Cheque cashing rant

euanT

hi all,
any banking experts out there.
Rant: had a notification from taxman that I was due a tax rebate for overpayment of tax from years ago, WOOPEE!!
letter stated money order to follow. a few days later recieved an account payee CHEQUE!!
As i no longer have bank account, long story, I asked them of any other way to get this money due to me. HMRC stated i would have to return said cheque and have it issued to a nominee, and this would take 6 to 8 weeks.WHAT!!
Rant over, and how come cheque centre's can cash crossed cheques not made out to them but mere mortals can't.:(

JuicyJesus

Why don't you have a bank account?

Cheques require access to the banking system. How else do you expect them to work?

McKneff

Just open a basic bank account....................

euanT

Will probably try to open basic bank account soon, but too late for now, cheque sent back to HMRC.
my main query was how can cheque cash centres cash these cheques when us mere mortals can't. i.e. sign over to someone else

ChiefGrasscutter

Because these centres in effect open a invisible bank account for you held by themselves as they will hold a banking licence to do the transactions as you will be providing full ID.

Mikeyorks

Perhaps the OP expects HMRC to send uncrossed payable orders through the post?

euanT

Mikeyorks wrote: »

Perhaps the OP expects HMRC to send uncrossed payable orders through the post?

No I don't expect anyone to send uncrossed cheques, it was just how these centres managed to cash cheques for you when you cant!

Mikeyorks

As post #5 ....... they open an account for you, behind the scenes, and you pay the cheque in to that.

Incidentally - HMRC normally describe them as 'payable orders'. But - more recently (on the P800 Notes you received?) - simply as a 'cheque'. Opening a savings account would have enabled you to pay it in.

thenudeone

How anyone can get by nowadays without any type of account at all, is an absolute mystery to me.

pinkdalek

ChiefGrasscutter wrote: »

Because these centres in effect open a invisible bank account for you held by themselves as they will hold a banking licence to do the transactions as you will be providing full ID.

They only cash cheques from reputable sources eg Inland Revenue, Local Government, they would not cash a personal cheque and they also charge an extortionate fee!

Seriously though just open a basic account somewhere.

Mikeyorks

For fairly obvious reasons they won't cash a personal cheque. But they will cash most others. You simply pay a higher % depending on their perception of the risk from the drawer source.