Disney would not take my check!!! Here I am at VWL!

[bsusanmb]

This has never happened to me before. DH and I are trying not to use our CC's and paying off our home early so that we can retire in 6 years. We own 630 DVC points. When we left on 6/2 I asked DH if I should bring cc's or a lot of cash, and he said no, just enough cash for spending, $500 and our check book. I did bring one cc with me that has only a $1000 limit. Left all the rest at home.

I was planning on paying for the dining plan for the 4 of us with a check, putting down the cc for charging to the room, and buying us AP's with our DVC card at a discount.

Gave WL our check and after waiting a very very long time, was denied by telecheck. DH and I believed this to be impossible (lots of money in our account and have not bounced any checks, no credit issues). We have had this account for 23 years and have never been denied writing a check anywhere, including WDW. Our annual dues are direct debit from our account.

Well, I was crying till all was said and done. We ended up paying the meal plan on our cc, and then had to go to SOG (DH is a military retiree) and bought our passes at $100 each extra, with a check.

I called telecheck, and they could not give me a reason. It was a code 3 (I think) and it could be that they do not guarantee checks with a credit union (we use our local credit union and not a bank), or that our check number is too high (we are now in the 10,000's), or we write too many checks, or just a system error.

Needless to say it destroyed our first day here. So, I had my credit card with the high limit overnight'd to me (we are staying 4 days in studio and 6 in a one bedroom at the VWL so it will be two separate check ins). I was really upset.

In the future, I will have to bring a lot of cash or succumb to the credit card charging. Yes, I can pay it off right away, but when you have money to spare in your checking account, and all Disney says they require is a DL and major CC, that is what I expected. YIKES. Well, live and learn.

 

[Doug Wolfe]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

It's amazing that Telecheck can reject your check, but they can't tell you the reason why. You might want to persue that when you get home and find out why they did that. If they say no to you again, ask for a supervisor. Although they will still probably not tell you.

Your theory on the credit union check is my bet. The credit union might not be a member of their system, and they probably simply issue "rejects" on any account like that. Pure speculation on my part.

Please enjoy the rest of your stay!

 

[CapeCodFam]

Thanks for the post. We'll make sure we bring cc's and pay off when we get back.

 

[zdesiree]

That happened to me once. I was in a store and paid in the electronics area of the store with a check, since you can't take anything of that area to be paid in another area of the store, no problem at all. When we went to paid for the the other things we took from the rest of the store, the check was declined. How come! If I just paid with a check in the same store. Anyway I called to telecheck and like you, they didn't give me a logic explanation. I called the next day and they transferred me like 3 times and at the end is because Telecheck has a limit per day, and the weekends run like 1 day, at that moment they told me the limit was $500.00, and this is a general limit, not an individual limit. So that's a possibility of what happened to you.

 

[CarolMN]

I agree with Doug - find out why if you want to use checks in the future. I found out a few years back that if a "link" is down somewhere, it automatically rejects everything. Don't know if that is still true or not. Anyway, try not to let it bother you.

Since you have the money, I'd be tempted to just use the credit card in the future for these "pre planned" type of expenses, and either send in the money to pay it off as soon as you get home or pay off the balance online.

If they are going to make a huge production out of accepting a check (which actually nets them more money since they don't have to pay the credit card company a portion of the amount charged), I'd just go with the flow and forget about it.

Best wishes -

 

[NJOYURLIFE]

Sorry you had a bad start! I never even thought I could use a check at Disney World, but if you had done it before I can see how you'd include using it in your planning.

That is just a little too much power in the hands of Telecheck if you ask me.
I love our credit union, but sometimes we get treated like second class citizens in the banking world because we do our banking at a credit union.


The extra $100 on the annual passes really stinks, too.

Here is some that the rest of your trip goes well!

 

[MojitoMiss]

This has happened to me, too. I called Telecheck to find out why, and they could give no reason. The manager basically said "*&#) happens." But I know how embarrassing and frustrating it is having a payment refused when there's money in the bank. Sorry that happened to you, and at the happiest place on earth to boot. Telecheck has way too much power.....

MM

 

[elijahpep]

What a devasting thing to happen on your visit to Disney!

My sympathies. We also have had that expereince while out and about shopping one time. We shopped at a Target, no problem, then ten minutes later made a
large pre planned purchase at a sporting goods store and it happened. "Your
check has been rejected by Telecheck." They gave a number to call and we did. The service rep at the the check place said they have a checks and balances when large purchases are made so closely together that do not
jive with the general spending nature of the account.

They advised we go back in and have the sports store run it again and it went thru.

That being said, WOW! I would also have been freaked to say the least if it had happened at Disney so far away.

Hope you recover from this set back and have a Mickey Magical time the remainder of your visit home!

