Elderly relative, no ID, hassle from energy company and others

tooldle

KxMx said:

The days of having to physically pay in a cheque are long gone. 
Most banking apps will allow digital deposits, with the cheque clearing no later than end of next working day. 

Mine doesn't. I can pay it in via the cash machine in branch or over the counter. 
I have LPA for my mum who is with a different bank, which also does not allow deposits via their App. 

macman

tooldle said:

KxMx said:

The days of having to physically pay in a cheque are long gone. 
Most banking apps will allow digital deposits, with the cheque clearing no later than end of next working day. 

Mine doesn't. I can pay it in via the cash machine in branch or over the counter. 
I have LPA for my mum who is with a different bank, which also does not allow deposits via their App. 

That's probably Santander then? All the other main UK banks allow you to pay in cheques via your phone app now. I've not physically taken a cheque (rare though it is to receive one now) into a branch to deposit it for about two years.

tooldle

Coop don’t seem to do it either, or not that I’ve found. I received a cheque a couple of weeks back as a refund on my boiler care with British Gas. A whole 4 pence. I can’t remember when I last received a cheque prior to that. 

macman

No yet at the Co-op, give them about 5 years and they'll probably get around to it...

Ergates

Hairyboff said:

elsien said:

Does their building society offer a current account? That may be a way round the issue because the BS already knows who they are?
I think basic bank accounts also tend to accept a lower level of ID.
Your relative may be resistant to change but sometimes there's not really much option. 

The building societ account is a current account - it may be something of a bureaucratic hangover from the days when only bank accounts were trusted.

There is always an option: very simply, the steamroller approach whereby people simply submit to the will of big business has never interested our elderly relative...

It's not just "big business" that don't want to deal with cheques any more, it's pretty much *any* business.  Cheques are a nuisance - they're slow to process, prone to error, and costly to deal with - it is entirely reasonable for a company to not want the bother of dealing with them anymore, especially as only a tiny fraction of customers still want to use them.

You do not have, nor have you ever had, the legal right to insist someone takes payment by cheque - they are not legal tender and companies are entirely at liberty to refuse them.   Your relative owes money to these companies and they are entirely within their rights to demand payment, and to cut off the supply if your relative doesn't pay.

Your relative is, obviously, entirely free to be obstinate and stick to their "principles" (whatever those might be) - however they have to understand that their behaviour is likely to have consequences that they might not enjoy.  If they refuse to cooperate with the businesses in question, then the businesses in question might simply decide that they don't want your relative as a customer.  Given that your relative most likely wants/needs what the business is selling, it's not really in their best interest for this to happen.

sheramber

Hairyboff said:

elsien said:

Does their building society offer a current account? That may be a way round the issue because the BS already knows who they are?
I think basic bank accounts also tend to accept a lower level of ID.
Your relative may be resistant to change but sometimes there's not really much option. 

The building societ account is a current account - it may be something of a bureaucratic hangover from the days when only bank accounts were trusted.

There is always an option: very simply, the steamroller approach whereby people simply submit to the will of big business has never interested our elderly relative...

Then she can tear up the letters and ignore them if she is so strong willed.

pollypenny

Ergates said:

Hairyboff said:

elsien said:

Does their building society offer a current account? That may be a way round the issue because the BS already knows who they are?
I think basic bank accounts also tend to accept a lower level of ID.
Your relative may be resistant to change but sometimes there's not really much option. 

The building societ account is a current account - it may be something of a bureaucratic hangover from the days when only bank accounts were trusted.

There is always an option: very simply, the steamroller approach whereby people simply submit to the will of big business has never interested our elderly relative...

It's not just "big business" that don't want to deal with cheques any more, it's pretty much *any* business.  Cheques are a nuisance - they're slow to process, prone to error, and costly to deal with - it is entirely reasonable for a company to not want the bother of dealing with them anymore, especially as only a tiny fraction of customers still want to use them.

You do not have, nor have you ever had, the legal right to insist someone takes payment by cheque - they are not legal tender and companies are entirely at liberty to refuse them.   Your relative owes money to these companies and they are entirely within their rights to demand payment, and to cut off the supply if your relative doesn't pay.

Your relative is, obviously, entirely free to be obstinate and stick to their "principles" (whatever those might be) - however they have to understand that their behaviour is likely to have consequences that they might not enjoy.  If they refuse to cooperate with the businesses in question, then the businesses in question might simply decide that they don't want your relative as a customer.  Given that your relative most likely wants/needs what the business is selling, it's not really in their best interest for this to happen.

Our younger tradesmen - electrician, plumber and tree surgeon - prefer cheques. They find them easier to manage. 

Actually, the tree surgeon is not so young now.  

Robin9

Our younger tradesmen - electrician, plumber and tree surgeon - prefer cheques. They find them easier to manage. 

Actually, the tree surgeon is not so young now.  

My tradesmen  actually opt for payments direct to bank