Fifty pound notes at car boot sales

Nebbit

Working on the car boot field yesterday, two separate people came up and tried to offer £50 for £1 items. Naturally we refused, but surprisingly they seemed to get their money changed from the car boot organisers who were taking cash at the entrance, even though the organisers would not have UV cash checkers or any other hardware. Can there be a possible innocent explanation for this? Where do people even get £50 notes? 

TimeLord1

More people are using them now, especially since they're new notes. The post office will pay larger sums using them I've never had an issue using them; it's keeping hold of them. That's the trouble, but cash usage has increased massively. I have a UV torch but use the bumps for the blind

https://youtu.be/XwWpSEiNDhk?si=4m9YXsKsM_A2Tueq

elsien

Which may be true but anyone with an ounce of sense is going to  know that your average car boot seller is not going to be wanting to give you £49 worth of change. 

I’d be dubious of expecting change for a £20 note to be honest because most non business sellers don’t take that much change with them.
if it was at a car boot, I would just simply presume that they were dodgy, whether that is fair or not.

TimeLord1

If someone just asks for change, then there's nothing in it for someone selling. Giving somebody your float for the day. Nope. But say you were selling a TV or gaming device and they offered £50; simply feel for the bumps, or if you possess a UV torch, you're fine.

Tucosalamanca

I guess it's inflation, £50 note is the new twenty.

I love car booting and love fifty pound notes. For me it would have been a win.
Perfect opportunity to unload a bum bag full of coins.

Not sure why OP is surprised, did they not notice people walking around with rolls of notes or bulging wallets?
It always reminds me that despite what we see, hear and read, cash is still very much a part of some people's lives.

Spoonie_Turtle

Do you know the organisers definitely didn't have any way of checking or are you assuming?  I'd have thought some kind of detector would be basic kit for regular car booters. 

Offering them for £1 items does sound a bit dodgy though, who goes to a car boot sale without coins or smaller notes?

swingaloo

I work in a very busy shop and I have only seen one £50 note in the last few months. They are not common. We dont accept them at  all.

TimeLord1

swingaloo said:

I work in a very busy shop and I have only seen one £50 note in the last few months. They are not common. We dont accept them at  all.

So if somebody came in, picked up £50 worth of shopping, and took out a £50 note, they would refuse it?  

swingaloo

TimeLord1 said:

swingaloo said:

I work in a very busy shop and I have only seen one £50 note in the last few months. They are not common. We dont accept them at  all.

So if somebody came in, picked up £50 worth of shopping, and took out a £50 note, they would refuse it?  

Yes. Its obviously better to keep the fifty pounds worth of goods than take a fake note. There is such a problem with £50 notes in our small town that even the local Post Office will not accept them. Last summer we had 2 fakes, both looked ok under the light and felt fine but they were fake.  

TimeLord1

swingaloo said:

TimeLord1 said:

swingaloo said:

I work in a very busy shop and I have only seen one £50 note in the last few months. They are not common. We dont accept them at  all.

So if somebody came in, picked up £50 worth of shopping, and took out a £50 note, they would refuse it?  

Yes. Its obviously better to keep the fifty pounds worth of goods than take a fake note. There is such a problem with £50 notes in our small town that even the local Post Office will not accept them. Last summer we had 2 fakes, both looked ok under the light and felt fine but they were fake.  

What if someone walked in, picked up items, and then started walking out? Would they be stopped or left to walk away unchallenged because of the risk? 

You only have to feel the bumps; really, you don't even need a UV light.

TimeLord1

 Except £5 pound notes do not have Braille.  They are distinguished by the absence of tactile features.