Idea Check Taking..input Please

[nikked]

Okay. In our area, we have an issue with bad checks, and it seems to be happening more and more. A lot of DS gals I know won't take checks at all now, which can make some customers upset (trying to not use credit cards, etc.)

So, I've been thinking, and this is what I've come up with. Wanted some input.

I will gladly take checks; however, you must also provide a credit card. If your check is returned due to non-sufficient funds, your credit card will be charged for the total amount of your order, plus a $20 NSF fee. You will be contacted by telephone to notify you of this occurance.

I will have a slip of paper with the above statement (or something similiar...haven't worked out the exact wording yet) and have them sign it acknowledging my terms for accepting a check.

I know you can call HO and have them manually run a CC if someone pays that way after the show is submitted, so that wouldn't be problem.

BTW, I have never been comfortable with asking the hostess to have checks written to her, so that is not an option.

Okay, that's it. What do you think?

 

[BethCooks4U]

Okay. In our area, we have an issue with bad checks, and it seems to be happening more and more. A lot of DS gals I know won't take checks at all now, which can make some customers upset (trying to not use credit cards, etc.)

So, I've been thinking, and this is what I've come up with. Wanted some input.

I will gladly take checks; however, you must also provide a credit card. If your check is returned due to non-sufficient funds, your credit card will be charged for the total amount of your order, plus a $20 NSF fee. You will be contacted by telephone to notify you of this occurance.

I will have a slip of paper with the above statement (or something similiar...haven't worked out the exact wording yet) and have them sign it acknowledging my terms for accepting a check.

I know you can call HO and have them manually run a CC if someone pays that way after the show is submitted, so that wouldn't be problem.

BTW, I have never been comfortable with asking the hostess to have checks written to her, so that is not an option.

Okay, that's it. What do you think?

If someone pays you by check, you pay HO with your PC debit or credit card. They will not replace it with a different CC. They only way they replace a CC now is if the first one doesn't go through.

Personally, I don't think your customers will like it. If you don't trust their checks don't take them. As for debit card numbers - almost everyone has a debit card now.

 

[chefsteph07]

I agree, they changed the rule about switching debit/credit cards in Jan I think. You can't pay them w/ your PC debit and then ask them to run a separate card.
I guess you could just make a personal policy to only accept debit-credit and cash. If their debit/credit card is declined, they will run another card, but not on OUR PC debit. Only for declined customer cards.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

I always have the checks written to the host they are less likely to write their friend a bad check.... & I hate making bank deposits I'd rather do 4-6 a month than all the guest checks from 4-6 shows

 

[Jessamary]

Hate to burst your bubble, nikked, but that's illegal. Years ago, retailers could ask for your credit card when you wrote a check, and they'd write the number on the check. Well, the powers that be (Congress? I really can't remember, I was like 8 years-old), said that this practice was illegal. I remember my mom calling out a salesgirl on it.

 

[kam]

Also, I don't know about in your area, but here, I don't find out that the check has bounced until MANY days after I have deposited the check.

I think (not sure) that once it was at least 9 days after I made the deposit until I was notified that the check did not clear.

If I get the checks and deposit them the day after the show and the host closes her show really quick, I go ahead and submit the show. So, if HO is caught up, the show would have been shipped and rec'd before I even get the notice of a bounced check.

If you are that concerned about the checks, maybe you could call the banks that the checks are drawn on before attempting to deposit....

 

[ltkacz]

How are you going to collect on the $20? It's not like the credit card company can give you $20 cash for the bad check.

I recently had a bad check issue, and for the first time, the woman didn't want to pay the amount of the bad check OR the fee. I found out that most counties in my area have a service that is FREE to collect the bad check issue.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I have called banks to see if a check is good and I have also gone to the person's bank to cash a check I wasn't sure of.