Anyone Know Where I Can Redeem Visa Travellers Cheques?

[Everhelpful]

Can anyone help,I have some Visa Travellers Cheques but my Bank(Barclays) are refusing to cash them or, even let me deposit them into my account. Many Thanks for any help.

[EcclesCake]

Could you not go back to where you bought them?

That might be a daft question but I haven't used Travellers Cheques for over 20yrs as ATMs are everywhere now.

[emeritus]

Are they in Sterling or another currency ?

[Buenchico]

Some explanation is needed here.

Do the cheques bear your signature or have they, for example, been given to you by someone else? If they carry your signature then I can see no reason why you can't countersign them and get the cash (although, if they're not sterling cheques, you might possibly need to go to an independent bureaux de change, rather than to a bank).

If the cheques carry the signature of someone else, irrespective of whether they've then been countersigned by that person, you can't cash them. In the USA (and in some other countries) many traders are happy to accept traveller's cheques in payment for goods or services because, once they've been countersigned, they effectively become banknotes which can be paid into a bank. In the UK traveller's cheques can't be used to pay for goods or services (because banks won't accept cheques which have already been countersigned); they can only be cashed at banks or bureaux de change. If you've got cheques which haver already been countersigned, they have no value in the UK.

So what reason has the bank given you for refusing to cash the cheques?

[Everhelpful]

The Cheques were given to me in 2002 as a present for our 40th Wedding Anniversary as we were going abroad,obviously they were never used hence the trouble I am having.They are for 200 Euros in 100 Euro denominations. Bank never gave me any specific reason for not cashing them,to be honest, they didn't seem too interested, although I have banked with them for over 50 years.

[Everhelpful]

Forgot to mention,No Banks in Spain would cash them either.

[Graham-W]

Are they signed by the person who gave the gift.
Here's an extract from the American Express website:-

Acceptance of Travellers Cheques is based on the acceptor watching the customer sign the Cheque in the lower left-hand corner, and then comparing that signature with the original signature in the upper left-hand corner (the lower left signature on a Cheques for Two must match one of the two signatures in the upper left). The acceptor must observe the customer signing the Cheque.

[Everhelpful]

No Graham,they are not signed by anyone,if they had been American Express there would have been no problem apparently.

[Buenchico]

Have you actually signed the cheques at all?

For travellers cheques to be valid they need to presented with one signature already in place and then be counter-signed in the presence of the person accepting them. Banks will refuse to accept travellers cheques that are presented without the first signature.

Try cashing the cheques at the Bureaux de Change found in Asda, Tesco, M&S etc. If you meet with refusals, ask for an explanation. If you still have problems, try phoning 0800 895078. (That's the number for refunds if you lose Visa Traveller's Cheques; they might be able to help you).

[Everhelpful]

Not signed them yet,Chris,I will try what you say, Thank you all so much for your help.

[factor-fiction]

I wonder if they expire after a certain time- 11 years seems quite a long time ago

[Everhelpful]

No,Factor,they never expire,only problem is they are Visa not American Express.Lesson has been learned.!

[factor-fiction]

Thanks Everhelpful.
Was it your bank that said that if the cheques had been AmEx rather than VISA they'd have accepted them?

[Everhelpful]

Factor,Everyone would have accepted them with no problem if they had been Amex,trust me to have bloody Visa, I am going to try Thomas Cook today and see what they say,I will let you know the outcome.Thank you for your interest.

[Everhelpful]

No luck at Thomas Cook or other Travel Agents, I have been given a couple of Forms to complete and send to a Firm called "Travelex". I have been advised to do this and basically get what I can,although they charge 10% Commission.Lesson has been learned and in future will get Euros in cash,no more Travellers Cheques,assuming you can still get them.

[dawnyowl]

i have amex travellers cheqs for over a year.still trying to cash them in. curenttly in France long term. no bank, here will take them unless i have a bank account. went through a long process, but got a la banque post account. deposited my travellers cheques, after a week they were posted back to me, they want a third signature. Our french friend was told by the bank to put them in his account. does that make sense. I CANT PUT THEM IN TO MY OWN BANK ACCOUNT, ITS EASIER TO PUT THEM INTO AN DIFFERENT NAMED BANK ACCOUNT. DONT GET TRAVELLERS CHEQUES. does any one know if i say i lost them will i get the money transferrred into a bank account or will they just send more useless travellerscheques.