Urgent Banking/Checking for Pampered Chef, Please Help!

[lovecookn]

:cry::yuck:
Not sure if this is the right place for topic but here we go:

I am in a big mess! And need advice.

My bank used to let me cash checks that were made out to PC. Most of the time I have them made out to me but every once in a while I have gotten some where they say PC.

Today I went to deposit $240 worth of PC checks and my teller said they quit doing that a year ago and would not take them. Even with PC titled as part of the account! He told me to try another institution! He said I needed a business license.:grumpy: I don't think so...right?
I need to deposit the funds so I can submit the show. I do not want to ask customers to rewrite their checks and then mail the new one. A few people are in a hurry and I wanted to submit the show asap!
I hate dealing w/ this.

So how do you do your PC baking? Are there particular institution with special accounts where you can have an account that accepts checks made out to you or PC? If so which ones (I'm in CA). I want to solve this once and for all.

Help!

 

[KaiKendall]

If you write "FOR DEPOSIT ONLY" on the back, or write your name NEXT to where it says Pampered Chef, they should take it. Go back to a different teller and try again... if not ask for the branch manager

 

[Sheila]

The bank is correct. They are not supposed to deposit checks into an individual's account that are written out to a business. Otherwise, they deal with a LOT of fraud/theft issues by people stealing from their companies. You may be able to go to another branch & find a teller who will take it, but don't count on it. You may have to end up having the customers re-write the checks. In the future, I recommend that you explain to your customers that they need to write the check to YOU, and that as an individual ... you can not deposit a check written to a company.

 

[chefann]

Have the customers write checks to you. If you end up getting an account that will let you deposit checks payable to The Pampered Chef, then a) you'll end up paying additional fees; and b) you will be in violation of the consultant agreement, since we're not supposed to present ourselves as part of HO (which a check payable to PC implies).

 

[junkfortara]

I would do just as KaiKendall suggested- go back to the bank and try again! Even if it's against policy, they've done it before and will likely be sympathetic to your situation.
Promise them that in the future you'll get checks made out to you. I always have checks written out to me as well.
Good luck!

 

[lovecookn]

If you write "FOR DEPOSIT ONLY" on the back, or write your name NEXT to where it says Pampered Chef, they should take it. Go back to a different teller and try again... if not ask for the branch manager

Which bank do you use? I am ready to switch!

 

[chefann]

If you write "FOR DEPOSIT ONLY" on the back, or write your name NEXT to where it says Pampered Chef, they should take it. Go back to a different teller and try again... if not ask for the branch manager

If you write your name on the front of the check, that is considered check fraud, and you can be arrested for it. Only the person on whose account the check is drawn is supposed to alter the front of a check.

 

[Sheila]

If you write your name on the front of the check, that is considered check fraud, and you can be arrested for it. Only the person on whose account the check is drawn is supposed to alter the front of a check.

TRUE! But, the bank has to have a complainant in order to prosecute. If the person writing the check doesn't care and doesn't want to prosecute, the bank can't go forward with charges. Odds are, a customer won't complain. Not sure about the rest of you, but that's NOT a chance I'm willing to take. I just instruct them all to write the checks to me. Problem solved. :thumbup:

 

[pc_jessica]

the bank is correct in this! i worked at a bank for 2 years and after 9/11 alot of the rules changed within the banking laws. you are not the 'owner' of the PC therefore the check is not written to you is how the bank is looking at this (from what I can tell). YOu should be having your customers write the checks out to you, not PC since you are not Pampered Chef. Oh, and whatever you do don't write your name on the front of the check...banks do NOT like this and i know from experience of working at a bank some won't except the check if they can tell it has been altered in any way.

 

[KaiKendall]

TRUE! But, the bank has to have a complainant in order to prosecute. If the person writing the check doesn't care and doesn't want to prosecute, the bank can't go forward with charges. Odds are, a customer won't complain. Not sure about the rest of you, but that's NOT a chance I'm willing to take. I just instruct them all to write the checks to me. Problem solved. :thumbup:

I bank at Santa Barbara Bank and Trust (Ventura and SB counties). I haven't had this problem yet (knock on wood... lol), but like Sheila said, as long as there isn't a complaint, then it's not like you are stealing money from anyone! I can see how this could be a serious issue, I actually have had money stolen from me (babysitter once stole checks and wrote them to her, and I complained lol), but without a complaint and PROOF (they never arrested my babysitter, and it was almost $2000 stolen from me) it shouldn't matter. Just don't steal money lol.

 

[Nanisu]

I live in CA and bank at Wells Fargo. I have had a teller kick a check back to me once in 10 years. I just write /Nancy Collins after the Pampered Chef name in the payee. My endorsement stamp says "Nancy Collins" and then underneath that "Pampered Chef account" and then the account #. I also use the ATM about 98% of the time. But in the future have them make the checks out to you. Or the host. But that's another day's discussion, LOL.

