Cheques: does anybody still use them?

[Flosshilde]

Quote Originally Posted by Resurrection Man
Speaking for myself, I don't really have the confidence or knowledge to enter into any 'serious' discussion on classical music. I do not play any musical instrument, vaguely read a score, have no theoretical appreciation of the differences between a crotchet and a quaver! I suspect that there are others in a similar position which might explain why we don't post. That's not to say that we don't read, enjoy and inwardly digest. Have to confess that I may have missed the Gurrelieder thread....so something to look forward to!

You have a good point RM. I ask a lot of questions, weigh in with an opinion where I can , or perhaps the odd recommendation here and there.
But if it's a weighty musical issue, there will be those with better formed opinions,or with far greater experience and i am happy to learn from others.
The evening concerts are a good example of this, where i frequently read what others have to say, but as I don't have much to add, I tend to refrain from comment.

I'd agree with both these comments, although unlike teamsaint I don't ask a lot of questions - partly because I'm not sure what question I should be asking, & because I don't have the technical knowledge I feel is needed to express what I want to find out, & I suspect I might not understand the answer when it came

[amateur51]

You have a good point RM. I ask a lot of questions, weigh in with an opinion where I can , or perhaps the odd recommendation here and there.
But if it's a weighty musical issue, there will be those with better formed opinions,or with far greater experience and i am happy to learn from others.
The evening concerts are a good example of this, where i frequently read what others have to say, but as I don't have much to add, I tend to refrain from comment.

[JFLL]

Only yours, sir - and that only for the purpose of saying that, having endeavoured to provide reasons for my views as clearly as possible, all that I wish to add at this point is that Bliss's ballet score Cheque, Mate is all very well but I prefer the music of BACS.

Well put, ah, I have to admit!

[ahinton]

Speaking for myself, I don't really have the confidence or knowledge to enter into any 'serious' discussion on classical music. I do not play any musical instrument, vaguely read a score, have no theoretical appreciation of the differences between a crotchet and a quaver! I suspect that there are others in a similar position which might explain why we don't post. That's not to say that we don't read, enjoy and inwardly digest. Have to confess that I may have missed the Gurrelieder thread....so something to look forward to!

Indeed - but I think it not inappropriate to mention that "serious" discussion of "classical" music can indeed be entered into by people who are not necessarily equipped with technical expertise and who do not necessarily play an instrument, sing or compose, because part of the point of at least some such discussion is to air and exchange thoughts about the nature of listener reactions to it. As a composer, I never think about writing only for people who can sing and/or play and/or compose or even for people who necessarily can read music proficiently - so please do not feel it incumbent upon you to hold back just because you might not necessarily recognise in detail certain technical aspects of musical composition or performance!

That said, shouldn't all of this be directly transferred electronically to another thread for discussion of it as distinct from the various methods whereby funds can be moved around by those who may or may not wish to rob Paul to pay Peter?

[eighthobstruction]

Aimed at no one in particular or peculiar ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rATftJiWdkw

[ahinton]

Well put, ah, I have to admit!

Well, you don't actually have to, but thank you for doing so anyway! One tries one's best (though one is not always successful).

Anyway, as the bard has it in The Merchant of Venice - "How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank / Here we will sit, and let the sounds of music / Here we will sit, and let the sounds of music / Creep in our ears" - and mindful of its having been immortalised in one of Vaughan Williams's most engaging and lovely works (in my opinion), perhaps the cheques issued to and by said merchant and the references to "this bank" can indeed sit comfortably alongside musical matters after all, so maybe a new thread is not needed for continuation of the discussion as I had earlier suggested...

Incidentally, in the first half of the concert in which Henry Wood conducted the première of Serenade to Music, Rachmaninov appeared as soloist in Second Piano Concerto and it is said that, when he heard VW's piece from his place in the audience, he was so overcome by the beauty of the music that he wept.

[Serial_Apologist]

On the subject of Paypal, I was recently invited to a special event, the entry payment for which had to be done online via Paypal. The final section to be entered includes a box for payment by this method which asks for one's mobile phone number. Not owning a mobile phone I decided to by-pass this, whereupon the system flashed up that I had omitted to enter something in that box. I therefore entered my land line telephone number, which was accepted.

I thought people might like to know.

[Bryn]

On the subject of Paypal, I was recently invited to a special event, the entry payment for which had to be done online via Paypal. The final section to be entered includes a box for payment by this method which asks for one's mobile phone number. Not owning a mobile phone I decided to by-pass this, whereupon the system flashed up that I had omitted to enter something in that box. I therefore entered my land line telephone number, which was accepted.

I thought people might like to know.

Ah, a "land line[sic] telephone". I used to have one of those, a decade or so ago.

[Dave2002]

On the subject of Paypal, I was recently invited to a special event, the entry payment for which had to be done online via Paypal. The final section to be entered includes a box for payment by this method which asks for one's mobile phone number. Not owning a mobile phone I decided to by-pass this, whereupon the system flashed up that I had omitted to enter something in that box. I therefore entered my land line telephone number, which was accepted.

I thought people might like to know.

