# Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Advice?



## dmb (13 Jan 2010)

Hi,

    I was made aware by my mother that I had a saving certificate with An Post back some years ago. I received a letter around 3 years ago that asked me if I wished to withdraw my investment or if not it would go back into the system for another 3 or 5 years I cant really remember which exact period of time it would be for. I decided recently to enquire into the status of the Investment as I have mislayed the letter with the Ref Numbers ect I received some years back. To my shock and horror I was informed by the An Post Savings & Investment Dept in the GPO that my Investment was cashed back in 2008 !... However, I did not cash the investment in 2008 at all. I am totally shocked at the information I received from An Post and cannot understand how this could possibly happen without my signature or ID being supplied to An Post. I have a neighbour with the same name and surname as me and we are constantly getting each others mail in mistakes and mix ups by the Postman. I have a suspicion that perhaps a mistake or mix up by the postman may have cost me my Saving Investment but its only a suspicion and do not know this for sure. Basically, Im looking for any advice on where i go from here. It was not a large amount of money, only €1250 or so, but it was my money, and as I did not cash it, and in my opinion it should not have been cashed and released to anyone else apart from me by An Post. I feel there should be some option open to me by An Post as it is their mistake that they give my money to somone else. Has anyone else had an experience like this or any advice on my situation?
Thanks
Shaun


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## pudds (13 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*

Did your mother not give you the certificate for this bond or tell you where it was? Did she never receive it?

If.....  and its a big if,your neighbour got the certificate, surely the difference in address would have been noticed by someone when it was being cashed in?


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## dmb (13 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*

Hi Pudds,
   No my mother didnt give me the certificate or even seem to know anything about a certificate, I imagine it was lost over the years. Im not even sure myself what has to be done to get the investment withdrawn or anything.
I do admit its unlikely my neighbour got the certificate. I do remember a letter coming to me asking if i wished to withdraw or have the amount reinvested but i chose not to withdraw at that time and didnt sign or return the letter. Thats basically the only dealings I had with this investment which was around 2007, and also when An Post say I cashed in the Investment. 
As for the address, I live in a rural area, the only difference between my address and my neighbours is that mine has a house number and his does not, apart from that the addresses are exactly the same. Iv been told at the post office today however that if he ( My Neighbour ) had the details from the Investment in a letter from An Post ( perhaps delivered to him by mistake ) he wouldnt have required ID so his address would not have had to be supplied to anyone and so could have gone unnoticed.
I would have thought the house number would have caught someones eye but it has failed to a number of times leading to this neighbour receiving my Bank statments, various letters and bills and he even received my VAT3 return form which I only became aware of when I found out my VAT number had been used in Northern Ireland in a quarry to purchase building blocks and sand !!.. but I admit, I cant be sure he had anything to do with it but I would be suspisious of him as he would think nothing of doing such a thing. I also receive his mail but return it to him doesnt always happen when he recieves mine though !.. Just wondering what happens now with an post, is it tough luck to me or do I have any other option to retrieve the investment through An Post or anything?..


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## pudds (13 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*

As you don't have either the bond cert or the letter AnPost sent to you...then you really don't have a leg to stand on (unfortunately) imho.


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## Bronte (14 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*

When cashing in this investment did something not have to be signed?  Do An post just hand out the money in cash?  

Change your name by adding a middle initial for example to avoid the post mishaps.


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## jack2009 (14 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*

It has been a few years since I had any savings certificates but I am almost certain that when I wanted to cash them in that I had to fill out a form post it back to the post office and wait for a cheque to arrive.

I think that the form that I was required to complete was sent out to me with a similiar letter that you described saying my term is up so either complete attached form or reinvest etc.

Perhaps you should talk to the post office and find out what would have happened to your certs if someone tried to cash it in but at a different address to where the certificates were issued.  Also, confirm that the payment was paid by a cheque and get a copy of the cheque back and find out what account it was lodged to.


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## Bronco Lane (14 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*

Ask to see a copy of the closing withdrawal form plus copy of cheque (both sides) and see where it was cashed/negotiated.


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## Towger (14 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*

Get onto the GPO and get them to trace:
A: Where it the Cert was sent to, may well be your address.
B: Where the Warrant (fancy cheque) was lodged.

If they are not forthcomming with this info used the Data Protection Acts to request it.


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## Lightning (14 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*

It is your money, you are entitled to the money. There is a good chance that An Post screwed up here. It is not the first report I have heard of An Post giving savings to people other than the owner of the account. 

There is some good advice above. Above all else, kick up a fuss. As to speak to managers, ask about their appeal process etc. 

You should get your money back if you put enough pressure on An Post.


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## Ann1 (14 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*

Could it have been transferred to the Government Dormant Account Fund. Their customer care no. is 1850 30 50 60.


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## Sue Ellen (14 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*

Hi Shaun,

Would your Mother by any chance have invested the children's allowance directly into a savings certificate for you through the  scheme?  If so, initially a statement is just issued each year, stating the certificate number that the funds are being transferred to.  After 5 years when the initial amount matures the encashment/reinvestment documentation is issued.  If one reinvests this the first certificate is issued on the investment.  It seems a mad way of doing things but there you have it.

