Abbey Business Account - Don't take postal orders anymore

ADC · 12-07-2008, 11:23 AM

Had some postal orders returned to me in the post this morning from my bank (Abbey), along with a letter saying they are not taking postal orders anymore. What else am i supposed to do with them? I thought they were the same as a cheque.

**greedyboy** · 12-07-2008, 11:43 AM

If they are crossed (most are now) you can only bank them. Saying that I have cashed computer printed counter PO's at the post office in the past.

**hardwareheroes** · 12-07-2008, 12:02 PM

Can't you cash them at the post office with suitable ID?

edit : didn't see GBs post when I typed this for some reason

ADC · 12-07-2008, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hardwareheroes

Can't you cash them at the post office with suitable ID?

edit : didn't see GBs post when I typed this for some reason

They are crossed and it says on the back crossed ones can only be paid in at a bank. They are made out in the company name too, otherwise I could have paid them into my personal account and transferred the money across from there. How stupid is this, looks like I will have to open another business bank account just so I can pay in some postal orders. I'll be giving them a call on Monday and letting them know what i think of this stupid rule. Should imagine they will lose a lot of ebay customers through this.

geosamm · 12-07-2008, 04:52 PM

give them a ring and ask when the introduced the rule and why they didnt notify you giving plenty of warning.... and ask them to review it in this case because they are business orders and the goods have left your control... by their possible default you will lose money.... if they dont help... ask for information regarding complaints and compensation.... but dont lose your cool..... be firm but very cool... there is always the banking ombudsman if all else fails.

**Anthony** · 13-07-2008, 10:57 AM

Very simply I would say that they either cash the postal order or you will have to move elsewhere. If they cannot satisfy your business needs, give another bank the trade. There are plenty in the high street!

ADC · 14-07-2008, 04:57 PM

It seems no one at Abbey knows the correct company policy on this. I rang head office in Glasgow and they said ' no we don't take postal orders, we never have', I explained to them that they definetley have as i've paid in about 300 over the past 3 years. To which he said ' Well that has been a mistake'. So I've paid in 300 postal orders over the last 3 years and Abbey haven't had a single penny from any of them. It's all been a big mistake. Yeah right. I asked to speak to a manager and they said someone will ring you back in the next 5 days.

I then rang my local branch who said that they had recently had a memo from Head Office telling them they couldn't accept postal orders. But since my postal orders had been returned they had queried the memo with head office and they can now accept postal orders again, as long as they have been issued in the last six months and they are crossed. She advised me to pay them in again. God knows why head office couldn't have told me this in the first place.

geosamm · 14-07-2008, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADC

It seems no one at Abbey knows the correct company policy on this. I rang head office in Glasgow and they said ' no we don't take postal orders, we never have', I explained to them that they definetley have as i've paid in about 300 over the past 3 years. To which he said ' Well that has been a mistake'. So I've paid in 300 postal orders over the last 3 years and Abbey haven't had a single penny from any of them. It's all been a big mistake. Yeah right. I asked to speak to a manager and they said someone will ring you back in the next 5 days.

I then rang my local branch who said that they had recently had a memo from Head Office telling them they couldn't accept postal orders. But since my postal orders had been returned they had queried the memo with head office and they can now accept postal orders again, as long as they have been issued in the last six months and they are crossed. She advised me to pay them in again. God knows why head office couldn't have told me this in the first place.

Probably because they didn't know... different departments perhaps, you know how well they communicate.
Anyway I'm pleased the problem seems to be resolved.... it may be useful to ask for a copy of the memo...... or something in writing to say officially that they do.... just in case

**hardwareheroes** · 14-07-2008, 06:05 PM

I am sure that banks have an obligation to accept legal tender do they not?

Surely, a PO is legal tender.