 

[Becca_in_MD]

I do all of my deposits at the ATM. The rare check (usually an outside order) that gets made payable to PC has never been kicked back. I swear with the ATM deposits they don't look to see who it was made payable to, just that it was endorsed with an account # on the back. I have caught guests at the show who make it to PC. Just have them cross it out and write your name and initial it.

My massive 20 check deposits are not a fun event now that most of my bank's ATMs have gone to feeding each check in instead of putting them in one deposit envelope.

Becca

 

[Krista Burson]

One thing I say in my wrap up is this...

While you are filling out your order forms, I just wanted to let you know that I accept credit card, cash, or check made out to me "Krista Burson" and not the Pampered Chef. Although I am doing well with my business, I don't own the company yet. (giggle, giggle).

I have to give credit a director in my upline for this part of my wrap up.

 

[kdangel518]

You can get a DBA account- Doing Business As- at most financial institutions. This would cover you either way if a check was written to you or PC. But I believe the fee structure is often different and much higher. I also do what Krista does- I don't own the company yet! Please make checks payable to me!

I don't even attempt to deposit checks made to PC. I make it VERY clear to hosts that checks must be paid to ME.

 

[PampChefJoy]

I make sure it's clear on everything "Make checks payable to Joy Edwards" and I double check before putting it away. I bank at the ATM and I did have to deposit 2 checks in my entire 5 years that were made out to PC (yes, I wrote /Joy Edwards after them...) but I try not to. Once I did turn a check back and I never got paid back for it

DBA at my bank requires a business license, so that doesn't always work. (BofA). But I wouldn't blame it on the teller or the bank if they don't take them. Technically they are made out to PC and only PC should be allowed to cash them.

 

[pampcheflisa]

Most of the time when this happens to me, it is on an outside order, even when we give our hosts explicit instructions to have checks made payable to us. I had a few problems at my bank (actually a credit union) and they took them but explained what I need to do in the future when this happens. They specifically told me to put the / Lisa W. after 'PC' and then sign PC under my name. I haven't had any problems since.

I do have a question for those of you who worked in banks. I get a lot of blank checks, it's like people just don't want to write out my last name (which is not difficult ~ and is on my name tag), but they just leave it blank. Now, I have never had a problem at my bank, but is it considered check fraud putting my name on it, since the person who wrote the check didn't write it? Clearly, the handwriting is different. This is just out of curiosity, btw!!

 

[Sheila]

... I get a lot of blank checks, it's like people just don't want to write out my last name (which is not difficult ~ and is on my name tag), but they just leave it blank. Now, I have never had a problem at my bank, but is it considered check fraud putting my name on it, since the person who wrote the check didn't write it? Clearly, the handwriting is different. This is just out of curiosity, btw!!

If you take their money & don't submit their order, it's theft.

If you were hosting a show for another DS company, took their check, wrote in your name & kept the money, it's theft.

If they intend for the money to go to you and fail to write your name it is NOT theft. The bank will not take it without a name written in. As long as you have the person's permission to have that amount, you are okay. If someone was stupid enough to try & file charges on you, you would have the proof that they made a purchase & that the funds went from them, to you & then to Pampered Chef. Therefore, if they don't get the products or decide that they don't want the products, the problem is now between them & Pampered Chef. The money is not in your possession and was not used for monetary gain by you. Therefore it is not a prosecutable offense. It only becomes a prosecutable offense when you alter the check for monetary gain that you otherwise would not be entitled to. Does that make sense?

 

[nene960]

I have my show guests write their checks to my host and then have my host write me one big check. I do this so I don't get stuck with any insufficient funds fees if a check bounces. I only take a check made to me from a guest of I personally know the guest.

 

[pampcheflisa]

If you take their money & don't submit their order, it's theft.

If you were hosting a show for another DS company, took their check, wrote in your name & kept the money, it's theft.

If they intend for the money to go to you and fail to write your name it is NOT theft. The bank will not take it without a name written in. As long as you have the person's permission to have that amount, you are okay. If someone was stupid enough to try & file charges on you, you would have the proof that they made a purchase & that the funds went from them, to you & then to Pampered Chef. Therefore, if they don't get the products or decide that they don't want the products, the problem is now between them & Pampered Chef. The money is not in your possession and was not used for monetary gain by you. Therefore it is not a prosecutable offense. It only becomes a prosecutable offense when you alter the check for monetary gain that you otherwise would not be entitled to. Does that make sense?

Yes, that makes me perfect sense ~ thank you so much!! I had never really thought about it before, but this discussion just made a flag go up, so I wanted to make sure it was okay (legally).

 

[Sheila]

I have my show guests write their checks to my host and then have my host write me one big check. I do this so I don't get stuck with any insufficient funds fees if a check bounces. I only take a check made to me from a guest of I personally know the guest.

