Publish Business office backs down in row more than inked banknotes
A reader asks our buyer professional for support in obtaining Post Business office to shell out up for a few ink-stained euro banknotes 
Image: Rii Schroer
The Put up Office has unsuccessful to give me worth for 3 euro banknotes despite my performing in very good faith as an agent for them in the purchase of overseas forex in my ability as sub-postmaster.
These notes were deemed by the Submit Business office to be ink-stained and believed by them to have been perhaps acquired by theft from a safety firm. The quantity totals £101.
This circumstance dates back almost two years and because then, despite the Publish Business office stating that it has an audit path, I am advised that no selection has but been manufactured by the appropriate central financial institution.
Can you get the funds refunded make sure you?
PM, Kent
You exchanged ink-stained euro notes on two independent occasions. The initial occasion concerned 1 note a lot more than two many years back. The other, a year later, involved two notes.
The Publish Office explained its plan on acceptance of ink-stained notes was regular with tips from the European Central Bank’s current law on safety from counterfeiting.
It explained that it completely informed its sub-postmasters of these legal guidelines and had issued a information from the Financial Analysis Institute to all related branches. The manual, it explained, arrived together with clear direction on accepting suspected counterfeit forex, which includes certain reference to ink-stained notes. Tips on this situation and the require for added vigilance is also presented on its “point of sale” technique.
For security motives it cannot disclose the details of its funds handling approach, but all ink-stained euro notes are returned to the European Central Lender, which will then make the decision on no matter whether the notes are valid. The Post Office insists that it is self-assured that it has adopted its inner procedures correctly by securely returning the 3 ink-stained notes to the proper central financial institution.
You position out that the notes illustrated in the guidebook are badly ink-stained whilst yours ended up only extremely frivolously stained. The Post Workplace mentioned the most basic advice was not to accept ink-stained notes at all.
Two weeks after my get in touch with with it, the Put up Workplace agreed to refund you for the three notes.
Even so, we had been not very at the ending put up as the program for replacing this kind of notes to businesses is such that you ended up held in a queue for the 2nd notes. The Put up Business office explained there was no timescale for obtaining notes back from the Central Financial institution but when replacement was agreed you would get them. They are changed in chronological get and are sent in batches. The very first observe arrived rapidly but there was a wait for the other individuals.
The Submit Office sooner or later agreed to prioritise this.
Now, at final, you do have the £101. You report that the Submit Office has admitted it does not know regardless of whether the currency was stained as a consequence of security dye or in some other way. Given that you experienced deemed the income misplaced you have shared it out with your personnel.
The Submit Office said it had enhanced its system to expedite the processing of these kinds of refunds.
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