posted on March 15, 2001 04:43:23 PM
I got my first ever bad check last November, for just under $30. The lady called and warned me, then said she'd cover the amount and my bank fee, but claimed that one item I sent her arrived broken. We fixed up a deal for how much she'd send, and guess what. I never heard from her again and last time I checked, the auction had fallen out of the system. No chance to leave a neg.
Well .. on the advice of some friends over on the other eBay board, I re-deposited the check last month. I haven't heard back yet, but I have a feeling it cleared. Just a hunch.
If one item really was broken, I'm sure I'll hear from her one of these days.
One of the people that bounced their checks just sent me the amount + fees by PayPal (crossing fingers for no chargeback)! The other one promised to send me a money order. Hopefully that comes through.
I'm glad that I have some place to go where I know I will be able to find people smarter than me to help me out. Thanks, all!
I think I would only go to all the trouble of filing fraud claims, going to police, hiring a collection agency if the check amount was a LOT more than $10. The recourse that a seller has is available (which I didn't know before, so thanks for that tidbit!), but it just seems like so much trouble. Yes, even more trouble than getting money back from PayPal. (Which I actually had to do already - and it's not that bad.)
Now, if only banks would give the priority to the little $10 checks instead of the $500 ones (another thing I didn't know), THAT would be a solution!
I think it's great that a lot of you don't hold checks ('cause, as a buyer, it's SO annoying), but for those of you that TELL the customers that, don't you think it's kind of inviting someone to take advantage of you? I do know of some people that just don't care about their credit and would *love* to run a scam on you.
Anyhow, thanks for the help. I'm at least sure now that I will continue to accept checks despite their more difficult points.
posted on March 15, 2001 05:24:21 PM
jenniphant,
I never hold checks under $100.00 and have never had a single check bounce in at least 2 years since making this my policy. I may hold a check over $100.00, but only if the bidder has low feedback.
posted on March 15, 2001 06:03:09 PM
Jenniphant, FYI when I worked for a large bank about 10 years ago, the policy was that the data processing center automatically posted checks to the account by lowest dollar amount first. I believe that was so you'd have 1 big check bounce instead of a bunch of little ones (I'm sure they didn't want lawsuits about excessive fees if the maximum number of checks bounced). It's possible that a bank might manually return a little check so there's enough money to pay the big one, but that would be up to whomever was processing the work that day.
posted on March 15, 2001 06:17:30 PM
I had a major argument with a Tennessee bank 10 years ago that did just the OPPOSITE. They bounced the largest check so they could rake in the fees for the smaller ones that bounced afterwards. Perhaps banks have reformed themselves since?
posted on March 15, 2001 11:21:10 PM
I only sell on Ebay and I always look at a person's feedback. Positive feedback in large numbers equals no hold. If a person is new, or re-registered, or has negative feedback I will hold the check. No guarantees even if there's positive feedback but I think the risk is reduced.
posted on March 16, 2001 05:10:42 AM
I just got an email from my bad check writer last night and I must say it was a nasty one! Claims of she had more feedback than me, that she didn't appreciate my emails (hey, I'm only trying to get an answer!) I did turn her in to safeharbor about the disconnected phone so guess that set her off. Anyway now she's shifting the blame on her sister - claiming that she gave the money order to her sister to mail! Geez - someone needs to write a book of excuses for writing a bad check and not paying it! She even got up in my face about that she was going to the Post Office to make sure I had not received and cashed the money order! Sure has changed my policy about anyone with over 100 feedback okay to send their item and not hold it! Hopefully the money order will be here today and I can put this behind me!!
posted on March 16, 2001 06:25:54 AM
Since you're with Washington Mutual go to their website wamu.com and sign up for internet checking. It's free (for now) and you can see what's happening a couple days before snail mail gets news to you.
dennis
posted on March 16, 2001 09:46:27 AM
We had a lady who recently bounced a $10 check and won't make it good despite making a long distance call to say she would make it good. The DA's office there said they would issue a warrant. Next time she gets a traffic ticket she's going to be in for a surprise.
posted on March 16, 2001 10:09:58 AM
Nope. Never have in more than 3 years and have had only one bounce. The buyer sent me a message even before I got notice from the bank and it was made good plus the bounce fee.
posted on March 16, 2001 10:15:40 AM
I sometimes hold checks. Even thou I state it right in my auctions that I hold checks for 10 days. I usually get Mo or Cash and get few checks. I also dont deposit them into my checking account, I cash the checks at a bank and since only my name is on the check the person who wrote the check will get all the fees not me. But like alot for you Iam knocking on wood havent had a bounced one yet. Trust me the ones that bounce them all the time wouldnt want to live in my area every Monday they list people who have been taken to court for bounced checks. It lists their name, town, the amount of the check and who it was written too.
posted on March 20, 2001 02:35:05 PM
I suggest that you hold checks for as long as it will take for the check to clear your bank. Local checks should clear in a day or two, the rest should clear by 7 days. Making a person wait 10 or 14 days will only increase the chance that the check will bounce, the person is more likely to put a stop payment on it.
Example:
Auction close March 2
Seller sends Buyer email requesting payment March 3
Buyer sends check March 5
Seller gets check March 10 (was the auction number on the check? No, add 3 days!)
Seller puts 10 Day hold on check March 10
Buyers bank removes funds from account March 15 (trust me on this one, if you want to test it just take a look at your bank statement and your check register)
Seller finds check cleared March 20
Seller ships item March 21 (or even 23)
Buyer gets item March 26 (then it would be 28)
Over 3 weeks later buyer gets item. Some sellers often do this because they are afraid to get scammed. All it does is make the buyer upset.
posted on March 20, 2001 08:20:25 PM
I have yet to have a bad check from ebay ...we sold in a flea mkt for 14 years and would get them once in a while but ther e were very few that we were unable to collect on as a business you have to look at %of gross sales that go to bad checks and decide from that.
