In article ,
(Neil Williams) wrote:

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.

Except that the traders want payment with order.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

On Jul 10, 6:38 am, (Neil Williams)
wrote:
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.


So far this thread has only mentioned personal cheques and company
cheques, both of which can be guaranteed.

But there are also accounts for "community groups" with banks like
Unity Trust, such groups being very likely to arrange bookings for
travel, meetings rooms etc, where cheques are not guaranteed and
require multiple signatories, and Internet payments can't be made
other than to accounts with the same bank.

This may be the fault of the bank, but it's still a good reason for
having to use cheques until they fix it.

On Jul 9, 11:45 pm, "Jack Taylor" wrote:
StuartJ wrote:

I demand that they give me their banking details (sort code and account
number)

You sound a friendly sort of chap to do business with.
Stuart J makes a valid point though, I am forever paying for school
dinners, music lessons, this trip, that trip and as I see it cash or
cheque is really the only way to do it.

Kevin

In message , Jack Taylor
writes

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.

Unfortunately that wouldn't work with our (voluntary) organisation. Our
treasurer lives in North Wales and I (the membership secretary) live in
East London. I have no access to our group's bank accounts and our
treasurer would constantly be sending me details of random payments
received that may or may not be anything to do with my role.

We continue to prefer cheque payments for the time being. If you want
to be a member, that's the way it's done.
--
Steve Fitzgerald has now left the building.
You will find him in London's Docklands, E16, UK
(please use the reply to address for email)

"MIG" wrote:

So far this thread has only mentioned personal cheques and company
cheques, both of which can be guaranteed.

Which bank gives cheque guarantee cards to limited companies? Dangerous
territory, I would have thought, for the bank concerned. Especially as many
company cheque books contain 100 cheques.......

Chris

On Tue, 10 Jul 2007 08:58 +0100 (BST), (Colin
Rosenstiel) wrote:

Except that the traders want payment with order.

Unless you are writing your guarantee card number on a cheque yourself
(which you're not meant to do), they are no more getting that with a
posted cheque as they are with a BACS transfer. In both cases one
needs to verify if the funds have cleared by checking one's account,
unless one is being very trusting.

Neil

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

On Jul 10, 7:30 pm, "Chris Read" wrote:
"MIG" wrote:
So far this thread has only mentioned personal cheques and company
cheques, both of which can be guaranteed.

Which bank gives cheque guarantee cards to limited companies? Dangerous
territory, I would have thought, for the bank concerned. Especially as many
company cheque books contain 100 cheques.......

Chris

Oh, I didn't mean that so much. More that company cheques usually
don't need a guarantee card and are accepted by ticket offices etc, a
bit like building society cheques.

On Jul 10, 7:52 pm, (Neil Williams)
wrote:
On Tue, 10 Jul 2007 08:58 +0100 (BST), (Colin

Rosenstiel) wrote:
Except that the traders want payment with order.

Unless you are writing your guarantee card number on a cheque yourself
(which you're not meant to do), they are no more getting that with a
posted cheque as they are with a BACS transfer. In both cases one
needs to verify if the funds have cleared by checking one's account,
unless one is being very trusting.



My concern (and I think the one possibly referred to) is that unless
you attach payment to a specific order, how do they know who is paying
and what for?

If I made an electronic transfer to pay for goods etc, I would be
concerned that if I got the reference wrong, the supplier wouldn't
know who had paid or what for.

On Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:31:17 -0700, MIG
wrote:

If I made an electronic transfer to pay for goods etc, I would be
concerned that if I got the reference wrong, the supplier wouldn't
know who had paid or what for.

Then don't get the reference wrong!

Seriously, it does not appear to be a problem for the Germans.

Neil

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

Steve Fitzgerald wrote:

Unfortunately that wouldn't work with our (voluntary) organisation. Our
treasurer lives in North Wales and I (the membership secretary)
live in East London. I have no access to our group's bank accounts
and our treasurer would constantly be sending me details of random
payments received that may or may not be anything to do with my role.

That's similar to the various preserved railways that I am a member of. The
treasurers receive membership fees by direct credit, with the membership
number quoted as the payment reference. The membership secretaries receive
the renewal forms, with the direct credit option ticked. The treasurers (I
presume) periodically confirm the latest batch of payments that have been
received by e-mail to the membership secretary. It's hardly rocket science
and it's far more secure for both parties.

We continue to prefer cheque payments for the time being. If you want
to be a member, that's the way it's done.

I'm afraid that, if that is the attitude, then I wouldn't be bothered about
being a member. I've already discontinued my membership of one preserved
railway that I had been a member of for over twenty years, due to their
inability to embrace modern technology (ironic as they are one of the bigger
railways, whilst the smaller ones that I am a member of can function
efficiently).