to expect the recipient to actually pay in the cheque.....

[bonkers20]

My DS is going to Norway on a Scout trip in August. It's quite expensive so they said we could pay in instalments. I have sent my cheques off each month as requested, but just noticed as I write the next cheque that the previous one has not be paid in. They'll probably cash them both at the same time now which defeats the object of paying in instalments.

Of course you can argue that I should have a better knowledge of my account and should have been aware that it had not been cashed, but it's still annoying. It's a dynamic account with my salary, child benefit, tax credits going in and various cheques, my own personal spending and the car expenses going out, so I'm not completely on top of it all the time.

AIBU?

YABU... keep better track of your finances. Cheques are never cashed on the dot IME. Reminds me... have one for £17 my friend wrote three weeks agao. Must get to the bank some time... :)

YANBU if it has been left for a month. A few days is fine, but anything more makes the whole installment thing pointless.

Banking cheques is a right faff these days. I have one from Oct, one from Feb and one from last week waiting to be banked. It doesn't defeat the object of getting people to pay in installments at all - they have shown their intent to pay, that's what really matters.

We all have a lot of things going in and out of our account you know

YABU, you should have set up a standing order into their bank account instead. Cheques are just hassle and faff.

YANBU, like you say it defeats the object of paying in monthly instalments

Standard cheques are valid for 6 months from the date written. So, they are entitled to keep your cheques for up to 6 months if they wish. If you're not ok with that you'd be better off with a standing order.

Does kind of defeat the object of them agreeing you can pay in installments though, so I get why you're annoyed, but YAB a bit U as they haven't done anything wrong other than not get to the bank as quickly as you'd like them to.

Can you have a word with the scout leader and ask them to pay them in more frequently? They probably haven't given it much thought. If not, change it to a standing order.

Scenario (several possible variations): The cheque goes to the Scout Leader. The leader (a volunteer) waits for a batch of cheques to arrive before driving to the Treasurer's house, rather than taking every single cheque round as it arrives. That takes - maybe - a week. The Treasurer (also a volunteer) may be a parent with children. The school holidays have just happened. The Treasurer has been away for two weeks and could not do the banking before going away. Financial best practice for a charity is that only the Treasurer does the banking. YABU.

YWNBU if you asked the Scout Group to let you have their bank account details so you (and others) can transfer the money electronically in future, confirming that you have done so by email to the Leader and the Treasurer. Or suggesting that they let parents pay by Standing Order over a few months.

I'd be annoyed too. DD's school camp is being paid in installments. We hand in cheque on the Monday and it's out our account by Thursday.

Good points all. Yes, I know they're all volunteers and and they do an amazing job. This is why I'm having a little moan here rather than to them. It's a good idea to ask for electronic banking details. I'll do that.

Chipping It they're going to pay all my cheques in at the same time then there would be no point in paying in instalments. Yes, I understand a cheque is an intention to pay and it's valid for 6 months, but point of paying in instalments is to spread the cost over a period of months. And yes, I imagine most peoples checking accounts have lots coming in and out. If I set up electronic transfer I can do that from one of my other accounts which doesn't nearly have as much traffic and I'll know right away if the transfer hasn't gone through.

Drag them screaming into the 21st century, bonkers. They have no idea how much easier their lives will be if they do this all electronically. Our Treasurer reckons it saves her at least 20 hours of work a term to have Subs paid by Standing Order and camp fees transferred electronically.