Why do people send personal checks when I say I don't accept them?

zef204

That really chaps my a$$.

baseballfanatic

Same reason people dont merge left when there is a sign for 2 miles. Rules apply to everyone else except them..........

lawnmowermanswife

They are either idiots and not paying attention to the details (I've done it LOL) or the are just sending you a check thinking you'll just take it.
'

Stone193

<< <i>That really chaps my a$$. >>


Some people never seem to pay attention Zef.

At my office - we rarely get bad checks but if my bank has to return it - I have to pay 5 bucks.

If we like the person, we only charge them the 5 bucks - if we have had problems with them - we enforce the 25 buck bad check policy.

Does anyone have a rich uncle who wants to adopt me?!

mike

zef204

What's worse is I have had these guys e-mail repeatedly about where there card is. I kindly tell them( ) that since they sent a personal check, which I typically do not accept, that I have to wait 7-10 days for it to clear my bank and that I will mail the card out as soon as the bank gives me the nod. It is quite interesting when they respond along the lines of, "What bank takes 10 days for a check to clear." That is usually the point where I block them from bidding.

mkg809

Because Charlie, she's a nitwit!

WinPitcher

Actually a check 'clears' the senders bank within 2 days. However and this is where the sender does not understand, the seller has to wait up to 10 days for the money.


as for the original question I'd say they are lazy. zef you take paypal no?

steve

zef204

<< <i>Actually a check 'clears' the senders bank within 2 days. However and this is where the sender does not understand, the seller has to wait up to 10 days for the money.


as for the original question I'd say they are lazy. zef you take paypal no?

steve >>


Yes, Paypal and MO's. I also love the guys who send actual cash with the quarters, dimes, nickles and pennies taped to the eBay invoice.

rbdjr1

Funds can be credited to your account, then a week to 10 days later, u find out that a debit for that same amount hits, because of a bad check.

It can take, sometimes over 10 days for a bad check to show-up in one's account, regardless of how fast "the check clearing system" pretends to be.

How do I know this? Because I have collected rent checks that "bounce like a red rubber ball" from time to time, and it does take from 7 to over 10 days, for it to show-up in your account.

So you think a check is good because your bank paid you? Only to find out a week later, that your bank reversed that credit, into a debit, because the check was made of rubber!

Bummer!

rd

TNP777

<< <i>I also love the guys who send actual cash with the quarters, dimes, nickles and pennies taped to the eBay invoice. >>

I still occasionally send cash to sellers, but only if it is a small amount (less then $10) and the seller won't take PayPal. The seller must have exceptional feedback as well - I usually won't do business with a sub 99% seller unless he has a card that I've been looking for for a looooooong time. When I do, I only send it in a bubble mailer. Paper money goes into a top loader, and if there are coins involved, they get taped to a top loader. I hardly ever deal with coins though - if it's close enough, I just round up to the nearest dollar. For me, this is more convenient, and doesn't cost me the time and the $0.79 for the money order. Knocking on wood (in other words, rap myself in the nugget), I've never been burned by a cash deal yet, and I think most sellers would appreciate cash in hand now rather than having to go to the bank and cash a money order.

Speaking of money orders, have any of you sellers waited for a money order to clear, or as a buyer had a seller do that to you? I had that happen to me with a high-feedback seller last year - he claimed that he had to wait for my money order to clear. Thought that wasn't an issue with money orders?

Geordie

MisterBungle

> "Yes, Paypal and MO's. I also love the guys who send actual cash with the quarters, dimes, nickles and pennies taped to the eBay invoice."
---------------------------------------------------------------
Back before PayPal, any item I won on eBay which
was $40 or less, I would send cash, but I would
round the amount off to the next highest dollar.

It made all of the sellers happy, and I didn't
have to worry about getting a money order or
waiting for checks to clear.

I never had one seller claim he didn't get the
money. I did, however, receive change back
from a seller one time. I got the item with a
couple of quarters in the package.

