From: "Tim" 
Newsgroups: uk.finance
Subject: Re: Bank's liability
Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 13:52:49 +0000 (UTC)

> >"john boyle" wrote
> >> The collecting bank asks the drawee if the cheque is paid by
> >> phone. Both parties record the details of the conversion in a register,
> >> If the cheque is physically present at the drawee (which may not be the
> >> case) the cheque will be stamped paid and the details of the phone call
> >> recorded on it. The collecting bank obtains the name of the clerk at
the
> >> drawee and records that. If the cheque is subsequently returned unpaid
> >> the collecting bank will refuse to accept the unpaid item and would
> >> return it to the drawee without debiting your account
> >
> "Tim" wrote
> >The problem is, how does the customer know that
> >the bank has *actually* gone through that procedure?
> >
> >The person on the phone at the collecting bank might be
> >one of those untrained clerks that doesn't know what
> >they are doing, and so doesn't apply the above procedure
> >properly, and so the cheque is not "paid" after all -
> >even though the untrained clerk comes back and says:
> >"yep, that cheque is now paid sir.  Have a nice day!"
> >
"john boyle" wrote
> True, and the letter sent by the bank as an alternative to the
> above (suggested recently) could have prepared on a word
> processor using stolen bank stationery with a forged signature

I'd much rather trust something on bank
stationery with a (possibly) forged signature,
to a counter girl saying: "yep OK!".

For the counter staff to go to all the trouble of preparing
a bogus letter, on stolen bank stationery, with a forged
signature, would require some higher level of intent
than just saying "yep" to get yet another customer
off the phone, so she can go back to painting her nails...

> "Tim" wrote
> >What can the customer do in that situation -
> >especially if the clerk subsequently denies having
> >said "paid", and says that they only said "cleared"?!
>
"john boyle" wrote
> He he!

What, laughing at the bank will make them cough up?
Must remember to try that one ... !!