Not upheld: refusal to cash international money order complaint against Barclays Bank UK PLC

Decision detail

Summary

Mr H complained that Barclays refused to cash an international money order he had sent in September 1997 as a wedding gift. The recipient had misplaced the money order and returned it to Mr H approximately 27 years later, at which point he attempted to cash it. The ombudsman found that the money order had been cancelled in October 1997, with either a replacement issued or refund provided, meaning no funds were owing. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

Due to the significant time elapsed since 1997, evidence is limited. However, the ombudsman was satisfied based on available evidence that the money order was cancelled one month after issue in October 1997. This cancellation means either a replacement was issued or a refund was provided, therefore no funds are currently owing to Mr H.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website