If it was a direct purchase of a certificate or the Childcare Plus Scheme someone (either yourself or your Mother) would have had to provide a signature to purchase the certificate and this is normally matched on release of the funds.  As far as I can recall, if the child that the certificate was purchased for has come of age then An Post request both signatures.

An Post will have to prove that the encashment document contains your signature if they are to back up their confirmation.

If you run into problems either of these people might be able to give you advice [broken link removed] or [broken link removed].


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## McDreamy (14 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*

Its unlikely that An Post will encash an investment without the relevant certificate/bond being forwarded and an application form being signed. 

Contrary to what Fungus may think, there is not "a good chance that An Post screwed up here", its more likely that somebody has committed a fraud. 

What I recommend is that you get as much details as you can about the investment. How much was invested, when & where it was bought, how it was paid for (cheque/cash). Check if your mother retained the receipt of purchase.

With this detail contact An Post in writing to do a search for any investments that you may hold. If they respond saying your investments have been encashed, ask for details of when and a copy of the repayment form. This will show you the signature used to encash it. You can then use these details to contact An Garda Siochana to pursue the alleged fraudster.

Again I'm not so sure that Fungus' advice to "Above all else, kick up a fuss. As to speak to managers, ask about their appeal process etc. You should get your money back if you put enough pressure on An *Post*" is the best advice but maybe that's Fungus' style?

Best of luck with it and I hope you get sorted.


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## Bronte (15 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*



fungus said:


> There is a good chance that An Post screwed up here. It is not the first report I have heard of An Post giving savings to people other than the owner of the account.
> 
> .


 
I think you should justify that?


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## Towger (15 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*



Sue Ellen said:


> If it was a direct purchase of a certificate or the Childcare Plus Scheme someone (either yourself or your Mother) would have had to provide a signature to purchase the certificate and this is normally matched on release of the funds.


 
There are no checks of signatures, once you have the original Certificate they are happy.
When the returns dropped I cashed in a number of them after their current terms matured. They were taken out in by my parents and grandparents in my name and without my signature over a period of about 20 years. They will also send the warrants (they are not cheques, I had a discussion with the man whose signature is stamped on them after a got one with "Cancel This" written across the page the warrant was attached to!) with a lowish value (1k?) to a different address than the Certificate's address without any ID check, if is a high value they just want proof of address change via a Bills/Bank statements etc in your name, so a person with the same name would have no problems cashing in a Certificate once they have it in their possession.


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## Papercut (15 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*

From http://www.anpost.ie/NR/rdonlyres/F...06CB53/0/SavingCertificates17thissuerules.pdf


''*9. **Evidence of Identity*

_(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) of this Rule shall prejudice the right of An Post to require evidence to be given to its satisfaction of the identity of any person or of the title of any person to any Savings Certificates or money or of any matter relating to Savings Certificates on which the due exercise of its powers__ or performance of its duties depends and An Post *may, for the purpose of obtaining any such evidence, require a statutory declaration to be made by any person.*_

*10. **Repayment*

_(3) An Post may pay the whole or any part of the amount repayable in respect of any Savings Certificates without the production of the Savings Certificates *where it is satisfied that the applicant is entitled to receive such sum.*_

_(4) An Post may pay the whole or any part of the amount repayable in respect of Savings Certificates *to a third party provided it is instructed in writing to do so by the holder.*_


*17. **Non-Disclosure*

_(2) *An Post may disclose to any person* or to such person’s lawful representative *seeking in good faith to recover any money lawfully due to him from a party to whom that money was paid, the name and address of such party and may, *subject to any applicable laws, *render* to the first-mentioned person or to such person’s lawful representative *such further information or assistance as may, in the opinion of An Post, be necessary to effect due recovery by the person to whom such money is lawfully due.*_*''

*I assume that An Post would be of the opinion that they should provide any assistance to the OP to help them recover their money, or at least to provide details of what steps they took before paying the money out.


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## Sue Ellen (15 Jan 2010)

*Re: Somone has Cashed my An Post Savings Certificate, What options do I have? Any Adv*



Towger said:


> There are no checks of signatures, once you have the original Certificate they are happy.



We (joint signatures of husband and wife) bought one for our son when he was a minor.  When it matured after his 18th birthday they would not accept it without his signature (the 3rd one on the form) and returned it to us for same.  We had also provided the certificate.


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## maude6868 (8 Aug 2011)

I sent off an old Savings Cert the other day to be cashed in. It was for 1k and bought in 1986. I never got confirmation that it was received so I contacted An Post to be told that it was encashed in 1994 without production of the cert. I am totally gobsmacked as I always had this cert in my possession so why would I ask for it to be cashed in without submitting the cert. I have just e-mailed them asking for written evidence of my instruction to cash in the cert with my signature, the date the cheque was sent, to whom etc so I can't waist to see what I'm going to get. I am in shock at the moment and trembling with fury.


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