Preparedness for when

nuatha

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I think we all know the "6 months to put them" through about cheques - but I doubt that would save a firm having an argument with a customer about who "carried the can" if the customer said "I gave you that cheque 4 weeks ago and I have a bank statement here that proves my money was in my account until 2 weeks after I gave you the cheque. Not my fault you went to put in the cheque 1 week ago - but the Government had done a bail-in in the meantime (so there wasn't enough money at that precise time to cover it). Down to you matey - for not putting that cheque through fast enough. Have a nice day:)"

If the cheque bounces for any reason it is the payer not the payee who is liable. The world doesn't run as you wish, but as it does. Whether a bank bail in would change the existing body of case law would be a very expensive exercise to determine. Whereas the recipient would have perfect grounds for suing on grounds of non-payment. (Since writing the cheque is acknowledgement of the validity of the payment being due)

moneyistooshorttomention

A customer could generally kick up quite a fuss if payment problems had been down to the firm delaying putting a cheque through - start with local newspaper and local grapevine and work out from there.....

Generally argue the toss with the firm.

I doubt any firm would want 10 customers at once arguing the toss about "Your fault for not putting it through in time - and I can prove it (flash copy of bank statement)".

More trouble than its worth. Best for those that haven't yet swopped to taking card payments to pay out that small amount they have been trying to avoid paying out and get themselves set-up with that facility.

Doveling

I think I understand where you're coming from MTSTM.
The hypothetical situation being you thought you had paid your bill but the grubbyment had taken your cash, being faster off the mark than the company who hadn't yet claimed it through your cheque.:mad:

That doesn't alter the fact that you still have to honour your cheque. If folk didn't do that then a lot of small businesses would go bust wouldn't they? And people would refuse to take cheques at all.

If it really worries you, try to keep the cash at home so that you can pay any big bills.
Or pay in instalments as the job progresses, holding a little back for any snagging lists.

It is very frustrating thinking that you could be put into the situation of not having the wherewithal to cover the cheque through no fault of your own.

Going to the press etc. wouldn't bother a company if a few people were doing it as the company would also not be at fault and still have wages to pay and their own materials invoices to cover.

What it boils down to is that at some points life sucks and this would be one of them!

How is your friend in California doing?

thriftwizard

MTSTM, speaking as a small trader, those card machines cost a bit to rent and hardly ever work when you're away from your base station. And whilst the rental wouldn't seem much to most people, it's the little expenses that seem below serious consideration that add up & can sink you in the odd inevitable moment of cash-flow difficulty. I've had one & have given it up now; more trouble than it was worth, never worked when or where I really needed it. As the reason they don't work is that they rely on mobile signal, which is very patchy away from cities, the mobile phone debit "solutions" don't work for us either! I now deal in cash only, though I will take cheques from regular customers. But I'm also charged for cheque transactions, so that it makes sense to hang onto them & put them through in a block, so I only pay one fee rather than a fee for every cheque. Which may be why small traders don't put your cheques through straight away...

GreyQueen

MTSTM, cash gets you the best rates and the fastest service from your regular tradespeople. Folks own their own place, have to hire in various jobs and have a regular gas engineer, regular plumber, regular sparkie.

Sample; Mum takes a shower at 6 am. Shower fails spectacularly, water everywhere, turn off at pipe. Call regular tradesman at 6.30 am. He goes to his first booked job, goes to the merchant, buys product and new shower is installed and he's paid and out by 11 am.

If you're known to pay cash on the barrell-head, they'll come to you in preference to someone unknown or having to wait to clear a cheque. I've also paid a bill for professional services by BACs transfer from my bank account to theirs.

Errmm, I don't have a digital camera, even a £40 cheapie, I have a film camera. Could always try pointing that at TVL operatives, though.

