Check problems. Part one.

[repsac]

I've several stories about customers and their check issues which I plan to share. First though, I'd like to start it off with a short one that occured to me. It was my first bad experience with a check paying customer; and I think it's affected the way I deal with customers. After you read this, feel free to comment or submit your own bad check stories.

There is a slightly obscure law you'll find on the books in most states. (NC doesn't have it IIRC) It says that if you are not a resident of that state, and write a bank check that turns out to be bad. Whether NSF, or a closed account, or anything really; then you will be charged with a felony which carries a very severe jail sentence.

When I first started at Moore's, M, the manager, explained to me the store policies. One of which was quote "We do not accept out of state checks. Period." Around christmas of that year, a lady from florida came and tried to write a check from out of state. I declined that purcase, stating that we were not allowed to take checks from out of state. The lady threw a fit and stormed out, pissing off the cashier who thought she'd get a good sale out of it. (pissed at me for denying it that is.)

Almost a year to the day, the same lady comes back in. She wants to write a check. Now, at some point, B, the other asst mgr like myself had approved a check from the woman. He later explained to our DM and Manager, that he had only done so because the woman was causing a scene. He had, at the time, instructed her that it would be a one time thing. The store wouldn't accept a c heck from her again. He also understood that if the check bounced, he'd be responsible to pay it; and he'd lose his job.

Looking at the check, I shook my head slowly. "I can't take it. It's a florida check and we're not allowed to take out of state checks." The cashier chirped up that B had taken one the other day. Turning to the cashier I said levelly. "That's on B's head. The rule is, NO out of state checks. So, the answer is no."

You know, It's been so long I forget the details of what that lady did? I vaguely remember her causing quite a scene, and police being involved. One thing I do remember though, was her screaming at the top of her lungs in my face that I quote "Thought I was a manager, but I wasn't. I was just a little prick."

There's more to the story, but since I suspect I've shared this before I'll not go into grand detail about the aftermath. Truth be known all that matters now is what happened.

Has this ever happened to you? A customer going ballistic over a form of payment you couldn't accept? If so, how did it make you feel, and do you think it's after effects still affect you?

For me, the answer is yes. It still bothers me some. I find it hard to take a check from someone, for fear of finding myself at the business end of a screaming spitting fit.

[Sliceanddice]

I had it happen to me but with a credit card. We accept credit and debit at my resteraunt and its rarely a problem. So when this lady comes in and trys to use a card its no big deal. Only its rejected. I swipe it again, rejected. The lady says it might be the strip so im kind enough to type in the data. Rejected. I handed her back the card and say 'I'm sorry its rejected do you have cash or another card?' the lady grumbles and hands me another card. I look at the card.... and it has anothers woman name on it. I hand it back and tell her i cant accept it, its not hers. The lady yells at me. She demands that i use it and to be happy. And when i tell her i cant but if she wants to talk to my manager, i am more than happy to get them. The lady reaches over and trys to grab the card roughly from me knocking it from my hand, and moves to hit me. I get away before she can and tell her to leave. She does. She left the card behind, which i turned over to my manager.

[powerboy]

I have had 2 of them. Both times, the check part of the register was out of whack.

The first time, I was working at OfficeMax, and the check side of the register, just gave me and everyone that used it that day, hell. This one customer came in, and wrote a check, and I already had a sign by the register, that we cannot accept checks on that register that day. He went on, about how we have to accept it no matter what. I told him, that if he wanted, he could take his 3 items to another regisiter. But he decided that he wants to go somewhere else

The second time, happened with the current job. Our CC machine, accepts checks. Well, we have to type in the numbers at the bottom, which sucks BTW. Ofcourse, that part of it, would not work at all. That woman finally decided (about 5 minutes to late) to use cash. Her total was $10.80, and she was telling me, how stupid I was because of it.

[sarahj]

I got a little caught up on the post before mine, and forgot to mention that this is about cards in general, cos we don't take checks.

We shut off the registers for half an hour every night, at around 1am, to finish a 'sales day.' Sucks to be a 24/7 store. For that half hour, we have to write orders on paper and use calculators, and CANNOT take cards because the whole system's off.

We mention 'cash only' to each customer before they order. Of course, there's always someone with selective hearing. They hold up a card. We tell them, "cash only." Then they say, "I don't have cash, I'll use my card." Then there's that silence, where they think we're going to be intimidated into taking their card, but really we're just gonna repeat "cash only" until they leave or produce cash.

