Can I exchange these notes at an UK bank?

wiki said:
Bank of England notes are the only banknotes that are legal tender in England and Wales. Scottish and Northern Ireland banknotes are not legal tender anywhere, and Jersey, Guernsey and Manx banknotes are only legal tender in their respective jurisdictions.
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Burnsy2023 said:
A shop doesn't have to accept BoE notes. People rarely know what legal tender is.
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Exactly Legal tender isn't this issue here, it individual businesses making a choice of what forms of payment to accept. I can see why a lot of businesses in England are a bet sceptical around Scotish notes, it's down to familiarity and risk small businesses get hit hard by fake notes and it is harder for them to detect with Scotish money so they minimise the risk and refuse them.
 
Burnsy2023 said:
I see your point, but if a shop only accepted credit cards, they can happily do that even if you presented legal tender.
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I know but legal tender only has to be accepted where there is a financial obligation to meet. In a shop there's never a contract until the sale is complete so they're never bound by the legal tender laws as there's never a debt to pay until after the sale is complete by which point it's too late!

Tis the paradox of shops :p
 
Method of payment must be different to this however.

Saying "We dont have the facilities to accept cash" is no problem and perfectly acceptable. Some places only take cheques for example..

Saying "We only accept Sterling" and not accepting Sterling is different :confused:

Its like me offering to pay you in only 1p's and you not taking them. Youre refusing payment..
 
1ps are only legal tender up to £1. So, for example, you went to court and were given a £30 fine they would be entitled to refuse payment with just 1ps.
 
Souleh said:
Method of payment must be different to this however.

Saying "We dont have the facilities to accept cash" is no problem and perfectly acceptable. Some places only take cheques for example..

Saying "We only accept Sterling" and not accepting Sterling is different :confused:

Its like me offering to pay you in only 1p's and you not taking them. Youre refusing payment..
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Currently, 20 pence pieces and 50-pence pieces are legal tender in amounts up to 10 pounds; 5-pence pieces and 10-pence pieces are legal tender in amounts up to 5 pounds; and 1-penny pieces and 2-pence pieces are legal tender in amounts up to 20 pence

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_tender#Coins )
 
Well that's true, in the same way I could go out and kill someone, and try and defend myself in court. If you want to pay and they actually want any money they have to accept it.
 
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Jano said:
Only Bank of England notes are legal tender in England and Wales. Scottish and Northern Irish notes are not legal tender anywhere at all. Notes from the channel isle's are only legal on their respective islands.
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wikipedia said:
Bank of England notes are the only banknotes that are legal tender in England and Wales. Scottish and Northern Ireland banknotes are not legal tender anywhere, and Jersey, Guernsey and Manx banknotes are only legal tender in their respective jurisdictions.
Click to expand...
MrLOL mk2? ;)
 
Are Scottish & Northern Irish notes legal tender?
In short ‘No’ these notes are not legal tender; only Bank of England notes are legal tender but only in England and Wales.
The term legal tender does not in itself govern the acceptability of banknotes in transactions. Whether or not notes have legal tender status, their acceptability as a means of payment is essentially a matter for agreement between the parties involved. Legal tender has a very narrow technical meaning in relation to the settlement of debt. If a debtor pays in legal tender the exact amount he owes under the terms of a contract, he has good defence in law if he is subsequently sued for non-payment of the debt. In ordinary everyday transactions, the term ‘legal tender’ has very little practical application.
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http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/about/faqs.htm#16

Pudney@work said:
1ps are only legal tender up to £1. So, for example, you went to court and were given a £30 fine they would be entitled to refuse payment with just 1ps.
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20p actually.

http://www.royalmint.com/corporate/policies/legal_tender_guidelines.aspx
 
Souleh said:
All english shops will take them. Tell them to get over themselves, point out the fact its "Sterling" as printed on the note and carry on.

If its at a petrol station or the likes and they refuse the notes then simply drive on. If they refuse payment then theres nothing you can do :)
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So much incorrect information in one post...
 
Jano said:
Err Zefan, having worked for banks for most of my working life, I know exactly what I'm talking about, and it's not pants at all in any way shape or form.

Only Bank of England notes are legal tender in England and Wales. Scottish and Northern Irish notes are not legal tender anywhere at all. Notes from the channel isle's are only legal on their respective islands. No one "HAS" to accept any of these notes anywhere.
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This.

http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/about/faqs.htm#16
 
Wicksta said:
MrLOL mk2? ;)
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I actually went and checked Wiki after I'd posted that, just to make sure what I knew was right, was actually right, and I knew someone would say that :rolleyes:

I worked for the Bank of Scotland for years, had more people that I care to remember coming in to exchange Scottish bank notes when we didn't actually have to accept them. It's weird what working in a bank does to you, I actually carry very little money on me now as the whole "it's just a bit of paper" really did stick.

What people need to remember is bank notes aren't actually money, they are a legally binding (best way I can put it) entitlement to collect something worth an equal value to what is stated on the note from the Bank of England.
 
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