Cheques - x pounds only

[theukmoog]

Apparently the banks don't even read the long-hand section of the cheque.

Years ago, when I banked with Gnat West, they cleared a cheque for a much higher amount than it was written for... I can't remember the exact details but it was a cheque for, say, £34 and it cleared for £84.

When I noticed I contacted my branch and they asked me to come in. They had retrieved the cheque and blamed my hand-writing, saying that the 3 had been read as an 8. I pointed out that even if that was so, the long-hand version was very cleared for THIRTY FOUR POUNDS ONLY not EIGHTY FOUR and was told that they don't process the long-hand side of the cheque just the numerals!

Anyway, I did get my money back and that encounter with Gnat West customer services was the main reason I moved to First Direct.

 

[WalesOwl]

At HSBC my job [amongst other things] was to make sure that cheques were for the right amount. Somebody probably didn't look at it properly.

 

[jhmaeng]

Probably just one of those things... And yup, the potential to add 99p

 

[Vonhelmet]

Apparently the banks don't even read the long-hand section of the cheque.

Years ago, when I banked with Gnat West, they cleared a cheque for a much higher amount than it was written for... I can't remember the exact details but it was a cheque for, say, £34 and it cleared for £84.

When I noticed I contacted my branch and they asked me to come in. They had retrieved the cheque and blamed my hand-writing, saying that the 3 had been read as an 8. I pointed out that even if that was so, the long-hand version was very cleared for THIRTY FOUR POUNDS ONLY not EIGHTY FOUR and was told that they don't process the long-hand side of the cheque just the numerals!

Anyway, I did get my money back and that encounter with Gnat West customer services was the main reason I moved to First Direct.

Cheques get reviewed beyond what you see at the counter. That's why they can bounce much later than you'd think.

 

[theukmoog]

Cheques get reviewed beyond what you see at the counter. That's why they can bounce much later than you'd think.

I was just relaying what the Net West muppet told me when I went in to sort out the problem.

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

Because if there's a big empty gap the person you give it to could simply cross out your original amount and write in whatever they please.

 

[Viper²]

whats a cheque?

 

[dirtydog]

I'm guessing he means they are old hat now and few people use them compared to in the past.