I really dislike "things" where there's only one way of doing payment. One which I find very sad is a local railway car park, where often the car park ticket machines are out of order. Some years ago the machines started displaying notices about paying by phone, but the downside was that it actually cost more - the same for the car park ticket, plus an additional charge for the phone use. I belive that has now been "rectified" so it costs the same. What I found disturbing was the assumption/presumption that everyone would have a mobile phone, and nowadays the assumption seems to be that everyone will have a smartphone - and remember to take a photo of the telephone number to ring in the case of the car park machines. It doesn't always work well either, though fortunately I think the systems are lax enough that it doesn't always matter. On one occasion mrs d encountered this, got on a train, and then managed to pay the fee. The mistake though was that since she'd taken my car rather than hers, her phone was set up to pay for the wrong car. We did get away with it on that occasion.

I do also get somewhat bothered by events such as the one mentioned by S_A, as many organisations use the information such as telephone numbers or email addresses to sell on, or otherwise misuse, or simply try to work to create a group of collaborating/cooperating organisations - not quite a walled garden, but almost.

Recent irritations have been with web sites which don't display the phone numbers (presumably deliberately) of the organisation's service desks.
One which I find periodically annoying is British Gas. When one has found - by some devious means or other - a number to ring, one is often then put on hold, and then after a while one gets a "Did you know that you can do your payments (or whatever) on line by going to our web page at ...." message. Even worse - and this may be British Gas again - are the ones which ask you to say what service you want. I hope that some systems analysts listen to the responses, though they may not be polite. After the third time round one is tempted to say "You stupid machine ... idiot moron" and by the fourth time one has perhaps added in some really juicy and very rude expletives. Last time I got into this loop, I managed to attract attention by saying "I want to talk to a human being" - but I expect that option will be taken out eventually.

Returning to cheques - the nominal subject of this thread, though it seemed to have taken a significant musical diversion for a few pages - I note that this thread was started in 2013. I wrote a cheque a few weeks ago, and it was cashed a week or so back. I still do this occasionally, and keep a record of the amounts.

[oddoneout]

I do also get somewhat bothered by events such as the one mentioned by S_A, as many organisations use the information such as telephone numbers or email addresses to sell on, or otherwise misuse, or simply try to work to create a group of collaborating/cooperating organisations - not quite a walled garden, but almost.

Shouldn't happen now post GDPR. Any use of your data has to be stated and details given of how to opt out, if there isn't a tick box option.

And yes I still use cheques occasionally, partly because I avoid things like Paypal unless there is absolutely no alternative - and even then I am likely simply to ditch the transaction and do without. My need for distance buying is miniscule and so I have largely managed to avoid problems.

[Serial_Apologist]

It seems that everyone, sans exception, accepts that online this and online that is set to become the norm, by which all must abide, or be thrown into outer nothingness. What I want to scream out loud is, once - having been superweaned on mobile phones to the point seen everywhere and in every country - we're all corralled, what happens when the bedroom boffins finally come up with some virus or way of hacking in that renders the Internet and all that goes under its benevolence inoperative. And before anyone says, "Oh, that'll never happen - the good boys and girls" (presumably distinguishable from the bad ones by being made to wear white stetsons and carry an automatic alerting device to call in the cavalry) "will always be one step ahead", I tell you, you won't convince me. Some terrible fate is on the horizon as punshment for the compliance we were inculcated with during our potty training, and we'll all have forgotten how to sign our names - or even what our names are, having changed them every few months for reasons of "security". Dystopia beckons.

[DracoM]

Answer is: yes I DO use them. And my bank has muttered about NOT repeating a cheque book except on request. Ludicrous. Typical metro-centred response from a bank.

First they shut ALL the banks in this town within weeks of each other, and then tell us we can't use cheques. Bloomin', self-serving cheek.

[ahinton]

Haven't used them in years and very rarely receive them (which is just as well, really as I'd only have to stick them in another envelope and mail them to my bank).

[Pulcinella]

Banks seem to have a death wish, rather like the Post Office.
Recently, I could not exchange £1 in 1p coins and £1 in 2p coins without being a customer of the bank and presenting my account card!
Ludicrous.
For auditing purposes, apparently!
Did they think I was trying my hand at money laundering?

And today, the same branch refused to accept counted bags of cash raised at a charity event at the weekend (Open Gardens: money going to York Food Bank) to be deposited into my partner's account because (a) there were more than 10 bags and (b) some bags weren't 'full'.
He had words with the manager (what's one of them, I hear you ask!) and was eventually allowed to make the deposit.

[VodkaDilc]

I use fewer cheques than I used to, but still get through a chequebook every three or four months. Looking at my current one, I see my monthly paper bill, payment for a carpet, several charity donations, membership of the London Library, gym membership, payment to my personal trainer and so on. My bank, HSBC, has never hinted that cheques are frowned upon by them and I have no intention of using them less.

My car insurers recently sent me details of my renewal, with the promise of a £20 discount if I renewed online. Since I never use computers, (I told them and I hope no-one will contradict me) they gave me that discount over the phone.

As for Paypal, I once used it when I subscribed to the American magazine Fanfare. The cost has since become silly, so I have to make do with the occasional Gramophone purchase. Paypal have repeatedly threatened to close my account and I have now received notice that they have done so. I do not feel that I have lost anything.

We should not give in to pressures to give up traditional methods of payment. If banks want our custom, it is the customer who should make the rules.