Money Grouse: Woolwich fails Euro check

THE cost of paying a Eurocheque into Woolwich Building Society has angered Durrell Manison from Swansea.

Mr Manison has been using Eurocheques for 15 years, drawn on his Banque Bruxelles Lambert account in Belgium. Earlier this month he tried to pay a pounds 100 cheque into the Swansea branch of Woolwich.

The society said it would charge him pounds 7.50 for the transaction. Mr Manison said: 'I cannot see for the life of me why I should pay such an exorbitant commission on top of the charges I will be levied by the bank when the cheque is cleared.'

Mr Manison was told the cheque would be cleared via American Express. The charge angered him enough to write to Woolwich's head office. In the letter he said: 'I find myself astonished that when the Halifax and the National & Provincial accept Eurocheques without demur, when I can pay for my groceries at Sainsbury's with a Eurocheque, when I can pay my council tax with a Eurocheque, when the Public Record Office and the National Library of Wales both accept Eurocheques, the Woolwich considers it can only present a Eurocheque for payment via an American banking organisation.'

The Woolwich said it was not a member of the Eurocheque organisation and so had to use Amex. The pounds 7.50 was charged by Amex and the society made no profit on the transaction. A spokesperson said: 'We do not get enough Eurocheques to warrant joining the organisation.'

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