Personal Checks

[GoofieRuthie]

I think it is so ignorant for people to act like that. When I worked at a bank, people used to get all in a tissy when I asked for their ID before cashing a check for them. These were people I had never seen before. I guess they would be happier if I had cashed their checks for someone else

I do not understand why people object to this. I often see people getting upset when asked to see IDs when using credit cards. I wouldn't care if they asked to see mine when I use my debit card. That's a small inconvenience compared to the inconvenience of identidy theft.

I also don't understand why people don't sign their credit cards. It is a lot easier to steal a credit card, sign it and use it as their own than to use one already signed. That's one reason why the credit card companies instruct you to sign it.

I am a teller in a bank and deal with this every day. I have to explain that it is for their own protection when I ask for ID. It's mostly senior citizens that get upset. I usually get, "I've been banking here for yada yada years and have never had to show my ID!" They usually calm down when I tell them it's for their protection though. I'm glad that you stuck to your guns and didn't give in. I wish more people would do that. Although, when my purse was stolen, a girl used my ID when writing my checks. It took 3 large checks for the girl to finally pay attention to the picture. When she did, she realized that she knew me, alerted a manager, and called me at 4 am.

As for Credit Cards, something that I just found out the other day. If someone's CC is stolen or fraudenlently copied, as long as the store has copy of the receipt with a signature, the bank can't win a dispute. It doesn't matter if the signature doesn't match the owners and it's just a squiggle. The bank has to eat that charge. A little OT, I guess, since it doesn't really affect you as a customer since you will most likely get your money. Just thought that was interesting and not quite fair.

 

[littleteapot]

I seldom use checks, but when I use my credit card, I always say Thank You! when a cashier asks for my id. I figure they are just trying to save me a headache!

 

[Snow_White]

How rude!!!! Actually it's just the opposite of what you are suggesting. The only people who I know that still write checks are 70+ years old. I would never dream of writing a check in a store......how time consuming and archaic.

 

[juligrl]

If, and when, you do decide to show ID. Do not get mad if we still don't accept your check because your ID expired two years ago.

What got me was people trying to rent cars (I used to work at Enterprise) with a long ago expired drivers license!

 

[bigmerle1966]

my thoughts too! Why would you be out and about (probably driving)and not have ID with you?

Lots of people! I work for a childcare program and we require ID when someone picks up the child for the first time, whoever that may be, parents or otherwise. We get quite a few who don't have ID on them. I can understand if it's someone who is called and asked to pick up and just runs out of the house and forgets to grab their wallet, but those that are coming home from work

And by the way I happen to write checks and I'm not 70! I pay most of my bills that way and occasionally use them in stores. I do pay one CC on-line but I will not do automatic bill pay, I don't want any company having the ability to take anything out of my checking account.

 

[Free4Life11]

How rude!!!! Actually it's just the opposite of what you are suggesting. The only people who I know that still write checks are 70+ years old. I would never dream of writing a check in a store......how time consuming and archaic.

I agree. It just seems so pointless to write one in a store, most banks offer some sort of account that comes with a no-fee debit card. Much easier are more secure.

 

[rparmfamily]

Where is charabby's post that was rude? Did I miss it?

Anyway, I think it's just a matter of time w/checks too. When you use one, the company you wrote it to has your bank account number, address, etc as well. They can (rules of check 21) draft it out of your acct, though I think they have to post those rules in the store before you write your check.

 

[charabby]

How rude!!!! Actually it's just the opposite of what you are suggesting. The only people who I know that still write checks are 70+ years old. I would never dream of writing a check in a store......how time consuming and archaic.

So you admit to knowing that people still write checks? It's not surprising to you that it occurs? Do you think that there are people that are so sheltered they never encounter this and actually believe that no one does it anymore? Yes, I think it's a dumb statement to make b/c I don't believe there are people who don't know that some people still write checks. The statement was made to be a smart aleck.

 

[charabby]

Where is charabby's post that was rude? Did I miss it?

Anyway, I think it's just a matter of time w/checks too. When you use one, the company you wrote it to has your bank account number, address, etc as well. They can (rules of check 21) draft it out of your acct, though I think they have to post those rules in the store before you write your check.

It got deleted. They are not kidding about moderating around here. I did not even know we had personal mail until just a few minutes ago.

 

[rparmfamily]

Oh ok, got it!!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Why would you not accept the cheque with yesterday's date? It is perfectly legal and valid. The fact that your internal process puts today's date on it as well is completely unimportant. I don't understand why you or your company would be so pedantic?

As legal and valid as it may be, they check the date that's printed on the check against the date that is written on the front. If they dates don't match, I get in trouble. I don't want to get in trouble over something stupid like what the date is. The customer said it didn't make a difference, but, if it didn't make a difference, why didn't she just change it, instead of just arguing with me?

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Where is charabby's post that was rude? Did I miss it?

I was wondering what had happened to it to. Except of course by the time it was deleted it was already quoted. It seems the posters are too fast for the mods.