I've been doing PC since March of last year. The only bounced check that I've had thus far was FROM a host! LOL I'd rather have a $30 or $100 check bounce than to have a $500 check bounce.

 

[cochef]

I would suggest switching to a credit union. They are member owned and don't have all the fees and "rules" that the banks do. I have never had a problem in 13+ years.

 

[PamperedMom07]

Now this is something I can truly answer with no problems lol. Been working in the banking/credit union field since 2002.

First banks and credit unions are very different in how they expect checks. If the check is written to a company and your depositing into a personal account, stop, red flag, the bank and credit union will not deposit it. Now if you have 50 checks and such sometimes the teller may over look that.

If you write your name after / your asking for a red flag to go up again. When this happens the bank or credit union will need to have the company PC write over the check to you and that's just trouble right there. If you have the customer cross out PC, initial than write your name that's a lot easier to deal with.

But your best and easy bet it to either write your name in the section provided for who the check should be written out to on the order forms. Or clearly stat that when your wrapping up your show, it's simple as that. Now like some have said out side orders are usually the ones to have this problem, your best bet is to notify the customer and ask them nicely to re-write the check out to you.

Since most of us opened personal accounts and not business accounts, which you really don't need. Since most business accounts require you to have a business license and the fees are much higher. Your checks need to clearly have your name only on them and not anyone else since your the only account holder. If you go any other route your going to be getting into second party checks and third party checks (which no bank/credit union will honer).

I hope the original poster gets things cleared up so she doesn't have to switch banks. Good luck!

~Heather

 

[aprilmlittlefield]

I went to my bank when I became a consultant and told them what I was doing and wanted to know how to handle it.This was what they offered, so I took it. It'sa basic checking...Free* for regular monthly services - A simple checking account that has no monthly maintenance fee, with up to 35 Free debits (checks, withdrawals or transfers) per month. Free unlimited deposits containing up to 50 deposit
items in aggregate per month.*Every debit over the 35 item limit is charged $0.25 and
each deposit item over 50 per month is charged $0.25. That way, if people write PC on the check instead of my name, I can still deposit it. I have a savings linked to it, too. So, if I ever get to the point where I'm depositing more than 50 items a month, I can just deposit them into the savings and then transfer the lump sum into the checking. I hope the OP was able to straighten things out...

 

[PamperedchefDaly]

I have my show guests write their checks to my host and then have my host write me one big check. I do this so I don't get stuck with any insufficient funds fees if a check bounces. I only take a check made to me from a guest of I personally know the guest.

I just got a notice today that a check bounced, and it was from someone I knew very well from church. I called her, and she insists the money was there. She was looking at her account online while we spoke, and said that it wasn't even presented for payment, even though I deposited it last week. So now I have to figure how to straighten this out. Somebody made a mistake, either her bank or mine, and it cost me a $10 fee.

 

[AJPratt]

When thishappens, I usually have the customer cross out PC, initial, and write my name. I also see it as an opportunity to have an additional contact with a customer, but that's just me.

 

[Careyann]

You can get a DBA account- Doing Business As- at most financial institutions. This would cover you either way if a check was written to you or PC. But I believe the fee structure is often different and much higher. I also do what Krista does- I don't own the company yet! Please make checks payable to me!

I don't even attempt to deposit checks made to PC. I make it VERY clear to hosts that checks must be paid to ME.

My bank told me that I needed to do this but they will only accept your contract with pampered chef to set it up and since I signed up on-line and my director did not print a copy of it and neither did I, had no idea this would become an issue later, I can't set it up as a DBA account. I tried a print out of my commission statement and they wouldn't take that either.
I also used to have them write my name next to Pampered Chef if I caught that, but the bank stopped taking those too.

What really set me off after all this, was when I took a batch of checks - all of them made out to me, mind you and the teller questioned the fact that people put pampered chef on the subject line!!!! Did I almost have a fit on that one!! You should be able to put anything you darn well please on a subject line!
:grumpy:

This is definitely a touchy subject for me!!!

 

[ShelbyMichalek]

Hmm, maybe I'm lucky I live in a small town. I do bank with Wells Fargo, but all the tellers are local.
I had one guest at a show (who is actually our son's godmother) write her check to (seriously): Miss Shelby Lynn the Pampered Chef Queen.
The teller just laughed and deposited it for me.

 

[NooraK]

This is one of the reasons I use the ATM. I know we are told we should go in the bank beacuse then we can talk to the teller, but that just doesn't work for me. I work 8-5 at my other job, so I'm at work when the branches are open. Outside of work hours, I have a 20-month-old in tow.

On top of that, I work for the bank, and we have a no solicitations policy which I don't want to hassle with. We have an ATM in the building which doesn't even need envelopes, so I get a receipt with an image of each check. I've never had any of the checks come back with an issue of not being accepted.