PLEASE watch those checks

[Freebird]

Folks, this is a hard thing for me to even mention here. I am NOT mad. I understand that bad things happen sometimes to good people. I just want to mention it though because I can't handle this too often.

 

I got my bank statement today and found that a check that one of you sent to me got returned for insufficient funds. This is the second time this has happened. I never mentioned it the first time because I really just hate talking about this kind of thing. It has to be said though.

 

I'm not even sure who the check came from. I will contact my bank on Monday and try to find out. I THINK it was for a donation to the site. While I know it was made with good intentions, the bottom line is that the donation ended up costing me $60.00. That is what my bank charged me for the depositing the bad check. I think it is nuts that my bank charged me $60.00 for a bad check from somebody else and rest assured I will be talking to them about that also. I'm sure it will do no good though.

 

The other one was a couple of years ago but the end result is that I've lost $120.00 due to these two checks. I'm sorry to say that I will probably no longer accept checks for any donations, patches, parts, anything else. It's just not a chance that I wish to take any longer.

 

Sorry it had to be said. I know that the person who sent the check certainly had the best intentions and would never have let it happen on purpose.

[V7Goose]

This is a real bummer Don! I can certainly understand your position and the problem caused by the outrageous fees charged by your bank (mine only charges $5 for a returned item). I'm really sorry to see you put in such an unfair position. The biggest problem may be the impasse it causes some of us in the future. Although I cannot fault your concern about taking personal checks, since I personally refuse to use Paypal for any reason at all, that would leave me in the cold if I wanted to send you money (which I have done in the past). I use my credit card for everything, but that does not work for individuals. I hope we can find a middle ground.

Goose

[Mean Dog]

Don,

I am so sorry to hear about this happening to you. I don't know what the individual's situation was that wrote you the check but, I think that you should go to accepting only money orders or certified bank checks as you know that both those options would be good! This site and the members within have really helped me through some tough times and like you, I can't imagine that anyone would have done this to you on purpose. I know that I personally have not been able to support this site as I wish I could but once I am on my feet again I will. I too do not have or participate in Pay-Pal so I hope that a postal money order or certified bank check would be in order.

 

Mark

[dray]

Don

sure cant fault anyone for not taking checks these days its to expensive I cant even remember the last one I took from someone me i like green and silver or a US postal moneyorder. sure sorry to here this im sure it will work out

[BOO]

I haven't received a bad check in a couple of years but it seems it cost me 25 to 30 bucks. I did recover the money from the guy but never did get the bank charges.

Hope the person is big enough to cover the check and the bank charges.

Jerry

[WIKD]

That sucks. It's amazing how banks in general seem to be pushing everyone away from writing checks. Just in the past few years, more and more people/companies have been refusing to take them. I guess with good reason.

[Guest KitCarson]

Hey Kit, can you come help us out? I run a daycare, you know the one across from your office........I think we have something in the commode.....I will leave a signed check for you with the receptionist. So I respond and remove a toilet paper roll plunger from the commode trap, trot up to the receptionist and there is no check! It takes a month to get paid and the only reason is this time the story is like this, We have a wobbling commode up in the play building and the landlord tells us it is our problem, we have to resolve it. I am putting your check in the mail today!!. So I bite, and fix the commode for them, I left my bill with the recetionist. Three months later and three billings later, I finally lose my sense of humor and call her up and tell her, look , you have three days to bring me a check or off to the magistrate we go. Oh I am so sorry, my husband was supposed to pay that(I do not think she is married.....) I will put the check in the mail today.

 

Two weeks ago she called me again, Hey Kit our garbage disposal has went out in the main kitchen, we really do miss it, can you come help us out?

 

My wife tell me I am getting Althiemers so I have applied this affliction to this situation , I have forgotten to go over there, it is just across the street, somehow I have never made it. :rotf:

 

My bank charges me 38 dollars for a bad check, but progress is being made, we have a new law in this part of the world.....they are getting tough on bad checks.

 

You are a great person Freebird, I can tell by your post on this . You are too kind, some people will just do you in, lie, cheat, not telling you to harden your heart, just be as crafty as a snake, but still nice.......you have shown that , like I said, you seem to be unique. Set up your donation to take money orders only.........credit cards and credit machines as a yearly cost, would eat up the donations received. Kit:sign20:

 

 

[Skid]

You just don't treat a friend that way. I hope the person makes good on the whole amount with you Don.

[Freebird]

Well, I just don't think that whoever gave me this check had any intention at all of it bouncing. I know I'm a sucker sometimes but I would prefer to continue giving people the benefit of the doubt. As part of my REAL job, I sometimes have to do collection calls on folks that owe the company that I work for money. This past week I was in southern Ohio for just that purpose. It is a part of my job that I truly hate. This particular person had written us a bad check for over $800.00. Now to show you how much I try to work with people, it was written in early January of '97. That was about 10 months ago. I left the person MANY messages on their answering machine because they would never pick up the phone when I called. I still didn't give up to the moment that I arrived at the cities police department to file charges. I truly did not want to file charges against them. I called last Monday morning as I left my house and left a message that I was on my way to file charges. This happens to be a felony due to the size of the check. I called again an hour later letting them know that I was approximately two hours away and so they still had two hours to call me. Never heard from them. I called again from the parking lot of the police station but again got the machine. Now this is a place of business and I know that somebody was there. So I went into the police station and filed the charges. Very nice detective asked what I wanted and I told him that I just wanted what we were owed. He told me that he would go by and pay them a visit and tell them that they had until Friday to pay before he would file the felony charges with the court. On Thursday we received a money order for the full amount. To this day I've never received a call back or any communications from them. It's like they blame ME for their refusal to pay. Now bear in mind, we are a wholesaler. These people made about a thousand dollars on the $842.00 that they paid us. I know that they got paid because the officer told me that they had actually done a job for the city and it went very well and they WERE paid. Go figure.