~DW

 

[rparmfamily]

Wow!! That does stink! I'm sorry this happened to you, thank you for the information. I HATE Telecheck and now I know to just leave the checkbook at home. (I hardly write checks anyway, I use my debit card instead.)

 

[Jacksmom99]

I guess I don't understand going through the hassle of writing a check when you can use debit cards? We carry very small amounts of cash, the trip money in traveler's checks and emergency money in the checking account at home for which we being the debit card. We have paid off all credit cards and use only cash.

 

[DebbieB]

I guess I don't understand going through the hassle of writing a check when you can use debit cards? We carry very small amounts of cash, the trip money in traveler's checks and emergency money in the checking account at home for which we being the debit card. We have paid off all credit cards and use only cash.

I wonder that too when people are writing checks at the grocery store. Maybe not all banks/credit unions issue debit cards?

 

[NJOYURLIFE]

I wonder that too when people are writing checks at the grocery store. Maybe not all banks/credit unions issue debit cards?

Sometimes debit cards can be a major hassle. I know my debit card has a $500 daily spending limit. I have sometimes run into major problems on weekends or when a debit didn't go through the day it was suppose to. I have had my debit card denied at a store for a $200 and then walked out to the MAC machine and taken the cash out and returned and paid for an item.

Also, if a debit card number gets stolen, then the theif would have access to the funds in the bank account.

So I can see lots of reasons to use a regular credit card or checks rather than a debit card.

 

[ktink]

Wow, sorry that happened to you. I had a similar experience at a store once and the funny thing about it is that I decision the NSF checks at our bank. I can assure you that I've never returned any of my own, for that matter as a bank employee it is grounds for dismissal to have an overdrawn account. I was dumbfounded that they turned my check down so I called the company ( can't remember the name) and come to find out they said that it was an account that they weren't familiar with and that it is the stores discretion to accept the check in this situation. They advised me to call back in a couple of days and that everything should be fine.

 

[Beth]

I work for a Bank, and I can tell you..... we HATE TeleCheck.

....Because - most of the time - our customers calls up screaming at us! ....When Telecheck has no connection to us, at all. They set their own criteria as to why they will and will not give authorizations.

I understand the risks associated with debit cards - BELIEVE ME! - but it may save you a lot of hassle.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Well, I was crying till all was said and done. We ended up paying the meal plan on our cc, and then had to go to SOG (DH is a military retiree) and bought our passes at $100 each extra, with a check.

Do I understand correctly that you couldn't get your DVC discount on Annual Passes over at SoG? If that is the case, I believe you can go to Guest Relations next time you are in the park, and swap your non-discounted APs for DVC discounted APs, and get the difference back in cash.

When we first got the discount, we already had our APs. We turned them in at Guest relations, upgraded to PAPs and got a little money back while doing it. I'm not sure if you will be able to to do an AP for discounted AP swap, but it's worth a try.

Good luck!

 

[Cruelladeville]

Did you try going to the Sun Bank at MK? I don't know if they still do it, but they used to take checks there. It's a major hassle, I know, but it's possible that they could have done something. It shouldn't be that hard to cash a check, though!!

 

[BeckyV]

This happened to me as well two times at Hilton Head. I have two checking accounts with two different banks. One of them will not work with Telecheck and I was told it was because there are not enough numbers on my checking account for Telecheck. The other one always goes through.

 

[eliza61]

This has happen to me a few times when I've written checks. Telecheck has given me a few reasons.

1. They do have a dollar limit (usually $500) any large amount supposedly has a greater chance of being denied. I tried to purchase a motorcycle with a personal check and telecheck gave it the boot.

2. Location. Once told that if you are trying to cash a check in a resort area where theft may be a concern (eg. theme parks, tourist destinations) telecheck may refuse the check or ask for additional id just to make sure it's really your money.

Don't know if these are good reasons, just ones that I have been told by telecheck. I don't carry my check book because of theft issues. When I go to WDW I put every thing on 1 cc (usually amex) and pay it off upon returning home. I like the way amex will keep track of my purchases and they have no limit.

Hope the rest of your vacation went well and you had a magical time!

 

[Mickmse2002]

Debit cards can cause the same problem. If you have a limit on withdrawls for a day (mine is $400) then you may not be able to access all the funds you need/have in your account.

 

[flechette]

Actually - Code 3 usually refers to invalid ID...

Code 1 - previous NSFs

Code 2 - too new an account to establish history or exceeds preset limits

Code 3 - ID format does not conform to established guidelines for Valid ID

----

So another possibility is if you presented your military ID and not a drivers license - either the CM or the telecheck people didn't catch it's not a driver's license and booted it.

That's happened to me a too many times to count - give military ID - declined! give driver license- approved! (hubby's NC National Guard and getting ready to leave for 2nd tour)

What a rotten start to a vacation- I hope it got better!