I Was Told I Could Cash a Money Order Check

[purplecat41877]

Recently, a customer came up to the desk with a money order check. I got the PIC to double check whether or not we accepted those checks since I couldn't remember for sure if we did or not. It turned out that we could only cash money order checks bought from our store. The customer claimed that the person on the phone told her that she could cash her money order check.

The PIC mentioned that it wasn't their policy to cash out of store money order checks. The customer said that she'd done it before. If that was the case, the employee wasn't following the rules. The customer wanted a real manager but there wasn't one available at the time so she decided to call and complain but I don't know if she ever did.

I apologized to the customer for the inconvenience. The customer told me that I was just like the PIC.

A few days later, I told the Office Coordinator about this customer. She figured that the customer was lying since the desk employees know better then to cash a money order check that isn't from our store.

[Marmalady]

I think we've all come across the 'I've done it before!' customer. Either it wasn't at your place, or it was years ago when the place was under different management / an entirely different company, or just plain untruth. Good on you for checking it out first.

[Draco]

Similar happened the other day. Two kids (late teens. Maybe early 20s) came in and went to the service desk, asking if we could cash their money order. It wasn't from us, so the two people at the desk both told them no. Much like the OP, we only cash those from our own store (if we have the money to do so).

They went off about how stupid it was. Then they came over to me (I was on the self checkout) and asked if we could cash money orders. I told them the same thing ("Only if it was issued by our store.")

"But it's a money order! They're all the same! Everyone takes them!"
"The guy at Rutters gave it to us for lottery and told us we could cash it anywhere!" (Rutters is a local convenience store chain).

Nope! Three people have told you the policy. Go to your bank or wander your rear back over to the convenience store. We're a supermarket, not a bank!

[sirwired]

The mind boggles; why would you pay a fee and go through the hassle of converting your cash into Money Order just to spend it at a retail store?

Did these look like legit money orders, or something somebody printed out on a color printer?

[wolfie]

Two kids (late teens. Maybe early 20s) came in and went to the service desk, asking if we could cash their money order.

"The guy at Rutters gave it to us for lottery and told us we could cash it anywhere!" (Rutters is a local convenience store chain).

The mind boggles; why would you pay a fee and go through the hassle of converting your cash into Money Order just to spend it at a retail store?

Did these look like legit money orders, or something somebody printed out on a color printer?

I can understand a store doing a money order for lottery wins within a certain range (high enough to be over the amount of cash in the drawer, low enough to not have to be paid out at the lottery headquarters), and the guy at Rutters might not know that not all stores selling the same brand of money order will cash that brand if not bought in-chain (where there would be a record in-chain to show it was actually sold).

Don't know about your jurisdiction, but "late teens early 20s" could easily be below legal gambling age. I'd be tempted to ask for their ID - and if they're underage, add "state law prohibits us from engaging in a gambling-related transaction with underage persons - I don't know why the person who sold you the ticket, and the person at Rutters who redeemed the winning ticket, didn't card you and refuse the transaction" as a second reason (besides "our chain didn't sell that money order" why you can't cash it.

[drjonah]

Haven't had to cash a money order in a long time but is it still a royal PITA to cash them? I remember awful-mart wouldn't cash money orders unless they're money-gram and you could only cash USPS money orders at the post office.

[emax4]

Whenever ai encounter the "but I've done it here before!" Saying, my reply is always, "Ahhh, that's why (random coworker) got fired, because they were not following policy. Sorry, I'm not losing my job over this..." That shuts them up.

[Kit-Ginevra]

There's always the chance that when the customer comes out with 'They did it last time I was here' that they are telling the truth and the person they got last time was either a goon who didn't know what they were doing,or decided not to bother with the rules...

[bloo]

There's always the chance that when the customer comes out with 'They did it last time I was here' that they are telling the truth and the person they got last time was either a goon who didn't know what they were doing,or decided not to bother with the rules...

I'd bet that nine times out of ten, they're either lying or mistaken but the default position of treating them as if they are telling the truth while *not* accommodating their request/demand is the way to go because they might be that one person who did have a previous employee do whatever it is they wanted even if it was against policy.

