[NWH]

If they try it on and say they sent it just say to them can i have the cheque number from the cheque book stubb please,just watch them change there mind and make excuses for not sending it then.

[Wayne Thomas]

I keep a record of every transaction on George & every payment into the town banks or paypal

[ianhannaford]

Just wanted to say that you need to make sure you are complying with the rules of the Data Protection act if you are keeping any personal data. You are also required by law to notify the ICO how and for what purpose you process personal data if you store anything on any form of computer.

If you are only keeping manual records and do not have on personal data on a computer then you do not need to notify.

There is an online questionnaire (forms.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/notify/self/question1.html) that you can take to find out if you have to notify but I strongly suspect that anyone who has customers data and especially finanacil information on record will need to register.

We pay £35 per year to be on the register but you will have to check as I don't know if its gone up?

Hope that helps

Ian

[mark dew]

A couple of years ago i had a customer tell me she sent payment when i didn't think she did. I had to believe her though cos i wasn't 100% sure.
Ever since i ask for cheques to be posted.
I keep a separate spreadsheet called cheques received, with the date, name on cheque, address, cheque number, amount and date banked.

One thing i have noticed since i had cheques posted, is that royal mail have never been more than 4 days delivering from the postmark.
This allows me to privately chuckle when i chase a payment and get told it was posted a couple of weeks ago.

[[GQC] Tim]

Just wanted to say that you need to make sure you are complying with the rules of the Data Protection act if you are keeping any personal data. You are also required by law to notify the ICO how and for what purpose you process personal data if you store anything on any form of computer.

If you are only keeping manual records and do not have on personal data on a computer then you do not need to notify.

There is an online questionnaire (forms.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/notify/self/question1.html) that you can take to find out if you have to notify but I strongly suspect that anyone who has customers data and especially finanacil information on record will need to register.

We pay £35 per year to be on the register but you will have to check as I don't know if its gone up?

Hope that helps

Ian

Sorry, it might be the law, but that's just going too far.

[ianhannaford]

Just wanted to say that you need to make sure you are complying with the rules of the Data Protection act if you are keeping any personal data. You are also required by law to notify the ICO how and for what purpose you process personal data if you store anything on any form of computer.

If you are only keeping manual records and do not have on personal data on a computer then you do not need to notify.

There is an online questionnaire (forms.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/notify/self/question1.html) that you can take to find out if you have to notify but I strongly suspect that anyone who has customers data and especially finanacil information on record will need to register.

We pay £35 per year to be on the register but you will have to check as I don't know if its gone up?

Hope that helps

Ian

Sorry, it might be the law, but that's just going too far.

I was only offer some advice as I know a business (sole trader) that got 3 months cause they had not notified.  I dont see why its too far?

Ian

[[GQC] Tim]

Oh it wasn't directed to you, I just think that that law is going a bit too far, I mean okay, for a big business, perhaps, but for a sole trader with a friendly customer round?!   

[ianhannaford]

Oh it wasn't directed to you, I just think that that law is going a bit too far, I mean okay, for a big business, perhaps, but for a sole trader with a friendly customer round?!   

Lol, I see where you were coming from now :-)

This guy was a builder and had a customer that wanted to know why he was holding financial information about her, i.e. photocopying her cheques. He told her it was to protect himself if the IR asked. She reported him to the ICO and he got found guilty of not notifying and got 3 months (reduced to 1 for good behaviour but its still crazy) - I agree that the law is far to harsh on the common man but its meant to be there to protect ??

Ian

[Tim82]

I have taken a couple of cheques but thankfully not many, just prefer the cash. But I just mark any none payers and record it on the system, generally because I go by on a scheduling system, I always catch my custies in and collect payment at the same time.

So I never have more than one or two that I have to collect from, so its not that hard to keep track off. But if I dont catch them in I just right on there next booking, owes...£.., then if I collect it before there next booking I just scrub i out.

You have to keep some sort of record though, its a must.

Gerard 

Hi Gerard, what scheduling system do you use?

[Paul Coleman]

Oh it wasn't directed to you, I just think that that law is going a bit too far, I mean okay, for a big business, perhaps, but for a sole trader with a friendly customer round?!   

Lol, I see where you were coming from now :-)

This guy was a builder and had a customer that wanted to know why he was holding financial information about her, i.e. photocopying her cheques. He told her it was to protect himself if the IR asked. She reported him to the ICO and he got found guilty of not notifying and got 3 months (reduced to 1 for good behaviour but its still crazy) - I agree that the law is far to harsh on the common man but its meant to be there to protect ??

Ian

That's an interesting story Ian and the punishment sounds very harsh (unless he had previous for something similar).
It looks like you only have to register if the data is held on computer.  Making a photocopy of cheques is hard copy rather than storage on a computer so I wonder if it may be exempt.  However, keeping records of dates when windows were cleaned and the prices charged (on a computer) along with a regularly updated list of who hasn't yet paid (also on a computer), do seem to fall within the Act.  It seems like a sledgehammer for the proverbial nut and surely isn't the sort of stuff that the Act was designed to cover, but it does indeed look like registration is a legal requirement even just for that.  The legislation wording seems complex for a layman such as myself so I intend to enquire about this further very shortly.

