Ulster Bank won't let me lodge sterling in another branch?

I went to a local Ulster Bank and wanted to lodge a sterling cheque to my Ulster Bank account which is located elsewhere. The cashier refused to process my sterling cheque to my account telling me that I had to go to my own branch to do this? Has anyone heard of this?

Yes.

Anti-fraud measure.

Fraudster (not you) - lodges as you propose - receiving branch has no idea that the item against the lodgment was a Sterling Cheque - fraudster withdraws funds in total within a few days - cheque bounces but could take a few weeks to be returned - bank left with bad debt.

Same thing happens with AIB

However they (UB) should take the cheque off of you and send it to your own branch to be processed. This is what AIB do

It just takes longer

pjmn said:

Yes.

Anti-fraud measure.

Fraudster (not you) - lodges as you propose - receiving branch has no idea that the item against the lodgment was a Sterling Cheque - fraudster withdraws funds in total within a few days - cheque bounces but could take a few weeks to be returned - bank left with bad debt.

Click to expand...

Just two points. They know me in both branches and can they not put a code beside the lodgment to show that it is a sterling cheque?

currency.ie offer this but the banks should too. Call your bank and try and sort it. Otherwise try them and confirm what rate they offer. Cheques take a number of days to clear and i think you need to sign the back but otherwise should be ok

mooney76 said:

currency.ie offer this but the banks should too. Call your bank and try and sort it. Otherwise try them and confirm what rate they offer. Cheques take a number of days to clear and i think you need to sign the back but otherwise should be ok

Click to expand...

I'm not asking about rates of exchange?

I have two accounts in different branches of the same bank (AIB). Whenever I bring a foreign currency cheque, or a euro cheque drawn on an account outside ROI, to one branch in order to lodge it to my account held in the other branch they accept it but inform me that they can’t process it there & are sending it on to the holding branch.

I can’t understand why UB couldn’t have facilitated you by doing this. I suppose the only solution for you if this was to become a regular problem would be to transfer your account to your local branch.

The cashier was wrong,they should have taken the cheque from you, advised that they cant lodge it to your account but that they would send it internally to your account holding branch. Where it would be lodged to your account,and if it was a very large amout they may have to send it of on a collection basis to get the cheque cleared.

Unfortunately, as a customer of Ulster Bank myself, I think 'Customer Service' is an oxymoron here. Should just take the jump, take my money (well, theirs really - it's my mortgage and credit card!) and run somewhere else, but it's so much hassle! Have many incidents of bad service from them, reported to them, and nothing followed up on. Bah Humbug!