Euro Cheque To Uk Bank?

[EDDIE51]

I have sold an item on eBay to someone in France but they have sent me a Cheque in Euros to pay for it.
How long does it take to clear a Euro cheque into a UK bank account?

[kvalidir]

anything up to 6 weeks in reality i think, but it will show as cleared much sooner, so be careful bc if it then bounces you will be left overdrawn and without your item, plus there is a charge. Ask them to pay via paypal or bank transfer, much safer.

[EDDIE51]

Looks like I am going to lose out on this, the buyer is a new eBay member without a Paypal account. As Paypal and eBay are separate companies now you can't insist on PayPal only.
I did say in the listing I will accept cheques but this is the first time anyone has actually used one to pay me. Checked on my bank web site and it says there is a £7 to £8 charge for a Euro Cheque. The payment is only E28 so I'm going to be out of pocket.

[johnk]

Ask the buyer if you can cancel the transaction.
In future specify cheques in pounds sterling only.

[EDDIE51]

Too Late she has already sent the cheque.

[ToraToraTora]

I do a lot of ebay and you should never accept cheques, especially foreign ones they take forever to clear. Get them to use paypal. Ebay own paypal and they are closely integrated, the buyer can set up a paypal account in a matter of minutes. The cheque could still bounce 6 weeks from when you present it. That's how a lot of scams work for example.

[ToraToraTora]

you can cancel the sale and tell them you'll tear up the cheque when it arrives. I never get involved with foreign buyers, complete nightmare.

[EDDIE51]

Update, put the cheque in my bank a week ago, got a letter from the bank this morning saying that it will take up to another 6 weeks to clear! All this for 28 Euro!
Message to all eBayers, do not accept cheques from outside the UK!