No more cash for scrap - good thing?

[CommanderJameson]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16738000

Cash payments for scrap metal are to be outlawed and fines "significantly increased" to tackle the growing problem of metal theft.

Will this work? Will it just move the cash business underground? Scrap being large, heavy and not easily moved around, is this likely to be a real or sizeable problem?

[CommanderJameson]

I think if transactions were to be reliably documented out the wazoo then cash would be acceptable.

That'll never happen, though, so bye-bye cash it is.

[CommanderJameson]

jagracer said:

I voted against it. If I run some scrap into a scrap yard how are they going to pay me if not with cash? Would you take a cheque off a scrap dealer and I'm sure they wont be doing BACS transfers.

I don't think there's anything wrong with expecting a scrap metal business to be run like a business, and therefore offering BACS (and other electronic transfers) as a method of payment.