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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think you can't JUST take cheques?!

143 replies

hairtoday1 · 29/07/2015 21:03

I'm viewing a to buy a property tomorrow. If I like it I need to move fast. I've just been informed that 'To reserve a property you will need to provide a cheque for Â£100.00 payable to Metropolitan. We do not take any other payment methods on the day so without this you cannot reserve.'

Erm, really? I haven't had a cheque book in YEARS!

Is it me or is this bonkers? I could miss out on a home because of this

OP posts:

RiverTam · 30/07/2015 08:18

I'm a bit puzzled by the I've-never-had-a-chequebook people, I've always just automatically be supplied one, including for a bank account I opened last year. I don't recall actually asking for one. Are people opting out when they open an account?

ilovesooty · 30/07/2015 08:20

My bank account doesn't offer a cheque book facility.

DirtyMugPolice · 30/07/2015 08:24

River when I opened a Natwest account 5 years ago I wasn't supplied with a cheque book, just a debit card.

mollie123 · 30/07/2015 08:24

a few years ago it was suggested that cheque books would be 'phased out' - fortunately they are still around - how else would I pay for my logs to be delivered, for the pest control man to get rid of a wasps nest, pay the plumber and so on.
I live rurally and as the pest controller explained - not everywhere has wifi to process cards - it is not that difficult to understand unless you are an urban dweller where everything works electronically
I ordered a cheque book recently and it came through in about 5 working days !

Groovee · 30/07/2015 08:29

My bank provided me with a cheque for buying my car. Think it was called a bankers draft.

BakingCookiesAndShit · 30/07/2015 08:31

Our bank doesn't/won't issue chequebooks, which means that we have to pay plumbers etc in cash. It also meant that when DH was abroad with the Army, I had to send cash through the post, as the only way he could get cash was to cash cheques and the bloody bank won't issue chequebooks...

I've always been able to use cheques, have done since I got my first account in the 80's, but since we got the joint account, no cheques

McKayz · 30/07/2015 08:52

River I am with Natwest and I haven't opted out, they just don't seem to issue them as standard. I was told I had to order one if I wanted one.

I live rurally and manage quite well without cheques.

MaidOfStars · 30/07/2015 09:05

I don't think I've had a chequebook for over a decade. I've had to have a bankers draft in the last five years (can't remember why...maybe a wedding thing) so I guess I couldn't say I have had no need for one.

I pay people in cash, or by PayPal/bank transfer. I've recently holidayed around the arse end of nowhere and we paid all the little B&Bs/hostels/etc in cash.

mollie123 · 30/07/2015 09:06

there is rural and there is 'rural' (where some couriers refuse to find the address)
of course - cash is king.

Mehitabel6 · 30/07/2015 09:19

NatWest issue cheque books if asked. They have to with my mother- she isn't online and is never going to be.
I am walking, going nowhere near civilisation, and am not going to carry cash for 7 nights B&B so it has to be cheques- they only do cash or cheques.

Scholes34 · 30/07/2015 09:51

I'm not old. I live in a city. I have a chequebook.

TracyBarlow · 30/07/2015 10:06

We have a small business in the building trade and I'd say 80 per cent of our customers pay by cheque. The remainder by cash or bank transfer.

I regularly take cheques to the banks for 10k or more. It's a real ball ache as we live rurally and I have to go miles to the bank. We've tried encouraging more people to do bank transfers but they love their cheques around here.

chrome100 · 30/07/2015 10:06

I am 34 and never owned a cheque book, nor have I ever needed one. I didn't realise they were still accepted!

hibbleddible · 30/07/2015 10:10

Wow at people never having written a cheque.

I'm not that old under 30 and I have used them lots, though not so much in the past couple of years. How else do you send money in the post?

ghostyslovesheep · 30/07/2015 10:16

I still use cheques - very useful things to have

HelpMeGetOutOfHere · 30/07/2015 10:46

I don't send money in the post. gifts for nephews etc go straight into their bank accounts, although they are older now. My dc ar 9, 13 and 18 and all have bank accounts, the grandparents transfer into them for birthdays/Christmas.

the schools all take parent pay so that's debit card, karate I do a transfer, swimming is direct debit, rugby, we can pay by debit or credit card at the club or transfer.

I hate cheques as people often take far too long to pay them in, and I then have to keep checking if its left my account or not. Much prefer cash or card.

Pumpkinette · 30/07/2015 10:57

I still have a cheque book somewhere but can't remember the last time it was used (I would hazard a guess as 2008 when we were booking things for our wedding)

I work in banking (complaints and internal accounts) and they still use cheques a lot when refunding money to a customer. I find it quite antiquated given the fact banks have been trying to phase out cheques for the past 5 years. I know our policy is not to issue cheque books unless specifically requested by a customer.

But yes OP get the bank to issue one for you. I don't quite understand why it would cost £10 to issue it for you - it only takes a few minutes to do and the actual cashing/ paying out process is no different than any other cheque. money grabbing banks

LurkingHusband · 30/07/2015 11:06

Our last dentist would only take cheques. Our current dentist takes whatever (including PayPal, apparently).

The free market being what it is, this is pretty much the sole reason why we changed dentists.

Cheques are a **ing PITA. MrsLH and I have managed to make our finances cheque-free for over 5 years now. Except when an idiot organisation ignores our request for a transfer and sends us a cheque. Last time that happened, it took 2 weeks to pay in because we couldn't make it 9-5, and the nearest cashpoint was (seemingly) permanently out of order.

Even MrsLHs hair/beauty (visiting self-employed) takes a bank transfer. The moneys hers to spend before she drives off.

RiverTam · 30/07/2015 11:07

That's very interesting. It would put me off using a bank if they didn't issue a chequebook, I don't use them much but I like to have it.

Sparklingbrook · 30/07/2015 11:21

I wouldn't stop using a service just because they only took cheques. I think they are being built up into some massive problem on this thread. They are just a means of paying.

MaidOfStars · 30/07/2015 11:24

Our window cleaner comes round on a Friday evening and collects in cash. Given the time (around 7pm) and his attire (all scrubbed up), I suspect our payment goes directly into pints.

scarlets · 30/07/2015 11:50

I pay for my DCs' music exams and football subs by cheque. I'm also nervous about posting money inside birthday and Christmas cards, so I write cheques for my nieces. It's useful to have this facility. In the OP's position, I'd get a relative or friend to write a cheque.

LurkingHusband · 30/07/2015 11:51

I wouldn't stop using a service just because they only took cheques. I think they are being built up into some massive problem on this thread. They are just a means of paying.

There were other issues, admittedly.

If you buzz around a lot, and pass by your bank a lot - especially when it's open - then working with cheques isn't a problem.

If you don't, and it has to be a special trip in-hours (of course then you have parking too), or you experience 3 wasted journeys out-of-hours to discover the cash machine won't take cheques, you'd see cheques differently - even HMRC does bank transfers.

takeinyourhen · 30/07/2015 11:58

They'll be fucked in 2018 when cheques become obsolete then...

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 30/07/2015 12:03

Even MrsLHs hair/beauty (visiting self-employed) takes a bank transfer. The moneys hers to spend before she drives off.

Many of our customers electpay by bank transfer. However, some of them promise to, but then 'forget' (not all, but a fair few). I then end up chasing and chasing for payment, sometimes for a year or more, and then only finally get paid when I threaten court action. THAT is a pain in the bum.
At least with a cheque (the payment method which many of our elderly customers prefer) I can pay it into the bank within the week.

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