Bank has lost cheque

annifranakapan

Hi,

Received a letter from our bank saying that they were not crediting the full amount we had paid in two days previously as 1 item was 'missing'.

When I phoned to query it appears that they have lost one of the cheques I paid in :rolleyes: Now I understand that these things can happen and I have full proof of the amount paid in (which they accept).

And their suggestion as how to proceed?????? Get a stop put on the cheque (will cost original issuer of the cheque to have stopped) and have another one issued. Alternitively, I can wait a few weeks and 'see if it turns up' (their exact words).

Any suggestions please?

lilmoi1985lm

hi

did you pay in at the till or by using a paying in envelope? if you paid at the counter the cashier would have checked the contents and signed surely?

Hope they sort it soon!

Mikeyorks

Depends at what point it is 'lost'. If it's gone part way through processing and has been imaged by the machinery in their clearing centre ... then they can put a substitute document in.
But if it's gone AWOL before that point then they presumably don't have all the required detail (Account / Sort Code etc of drawer) .... and what they are suggesting is all they can do. The 'stop' will be charge free (to your drawer) as it's 'lost'.

jonesMUFCforever

Mikeyorks wrote: »

Depends at what point it is 'lost'. If it's gone part way through processing and has been imaged by the machinery in their clearing centre ... then they can put a substitute document in.
But if it's gone AWOL before that point then they presumably don't have all the required detail (Account / Sort Code etc of drawer) .... and what they are suggesting is all they can do. The 'stop' will be charge free (to your drawer) as it's 'lost'.

The new 6 day rule for debiting bounced cheques has put a stop to 'imaged' documents.
If it is lost then I would suggest asking the drawer for a new cheque, making sure the bank pays any charge for the issue of a new cheque.

Mikeyorks

jonesMUFCforever wrote: »

The new 6 day rule for debiting bounced cheques has put a stop to 'imaged' documents.

Don't follow that. The machinery in the processing centres that process the cheques .... takes and stores optical images. It's how they work .. as the stuff goes through the MICR / OCR and ICR stages. So ... if a cheque is lost in the clearing stages it's omission will be noticed because there will be a balance discrepancy ..... so they trace it and then substitute the document with a 'dummy' prepared from the image?

alanfp

I would talk to them and ask if they will reimburse all costs incurred by their suggested course of action - from what you say, they will surely agree to that as they lost the chq.

When it's all sorted out, ask them for compensation (you may have to write to their complaints department) for all costs incurred in stopping the chq, PLUS your time, telephome/post bills and the stress and worry of it all etc - suggest £25??? or more if they've not been helpful - I'd be amazed if they don't play ball. My bank lost a chq once, and reimbursed me £75 over and above my financial costs (but it was a very big value cheque).

Plan B is to threaten to pop into your branch at a busy time and complain LOUDLY that they lost a chq of yours and won't compensate you, in front of all the othe rcustomers. It will never come to that, but they don't know that! I've only had to use this threat once, with a jeweller, and all of a sudden I got the refund that I was due.

annifranakapan

Thank you everyone for your replies.

The cheque has been 'lost' between the branch and the processing centre where they input the data. I wasn't aware that all cheques went to a processing centre, they are then returned to the branch once they have been 'processed' (at least I think this is what they said).

The local branch said that sometimes if cheques aren't 'all together' when they go to be processed then one sometimes gets 'lost' amongst all the other cheques.

I think I'll just have to ask the 'drawer' to issue another cheque (not something I really wanted to do as they are an elderly person who tends to worry about these sorts of things). Oh and I'll definately ask for some compensation (might buy the elderly drawer a box of choccies for putting them to extra trouble).

Thanks again !

Anni!

Mikeyorks

annifranakapan wrote: »

The cheque has been 'lost' between the branch and the processing centre where they input the data. I wasn't aware that all cheques went to a processing centre, they are then returned to the branch once they have been 'processed' (at least I think this is what they said).

No .... they don't return to the payee Branch - so I hope they didn't say that? They go through the clearing centre your Bank use, then through the formal Clearing centre (Milton Keynes) .... then on to the drawer's Bank. Much travelled, are cheques!

In this case they have no choice but to request another cheque .... as all the data has been mislaid. It will have been picked up by one of their processing people that a bundle of cheques was short (value) and they traced it to your cheque. Unlikely it's 'piggy backed' another cheque (the explanation they were offering?) .... as the processing people would normally have found that lurking in another bundle.

Make sure the drawer isn't charged for the Stop (do put one on) ... as there should be no charge for a lost one (particularly in the Banking system!)