Blinking hot, here. Glad I fitted an hour and half on the allotment before 7 am today as no way I'd be going up there, now.

moneyistooshorttomention

Yep...I've been doing more food-growing type stuff today and should have quite a bit of stuff going to come up over next few weeks. Some is longer-term planning - as it wont be ready for months...but its been story of my life to have to be a long-term planner all round...so grits teeth and waits for that to bear fruit. Some fruit sorted so far and strawberries are coming out of my ears = duly gave some more away today. Any surplus all round helps on the "trading favours" front...

Know what you mean by "cash gets you the best rates" and in some parts of the country (naming no names as to just which - as I obviously now live in one of them........) they tend to operate a LOT on a cash economy basis anyway. Must admit that's another thing that's very different from the way things were (as far as I ever noticed) back in Home Area.

Doveling
Californian friend should be on the move about now - and hence incommunicado over the Net at present..courtesy of very busy. 'Spect I'll hear from her in a week or so time.

Mind you....I've had one English friend here say "Well...okay the State she is going to might be an improvement on California....but its still a "hot" state". What can ya' do? She should be in a better position - if not as good a one as I would feel happier about on her behalf. Trouble is that that same "law of nature" seems to apply there as well - ie the more desirable somewhere is deemed to be/then the more people want it and some people then cant afford it (which is the position she's in - ie financially restricted as just how far she can move).

meanmarie

Thoroughly enjoyed that programme on living in Northern Sweden....its a country I would love to visit although I am probably too long in the tooth to adopt that style of life!

Last year when I had a hip replacement, payment was made on admission in 3 cheques for 1: clinic stay, 2:surgeon's fee and 3: anaesthetist's fee.....the last was the smallest at €820, but the cheque was not lodged until the day before 6 months was up.......I had to ensure that the money was in my account to cover that cheque.

Marie

moneyistooshorttomention

Well its useful to know that there are some businesses, etc, that take so long to push cheques through - and would then try and lay onus on the cheque-payer for their delays.


That is terrifically inefficient for them not to put that cheque through for that long and they well deserved never to get the money as a consequence.

I can well believe it - I've had to have a private medical consultation before now that insurance was going to pay for. The insurance company's payment period was "within 3 months". Not surprisingly - the company initially refused to pay for that consultation when the bill wasn't presented to them by consultants secretary until about 4 months after the event. Cue = one row - which I won. Consultants secretary roundly told off in no uncertain terms for inefficiency and the insurance did stretch and pay up.

I do understand logic of leaving cheque paying-in to month end - but that could leave unnecessary problems IF...


Over recent years I've noticed firms putting cheques through a lot quicker than they used to by and large - and it looks like we are going to have to be "firmer" about not paying by cheque one way or another as consumers if we possibly can. If forced into paying by cheque then keep a very close eye on when the cheque "should" go through our account and phone the firm asking why its not gone through yet if they are taking too long to put it through. If we get to stage of having to repeat phone them about it - that repeat call might have to be along lines of "Put it through NOW...or I might have to cancel it......" to get them to put it in without further delay.

I started as I mean to go on today and could have paid either way - debit card or cheque. They got given a debit card payment. No-one is having a cheque out of me ever again if I can help it...

[Deleted User]

Karmacat wrote: »

GQ, the last three point and click cameras I've had have all had a video facility - £40 jobs

GreyQueen wrote: »

Errmm, I don't have a digital camera, even a £40 cheapie, I have a film camera. Could always try pointing that at TVL operatives, though.

I have a Vivitar DVR 690HD, which I keep by the window, ready for use against doorsteppers.

Price was £24 at Argos.

jk0

meanmarie wrote: »

Thoroughly enjoyed that programme on living in Northern Sweden....its a country I would love to visit although I am probably too long in the tooth to adopt that style of life!

Last year when I had a hip replacement, payment was made on admission in 3 cheques for 1: clinic stay, 2:surgeon's fee and 3: anaesthetist's fee.....the last was the smallest at €820, but the cheque was not lodged until the day before 6 months was up.......I had to ensure that the money was in my account to cover that cheque.

Marie

Interesting. Does the Irish health service not pay for hip replacements, or is the queue so long that you had to go private?