Bounced Checks?

[whitewater]

What do you guys do?

For 6 years I have not had one bouce..Now the last 2 months I have had 1 bounce in each month.. The first one I redeposited when the customer told me it was ok to do so.

Now my bank charges me $15 per. I have on my invoices that there is a charge for insufficient funds, but in reality I can not collect it if they do not come in to pay.

This last one is a little league parent, wasn't even a large order..doubt I'll get my 15.

How is it possible to decide who to trust?

[GraphicDisorder]

What do you guys do?

For 6 years I have not had one bouce..Now the last 2 months I have had 1 bounce in each month.. The first one I redeposited when the customer told me it was ok to do so.

Now my bank charges me $15 per. I have on my invoices that there is a charge for insufficient funds, but in reality I can not collect it if they do not come in to pay.

This last one is a little league parent, wasn't even a large order..doubt I'll get my 15.

How is it possible to decide who to trust?

That sucks!

Checks are a dead technology in my opinion.  So we don't take them and haven't for years.  I only get maybe a couple customers a year want to use a check.  We deal with a lot of younger crowd though so I guess that is more normal for them.

[Socalfmf]

that is why we do not take them...cash or credit card...plain and simple..plus it saves us time in quick books and accounting

Sam

[mk162]

I'd rather take a check since I don't get dinged for the CC charge.  Most people use a card though, and a lot of our corporate customers write checks.

On a funny note, I did have a former pro football player bounce a $1,500 check last year.

I've seen more bounced checks than ever before, but it's still cheaper than a credit card.  And frankly, with a check scanner, I don't go to the bank anymore unless it is cash.

[whitewater]

ok...it seems like everyone here pays by check...you take them from schools and companies and other organizations?

maybe just for a personal order I can say no..

[Frog]

Credit cards can present their own problems. Have any of you had to deal with disputes?

btw, I have gotten a half dozen bad checks over 23 years and always also got my returned check charge ($25 now).
I deal 95% local face to face and that may make a little bit of a difference.

[squeegee]

Another point on bounced checks, and this is dependent on local law, but it is actually illegal to bounce a check, so if you can't get it resolved, call the police and follow the procedures, I had to do it once (my customer was trying to get out of paying completely, another story), it involved sending a certified letter, but once I did that, the cop told the guy if he didn't pay up, he was coming to his house to take him to jail.  Said customer paid immediately.  Also, do not receive partial payments after a bounced check as this is considered an extension of credit and nulls your case against them.

I've never had to deal with a dispute on my side, but I have disputed charges with ASI vendors before, it's not fun.

[Frog]

In California, the punishment for scoflaws is triple the amount!

[mk162]

you can say no personal checks. Our auto mechanic just stopped taking them.  ALDI never has and look where they are.

I've dealt with disputed CCs and it's horrible, get ready to lose.

Once I threatened to have a former Atlanta Falcon arrested, he paid up real fast.

[Socalfmf]

really..disputes are easy if you have their signature on the invoice...hence our systems and practices are in order...we have yet to lose one....

Sam

[Clark]

Almost all of my clients pay with checks.  But I deal almost 100% with businesses and most are on net 30.

[RICK STEFANICK]

sam, i gottcha on the walk ins where the card is present.. in fact i'm using that new square device and it works great. but how do you protect yourself with the key ins. i have several clients that i print for out of town with a card number on file.i dont expect any issues but things do happen. are you faxing something for a signature? 

[Socalfmf]

we do NOT print anything unless they sign off on our invoice...this stating they are buying the stuff...and no refunds due to it being custom!!!  we have gone against chargebacks about 8-10 times and once we present all the sign docs we get our money....

Sam

[GraphicDisorder]

Never had a charge back.  All of our customers have to pay themselves via credit card each time, we don't keep their card on file so we cant just run around running peoples card numbers, in other words it would tough to prove they didn't make the transaction happen themselves since they are the one that enters and pays the invoice. 

[RICK STEFANICK]

I dont understand? pay themselves?