Stopping a cheque

Banking & Financial
1

Hi

I have asked my bank to stop a cheque and they have refused citing ‘litige commercial’.

I’ll try to keep the sorry tale short.

We had a blocked toilet. My partner who was ill with an infected tooth and a swollen face rang the first company via the Internet. She unwisely didn’t ask how much it would be. 2 turned up (1 huge bloke who was clearly there to intimidate people) and said it would be 390 euros, then added something so it was then 510. My partner, in her weakness agreed. They then used some pathetic handheld suction thing which I examined. They then quoted us 900 euros to use a hose or jet thing from their van. At this point, I overrode my partner and said no. My partner said we had to pay the 500 euros and she wrote a cheque. She saw the look in my eyes thinking I was going to attack them (I was going to throw them out, true). They gave us a photocopied pdf invoice and invoice number with no ticks for paying TVA. After they left. and me fuming. They rang back and said they would clear the blockage for the 500 as agreed. We refused. 2 days later they rang and asked when they could cash the cheque! My partner, thinking that the cheque would be opposed, said ‘at the end of the month’ to get rid of them (feel that was unwise).

I have replied to the bank and told them it is a case of «Faire opposition à un chèque suite à une arnaque».

I feel like we should also report this to the police.

Any advice would be great.

2

Go to the police, if you stop the cheque without doing that I think you are putting yourself in the wrong, the person who wrote the cheque is an adult of sound mind so it is difficult just to discount it completely.

3

Hi Veronique

Apart from the fact that my partner ‘wasn’t of sound mind’ due to being full of opiates for the pain, I found this very useful state entity:

https://consignations.caissedesdepots.fr/particulier/la-justice-et-vous/en-cas-de-refus-de-paiement-consignez-votre-dette

We are going to use this, stop the payment and then make a complaint to the police.

4

Yes the payment goes to a special account, so that shows you are in good faith, but go to the police or you won’t have a leg to stand on. And opiates or not your partner is deemed to be an adult of sound mind :blush:

5

We’ve been advised to go straight to the police and not use the entity now.

We’ll be doing it on Monday.

Thanks for your help.

6

With any luck these people and their tactics are known to the police and every bit of evidence will count in order to bang them up or put them off for good. Let us know how it goes :blush: