Am I supposed to care?

[Pat Whatley]

Guy orders a bunch of banners for his business, pays a 50% deposit, gives me a debit card to run for the balance when the banners come in.

Got the banners, delivered the banners, he loved the banners (yes, in hindsight I should have run the card before delivery....I was in a hurry)

Try to run the debit card that afternoon and it won't go through because he's overdrawn.

For the last three months I've been calling, and calling, and calling all the while trying every couple of days to run the card (he wouldn't return calls).

Well, after three months Friday morning the charge went through, finally.

This morning he calls raising hell that he's getting hit with all kinds of overdraft charges because he'd transferred the money into the account to pay "all his other bills" and because I ran my charge through he's overdrawn. Last words he screamed into the phone were that the police and his lawyers would be in touch with me to get him his $250 in overdraft charges back plus whatever else bounced in the mean time.

Already got his signed charge authorization out and ready to fax....I know dang well he's about to dispute it.....and lose. :ROFLMAO:

 

[James Chrimes]

You were in line first. lol

 

[HulkSmash]

that's awesome.

 

[westpointsigns]

Checkbook 101...

Just because you have a blank check, it does not mean you have money.

 

[Gino]

That's funny. Not the part about your having to wait three months, but his reasoning powers and solutions to a problem he created.

I'd tell him to come on over to discuss things and then punch him in the nose.

Not really, but that just sounded like a good solution from your end and very calming.​

I had a guy give me a check last Friday. He had some excuse not to deposit it until Saturday morning.... he was caught in traffic and couldn't deposit the money for Friday and it would clear Saturday.

Okay, I had heard about a large accident on Rt 78 and that's where he said he was sitting in traffic.... creating the delay to his bank.

Saturday around 9:30am I walked up to the counter and after a few words of exchange, the girl looks up and very seriously says.... I can't cash this for you. Huh ?? Why not ?? Insufficient funds ?? Bad check ??

Sorry sir, I cannot disclose any information other than you have to go back to the person who gave you the check and ask for another one.

What da fu........... ??

This guy writes me a check for something he owes me and you're not gonna help me ?? You're gonna defend this scumbag that just stiffed me ?? What kinda bank is this ?? Oh yeah.... TD Bank. Here's one for ya.... I ain't never gonna open an account in this place.

So, the day after Saturday is Sunday...... Not Open and the next day is a holiday. I called this morning around 6:15 and woke him up and said... Hey Sam, your check won't cash. Yawning and stuff he says..... it will be good by 10'clock today. I didn't get it in until late Friday.

Seems he never had the cash and put a check in Friday. Called the bank and they said.... if he deposited that Friday, it won't be there until tomorrow morning. I'm gonna go there tomorrow morning on my way in and if it's not there..... I won't waste any time calling him. I know where he lives.... and I just bought a new gun Sunday...... gonna get some practice in on it.

 

[SignManiac]

I'm having the opposite problem. I had two recent projects where I asked for a deposit and they sent me payment in full, before the work was even started...Go figure? I just can win

 

[Si Allen]

Collection problems?

 

[oldgoatroper]

Collection problems?

That reminds me of a friend who used to own an auto repair shop. One day a buddy is visiting him and my friend is whining about this one account that hasn't paid their bill in more than six months citing every excuse under the sun.

His buddy grabs the phone book and before my friend realizes what buddy is up to, he's on the phone to the delinquent company in a tight, strained, raspy voice saying, "...yeah... Lefty here... [friend] at [friend's auto shop] thought I should call you and see if you wanted to learn how to use a five-iron..."

Forty minutes later, someone gets sent over with a cheque, that actually turns out to be good...

Problem solved.

 

[Mainframe]

Great Post! YOU MADE MY DAY! Glad you nailed the deadbeat!

 

[threeputt]

Sorry sir, I cannot disclose any information other than you have to go back to the person who gave you the check and ask for another one.

What da fu........... ??