[Steve S]

Don.

I'm really sorry to hear that you got stiffed so bad. I can't imagine anyone in here intentionally doing that, but it does happen.

 

The best thing my wife and I did was to get separate checking accounts. Now when she runs out of money in her's, she can come steal from mine.

 

I too choose not to use Paypal. I have always sent a personal check to cover purchases from individuals. I hope you can work out an acceptable method that will work well with everyone. The postal money order sounds good to me if it is cool with you.

 

If, for some wild, senior moment reason, I do forget and send you a personal check and it bounces, rest assured that I will send you another just like it to cover all of your expenses:stirthepot:.

[Freebird]

Yes folks...I should have thought it through more before I posted. Money orders, cashier checks, etc. will always be welcome. I realize that not everybody uses PayPal.

[r12guy]

Oh the Joys of running a Business........ Or the ones that feel they dont need to pay a service call? will pay labor and parts but you cannt charge them a service call..... Take Money orders only and you will be fine.... In 12 years I have only had 2 bad checks, and they pay them a few days after being told their checks didnt clear.

[Thom]

i use paypal because a lot of people do , i do not like paypal and use it , when it is the the only choice i have , i prefer Google check out , don , ck. it out , it would give us one more option

[Condor]

While I know it was made with good intentions, the bottom line is that the donation ended up costing me $60.00.

 

$60 Bucks!!!! What a rip... Unless the bank has a strangle hold on your financial life I'd be looking for another bank.

[Redneck]

Sad situation I'm sorry to hear it. If my bank charged me $60 that would be the last thing they would do to me.

[cliffno350]

Thats the last thing my last bank did to me big global orginzation that it is, now I use small hometown bank that knows my name and use it every time I call or go in... never a big (if any) line and I have all the extras the the big banks have without the hassle. now if something happens instead of a 60 dollar fee with the statement I get a phone call the smae or next day.

[Gary N.]

I really hate to think that a member here would do this to the captain of the ship. Hope they make it right for you Don. You sure don't deserve this.

 

I hate banks too. I quit dealing with them 30 years ago and joined a local credit union.

 

I didn't realize that the charge for NSF cheques was the responsibility of the person the cheque was written too. I always figured it went back on the person who wrote the cheque in the first place. But, I guess you can't get blood out of stone.

[Yammer Dan]

I hate messing with banks. But surprised someone did that on here hope they didn't do it on purpose. Pay-Pal has been good for me so far. I still cash my Pay check and take cash home til Warden decides how much she wants in the bank for her checking account. Usually most of it. I might write a check once every couple of years.

[FROG MAN]

I only write 2 checks per month... And thats because the banks won't take online payments. All other bills are paid online except for a few direct withdrawls. I don't carry cash either just my preference.

[Moped]

I understan fully your frustration, I know how it feels with the bank issue. I received a $75 rebate years ago, it bounced and I was charged $10. Did fair amount of business with bank went in told them this incident and would not deal with them unless they canceled $10 fee. They did. I don't know what business dealings you have with this bank but $60 ! they don't deserve your business or anyone else. I notice most large banks are going this route. Take Condor's advice.

[Freebird]

I'll be checking with my bank tomorrow to find out why the fee was so high. Maybe because it was a non-USA bank. I don't know if that makes a difference or not.

[flb_78]

I don't carry cash either just my preference.

 

 

Unfortunately, that's a good way to get yourself killed nowadays. If you were to be mugged and had no cash in you wallet, chances are, you're going to get shot, stabbed, or beaten. I always keep at least 40 bucks in my wallet. It feels weird to have no cash on me.

[Switch]

A Caveat against using Wal-mart for a money order.

I had occasion to receive a wal-mart money order for $800 and found out that it is their policy not to cash them... THEIR OWN MONEY ORDERS.

I had to practically threaten the management to cash one and finally they did but then wanted to charge me for cashing it. We had another go-around and finally under duress they cashed it without charging me. The next one I received I just deposited in my own bank. NEVER AGAIN!

[IH Truck Guy]

Unfortunately, that's a good way to get yourself killed nowadays. If you were to be mugged and had no cash in you wallet, chances are, you're going to get shot, stabbed, or beaten. I always keep at least 40 bucks in my wallet. It feels weird to have no cash on me.

 

Being a truck driver,I sometimes have to deliver in the middle of the night in rough parts of cities.I carry a spare wallet that has a 20,10 and 10 ones.I fill it up with those temp credit cards that you get in the mail.I also put in all the pictures that you get when you buy a new wallet.I'll be damned if I'm going to get killed because I didn't have anything to give up.