Not accepting chqs

[conar686]

Recently BP refused payment by chq (with card) after I had filled up. Apart from being treated like a crim by the staff.

 

Can anyone tell me what the consumers rights are in these cases.

 

I do not have credit card & oblect to chip n pin as this is I feel an intrusion so only use cash or chq

 

Any ideas help or advice welcome

[martin2006]

dont understand whats so intrusive about chip and pin?

[conar686]

By using chip n pin - you give away for free, your spending pattern & location

 

bit too much like big brother for me

[dave]

I believe that there is something called the 'Cheques Act'.

 

It may be worth having a scout around and seeing what you can find.

[martin2006]

How is that so different from chq and card?

 

Anyway back to your point, if they dont now accept cheques thats up to them, even though it will probably cause many people the same problem as yourself.

 

Is BP the only garage you can use?

 

If its a major problem for you simply use another garage that does accept chqs.

[conar686]

Good point - tho' there is a time lag with chqs & certainly with cash there is no 'overwatch' - additionally I'd prefer payment terms were in my hands & not those forced upon me by financial institutions

 

call me paranoid

[martin2006]

Point taken, you should be able to pay by whatever suits you.

[blacksheep1979]

I think if you have offered a valid legal form of payment and they refuse it you do not have to offer another form. Obviously there will be exceptions like places that cannot physically accept credit cards etc.

 

Point this out to them next time and say this is the only way I wish to pay if you don't accept it you will not be having any payment.

[conar686]

I believe that there is something called the 'Cheques Act'.

 

It may be worth having a scout around and seeing what you can find.

 

Tks DAve

 

The Chqs act doesn't cover it - it refers only to x chq payee ruling where only the payee can cash the chq

[JonCris]

How is that so different from chq and card?

 

Anyway back to your point, if they dont now accept cheques thats up to them, even though it will probably cause many people the same problem as yourself.

 

Is BP the only garage you can use?

 

If its a major problem for you simply use another garage that does accept chqs.

 

No doubt the member won't be using them again but as they stated in their post they had already filled up befoer finding out they couldn't pay by cheque

 

I have to say if you don't know whats wrong with "chip & pin" then you haven't been following the appaling events surrounding their use.

[JonCris]

How is that so different from chq and card?

 

Anyway back to your point, if they dont now accept cheques thats up to them, even though it will probably cause many people the same problem as yourself.

 

Is BP the only garage you can use?

 

If its a major problem for you simply use another garage that does accept chqs.

 

To establish you movements & spending pattern using cheques as your data source would unlike "chip & pin" require manual intervention

[conar686]

Tks for all views - nuff said, don't use BP anymore, my worry is that v.soon all that will be available to us consumers is either cash or chip n pin, one excuse for going this way is that the Banks chg them for chqs

[JonCris]

Well they should sue them. They are auto read by machine the only thing requireing manual intervention is the inputting of the amount.

 

Apparently I'm told if you run a magnet across the numbers on the bottom it can't be read & gets delayed.

[meagain]

Perhaps I should try this "I don't recognise your right to ask for alternative payment" thing sometime. After all, if the banks can refuse to recognise the law ...

[patdavies]

Shell garages are the same.

 

They have notices displayed saying that they will no longer accept cheques for payment.

 

It is my view that this can only be valid if posted on or near the pump, so it may be seen before filling up.

[patdavies]

Well they should sue them. They are auto read by machine the only thing requireing manual intervention is the inputting of the amount.

 

Apparently I'm told if you run a magnet across the numbers on the bottom it can't be read & gets delayed.

 

Banks charge more for manual credits (ie cheques) then automated credits. There is more to handling a cheque than inputting the amount. They have to be sorted and physically returned to the issuing banks. Cheque sorters are incredibly complicated machines moving cheques at high speed and have high maintenance (and capital) costs.

 

The ink used for the characters at the bottom of the check is magnetisable. When the cheque is arrives at the sorting centre, the amount is added manually to this information, again using magnetisable ink and then this is used by the sorters. Running a magnet over the cheque makes no difference as the ink will be magnetised anyway for sorting. Even if it did, this would only reduce the cheque to manual sorting instead of machine sorting

[conar686]

I saw the sign @ BP but in my opinion it was too small & hidden in the clutter of other signs on the pump housing.

 

Surely a larger sign on the entry way would stop misunderstandings.

[JimmyTheOne]

Shell announced this quite some time ago. The proper positioning of any sign should be on the Pump.

 

I'm afraid the vast majority of cards these days are CHIP, although, as we know a considerable amount of retailers have not implemented Chip & PIN. This is for cost and risk reasons.

 

You do not however have to have a PIN - If it's your perception (for whatever reason, including T&C compliance), you can't manage a PIN, then you can get yourself Chip & Signature Cards.

 

Tell, don't ask your card issuer you want a Chip & Signature card, and put it in writing.

[conar686]

Thanks

[conar686]

Thanks for all responses I guess I better get used to being a minority - its a sad thing when financial institutions & suppliers can dictate the mechanism in which you spend your money

[JonCris]

Shell announced this quite some time ago. The proper positioning of any sign should be on the Pump.

 

I'm afraid the vast majority of cards these days are CHIP, although, as we know a considerable amount of retailers have not implemented Chip & PIN. This is for cost and risk reasons.

 

You do not however have to have a PIN - If it's your perception (for whatever reason, including T&C compliance), you can't manage a PIN, then you can get yourself Chip & Signature Cards.

 

Tell, don't ask your card issuer you want a Chip & Signature card, and put it in writing.

 

You know that, I know that, but the banks lie when they claim you can NO longer use card & sig & everyone has to use "chip & pin". eg If your American & visiting these shores they still use card & sig why? because they won't have anything to do with it.

 

So if the system still accepts the old method for them it has to accept it for all.

 

It galls me that the banks are allowed to constantly get away with their blatant lies

[JimmyTheOne]

All my cards which have a Visa or MasterCard logo are Chip & Signature, hence asking for them in writing.

 

You will be sent PINs, as credit card issuers in particular seem to have no way of stopping this. Return your PIN intact, thus proving that you have no knowledge of it.

 

Some card issuers (NationWide - GE Money) actually tell you the card you've got is Chip & Signature. Others (Liverpool Victoria), you have to guess, most confusing.

 

Hope this helps.

[tom3131]

If you fill up, then go to pay with a cheque and they refuse to accept it, leave your name and address and maybe show proof of ID and then its definatly not a criminal matter, and if they phone the police, they will say the same.

 

Obtaining Goods By Deception

And

Dishonestly Making Off Without Payment

 

Both require elements of deception or dishonesty, which arent present it your case.

 

Regards,

Tom3131.

[patdavies]

Recently BP refused payment by chq (with card) after I had filled up. Apart from being treated like a crim by the staff.

 

Can anyone tell me what the consumers rights are in these cases.

 

I do not have credit card & oblect to chip n pin as this is I feel an intrusion so only use cash or chq

 

Any ideas help or advice welcome

 

It would appear that this does not apply to all BP outlets.

 

Chieveley Services on the M4/A34 accept cheques with a guarantee card with no problem. They won't accept business cheques, but then these don't have guarantee cards.

[JonCris]

Most fuel outlets are franchised so it up to the franchise holder not the petrol supplier how they conduct business