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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

...to complain about "Scottish money" fiasco?

138 replies

NotFromConcentrate · 15/09/2011 12:00

I probably am BU, but i was mortified.

At the weekend, my DH and I took the children to Legoland Discovery Centre in Manchester, and stayed over the night before. We took a trip to the Trafford Centre, and the children chose McDonald's for dinner. When I paid, I handed over a Bank of Scotland £20 note. The cashier asked if I had any "English money" and, when I told her I didn't, she said she didn't think she could accept Scottish money.

The place was packed, but I asked her to check that with her manager. She then had a shouted conversation with him from one end of the counter to the other, discussing whether my cash was sterling and did it have a metal strip. I was absolutely mortified, and furious.

AIBU to complain on principle?

(I work throughout the UK and have never experienced this before)

OP posts:
TrillianAstra · 15/09/2011 12:02

Why were you mortified?

She was the one showing herself as ignorant of what a Scottish £20 note looks like.

What exactly are you going to say in your complaint?

VivaLeBeaver · 15/09/2011 12:03

Did they accept it in the end?

It's not exactly something to be mortified about I wouldn't have said. Most other people in the queue would have been thinking that the sales assistant was a it daft for not knowing it was ok. I've had the same thing happen a few times.

SheCutOffTheirTails · 15/09/2011 12:04

There is no reason why she should have accepted Scottish money.

I'm from NI and I always get Bank of England notes before I travel to England.

Original poster
NotFromConcentrate · 15/09/2011 12:04

They made me feel like I was trying to defraud them!

She was well aware it was a Scottish note, but appeared to believe it was not legal tender in England.

I would suggest they improve their staff training, and their customer service.

OP posts:
Kladdkaka · 15/09/2011 12:04

Depends. Did she accept the money? Then you are being unreasonable. If she refused the money then you are not being unreasonable.

TrillianAstra · 15/09/2011 12:06

She didn't recognise it, you asked her to check with her manager, so she did, then she accepted it.

I don't really see what the problem is.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 15/09/2011 12:06

Traders can legitimately refuse to accept Scottish money, even though it is legal tender. You're advised to exchange it at a bank rather than risk a refusal.

LadyBeagleEyes · 15/09/2011 12:06

It maybe the first time she's seen Scottish money. It's legal tender and now she's learned that she can accept it.
Nothing to be mortified about though.

Original poster
NotFromConcentrate · 15/09/2011 12:07

She AFAIK they have to accept Scottish money - it is Sterling and therefore legal tender. Same applies to Irish money (which the cashier told me they'd had a "problem" with the previous week.

It's not my responsibility to have to change my cash to avoid the ignorance of others just because I wish to travel elsewhere in the United Kingdom!

OP posts:
CogitoErgoSometimes · 15/09/2011 12:07

There is no force of law for traders to accept Scottish banknotes.

ShatnersBassoon · 15/09/2011 12:08

Nothing to be embarrassed about. It was a gap in her knowledge. Really nothing to get upset about.

TakeThisOneHereForAStart · 15/09/2011 12:08

We accept Scottish money at work and we don't complain about it (unless it's my very proud to be Scottish Uncle who is handing it over, then I get out the Forge Buster light and special pen to annoy him Grin) but we don't really like to take it because nobody ever wants to get it back in their change. We just put it to one side and swap it at the bank.

But the shop over the road has a big sign saying "We do NOT accept Scottish bank notes" in quite a strict font and some bolded bits.

I don't think having them question something they perhaps hadn't seen before is that bad, as long as they took it in the end and didn't leave you all starving because you didn't have anything else to pay with.

Hassled · 15/09/2011 12:08

People are clueless re Scottish money in England. I've had similar problems - yes, write to MacDonalds but its not going to change the mindset of a surprising number of people.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 15/09/2011 12:10

It's not the 'ignorance of others'.... as this article about Scottish banknotes explains. "People who use Scottish banknotes in England have no legal recourse if they are refused". The assistant was checking the shop policy.

angelinterceptor · 15/09/2011 12:10

We get this too (travelling from NI) its really annoying - the amount of times I have argued with silly people on checkouts, or service stations.

StrandedBear · 15/09/2011 12:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
NotFromConcentrate · 15/09/2011 12:11

Am amazed about there being no force of law re: Scottish banknotes. I suspect some people (not here, in general) are under the impression Scotland is a little village powered by gas torches!

OP posts:
SheCutOffTheirTails · 15/09/2011 12:11

Actually, you are wrong.

They don't have to accept Scotttish banknotes, if they do it is a courtesy.

Scottish people get so unbelievably arsey about this.

The gap was in your knowledge. Now you know better.

Original poster
NotFromConcentrate · 15/09/2011 12:13

In this case Cogito, it was the ignorance of others as it company policy to accept them. However I now know this isn't the case across the board.

I shall keep all my weird notes to myself and spend them north of the border Grin

OP posts:
Buddhastic · 15/09/2011 12:14

YANBU. We live abroad and when home in the Summer the kids were given money. If they want to exchange it here they will get less for their Scottish notes than the English ones Hmm

CogitoErgoSometimes · 15/09/2011 12:15

Spend them north of the border or drop into a bank and swap them south of the border.

sjuperwolef · 15/09/2011 12:16

i had this when i first moved down south, i used to keep scottish fivers just to piss off mardy bints in certain shops Grin it is shit tho and they should take it as they take euros as we do. i see no difference in the two.

best thing to do is go into an rbs branch and they'll change it for you next time.

LadyBeagleEyes · 15/09/2011 12:17

Surely a ten pound note is a ten pond note, it's money at the end of the day.
Can businesses really afford to turn their noses up at it?

sjuperwolef · 15/09/2011 12:17

its worth getting arsey about imo, why should scottish money be any less spendable than english? we are all one country after all.

paulapantsdown · 15/09/2011 12:19

I got paid for a job once with £500 worth of Scottish 20's. It was a bloody nightmare trying to buy things with it. I went into town to bank it, but stopped off for shopping at various shops along the way. Of the 5 shops I went to, four would not accept it. "We don't take no forin money" and so on. I explained to one dopey cow that it has the word STERLING written on it, but she did not know what that meant either. Couldn't get it into the bank quick enough.

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