That why this is the best response:

Whenever ai encounter the "but I've done it here before!" Saying, my reply is always, "Ahhh, that's why (random coworker) got fired, because they were not following policy. Sorry, I'm not losing my job over this..." That shuts them up.

[eltf177]

Haven't had to cash a money order in a long time but is it still a royal PITA to cash them? I remember awful-mart wouldn't cash money orders unless they're money-gram and you could only cash USPS money orders at the post office.

Many moons ago I worked on a ship. My paycheck was direct deposited and I eventually needed cash. Had my brother mail me a USPS money order so I could get some cash while I was in Florida (I lived in Virginia at the time). Had a huge problem cashing it. The first "PO" was in the back of a Box Store in Port St. Joe and had weird hours. When I finally caught them open they claimed not to have enough to cash it (it was only for $150). I next tried a large PO in Fort Lauderdale. The clerk kept asking me if I lived here. I kept telling her I didn't which I why I needed the #@%&! money order. They finally cashed it but I swore I'd never use them again. And I haven't...

[Racket_Man]

There's always the chance that when the customer comes out with 'They did it last time I was here' that they are telling the truth and the person they got last time was either a goon who didn't know what they were doing,or decided not to bother with the rules...

But then as we know Managers ALWAYS (note sarcasm please) break rules/policies/standards in the name of "GOOD customer service" (and to keep us peons in our place and make us look bad) so I MIGHT be possible that someone did indeed cash a money order for them (at the directive of someone higher up that is).

[Draco]

I can understand a store doing a money order for lottery wins within a certain range (high enough to be over the amount of cash in the drawer, low enough to not have to be paid out at the lottery headquarters), and the guy at Rutters might not know that not all stores selling the same brand of money order will cash that brand if not bought in-chain (where there would be a record in-chain to show it was actually sold).

Don't know about your jurisdiction, but "late teens early 20s" could easily be below legal gambling age. I'd be tempted to ask for their ID - and if they're underage, add "state law prohibits us from engaging in a gambling-related transaction with underage persons - I don't know why the person who sold you the ticket, and the person at Rutters who redeemed the winning ticket, didn't card you and refuse the transaction" as a second reason (besides "our chain didn't sell that money order" why you can't cash it.

Wolfie, that's generally why we issue money orders (when people aren't specifically purchasing them, of course). It'd empty out the service desk tills and God help you if the Western Union regulars can't cash in their transactions.

While it's possible, I doubt the Rutters guy sent them to us. We're a supermarket. he probably told them they could cash it anywhere simply to get them out of his store if their attitude about having a money order was any indication.

Money Orders, Western Unions, etc are all scammer-heavy areas. There are reasons many places have very strict policies over them. I'm mainly uncertain why people think retail stores are banks though.

[mikoyan29]

I thought the whole point of a money order was that it was just like cash but I guess I'm wrong. But I've heard that they are the currency of choice for scammers (something about traceability I guess).

[bloo]

I thought the whole point of a money order was that it was just like cash but I guess I'm wrong. But I've heard that they are the currency of choice for scammers (something about traceability I guess).

Yeah money orders and cashier's checks were 'like' cash. The problem comes with being able to identify a genuine money order or cashier's check.

Our friend's son was screwed for accepting a cashier's check in payment for his jeep. It turned out to be a fraudulent check. IIRC, the FBI was involved, he was still stuck making payments to the bank for it and even when the jeep was recovered he didn't get possession of it back right away. All the while making payments on it.

When this couple sold their own Harley-Davidson they were both pleased and nervous when two biker dudes showed up with $18,000 in cash to pay for it.

[sirwired]

I thought the whole point of a money order was that it was just like cash but I guess I'm wrong. But I've heard that they are the currency of choice for scammers (something about traceability I guess).

Well, they are "just like cash" for places that regularly cash checks. If the business doesn't cash checks, then they don't have to accept Money Orders (or cashier's or treasury checks, for that matter) either.

And, of course, Money Orders are also vulnerable to counterfeiting, with businesses that don't regularly process them especially susceptible. (As in, a utility or landlord knows what a legit one looks like; a grocery store that doesn't sell them? Not so much.)