# Shop refused to take 100 euro note



## Violet Rose (14 Sep 2006)

I really am having a great start to the morning.... I went into a local shop this morning and was about to purchase 15 euro of goods.  The only money I had on me was 100 euro note.  My husband got paid cash last night of 2 of these notes.  
The shop assistant looked at the note and said they will not accept the note.  I asked why and she said as a policy they will not accept 100 notes.  I said its money and that I believe you cannot refuse the national currency.  
She asked had I any other change to pay same - doh..... 
I am in and out of the shop either mornings or evenings always leaving them 10-20 euro a go...

Can they honestly refuse my money!!!!


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## room305 (14 Sep 2006)

*Re: Shop Refused to Take my Money*



Violet Rose said:


> Can they honestly refuse my money!!!!



I think they have the right to refuse service to anyone as long as it isn't on discriminatory grounds (e.g. age, race, sex etc.).


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## mell61 (14 Sep 2006)

*Re: Shop Refused to Take my Money*

Having worked in a large store in the past, we would only put approx €100 'float' into each till, so if the assistant took your money she probably would have cleared out the till completely making change.   Normally shops have a set limit to the amount of money that can stay in the till at any point, so large denomination notes get dropped into a safety box, again if you have a run of people cashing €20 or €50 notes you can clear the till out very quickly.

We frequently had people coming in first thing in the morning to try and buy €1-2 item with €100 or €200 note so that they would have change for a days shopping.

I know it doesn't help you, but a lot of the policies in place are for the safety of staff, so that the tills don't become more of a target for thieves than they are already.


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## ClubMan (14 Sep 2006)

Violet Rose said:


> Can they honestly refuse my money!!!!


Yes as far as I know.


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## MugsGame (14 Sep 2006)

Surely they have to accept legal tender, provided you are willing to forego receiving change.


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## ClubMan (14 Sep 2006)

I'm sure that they would have accepted it if the customer had left the full €100 for a €15 purchase but that's hardly realistic?


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## MugsGame (14 Sep 2006)

But that's not what the shop said -- they said it's their policy not to accept €100 notes.


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## ubiquitous (14 Sep 2006)

MugsGame said:


> But that's not what the shop said -- they said it's their policy not to accept €100 notes.



Its quite likely that this is not the exact policy but was stated in context. Or on the other hand they may have been caught with €100 forgeries in the past, so now refuse to accept €100 notes in any circumstance. A few years ago many businesses on both sides of the border banned Sterling Northern Bank notes for a period following the IRA robbery of the same bank. Afaik they were well within their rights to do so.


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## roxy (14 Sep 2006)

Lots of shops won't accept them. Due to forgeries AFAIK. Most of the shops in Liffey Valley S.C won't accept anything over a €50 note, they told me it was because of a massive increase in very good forgeries that their machines couldn't detect.


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## Corky (14 Sep 2006)

A brother of mine (shopowner) also refuse's to handle e100 note's ,the forgerie's are excelent and a lot of smaller shop's hereabout's were caught with them .


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## Marion (14 Sep 2006)

> Can they honestly refuse my money





> Surely they have to accept legal tender



Legal tender is payment that by law must be accepted/cannot be refused for the payment of a debt.

There was no contract made with you when you made your offer to buy the goods and consequently no debt was incurred.

So they can indeed refuse your money where there is no contract made.

Marion


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## z107 (14 Sep 2006)

Top tip for forgers: Instead of forging €100 notes which may arouse suspicion, forge €50 notes that can be easily palmed off.

I wonder how banks detect these forgeries, and why shop owners can't adopt this technology?


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## daveirl (14 Sep 2006)

Marion said:


> Legal tender is payment that by law must be accepted/cannot be refused for the payment of a debt.


Well all they have to do then is say that they're just not selling it. I'm not too sure you're correct about that anyway. If she came in with 1500 1 cent pieces to pay for it they wouldn't have to accept it either AFAIK.

The Central Bank have to accept legal tender no matter what but AFAIK others can refuse it as much as they want.


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## ClubMan (14 Sep 2006)

umop3p!sdn said:


> I wonder how banks detect these forgeries, and why shop owners can't adopt this technology?


Additional technology may not be required in many cases:

[broken link removed]


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## Marion (14 Sep 2006)

> If she came in with 1500 1 cent pieces to pay for it they wouldn't have to accept it either AFAIK.



Yes, you are correct here. There is no obligation on anbody other than the Central Bank and others who may be specified by the Minister for Finance to accept more than 50 coins in any single transaction. So the max that need be accepted in euro coins is €100 in total at the moment. (50 x €2). 

Marion


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## daveirl (14 Sep 2006)

Ah ok, didn't realise it was a coin specific clause! You learn something every day.


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