General Chat

I suppose there is still an enormous amount of luck needed and trust. If the cloning can happen in restaurants it can happen elsewhere, the taking the machine home scenario. I guess that doesn't happen too often. I do check my statements very carefully, I write down every c card purchase and keep the receipts until the statement has been balanced. I don't take anything on trust.

Some still take your card, Ann, and unless you've been there before, you have no idea whether or not they will!

Sister & I went into an upmarket hotel last year, ordered 2 drinks and the barman offered to take our card to save us coming up to the bar until we left! Quite common, apparently, in hotels.

It being 11am, and my sister and I not being lushes, we declined his invitation, and paid cash!

Unless,of course, they walk off with the machine!!

I remember seeing a TV programme showing how a gang got away with cloning cards for a long time.

One of them got a job in a restaurant. After some time he gained the confidence of the manager, and offered to lock up at night and to be there first to open up, therefore having his own set of keys.
On a Sat night after locking up he would take home the machine and another member of the gang would download all the details from the machine onto his computer. He would return the machine on Monday mornings, nobody any the wiser.

The details were then passed to another member, who had got hold of loads of 'blank' credit cards through a contact and had had them falsely printed with look-alike bank logo etc on the front. Then the cloned details were put onto the new blank cards - e Voila!!!

The people who used the cards got away with it for so long because they never spent huge amounts. They might go into a supermarket, say, and spend something like 54.97, an amount that really didn't draw attention, not even to the person who had had their card cloned, unless they were someone who checked their statements very carefully.

That particular gang were working on a huge scale, but apparently this type of fraud is not uncommon.

Restaurants these days are supposed to bring the machine to your table, you pput the card in and they don't touch your card. And the restaurants we go to comply with that, even in Tenerife, or else you go to the counter with your card and put it in the machine etc. I don't think any of them walk off with your card these days.

This committee that wants to phase out cheques, say, when cheques are phased out a new system will 'evolve' - let's have the new system first!

I know 3 people who regularly pay by card, who've had their accounts vitually cleared out!
You hand your card over to someone to pay, say a restaurant bill.
Do you know exactly who is taking note of your number? If they've got hold of your card, they can also look at the security number.
All they have to do is write number & security code down, and voila!
Off to the intenet to buy stuff using your number!

The way I see it, is that people will have to keep more cash in the house. Oh what luck for the burglars.
Because if we have a tradesman round to do a job, we'll have to pay him in cash if we can't give him a cheque.

Now that's something that bothers me - I really don't like keeping a pile of cash around the house, and I don't suppose I'm on my own with that sentiment.

K

Cheques to STAY.

I am very disappointed to learn that cheques will be phased out by 2018.....that's purely for the banks' convenience, not the public.

I use cheques.
We send the grandchildren cheques for birthday and/or christmas. It makes them feel important and grown up to go and pay them into their savings accounts.
I use a cheque when I donate to a charity.
I use a cheque to pay into my Lottery syndicate.
I use a cheque to pay tradesmen when the amount is too large for cash....can't see my local electrician or plumber willing to take a credit card!!
Paid by cheque recently when I had my settee recovered.
Paid by cheque recently for some cosmetics by mail-order (small firm who don't take credit cards).
Sent a cheque to local church fund for my Mum - was she supposed to put 100 quid in an envelope??!!.

Give me strength!!!!
The banks are doing this for themselves!


Disgusted in the desert.


P.S. Elizabeth - you mentioned Postal Orders.....I've had to use them fairly recenlty when paying for Visas to be issued from the Saudi and the Egyptian Consulates in London. I hadn't seen one for years before that!! K

We have a scheme here called BPay. Don't you have it? I pay all my bills by BPay. I have only one account where they are not set up to accept BPay and I pay that one by cheque - and find it a nuisance, because I write the cheque, envelope it and stamp it - then have to wait until I go out to mail it, because the posting boxes are becoming fewer and fewer - thanks to vandals. All of my mandatory accounts (electric, gas, insurance, etc) are set up in my computer and I pay them when I am ready to pay them. They all offer me Direct Debit, but they take the money earlier than I am prepared to pay it - better in MY account than THEIRS! BPay transfers the money from my account into theirs - and no waiting. It also shows my correct balance so I don't have to remember to allow for a cheque to be presented.

Hi Diane, you are our guide from Liverpool aren't you? Hope you are ok and have a good Christmas.

I don't know if you need worry at the mo, they aren't being done away with till 2018 and who knows where you will be by then, that's the way I think anyway!

Off to bed in a mo, take care and enjoy the festivities

Lizx

I still use cheques for several things altho all my regular payments are standing orders or direct debits. It's the same old story, it ain't broke, why fix it? Still in 2018 I will probably not have a lot of money anyway lol so won't be able to pay for anything except essential services, all by d.d.

Lizx

Dear All

Hello

I agree with PatKendrick.

I can't remember many people being in debt when there were weekly pay packets, not montly ones.

Cheques should stay. They are reliable and user friendly.

Better than these chip n pin cards.

Anyone remember postal orders?

Very best wishes
xx

I think they will probably go with the direct bank deposit, Ann. The fees involved in credit card facilities will put off most small businesses. Perhaps the banks will have to rethink their fees and charges. Pat mentioned cash being phased out - I think it quite possible that one day we will no longer deal with cash.

Sue xx

I think it is the small jobbing builders who wont have credit card facilities, I know furniture delivery men do because we have done the same but the fellow who did our windows, and last year our new door is a small one man band and I wonder how he will manage.

Sorry Ann - I forgot to look back in. We've just had new furniture delivered and the fellow had a credit card machine. I think most business except very small ones will probably work like that. When we had our kitchen done last year we direct deposited into their bank account.

Sue xx

As I said to Julia Sue if they do away with cheques you wont be able to get a bank cheque. Do all your small contractors/builders/ boiler repair men etc take PayPal payments? They are the ones who need cheques. Our last payment to a builder was over £2000, I couldn't pay him cash for that.

I do all my banking online including bill paying. I haven't used my cheque book for ago. For Ebay or online shopping I use PayPal - I won't shop with anyone who doesn't have it. On the very odd occasion when I've needed a cheque I get a bank cheque.

Sue xx

Dermot, I quite like standing in a line, find I have quite interesting conversations with like minded people. I would not want to stand at a machine 24 hr. I might get mugged which has happened in my area quite a few times.
Carol

Talk about changes - how many of us would prefer to queue at banks to withdraw cash using cheques rather than ATMs with their 24/7 availability?

New ideas are welcome only if they promise early material gain.

There are some firms that do not accept credit cards, and you have to pay by cheque. My sister is housebound, doesnt have a computer or a current account. How is anyone like her supposed topay her bills. Will they start sending collectors round again for cash payments?

Ann, we'll have to think of a plan 'B'. He can always drive to the people and put a bag of cash on their desk. LOL
Julia in Derbyshire