Good morning All !
I'm running a stand at a local craft fair this weekend and wondered if it's safe to accept payment by cheque or whether I should just accept cash
( I should add that I'm not expecting to sell anything !!!!! )
Thanks
Bev
Well, thanks for your input everyone.
In the end, there was no need to worry as I sold 1 painting to a friend ( who paid by cheque ! ) but the rest were card sales, of which there were many, so although it wasn't really the place to sell paintings, I spent a very pleasant weekend, learnt a lot and met a few very nice , helpful people, so went home tired but content !
Bev
Just realised , how, many, commas, I , used, then,,,,,,
Hello Lesley I have not written a cheque in France for a good many years as I returned to the UK about ten years ago. But when I lived in FRance it was standard practice with SG to write my address on the back of the cheque and give the cashier my ID who wrote down my ID numbers. It was a lot time ago now. I will have to see how things have changed when I buy a new home out there.
Dewi, I don't know who you bank with but my address is printed on my cheques.
Thankyou all for your input
As an update, today was the first day of the 2 day weekend fair and I managed to sell a few cards, which covered my stall fee
As they were between one euro and five I needn't have worried about cheques !!!!
As Scarlett said "after all, tomorrow is another day "
We'll see !
Bev
In France they are "wooden" cheques Wendy :-) No bouncing.
I've taken a cheque guarantee for a rental once and the guy declared it lost and there was nothing I could do about it.
If someone writes a rubber cheque, they have a letter from the bank where they are 10 days to put it right and then the bank stops the account until it's put right using timbre fiscale yadda yadda. I guess the police are only called if it's a real fraud, not the odd bounced cheque.
When your fees are less then the fee for the lawyer: DO NOT ACCEPT ANY CHEQUE!
A while ago I accepted a cheque of 900€ and to cash it was impossible. Some other methods needed to be enforced in order not to go on this thin ice French courts and solicitors are providing by dragging the simplest issue for years behind closed doors and make it their business.
Thanks all !
May not have need to even go there !
Thanks John
If anyone does offer me one !
Thanks Thea - I think as it's a local event with local people ( League of Gentlemen springs to mind ) I may take them
Bev
Ask them to write their address on the back of the cheque, and proof of ID like a diving license should be OK. When I lived out there the Banque de France took a very dim view of rubber cheques.
Cheque's aren't guaranteed Bev but writing a "wooden" cheque is a police matter.
It is said that nothing guarantees a French cheque therefore for our B&B we mainly ask for a transfer prior to arrival or a cheque cashed before but my husband has an antiques shop and he frankly doesn’t refuse a cheque to make a sale. If in doubt you can ask the punter to go to a cash machine and come back and pay by cash…
Thanks !
Bon week-end et bonne chance ;-)
Thanks Andrew
My husband is not sure either
I think I'll just do cash, but as it's paintings, that's difficult
We'll see - not expecting to make my fortune anyway !
Bon weekend
Bev
Thanks Claire
My husband is not sure at all about cheques.
I'll just wait and see - it's unlikely I'll sell anything anyway !
Have a great weekend
Bev
cheques are a big problem in France (regardless of the law), we don't accept them apart from trusted customers and most other tabac are the same. I've had them bounced for all sorts of reasons, I've got one sitting here on my desk at the moment that's been presented twice and still needs to be paid...!
Normally it's not a problem to take a cheque. It's technically illegal to bounce a cheque in France not that stops all the problems.
You can always ask for proof of identity. Check the photo matches the person in front of you note the number on the back of the cheque with expiry date of ID. Don't take a cheque for a million!!!!