rubbish. They are sent via internal Post Office processes to a cheque clearing centre in Northampton where they are keyed into the Co-op banking systems.

lynzpower

I have paid smile cheques in both by post office and sending via royal mail. I think overall the mail seems to have been slightly quicker.

I too had this envelope problem - but I mail them anyway now via the freepost, saves me standing in a PO Q.

CopperPlate_2

I'm often torn between using the PO or posting. We have a PO locally within walking distance so I always feel guilty when I post the cheques. If we don't use the service then we'll likely lose it over the long term, so I try and use them when I can. That said the cheques take longer to clear using the PO than posting I've found.

PinkGal_2

realaledrinker wrote:

Rubbish. They are sent via internal Post Office processes to a cheque clearing centre in Northampton where they are keyed into the Co-op banking systems.

This is what I thought. It's better than getting into the postal system. I had so much problem receiving mails that I don't have faith in Royal Mail I'm afraid.

What with PO closure threat, we will soon be forced to post cheques in the future.

It's interesting that two other Smile account holders had the same problem receiving envelopes. :think:

PinkGal