On Mon, 09 Jul 2007 04:57:35 -0700, Kev wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6272606.stm

"London Underground said that fare dodgers will still be able to use
cheques to pay their fares, and fines, to ticket inspectors".
So only a fare dodger can pay by cheque. If I happen to lose my
ticket or I am mugged will I have to find some other means of payment
or would I become a fare dodger.

Not uncommon these days. I reckon it's time the banks took action to
abolish cheques completely. BACS and other electronic payment systems
are far superior.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

On Mon, 09 Jul 2007 05:33:56 -0700, Kev wrote:

Since I use a credit card I don't see what advantage a debit card
gives, except that if I lose it I will have to cover the cost of the
misuse whereas if a cheque is misused then it is fraud pure and simple
and down to the bank.

Then pay by credit card. That's also an option.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

On Mon, 9 Jul 2007 13:53:05 +0100, "Steve Purdy"
wrote:

Yes I do - I refuse to have debit card on my current account - any dipping
into my money is limited to ME, by the time I get my statement it's going to
be much too late!

That is a risk, which is why I prefer a credit card.

Even more so when they go contactless (like Oyster) as
the criminals will just wave their thieving mitts near your wallet.

I will admit I have serious misgivings about that technology as
applied to credit cards. Far better to have an "electronic purse"
like Geldkarte, Chipknip or indeed Oyster, where the amount that can
be stolen is limited to a certain amount.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

Neil Williams wrote:
On Mon, 09 Jul 2007 04:57:35 -0700, Kev wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6272606.stm

"London Underground said that fare dodgers will still be able to use
cheques to pay their fares, and fines, to ticket inspectors".
So only a fare dodger can pay by cheque. If I happen to lose my
ticket or I am mugged will I have to find some other means of payment
or would I become a fare dodger.

Not uncommon these days. I reckon it's time the banks took action to
abolish cheques completely. BACS and other electronic payment systems
are far superior.

Completely agree, however there are many out there (especially the older
generation) who don't use telephone or internet banking.

Smaller businesses (a good example being B&B's) will only take cash or
cheque payments as (they say) it's uneconomic for them to be set up for
card payments.

--
Phil Richards, London, UK
3,600+ railway photos since 1980 at:
http://europeanrail.fotopic.net
http://britishrail.fotopic.net

Phil Richards wrote:

Completely agree, however there are many out there (especially the
older generation) who don't use telephone or internet banking.

That's the biggest problem. My parents are in their 80s and I still can't
even get them to use cashpoints. My father still insists on driving to the
bank every week and drawing money out over the counter, in spite of the fact
that he now has a PC and is (slowly) learning how to use it.

It drives me mad (and wastes my time!) when they insist on giving me cheques
in payment for things or as presents.

On 9 Jul, 21:51, "Jack Taylor" wrote:
Phil Richards wrote:

Completely agree, however there are many out there (especially the
older generation) who don't use telephone or internet banking.

That's the biggest problem. My parents are in their 80s and I still can't
even get them to use cashpoints. My father still insists on driving to the
bank every week and drawing money out over the counter, in spite of the fact
that he now has a PC and is (slowly) learning how to use it.

It drives me mad (and wastes my time!) when they insist on giving me cheques
in payment for things or as presents.

Would any of you technophiles like to suggest an alternative to the
cheque for parents paying for school trips, scout group etc
subscriptions, and all the other things that go with having a family?
Too much for cash, none of the organisations concerned are set up for
cards- that's the real world..

Stuart J

StuartJ wrote:

Would any of you technophiles like to suggest an alternative to the
cheque for parents paying for school trips, scout group etc
subscriptions, and all the other things that go with having a family?
Too much for cash, none of the organisations concerned are set up for
cards- that's the real world..

I demand that they give me their banking details (sort code and account
number) and set up a one-off direct credit on my Internet banking, with an
appropriate reference (membership number or name). I've done that for all of
the annual subscriptions that I have, with only one exception, that was
still issuing two-part carbonated subscription reminders, even in 2002!
After a second request that they provide a direct credit option for renewal
(it only requires the provision of sort code and account number and of a box
to tick on the renewal slip) and no response, a year after my first request,
I cancelled my membership. The others have actually commented that they are
happy with a direct credit payment as it saves them the hassle of banking
cheques.

In article ,
(Neil Williams) wrote:

On Mon, 09 Jul 2007 04:57:35 -0700, Kev wrote:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6272606.stm

"London Underground said that fare dodgers will still be able to
use cheques to pay their fares, and fines, to ticket inspectors".
So only a fare dodger can pay by cheque. If I happen to lose my
ticket or I am mugged will I have to find some other means of
payment or would I become a fare dodger.

Not uncommon these days. I reckon it's time the banks took action
to abolish cheques completely. BACS and other electronic payment
systems are far superior.

The main reason I write cheques these days is for posting things off with
payment.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:25:10 -0700, StuartJ
wrote:

Would any of you technophiles like to suggest an alternative to the
cheque for parents paying for school trips, scout group etc
subscriptions, and all the other things that go with having a family?
Too much for cash, none of the organisations concerned are set up for
cards- that's the real world..

BACS transfer into their account, or standing order. Our Scout Group
even gives a discount for using that method as it saves Leaders having
to handle cash on the night.

That method is pretty much zero-cost to both parties.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

On Tue, 10 Jul 2007 01:42 +0100 (BST), (Colin
Rosenstiel) wrote:

The main reason I write cheques these days is for posting things off with
payment.

The German approach would be to post whatever then send an
"Ueberweisung" separately as noted. There is no reason why that would
not work with a BACS transfer here.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.