[ianhannaford]

Oh it wasn't directed to you, I just think that that law is going a bit too far, I mean okay, for a big business, perhaps, but for a sole trader with a friendly customer round?!   

Lol, I see where you were coming from now :-)

This guy was a builder and had a customer that wanted to know why he was holding financial information about her, i.e. photocopying her cheques. He told her it was to protect himself if the IR asked. She reported him to the ICO and he got found guilty of not notifying and got 3 months (reduced to 1 for good behaviour but its still crazy) - I agree that the law is far to harsh on the common man but its meant to be there to protect ??

Ian

That's an interesting story Ian and the punishment sounds very harsh (unless he had previous for something similar).
It looks like you only have to register if the data is held on computer.  Making a photocopy of cheques is hard copy rather than storage on a computer so I wonder if it may be exempt.  However, keeping records of dates when windows were cleaned and the prices charged (on a computer) along with a regularly updated list of who hasn't yet paid (also on a computer), do seem to fall within the Act.  It seems like a sledgehammer for the proverbial nut and surely isn't the sort of stuff that the Act was designed to cover, but it does indeed look like registration is a legal requirement even just for that.  The legislation wording seems complex for a layman such as myself so I intend to enquire about this further very shortly.

You are correct about only having to register if you hold any data on a computer.

The DPA 1998 actually has a reputation of being one of the most complex and perplexing acts ever put togehter.

Check it out and let us know how you get on.

Ian

[Ian W]

I enquired about this with the data commissioners office a few years ago (so things may have changed) regarding a different business.
They told me at the time, that if I was only keeping details like name and address and invoice info, then I would not need to register.
If anyone receives any concrete info, then please post it for everyone to see.

[ianhannaford]

FYI,

I have just checked with the ICO and they have said that you would not need to register if you are only keeping customer records for the purpose of running your business. However if you pass any of the details on to third parties i.e. Debt collection agencies then you would need to register.

Hope this helps

Thanks

Ian

[[GQC] Tim]

FYI,

I have just checked with the ICO and they have said that you would not need to register if you are only keeping customer records for the purpose of running your business. However if you pass any of the details on to third parties i.e. Debt collection agencies then you would need to register.

Hope this helps

Thanks

Ian

Okay, that makes much more sense, no worries. Thanks for checking that for us.

[Captain Scarlet]

write the customer name on the slip in the cheque book

[Paul Coleman]

FYI,

I have just checked with the ICO and they have said that you would not need to register if you are only keeping customer records for the purpose of running your business. However if you pass any of the details on to third parties i.e. Debt collection agencies then you would need to register.

Hope this helps

Thanks

Ian

That's a great help Ian.  I hadn't got around to making my own enquiries so I will rely on what you have posted.
I do wonder if there was a bit more involved concerning that builder you mentioned earlier in the thread.

[ianhannaford]

FYI,

I have just checked with the ICO and they have said that you would not need to register if you are only keeping customer records for the purpose of running your business. However if you pass any of the details on to third parties i.e. Debt collection agencies then you would need to register.

Hope this helps

Thanks

Ian

That's a great help Ian.  I hadn't got around to making my own enquiries so I will rely on what you have posted.
I do wonder if there was a bit more involved concerning that builder you mentioned earlier in the thread.

Funny you should say that I have just come back from a run with him and asked him about it. He said the reason he was found guilty was because he sold details of contracts and customer to uPVC firm, which is why the customer got annoyed how they got her details.

Apologies if it worried anyone

Ian

[Paul Coleman]

FYI,

I have just checked with the ICO and they have said that you would not need to register if you are only keeping customer records for the purpose of running your business. However if you pass any of the details on to third parties i.e. Debt collection agencies then you would need to register.

Hope this helps

Thanks

Ian

That's a great help Ian.  I hadn't got around to making my own enquiries so I will rely on what you have posted.
I do wonder if there was a bit more involved concerning that builder you mentioned earlier in the thread.

Funny you should say that I have just come back from a run with him and asked him about it. He said the reason he was found guilty was because he sold details of contracts and customer to uPVC firm, which is why the customer got annoyed how they got her details.

Apologies if it worried anyone

Ian

Well that's a very big difference from just doing a bit of record keeping.  Ta for posting that too.  Glad to hear I'm staying the right side of the law.

[geefree]

I pay mine into the bank using their machine. It agrees the cheques value with you, then prints a receipt out with a copy of the cheques on it.

like that idea ... do all banks have this facility though ?

[paulscotney]

Never had one bounce for window cleaning, 70% of my w/cleaning comes in by cheque. Sold 6000 items on ebay, most were paid by paypal but had maybe 5% cheques, only ever had one bounce and they sent me a replacement cheque and apology before I even contacted them.