This guy writes me a check for something he owes me and you're not gonna help me ?? You're gonna defend this scumbag that just stiffed me ?? What kinda bank is this ?? Oh yeah.... TD Bank. Here's one for ya.... I ain't never gonna open an account in this place.

.. I won't waste any time calling him. I know where he lives.... and I just bought a new gun Sunday...... gonna get some practice in on it.

Really Gino? You don't sound like you quite know how the banking system works. They're supposed to violate state and federal statute to help you? You're not their client, he is! (albeit probably not a very good one)

Secondly, are you really a merchant member here? A business man?

The gun stuff sounds really off to me. Yeah we've all got guns. I use mine for self-protection. Not to settle cash debts. Your post just sounds weird to me, an over-the-top response to a civil matter.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume this wasn't a business debt or you would simply deposit the check. No business goes to their client's bank and asks for cash unless it's a private affair. (you sold him your boat, or whatever)

 

[Joe Diaz]

Last words he screamed into the phone were that the police and his lawyers would be in touch with me to get him his $250 in overdraft charges back plus whatever else bounced in the mean time.

How is he planning on paying for his lawyer? If I was his lawyer I would think twice about accepting payment in the form of check.:ROFLMAO:

 

[threeputt]

Pat, you played by the rules. It's well established that over-drafts are subject to banking fees.

His problem totally.

 

[CanuckSigns]

a bit off topic, but are personal cheques the norm in the USA? I was in buffalo a few weeks ago and the person in front of me at the grocery store payed for her groceries with a cheque. I haven't seen that in Canada for at least 10-15 years and I don't think you could even do it to be honest, i know we don't accept personal cheques and I can't think of a single business that does.

Anyways, it sucks that you got stiffed, but doesn't it feel great to get it in the end!

 

[vid]

A friend of mine held an insufficient check for 6 months... but, it cost him $100 to cash it.

It was for a BIG dollar amount that he tried to deposit a couple times.

At the time, the bank would run a check through twice --- on the third attempt, the bank would just stamp it NSF and the payee would need to get a new one issued by the customer.

So, to avoid getting the check stamped, he'd take it to the customer's bank and try to cash it at the teller window... to no avail.​

He made the typical demand phone calls to the customer... to no avail.

Frustrated, he resorted to calling the bank to verify funds when he had the time. Of course, there were never enough funds for the amount he was asking about.

He then started calling to verify funds for a lesser amount than was on the check. It took a few months --- verifying differing amounts --- to figure out that the check writer made large deposits on the afternoons of the 15th and 30th.. However, the amounts were never quite enough to cover the check he was holding.

Finally, he went to the customer's bank one late afternoon and deposited $100 cash into the customer's account --- just enough to get the account balance to cover the check he held in his hand...

He got the same kind of phone calls Pat got. and... and... the customer complained that my friend gave him the $100 :ROFLMAO:​

 

[FatCat]

A friend of mine held an insufficient check for 6 months... but, it cost him $100 to cash it.

It was for a BIG dollar amount that he tried to deposit a couple times.

At the time, the bank would run a check through twice --- on the third attempt, the bank would just stamp it NSF and the payee would need to get a new one issued by the customer.

So, to avoid getting the check stamped, he'd take it to the customer's bank and try to cash it at the teller window... to no avail.​

He made the typical demand phone calls to the customer... to no avail.

Frustrated, he resorted to calling the bank to verify funds when he had the time. Of course, there were never enough funds for the amount he was asking about.

He then started calling to verify funds for a lesser amount than was on the check. It took a few months --- verifying differing amounts --- to figure out that the check writer made large deposits on the afternoons of the 15th and 30th.. However, the amounts were never quite enough to cover the check he was holding.

Finally, he went to the customer's bank one late afternoon and deposited $100 cash into the customer's account --- just enough to get the account balance to cover the check he held in his hand...

He got the same kind of phone calls Pat got. and... and... the customer complained that my friend gave him the $100 :ROFLMAO:​

I am in awe...TOO COOL!!!

 

[Gino]

I guess your right, three. I don't know how the banking system works, but then why should I ?? I'm not a bank and he shouldn't be passing bad checks around. I'm a simple signman and expect payment when due, not chasing down some lying deadbeat.

It occurred to me that since I didn't do business with this guy before, that I'd get the check made out to me and go to his bank directly and make sure the check doesn't bounce before depositing into my bank, waiting the time-frame it takes to clear both banks and then get a charge for insufficient funds from his bank. I get charged an extra $25 or so and still out the money.

Maybe instead of giving you the short version, I should've given the whole story. I didn't want to pirate Pat's thread.

This guy had given me all kinds of red flags while doing his work from calling and changing things to when he actually needed the signs. Add to that his telling me he forgot his wallet in New Jersey and would have to go get a check from someone else here in Pennsylvania, to not having the money at hand to put in the bank to he's used to dealing with COD's and some other creative ways of holding off payment. While he was here, I just told him to make the check out to me personally. In this manner, I can find out instantly if he's got money or not. This is not routine and not out of my way to go to his bank.

Yeah, I'm a Merchant Member, businessman and I answer many-many questions here at s101 and never thought anyone would take the gun thing seriously. I even put in lighter color it was a kinda 'shits and giggles' kinda thing earlier on.

Your last statement brings a smile to my face. That's all I can say. ​

 

[weaselboogie]

Sorry sir, I cannot disclose any information other than you have to go back to the person who gave you the check and ask for another one.

What da fu........... ??

That's EVERY bank. Anytime I've called to verify funds at any bank and it hasn't been there, that's all they're allowed to say. I've even joked around with them and said it's ok, I know you're not allowed to say... but cough twice for yes and once for no.

I love this story pat. Keep us updated.

 

[threeputt]

I guess your right, three. I don't know how the banking system works, but then why should I ?? I'm not a bank and he shouldn't be passing bad checks around. I'm a simple signman and expect payment when due, not chasing down some lying deadbeat.

It occurred to me that since I didn't do business with this guy before, that I'd get the check made out to me and go to his bank directly and make sure the check doesn't bounce before depositing into my bank, waiting the time-frame it takes to clear both banks and then get a charge for insufficient funds from his bank. I get charged an extra $25 or so and still out the money.

Maybe instead of giving you the short version, I should've given the whole story. I didn't want to pirate Pat's thread.

This guy had given me all kinds of red flags while doing his work from calling and changing things to when he actually needed the signs. Add to that his telling me he forgot his wallet in New Jersey and would have to go get a check from someone else here in Pennsylvania, to not having the money at hand to put in the bank to he's used to dealing with COD's and some other creative ways of holding off payment. While he was here, I just told him to make the check out to me personally. In this manner, I can find out instantly if he's got money or not. This is not routine and not out of my way to go to his bank.

Yeah, I'm a Merchant Member, businessman and I answer many-many questions here at s101 and never thought anyone would take the gun thing seriously. I even put in lighter color it was a kinda 'shits and giggles' kinda thing earlier on.

Your last statement brings a smile to my face. That's all I can say.
​

My mistake on the gun thing. Took it wrong.

Yes, you're a respected guy in our trade and to answer a lot of questions.

I'm a bit grouchy today. No offense intended.

 

[Pat Whatley]

At one point I did feel bad for the guy. I think I even posted here the time somebody bounced a check to me which caused me to get overdrawn....and the overdraft fees ate up the next deposit I made which kept me overdrawn....and all I got out of the check bouncer was a $35 returned check fee.

Then again as soon as I remembered he'd been dodging my phone calls for three months forgot about feeling bad for him.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Just had pay by check for 2- 4X8s even mounted on main pole ( easy mount, Coro also ) so nothing huge , anyway turned out it bounced, my bank took almost a month to give me a copy that other bank would not cash, meantime customer played hide and seek, another month goes by I get a better copy from my bank, called customers bank bingo enough in I cash it wooo hooo. did not tell customer would like to see his face when he finds his account was drained lol lol .... sometimes it turns out ok anyway.

Good to hear ya got your cash Gino you do such great work non payment does not make sense.