I feel bad for the nicer customers, and we'll let them cut the line if they go next door to the ATM.

[AFpheonix]

Egads. Crazy people and their lack of money.

I've been chewed out over the phone by many different people because I refuse to take a credit card verbally from them. Hello? Can we say possibility for credit card fraud here? I'm not only covering my ass, but yours too.

I've had a crazy guy throw a shit fit because I wouldn't take a 3rd party check. There's 2 bloody banks less than a quarter mile down the road. I am not a bank. You go get some money, and then we'll talk.

Then there was the crazy lady from NJ who had a bunch of money orders and started filling them out before I could confirm with a manager whether we could accept those. No, we couldn't, and that opened up a whole can of worms that ended up with us being glad when she went home, because she attempted to not only scam extra pills, but also in getting more of those suckers cashed later. I'm so glad the pissy Assistant manager was on duty. Yay for backup!

[Jack7957]

Not a problem with taking a check, just getting the checks to go through. Many moons ago, when I worked at Ames (now long gone) we had a problem where if a check was being rung through on any register, and any other register was ringing at the same time, all the registers would lock up. Just happened to be we had a special invite only sale going on one Sunday night so all registers are going, about 10 at the front, two at the service desk, one in electronics and one in layaway. Any time you had someone paying by check, you'd call/yell to the Service Desk, they would do an overhead page for everyone to pause while the check was run through, then page again when it was all clear. It was not uncommon that when ringing through one person, you would need to pause 3 to 4 times.

[Bright_Star]

With the advent of debit cards, it's almost strange to be using checks at a store to buy things with. Using a debit card is wayyyyy faster.

[Shironu-Akaineko]

With the advent of debit cards, it's almost strange to be using checks at a store to buy things with. Using a debit card is wayyyyy faster.

Why you yound whippersnappers and your fancy ideas! Next you'll tell me wimmin can do men's jobs and black people can use the same microwave as white people!

[strawbabies]

With the advent of debit cards, it's almost strange to be using checks at a store to buy things with. Using a debit card is wayyyyy faster.

Most of the idiot customers can't remember their PINS, so for them, checks are easier.

[Becks]

With the advent of debit cards, it's almost strange to be using checks at a store to buy things with. Using a debit card is wayyyyy faster.

I usually pay cash. I don't use my debit card much, because I don't like being charged money (even if it is just a quarter each time) after the first # of debits each month. Unlimited free checks. Woo!!!!!

[Jack T. Chance]

At my last job before the current one, working for Clarks (the largest manufacturer of non-athletic footwear in the WORLD!) at one of their retail stores, we didn't accept checks for payment. That policy went into effect some time before I started working there. I don't know when they stopped accepting them for payment, I only know that during the final year when they DID still accept checks, fully 40% of the checks they accepted BOUNCED! That's a whole HELL of a lot of check fraud, wouldn't you agree?!

But that didn't stop some customers from arguing the policy with me, even when I reminded them that we would gladly accept payment via their Visa or Master Card check card, which any GOOD bank will have given them with their checking account! One lady was so asinine about it that I'll never forget the bitch. With the more difficult/argumentative sorts, I'd explain to them the above bit about 40% of the checks bouncing, and that with all the check fraud going on, we'd stopped accepting them because credit cards and check cards were more secure for us as a merchant, and for the customer, too. This whacko proceeded to tell me that she supposedly works for a bank, and that she knows that checks are actually just as secure as credit cards, if not more so! Bitch basically called me a liar to my face! So, I did the same thing right back, telling her "that's not true anymore, because anyone can just print out bogus checks on their PC's printer now!" Take that, you stupid ASSHAT!!!

[Byronthebanker]

Two things - to the person whose bank charges them to use a debit card - change banks and quick . .. your bank makes money from the merchant every time that card is used (more if you sign your name, and less if you use your PIN) - you shouldn't have to pay them too.

Imagine for a minute that you hand over your name, address, phone number, often Driver's license number, sometimes the issue and/or expiration dates on your license, sometimes your date of birth, and the name of your bank, the account number, and even sometimes how long the account has been open, as well sometimes some indication of being married/single (based on single or joint account) . .. all to a total stranger . . or mail it to companies and people all over the country - or even the world. THAT IS WHAT YOU DO EVERY TIME YOU WRITE A CHECK.

Totally up to you I guess, but really, slide debit card, sign your name, show ID if asked . .. move on.