posted on August 7, 2002 02:59:44 PM new
I know this has been mosted many-a time, but I just need to know what the procedures are on getting my money back on a bounced check. And this one wasn't from a eBay customer either!
posted on August 8, 2002 06:05:28 AM newspyked: I guess I need a few more details in order to help you out. I am assuming you are dealing with an insuffient funds check. I realize this is not an eBay buyer but here are some things that I might suggest.
Have you contacted the person? What did they say, if anything?
Is it a large check, say over $100? I once had a check for $5 bounce. It was not hardly worth the time to try to collect.
In 4 years of selling, I have had less than 10 bad checks. I never collected on one of them. The guy was in the military and I never heard from him again. It was during a conflict and my assumption was that he got shipped out with short notice. It was around $15 and I never bothered to pursue.
I recently had a $230+ check bounce. The buyer ended up sending me cash via overnight delivery.
Re: the above mentioned $5 check, the buyer promised to send me a replacement money order with the bank fees which, as you guessed, never arrived. I just held on to her check and on or around the first of the following month, called her bank to check for available funds. I re-deposited the check and it cleared. This was about 90 days after the check bounced. I'm sure she was surprised.
[ edited by kingantiques on Aug 8, 2002 06:07 AM ]
posted on August 8, 2002 06:47:36 AM new
The check was for $80, and was from a "friend". I have no way of contacting him, since I don't have phone # - he's unlisted, he lied about where he was working at (I checked), and the day he came over to borrow the money - which was actually $60 - but he wrote me out a "post-dated" check for $80 and said to keep the extra $20 for my "trouble".
I already called the bank on it. They said they tried to clear it twice and I was able to try it one more time (once I get it back thru the mail). What I was thinking of doing, was calling his bank and checking for the funds - and once they were int here, taking the check to HIS bank and cashing it there. Has anyone ever tried that??
Yeah, live and learn. This was an old co-worker who I've seen off and on thru the years and recently lost his business and got divorced from his wife and fell on hard times. I felt bad and thought I would help him out until he got his next paycheck.
So, I'm a fool. But I thought I was doing someone a favor....
posted on August 8, 2002 06:51:04 AM new
IF HE FELL ON HARD TIMES I DOUBT HE WILL DOING ANY DOPOSITING IN THAT ACCOUNT. FORGET IT AND GO ON WITH LIFE. $80.00 WAS A VERY CHEAP LESSON.
IT WAS REALLY A DONATATION TO A DOWN AND OUT. YOU HELPED HIM OUT. HE THANKS YOU.
[ edited by JACKSWEBB on Aug 8, 2002 06:54 AM ]
posted on August 8, 2002 06:54:41 AM new
I have been really lucky with checks. I have sold at craft fairs, flea markets and now ebay for the past 30 years and I have had 1 bad check from eBay and that person wrote and told me before it happened and paid all my fees. My fees were really cheap though. The bank only charged my $5.00 for the bounced check.
posted on August 8, 2002 06:59:30 AM new
I had a friend do that with one of her checks that bounced. It was a check from an antique mall and the first time she cashed it at her bank it bounced. She waited until the next month, called the malls bank and it had funds in there she went to that bank and cashed the check and got her money. I am sure the mall owner was surprised. The best thing is to call first thing in the morning. If the funds are there get down there quick.
posted on August 8, 2002 07:28:06 AM new
I received a bad check for an ebay item once. All of $7.50! My bank charged $5. I went to MADagency.com and they were ready to take care of it (I found out I was entitled to $20 in fees no matter what my bank charged). Anyhoo, the day before I was going to open my account and file with the collection agency, the writer returned my call and paypal'ed the money for the check, the fees, the 3 long distance phone calles, and the pay pal fees. The $7.50 check cost her nearly $20 when all was said and done.
posted on August 8, 2002 10:20:36 AM new
Solutions:
If the check is made out to you, call to verify funds and take it to their bank to cash it.
I don't know if all banks will do this, but I have given bad checks to a bank and told them to "Put it up for collection" (I did this with business checks) they hold it and as soon as the money is available, they cash it for you. Surprises the hell out of the person who wrote it.
Something else you can do, is to simply tell then you've given the check to the district attorney's office and that they can expect a visit from the cops. Tell them it won't be immediate (So they won't relax after a day or two) that the cop are busy and at some point in the next couple of weeks, they'll pick them up. Tell them to enjoy looking over their shoulders for the cops.
I got this trick from a colleague who ran a CD store, works beautifully.
posted on August 8, 2002 10:56:35 AM new
Thanks for all the help everyone. I'm going to wait and call his bank - and once I get the check back in the mail, call and verify the funds - once they get in there and go to HIS bank and cash it.
If the account is closed, I'll chalk up to JACKSWEBB advice and to think of it as a "donation" to someone who was "needy".
