Counterfeit bank notes.

swingaloo

Just wondered what the customers rights are in this scenario.

Today I was in a shop when someone handed over a £20 note which the shop said was counterfeit. The lady said she had just withdrawn it from a cash machine.

The shop refused to give it her back and pointed to a notice which said ' Any counterfeit notes will be kept by the store and handed to the police as per their advice'

The lady was arguing that she needed the note back in order to take it to the bank after the New Year bank holiday. She offered them another note in place of the faulty one but they would not exchange.

Now I recall my husband getting a fake note from a cash machine and we noticed straight away that it felt different to the other notes and we went straight into the bank and they changed it for him.

Obviously the lady wouldn't be able to do anything for a few days but she was saying that she should not lose out because there was a fake note in the machine. She was an elderly lady and she was getting quite upset and was also very embarrassed.

Are the shop allowed to withhold the note?

Blue1991

Yes, they can - and should- keep it.

Sadly, the store of ‘it came from the atm’/‘got paid with it’/‘came from another store’ etc are all very common excuses in order to get the note back and try it elsewhere.

People need to know that they can’t be given back and they won’t be bothered to try it on in that store/bar/club etc again

z1a

"Now I recall my husband getting a fake note from a cash machine and we noticed straight away that it felt different to the other notes and we went straight into the bank and they changed it for him."

I find that hard to believe, if that happened, anybody who had fakes could just draw a bit from ATM, then immediately go in bank with the fake and say it was from ATM.

swingaloo

Thanks for the reply. I agree that its the only way to discourage people who know they have fake notes but at the same time, it I got one from a machine I would be very unhappy at losing £20 through no fault of my own.

Wrong or right, I would want to take the note back to the bank.

swingaloo

z1a wrote: »

"Now I recall my husband getting a fake note from a cash machine and we noticed straight away that it felt different to the other notes and we went straight into the bank and they changed it for him."

I find that hard to believe, if that happened, anybody who had fakes could just draw a bit from ATM, then immediately go in bank with the fake and say it was from ATM.

Well, whether you find it hard to believe or not, it happened and they changed it without much bother. That was a branch of Lloyds TSB. Not even our usual bank.

glentoran99

z1a wrote: »

"Now I recall my husband getting a fake note from a cash machine and we noticed straight away that it felt different to the other notes and we went straight into the bank and they changed it for him."

I find that hard to believe, if that happened, anybody who had fakes could just draw a bit from ATM, then immediately go in bank with the fake and say it was from ATM.

Not a very likely scenario, You aren't going to get a load of fakes at once and if it repeatedly happens it would be noticed

z1a

glentoran99 wrote: »

Not a very likely scenario, You aren't going to get a load of fakes at once and if it repeatedly happens it would be noticed

How do you know I'm not going to get a load of fakes?

glentoran99

z1a wrote: »

How do you know I'm not going to get a load of fakes?

Its a very unlikely scenario that a cash machine will have loads of fake notes in it

Fosterdog

z1a wrote: »

"Now I recall my husband getting a fake note from a cash machine and we noticed straight away that it felt different to the other notes and we went straight into the bank and they changed it for him."

I find that hard to believe, if that happened, anybody who had fakes could just draw a bit from ATM, then immediately go in bank with the fake and say it was from ATM.

It really can and does happen, I’ve posted about it before, I was with someone withdrawing cash (I gave him a lift to the ATM, which was a proper bank one in the wall of the branch but after closing time). The money was for the donation of my foster dog that he was adopting, he withdrew the full amount and in the middle of the bundle were three fake £20 notes.

swingaloo wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I agree that its the only way to discourage people who know they have fake notes but at the same time, it I got one from a machine I would be very unhappy at losing £20 through no fault of my own.

Wrong or right, I would want to take the note back to the bank.

You have no right to get the note back, whether you want it or not (and I can understand you wanting it) but the person/shop retaining it should give you a receipt for it for you to then take to the bank or owner if the ATM.

glentoran99 wrote: »

Not a very likely scenario, You aren't going to get a load of fakes at once and if it repeatedly happens it would be noticed

Three £20 notes all together in the middle of a £150 withdrawal says differently.

z1a

glentoran99 wrote: »

Its a very unlikely scenario that a cash machine will have loads of fake notes in it

I didn't mention getting them from an ATM, and obviously you'd only try to change 1 at a time, although I still find it hard to believe that a bank teller would take your word for it.

McKneff

It can and does happen. My friend received 5 x 20 notes. She went to anearby shop and they said the one she gave them was a fake, they kept it and my friend went straight back to the bank within 10 moinutes of her getting the money out. She wasnt given the money straightaway, there was an investigation ie atm camera, all five notes were fake
Shop keeper but she was eventually reimbursed.
And please dont insult people by saying 'i find it hard to believe,' you are in effect calling them a liar and that is not only insulting, it's downright rude