Once upon a time, many moons ago, I used to send cheques regularly for birthdays and Christmas to my nephews, nieces and godchildren. Until one year a father called me and asked if I could kindly send a large cheque, as said nephew/godchild (forgotten which one) hadn’t actually bothered to cash any of them for some years, and they were now out of date! .i must admit I was sorely tempted to ignore the request I did though send another large (and the last!) cheque, admittedly rather grudgingly. Obviously (!) the youth hadn’t bothered to thank me at any point…
1 Like
I wondered when we’d get onto this. 
One of our bugbears is sending presents or cash and never receiving any sort of acknowledgement. OH has a niece who either said nothing or, when forced by her mother, wrote a two-line email that said absolutely nothing.
He stopped sending anything after a couple of birthdays and Christmases when she did nothing. So far her mother hasn’t mentioned it…
1 Like
Same in our family. The younglings (not so young, some of them are in their 30s) are rubbish at doing thanks for gifts, even quite large ones, like when my mother distributed a not negligible sum from her equity release to each of her grandchildren…
As for cheques, last time I wrote one was probably at least five years ago, I can’t remember the exact occasion.
I do still have a couple of unused chequebooks from my former account with Royal Bank of Canada in Turks & Caicos. I have no idea why, as I closed that account 15 years ago! Must have thought they would be a souvenir of my time there. 
Your assumption is correct as far as we’re concerned. Despite 20 odd years here we have yet to finish our UK cheque book. It sits in a drawer with it’s remaining 5 or 6 cheques.
And cash gifts to family members are transferred directly into their accounts; even the 10 yr old has one.
But I might send some cards soon as have some of the new scratch and sniff croissant stamps for international use.
2 Likes
I’d like to get some of those. Were they hard to get hold of, Jane? I read that it’s a limited release.
Ah , would you believe - a bit like buses - 2 have arrived at once.
Incidentally we do also use bank transfers for some whose bank is a distance away , and the don’t have transport.
Also for one who lives in Canada , but maintains a UK bank account to use on her Blighty visits.
Thank you all for your comments.
2 Likes
Wow! that started a ball rolling.
I was referring to the transfer of money to avoid using cheques by post. My kids get a surprise when they check their account.
And, they always acknowledge receipt with love and kisses 
2 Likes
I ordered them from la Poste site and they arrived in the post with no delivery cost.
1 Like
Sweet, I wish I had someone that old in my life that still used cheques
There can be significant benefits to using cheques in France. Not for everyday transactions nor trivial amounts. But, where appropriate, either issuing or receiving a cheque is sensible.
I agree we use our French chequebook, but the poster (presumably a French resident) is talking about a UK chequebook. We have been in France twelve years (still have five UK bank accounts) and haven’t written a single UK cheque in all that time!
Yes, France has a unique relationship with cheques. Back in the day when virtually nobody here had credit cards (and they were the old swipe machines with multipart receipt slips anyway) everyone in the queue at Carrefour checkouts paid by cheque. A slower pace of life.
Nothing wrong with that!
3 Likes
True, we’re a bit like frogs being slowly boiled. The amount of shit we have to wade through for just a normal life is incredible.
This is one of the reasons I think all the AI twaddle will not reduce work, it will create work. Forty years ago you went along to, say, an insurance company to insure your car. The person in the agency wrote down your details, took your cheque 
and gave you an insurance certificate… job done.
Now, you go online and enter all your details, all the car’s details and your driving history. Then you are forced to open an account for a quotation. This involves setting up a userid and password and confirming your email address and phone number for two factor authentification. Then you get a quote and you don’t like it, so you have to do the same with a whole bunch of other Insurance companies or comparison sites. Eventually you choose one and pay on their website. You then get the pleasure of administrating your own account.
Computing hasn’t reduced work, it has increased it, AND transferred it onto the consumer. Anybody who doesn’t think AI (with exception of sensible applications, such as radiology) won’t do the same is deluded. We’re going to spend half out lives talking to chatbots and still end up doing all the work ourselves.
9 Likes
I’m starting to get worried. This is the second of your recent posts that I’ve really agreed with. Normally I disagree with you intensely… wonder if I’m losing the plot 
However, having worked, as you have I think, in the IT industry for most of my working life, I am very much aware of what “digitisation” has done to our daily lives. I found it such a relief when I got to France that face-to-face contact was the norm in most areas and I still try to do as much admin as possible in that way. Increasingly difficult but still…
5 Likes
No Angela, you’re acquiring the plot I’m very sound basically, but an aquired taste 
1 Like
The andouillette of Survive France? 
2 Likes
I have to say I am very surprised to hear that they have agreed to provide a cheque book. My bank (RBS) charge me for presenting a cheque and for accepting a cheque. All to do with the cheque processing and how labour intensive I am told.
Reading other posts here I agree that transferring money direct is faster and more secure. If I want it to be something specific I buy a gift card from a supplier like amazon.
1 Like
I agree about the gift cards - friends moving back to the UK, I knew they liked gardening so had a garden centre gift voucher sent to them. I chose one with a long surrender time - just as well as it took them about 15 months to find their new home.
Have them sent by certified mail nextbtime.