Altho I'm one of those who is "needy" themselves. $80 is $80!
posted on August 9, 2002 04:07:43 PM new
I got the check back in the mail today from my bank, with "Closed Account" stamped on it...looks like I made a "donation" to some needy soul against my will...oh well, guess I'll let karma take over now...
posted on August 9, 2002 04:16:34 PM new
Try the MAD agency even with the closed account. No matter what they will bother the guy for the money. That's worth it alone and there are zero fees charged to you.
posted on August 9, 2002 04:27:02 PM new
SPYKED.......I THINK,,,,,,NO.... GOT SPIKED. I KNEW THAT ACCOUNT WAS DEAD......BEEN AROUND THE WORLD A FEW TIMES. ONCE A FLAKE......
ONE THING THO,,,,,,DO NOT GIVE UP ON HELPING THOSE IN NEED. GIVE YOUR CHARITY MONEY TO SOME UKNOWN THEN YOU WILL NEVER THINK ABOUT IT AGAIN.
KARMA,,,,,,,,WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND. HE WILL GET HIS,,,,,,,
IF THERE IS ANY WAY I CAN HELP YOU JUST SAY THE WORD.......BUT PLEASE DON'T SAY,,,,,,$80.00,,,,,, WITH INTEREST DOWN THE ROAD. HAHAHAHA.
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW OLD YOU ARE BUT THAT WAS A VERY, VERY CHEAP LESSON. YOU'LL BE WISER AND RICHER BECAUSE OF HIM.
WOULD HE OF EVER DONE THE SAME IF THE SHOE WAS ON THE OTHER FOOT????? I KNOW IT IS VERY EASY TO BE FOOLED. IT WON'T BE THE LAST TIME EITHER. THEREFORE KEEP A SHARP EYE OUT.....DO SOME,,,,,HAHAHAHA, "FEED BACK" CHECKING.
IF FEED BACK WERE POSTED ON EVERYONES FOREHEAD THIS WOULD BE A MUCH BETTER WORLD. SOME COUNTRIES DO HAVE FEED BACK. THEY CUT THE SUCKERS HAND OFF!!!!!! LIKE I SAID, OTHER COUNTRIES. NOT MINE. I WOULD AIM LOWER.
GET OVER AND GET ON. LIFE IS TOO SHORT. THE BEST TO YOU.
posted on August 9, 2002 06:22:09 PM new
I don't think madagency.com is in business anymore.
I tried to open a case last week...no response. Tried to fax some documents using the fax number on the web page...got an answering machine. Sent email...never got a response.
posted on August 9, 2002 09:19:33 PM newThe web page looks fine, though.
Sure. I could direct you to the personal web pages of a friend of mine who has been dead for four years now. His web site lives on, with no sign that he's joined the Choir Invisible.
posted on August 9, 2002 11:05:20 PM new
MAD is a small little agency with a very small staff. I bet it is vacation time. I would not give up on an $80 check very easily.
posted on August 9, 2002 11:19:50 PM new
MAD ,,,,,,,,,,,,IS A PERFECT TITLE........FORGET ABOUT IT........IT WILL AND CAN DRIVE YOU MAD,,,,,,,,,BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. LET IT GO..........IT AIN'T WORTH THE PAIN.............YOU LEARNED,,,,,,,THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT........HOW ABOUT $60,000.00 EMBEZZELED........NO ONE CARED. NOT THE COPS,,,,NO ONE,,,,,,,I AM A GUY. IF I WERE A WOMAN,,,,,,THE COPS WOULD HAVE BEEN ON HIM LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT....FORGET AND GO ON........I KNOW BETTER THAN YOU EVER THINK.......IT CAN DRIVE YOU MAD. DON'T LET IT........FORGET IT.......THESE ADVISORS HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE. I HAVE. CLICK, BOOM! BUT I KNEW I WOULD PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE.......12 YEARS LATER,,,,,HERE I AM BOTHERING AND HAHAHAHA, YELLING ON E BAY AND A/W........LIFE GOES ON,,,,,,,,UNLESS YOU LET IT GET THE BEST OF YOU.
posted on August 10, 2002 05:53:59 AM new
I'm not going to do anything. I did call the police department in the city where he lived, and I was told, that if the check was written for over $400 - then they can make a case out of it. If under $400, there's nothing they can do and it was suggested I go to Small Claims court - but after shelling out the court costs and other crap for that, it wouldn't be worth it.
In reality, I'm only out $65 - since he gave me an $80 check for $60 cash I lent him. My bank chraged me $5 for the NSF processing fee.
Since I covered everywhere I can with this, and realized there's not much I can do, I'm just going to let it go. But because of this NO ONE will ever be allowed to borrow money from me again! That guy ruined it for everyone else...
posted on August 10, 2002 01:10:33 PM new
I know your bounced check is not auction related, but.......
I just had a winning bidder e-mail me right after eoa, "It would make it a lot easier if you'd accept personal checks from people with good feedback."
Then she e-mailed next day, "I found time to go to the bank and get a money order today," as if she was saying, 'you were LUCKY I squeezed you into my schedule.'
Well, I don't accept checks. I can't afford bounced checks. If it puts my acct in the negative, then all the checks written after it bounce, too. I think our bank charges $20-25 per bounced check. So, no way-hay.
Why bid on my auction if you disagree with my pay terms???? I don't like buying money orders either, but if I agree to it, I don't gripe to the seller.
