Gave wrong amount of cash at bureau de change - Advice please!

Debicj

I did a favour for somebody today by exchanging some cash for euros at a Travel agents in town. The person I was getting the cash for gave me an envelope and told me there was £500 in it. I went to change the money and didn't check the amount. I got the euros and went home.

Anyway, later my friend told me that they had made a mistake and that there was £600 in the envelope. They forgot that they put an extra £100 in. BUT.... they only got euros for £500.

I can't remember if the cashier checked the cash I gave him, but I'm sure he must have done so, otherwise I could have given him less.

What can we do about this?

All I can think of is that if the cashier genuinely made a mistake, then on cashing up would have realised that he had an extra £100. If we contact the shop and explain, maybe just maybe, they will believe us and on seeing they have an extra £100 give it back to us.

Does anyone have any advice or experience of working somewhere like this and can say what should happen?

arcon5

You could:

- contact them to see if their till is up
- check CCTV

It should be quite simple to resolve.

I would be very surprised if the cashier didn't count the money you gave them though. Is there a possibility your friend has made a mistake?

stsarina

Your friend forgot that they put an extra £100 in?! How good a friend are they - do you trust them?

scheming_gypsy

tell your friend that you 'forgot' that you withdrew all your wages and put them in the envelope, and would like it back.

They always check the cash they're given otherwise they can end up with fakes or getting short changed.

Debicj

I trust this friend totally, but she is really dizzy and I'm not 100% convinced that there was the extra £100 in the envelope. I have a feeling it may turn up in a coat pocket or something. However, she insists that she did put it in with the rest of the money.

She is going to go into the shop and explain what has happened and see if they are willing to assist.

I thought of the CCTV. That would perhaps prove that the money was counted, although the cashier didn't count it out note by note in front of me like he did the euros he gave back. I remember that much!

I guess this is the last time I will ever do a favour involving cash. I have learned a lesson today!

PZH

Debicj wrote: »

I can't remember if the cashier checked the cash I gave him, but I'm sure he must have done so, otherwise I could have given him less.

Yes, the cashier will have counted the money (or they are very unprofessional) - and £100 is not easily missed.

Usually, on a transaction of this type, the exact amount that is exchanged is not exactly £500 (eg £500 = approx 562.56 Euro) so they round up/down the Euro and adjust the GBP and give the required change (eg 560 Euro = £497.73)

How many Euros did you get ?

Debicj wrote: »

All I can think of is that if the cashier genuinely made a mistake...

Or your friend is a) very very confused, b) trying to scam you, c) mislaid the £100 and is trying to blame you in the hope that is what happened...

Debicj wrote: »

I trust this friend totally, but she is really dizzy and I'm not 100% convinced that there was the extra £100 in the envelope....

So which is it ? You either trust her totally and accept that there was £100 extra in the envelope, or you have you doubts...


Personally, I would give her the receipt and tell her to sort it out. She gave you the envelope and you accepted it in good faith, if she made a mistake then she should take responsibility.

However, as a good friend, maybe accompany her to the Travel Agent and ask politely if there was any discrepancy in the till.

soolin

I htink the chances of a cashier handling money not checking the money are remote. I have worked in banks and checking money is second nature, it does not just get shoved in a drawer uncounted.

So your friend has either made a mistake, or is more worryingly attempting to get money out of you by making you doubt what happened for some reason of her own.

somethingcorporate

So they just handed over £500 worth of Euros without counting the money you gave them?

Are you sure?

Can I have the address of this BdC please????

I am pretty sure that never happened, it would be slightly obscene to take the customers word on how much money they were handing over without counting / checking it!

Debicj

I know my friend is not trying to blame me or get any money from me. She genuinely believes that she put the money in the envelope, but also accepts that the cashier would have counted it. She has also said now, that she isn't sure if it was an extra £100 or £80 as she thinks she took £20 out of a bundle of £100. She has suggested that the cashier could have realised there was extra and 'put it in his pocket' when I had left. I doubt this very much as surely there would be security systems in place to prevent this.

She originally withdrew the money from her bank in 4 separate transactions and I think she has 'forgetfully' put one of the batches of cash somewhere or even left it at the cashpoint knowing her!

I will go to the shop with her tomorrow, although I think it will be a waste of time, but I really think this cash will turn up at her home or somewhere soon.

Thanks for your replies. I don't feel so responsible now as everyone agrees that the cashier would have checked the cash even though he didn't count it out to me.

Techhead_2

So how many Euros did. you get and how much change? And what does your receipt/paperwork say?

What form of ID did you use?

soolin

Having worked as a cashier (but not in a bureau de change) I would be horrified if someone came in saying they thought i'd short changed them. My managers would have probably taken me off the till pending enquiries and I may well have been put under suspicion.

Yet your friend and you are prepared to do that on the basis that your friend might or might not have had £500 in the envelope, or maybe £580 or even £600. Or it might be at home, or it might have bene left in the ATM. Is that exactly what you are going to tell them, that you have no idea how much you handed over and the cashier counted it as well but want it all checked anyway?

I would certainly not be looking to put myself in such an embarrassing situation for a so called friend who doesn't even seem to know what on earth she is doing.