old £10 notes and self service machines

tomkitten68 · 28 March 2018 at 5:15PM

Hi there

Just a query. I had a few old £10 notes - up to the expiry date I got rid of some in shops, and a certain shop in town, extended their usage till 10th March 2018.

Then I thought I would have to deposit the remainder in the bank in my account.

I was told when the old £5's went out of circulation, that you could not just swap notes over for new ones, you had to pay them into your account, and then draw them out again (thus on each customers transaction acquiring a little bit of interest me thinks, which, times by the quite a few people who still had them would amount to a tidy sum for the bank - I am an account holder at the bank I inquired at)

Purely by chance, I found a self service checkout in a shop which would still gladly take the old £10 notes, so purchased a few things, paying for each purchase with an old £10 note.

Today, a rather sniffy shop assistant, came up and said that she'd seen me do this, "its no longer legal tender" blah, blah, blah.

My query is, yes they are no longer classed as legal tender. HOWEVER, some shops were still trying to bung them in your change up to a week before the expiry date. I am paying for my purchases, and if their self service machine hasn't been updated yet, is it the shops lack of attention to making sure the machine was updated? I can accept, that, technically, I shouldn't have done it, but it was taking them, they can pay them through their banking system and get new ones back, there will still be (I would think) quite a lot out there that shops, etc have to deposit in banks or send the the Bank of England, and basically, although being a bit cheeky, I cannot see I was doing anything illegal.

The machine was taking them, and has been till now which is near the end of March, I was paying for all my purchases, not 'diddling' them in any way, and was simply taking advantage of a glitch which is on their side, not mine.

Would be interested to know what anyone else thinks.

Thank you

elsien · 28 March 2018 at 5:17PM

The supermarket I use, the self service machines no longer accept them. Easier just to take them to the bank and swap them.

tomkitten68 · 28 March 2018 at 5:23PM

Hi elsien, that was a quick reply!! Thats the thing though, if I could just take them and swap them over that would be fine, but its that they make you pay them into their accounts, and then have to withdraw them, claiming that otherwise it would be disputed what you handed over, and what they gave you back.

After the £5 notes went out of circulation, I mentioned to one or two people, about having to pay it in, and take it out again (therefore accruing interest for the bank concerned) and most seemed totally surprised, as on the tv, they say 'just' take them to your bank and they will do it for you.

But even when you do that, and its your bank you have been with for years, AND you have an account with them, they still insist on depositing them into your account, instead of a straight swap across the counter (with obviously something written down for both you and them so there could then be no dispute)

elsien · 28 March 2018 at 5:26PM

i think it depends who's on the counter on the day. One teller made me pay £60 in then withdraw it again. Another was quite happy to do a straight swap for about £300.

ebc · 28 March 2018 at 6:06PM

I found a very old £20 and £5 note in a coat pocket when clearing out my wardrobe. I took them into Nationwide yesterday and they swapped them for new notes with no need to pay into an account.

NBLondon · 29 March 2018 at 2:01PM

As far as the self-service machine is concerned:

You have made payment with a withdrawn note. It is the shopkeeper's discretion whether they accept them or not (same as with Scottish or NI notes). If the machine accepts it with no warning, you have done no wrong - you offered payment and the shop's representative accepted it.. As soon as the assistant told you they didn't take the old notes, that no longer holds so trying it on again could be interpreted as fraudulent because you are knowingly offering an invalid note.

As far as changing at the bank goes:

What elsien said - it may depend on the cashier. The week after the round pound went out of use, I took a handful to TSB and was told they had to be paid into my account. Last week, I took another 5 (see Wombling thread for details

) and expected to queue up and do the same but the greeter/roving assistant quite happily took them off me and only asked if I wanted new coins or a note.

tomkitten68 · 29 March 2018 at 2:21PM

Thanks for all the replies back guys, and its verified to me, that, although being a bit cheeky and taking advantage of a 'glitch' with the machine not being updated, that I had actually done no wrong as the machine accepted it - and no, now I have had my hands metaphorically slapped, I shall resort to the rest going to the bank.

BUT then - according to the replies, there seems to be a lot of discrepancy depending on which bank, which teller you get, what day of the week it is etc? Should there not be some clear guidelines for all banks/building societies to follow so we are all singing from the same hymn sheet??!!

old £10 notes and self service machines

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