 

[Nancy]

How rude!!!! Actually it's just the opposite of what you are suggesting. The only people who I know that still write checks are 70+ years old. I would never dream of writing a check in a store......how time consuming and archaic.

I write a check for my groceries every week and I am far from 70 + years old. I do that because I can write it for more money with no fee charged by my bank...saves me going to the ATM for cash and saves me a fee if I use my card as a debit. I have all info written in before hand except for amount. The store also has check cashing cards so all my info is on file and I don't have to pull out ID. My check writing is actually quicker than waiting for people to pull out their wallets and dig out thier exact amount in change to pay for the groceries.

Plus I work at the store and we still have a lot of people writing checks to pay for groceries. I don't see it disappearing any time soon.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I do that because I can write it for more money with no fee charged by my bank...saves me going to the ATM for cash and saves me a fee if I use my card as a debit.

We let people write checks for cash back to. I know that it's more convienant for people to do that, then to have to go to their bank, or be charged for the debit card fee that's on certain cards.

 

[ford family]

As legal and valid as it may be, they check the date that's printed on the check against the date that is written on the front. If they dates don't match, I get in trouble. I don't want to get in trouble over something stupid like what the date is. The customer said it didn't make a difference, but, if it didn't make a difference, why didn't she just change it, instead of just arguing with me?

Because she was right and you, or your company policies, are wrong?

ford family

 

[Tyler's Dad]

Because she was right and you, or your company policies, are wrong?

ford family

The reason companies do this is to make sure if the check come back, they don't have to worry about the age old "I wasn't even in town on that date." I did check collections for years and if more companies would check ID, then the amount of checks returned would go down drastically. As a matter of fact, those machines that put the dates on them often guarantee that someone will end up paying the store for that check. With the company I worked for, if the Name, Address, Phone Number, DL Number, and date stamp were on the check, then we paid full face value to the company before we collected on it. If any of that was missing, they had to wait until we got payment. What I always told out cliets was, if they argue about giving a phone number or showing you ID, then you don't want their check.

 

[RealMickeysGirl]

I write checks and I automatically put my work phone number and drivers license number on it. I still take out my id to show the clerk. Lots of times though, they will say they don't need to see it. If it is a place I go all the time and I know they remember me (some of the drugstore clerks where I have been getting my parent's medicines have seen me so often they don't even have to ask what name is on the prescription, they just go "you are here for so-and-so's prescriptions?" and I answer yes.) then I don't mind that much but if I don't remember giving you a check before, I don't expect that you will remember me either.

I don't really like check cards because I am terrable about keeping up with the little receipts to write in the register. Also - I want them to check id with them and most places don't.

On one of my credit cards I even wrote "ID Required" on the back where my signature went but most times they didn't even look at it. Especially in restaurants. I do sign it now besides just having "ID Required" - someone mentioned to me once that someone else could still sign it.

I have handed my drivers license with my credit card to a store clerk and had them look confused as to why I gave them my DL.

 

[PghLybrt]

I just wish everybody would pay cash.

To many bad checks are simply written because people float the money. They know that by time it goes to court they will have been using the product for months if not for a year. It’s a cheap loan. If they pay it right before it goes to court then they never have charges.

Credit cards, again so many people know that they can get away with a chargeback and the retailer will have to eat it. I also hate the fees I have to pay to accept them and then the amount of time it takes to get funded (there is a reason stores do not take American express or discover)

I am not saying that everybody does this or that even many people do this but in my industry this is what happens . We have some of the worst rates for chargebacks and it difficult to find a merchant service that will process them.

So yes when I take your check I want Id. And yes if it does not match I am refusing it. And if you cross out your credit card numbers on your slip just know that it all prints out at the end of day with your entire name and credit card number amount of sale and date and time.

 

[mickaholic4077]

And another thing, when we need your phone number on the check, we need your phone number on the check. If it's not on there, I'm going to get in trouble, and I'm not going to get in trouble just because you don't want to put it on there.

I used to work for Wal-Mart. We were told that if people refused to give their phone numbers when doing a check,that it was a privacy issue and their was nothing we could do,we still had to take the check.

 

[RealMickeysGirl]

I used to work for Wal-Mart. We were told that if people refused to give their phone numbers when doing a check,that it was a privacy issue and their was nothing we could do,we still had to take the check.

I used to work for Service Merchandise - back in the mid 80's - when I started working there, I think it was 1981, we had to get a fingerprint on the back of the check. We put a little oval sticker on the back and the customer put their thumb on an invisable ink pad and then on the check.

Talk about angry folks. I would try to explain that if someone else was trying to use their check, we would have that person's finger print to track them down or at least prove that they weren't the person who wrote the check. Sometimes they would understand and sometimes not. Eventually, they dropped the policy.

Of course, if your employer approves, there is always the "writing a check is a privilege, if you don't want to give the information we need on the check (or see your id or whatever), then you need to pay with cash".