If Cash Goes Then . . . .

[Canary42]

. . . . this sort of thing must STOP.

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/royal-mail-scrutiny-mounts-dozens-100000869.html?.tsrc=fp_deeplink

Royal Mail refused to say how many postal worker convictions had occurred since privatisation.  Highly suspicious benaviour.  Not that the pre-privatisation stats are all that reassuring (see article).

 

[barry1010]

Birthday cards used to go missing for the cash or postal orders that might be inside.  Of course the rewards weren't as great as a credit card but there was no hope of refunds for the victims, the cash was gone forever.

[Canary42]

Such a shame because most of the postmen and postwomen are completely honest, but the few rogues create an awful distrustful climate.

As regards cash/postal orders, my understanding was that it was particularly bad at Christmas when they took on lots of temporary staff.

[Old_Geezer]

"The bank said there was no other way to send a card".

 

Errr... You use the same security vehicle you use for real cash to deliver the card to the local branch (that you haven't closed down in an effort to stop providing a necessary service) and simply inform the customer it's there ready for collection.

 

Who says cash is going. If the people put up with that then they are clearly lost. (But I won't be around long enough to be that monitored & controlled though.)

[naomi24]

I read the other day that use of cash is on the increase because it's too easy to spend on cards and people find it easier to budget with cash.  If you only use cash and there's none in your pocket you can't spend it.

[jno]

yes, jno jnr (in his 40s) has never had a credit card, he  just spends what he can afford. He had parsimonious parents, of course, but we'd had credit cards since about 1980, found them convenient (except in M&S, who didn't accept them until 2000)  and never went overdrawn

[barry1010]

I make a fair bit of money by using my credit card for as much as possible and have the advantage of s.75 protection on goods and services costing between £100 and £30000.

I have never paid a penny in fees or interest and was able to claim back a big chunk of money when a company went bust.  If I had paid by cash I would have been very lucky to get a few quid back. 

[New Judge]

I'm struggling to see the connection between the demise of cash and thieves stealing bank cards from the postal system. Surely the thieving needs to stop regardless of whether cash "goes" or not.

[nicebloke1]

I find the debit card system so much  better than cash, So easy to pay with contacless and check your ingoings and outgoings whenever you want oneline 24/7. Never had the need for a credit card and can't ever see me needing one in the near future. But I do believe, I'm told, they are useful if you go abroard, the latter I wont be doing.

[hellywelly4]

Many years ago - perhaps 15, I was told by the man at the local post office never to send notes in cards as the thieves used a scanner to detect the metal strip in notes. I've never sent cash since. So it's not a recent thing.

[nicebloke1]

^^ abroad :0)

[barry1010]

Helly, cards with money inside were going missing when I were a lad, sometimes the card would arrive and it was obvious the envelope had been tampered with.

On one occasion the thief had stolen the coins that had been stuck down inside. I was a very disappointed birthday boy 

[jno]

NJ, the link may be: if you can't get a credit card because it's stolen in the mail, and you can't get cash because there isn't an ATM for miles, what do you do?

[Buenchico]

>>> " . . . and you can't get cash because there isn't an ATM for miles, what do you do?"

Almost all supermarkets (including the Co-op) offer a 'cash back' service when making purchases, as do Wetherspoon's pubs, etc. 

All Post Office branches have facilities for routine banking transactions with all major High Street banks, including cash withdrawals.

[Buenchico]

>>> "As regards cash/postal orders, my understanding was that it was particularly bad at Christmas when they took on lots of temporary staff"

Possibly, although my own experience of working in a royal Mail sorting office many years ago (in my student days) was that the temporary staff were the ones who wanted to get the work done quickly and efficiently, whereas the regular staff kept telling us to slow down because they didn't want managers to realise just how bone idle they all were.  So it might well have been that the regular staff were also more likely to steal customers' money.

[Buenchico]

Dave Gorman tested out the postal system by sending first fivers, and then £20 notes, through the post in ways that were designed to tempt theft.  All of his envelopes were delivered with the contents intact.

Start at around the 16 minute point here:

[Canary42]

Yes, of course it should stop regardless of whether cash dies or not. I was just using the perceived threat of a cashless society to emphasise the point regarding the state of the alternative.

I beginning to love the way my posts are sometimes minutely analysed for potential criticism. You're all a lovable bunch really and I couldn't do without you xxx.

[New Judge]

"I beginning to love the way my posts are sometimes minutely analysed for potential criticism."

It's not really minute analysis, is it?

You said if cash goes then thieving must stop. It suggested one was dependent on the other. That's why I said that surely, thieving must stop anyway.

Glad you enjoyed it, though!  😀

[david small]

I once sent a birthday card with money inside of it. The posted card never arrived. I emphasise once, only ever once.

[Canary42]

Three times I've sent a card with money in it. All arrived.

[Countrylover]

/yes, jno jnr (in his 40s) has never had a credit card, he  just spends what he can afford. He had parsimonious parents, of course, but we'd had credit cards since about 1980, found them convenient (except in M&S, who didn't accept them until 2000)  and never went overdrawn./

 

I could have copied and pasted that any answer jno, just by changing jno jnr to Mr L Jnr.  Even sons' age applies.