Old Cheque Books

Emily_Joy

Daliah said:

born_again said:

The Cheque Redirection Service

A key benefit of the Current Account Switch Service is the promise that any payments made to your old account will be redirected to your new account for 36 months after your switch takes place. The Cheque Redirection Service, which is owned and operated by the Cheque and Credit Clearing Company, is part of this service. 

https://www.chequeandcredit.co.uk/cheque-users/consumers/current-account-switch-service

This is about cheques written to you, not about cheques that someone wrote against a non-existent account. If anyone tried the latter, the cheque would simply bounce.

No it is not. It is about the cheques you've issued. It says clearly here:

it works by ensuring that any cheques that you’ve issued on your old account, but which get paid in after your old account has closed, will be redirected to your new bank to be paid. This will happen even if you accidentally use your old chequebook after the switch date.

The cheque that you’ve written will still be paid provided:

• There are sufficient funds on the new account or a sufficient overdraft facility
• The cheque has not been stopped; and
• The cheque passes the usual technical checks.

Emily_Joy

RG2015 said:

Emily_Joy said:

I have been tidying up my papers and found a few cheque books for the accounts which have been closed by switching some a year or two ago. What would be a safe way to get rid of them? I haven't got a shredder.

Just out of interest, how do you dispose of your other documents that contain personal information?

I usually tear the documents up and take the bits and pieces to the local recycling centre personally. I started this thread because I was unsure what is the right thing to do with cheque books.

RG2015

Emily_Joy said:

RG2015 said:

Emily_Joy said:

I have been tidying up my papers and found a few cheque books for the accounts which have been closed by switching some a year or two ago. What would be a safe way to get rid of them? I haven't got a shredder.

Just out of interest, how do you dispose of your other documents that contain personal information?

I usually tear the documents up and take the bits and pieces to the local recycling centre personally. I started this thread because I was unsure what is the right thing to do with cheque books.

I would say it is safer to do this rather than use doorstop recycling collections in a bin or a bag.

I used to tear off the spine of the chequebook and bin it leaving the paper part to be recycled.

There is no address on the chequebook (I assume), so taking the paper bits to a recycling centre should be fine as there is no link to your address (as there would be near your house).

[Deleted User]

born_again said:

Deleted_User said:

Rip them up into tiny bits and put them in your general waste bin. I don't understand folk who put identifiable docs in the paper recycling bin.

I do the reverse. Normal rubbish goes to landfill, some not always in the UK. Recycling paper means any info is destroyed in the process of making new paper.

Best way is just to tear them up into bits, if you do not have a shredder.

To the people that think that because you have switched they are useless...

The Cheque Redirection Service

A key benefit of the Current Account Switch Service is the promise that any payments made to your old account will be redirected to your new account for 36 months after your switch takes place. The Cheque Redirection Service, which is owned and operated by the Cheque and Credit Clearing Company, is part of this service. 

https://www.chequeandcredit.co.uk/cheque-users/consumers/current-account-switch-service

With general waste in goes into the back of the bin lorry and emptied out at the landfill or incinerator site with minimal intervention from other folk. Where as with recycling many folk could be handling it while it's getting sorted and processed and could fall into wrong hands.

SiliconChip

Section62 said:

SiliconChip said:

I assume that those of you who advicate shredding cheques for defunct accounts do so while wearing your best tin foil hats! There are many easier and more successful ways for identity theft to take place, this isn't one to worry about.

A very unhelpful contribution to the thread. Why did you feel the need to belittle other people who have given the correct advice?

Putting items with personally identifying information on them in a domestic bin without first shredding them is a bad idea. There shouldn't be a need for an argument about it... it is a fact.

Just saying it's the correct advice and a fact doesn't make it so. It's your opinion, others have alternative opinions. I'm all for security where it's needed, but it's my opinion that for a defunct account it's a waste of time. If you want to spend your time doing it that's fine, I can't and wouldn't stop you, but you're not going to persuade me that it's necessary.

Ballard

I don’t put anything with either my name or address into the recycling just to be on the safe side. Presuming that you only have 25 cheques it just cut out the name and account details (although I struggle to think what use they’d be to a criminal) then cut them up into smaller pieces and put them into the bin. The rest can go in the recycling.

Realistically it’s probably unlikely that any bad would come of putting the lot in the recycling but I’d rather be safe than sorry. 

molerat

Ballard said:

I don’t put anything with either my name or address into the recycling just to be on the safe side. Presuming that you only have 25 cheques it just cut out the name and account details (although I struggle to think what use they’d be to a criminal) then cut them up into smaller pieces and put them into the bin. The rest can go in the recycling.

Realistically it’s probably unlikely that any bad would come of putting the lot in the recycling but I’d rather be safe than sorry. 

This.

I never put anything identifiable in any of my bins.  Docs get shredded, envelopes have the name torn off and shredded, boxes have the labels removed and shredded.  There was a post on here a while back where someone was getting prosecuted for fly tipping because an item with their name on had turned up.  After following the recycling truck down the main road one day with bits flying out like confetti anyone who puts anything identifiable in there should be concerned not only about security but also a possible criminal record !

SusieT

daveyjp said:

Scissors are just as effective as a shredder.  If that is too arduos a task tear them off the books and put the cheques in a bucket of water until they are like papier mache.

Thanks for that idea, I keep looking at a huge heap of "sensitive" paperwork that needs to be disposed of, that bucket of water idea will save me an awful lot of tearing it up.

General_Grant

SusieT said:

daveyjp said:

Scissors are just as effective as a shredder.  If that is too arduos a task tear them off the books and put the cheques in a bucket of water until they are like papier mache.

Thanks for that idea, I keep looking at a huge heap of "sensitive" paperwork that needs to be disposed of, that bucket of water idea will save me an awful lot of tearing it up.

Perhaps you have to wait for it to dry out too.  My recycling bags are for "DRY recycling" (mixed paper, card, cans, glass bottles, plastics).

Daliah

SusieT said:

daveyjp said:

Scissors are just as effective as a shredder.  If that is too arduos a task tear them off the books and put the cheques in a bucket of water until they are like papier mache.

Thanks for that idea, I keep looking at a huge heap of "sensitive" paperwork that needs to be disposed of, that bucket of water idea will save me an awful lot of tearing it up.

You can get a cheap shredder for less than £20. Lidl sometimes have them, or look on Amazon or Argos. They aren't high security shredders but perfectly good for the average household needs.