I also never waited for a check to clear when
I sold an item. In fact, I usually sent the item
prior to getting the payment, and I was never
stung by doing this. I did have one guy who
actually got his item before he sent the payment.
He was all apologetic and sent the money that
day.

This was all pre-PayPal days though. Now I
only bid on items from sellers who take PayPal,
and what few things I sell are almost always
paid for through PayPal.

~

zef204

<< <i>Thought that wasn't an issue with money orders? >>


Last year, there was a rash of fake MO's. I started a new bank account as my company got bought by a bank, so I got a free checking account as well as free MO's. Anywhoo, for the first 6 months, it took upto 10 days for MO's to hit my account. They said it was policy and I had a lot of buyers upset about waiting.

Now, I typically just send the card right when I get the MO unless its a new buyer or a real high ticket item.

I actually have sent bills a few times because they wouldn't take Paypal or personal checks. The 2 times that stick out were under $4 and I just sent bills.

If they send coins in an envelope, when its fed thru the machine, it makes an imprint of the coins on the outside of the envlope!

Buccaneer

I had this happen recently with a popular bidder of 1963 Topps. He won an auction from me a couple of weeks ago and paid by check, which I clearly stated I do not accept. Last Sunday, he won some more items from me and I sent him an email immdediately stating to send me a mo/cashier's check, not a personal check which I reluctantly accepted the first time. Another personal check arrived today from him.

MooseDog

For what it's worth, I've taken personal checks for 8 years on eBay, and NEVER had one bounce.

NewJerseyMeatHook

Especially when the personal checks I DON'T accept are from Canada. I actually took a Canadian personal check with me to Canada a couple of summers ago because it was returned from my bank.

Even the bank in Toronto refused to cash it! Don't remember the reasoning. I think it had to do with hating Yankees. The teller muttered something unintelligible about the Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques . . . I even told her that I hail from Minnesota, a suburb of Canada. Didn't matter.

I also love the guys who send actual cash with the quarters, dimes, nickles and pennies taped to the eBay invoice

Reminds me of the birthday cards you'd get as a kid with the coin slots!

goose3

If the buyer has excellent feedback....I WELCOMED checks! Why pay the monster (Ebay/Paypal) even more unecessary fees if you don't have to!?

I accepted numerous checks while selling off my dad's PSA stuff with Zero problems. It got to the point where the "check" guys were regulars and I'd mail their cards out the morning after the auctions ended.

itzagoner

i've had a few ebayers send me a personal check, never had a problem, no matter the amount...a theory - some folks who bid and buy a lot with a clean history, likely send their personal checks to everyone they buy from, regardless of suggested policies in your auctions, just because that's their method...trust, eh

Stone193

<< <i>I had this happen recently with a popular bidder of 1963 Topps. He won an auction from me a couple of weeks ago and paid by check, which I clearly stated I do not accept. Last Sunday, he won some more items from me and I sent him an email immdediately stating to send me a mo/cashier's check, not a personal check which I reluctantly accepted the first time. Another personal check arrived today from him. >>

Boopotts

Just cash it and send the card. I've personally never had a problem when the check has come from an ebayer with a decent feedback rating, and if it's for some small, stupid amount-- like $20 or whatever-- it's not worth making a fuss over IMO.

grote15

I'd also prefer a check from a buyer with a good FB rating over a Paypal payment any day. You save the Paypal fees and a dishonest buyer can't use Paypal to attempt a chargeback.

jmbkb4

<< <i>I'd also prefer a check from a buyer with a good FB rating over a Paypal payment any day. You save the Paypal fees and a dishonest buyer can't use Paypal to attempt a chargeback. >>


2 excellent points!

1. Saves $$$.

2. No problems, assuming it clears.

Life's too short.

WinPitcher

he claimed that he had to wait for my money order to clear. Thought that wasn't an issue with money orders?

TNP

yes that is true. also a mo can be stopped as well. a personnal check is a stronger instrument then a MO. the only MO that is as strong as a check is one from the usps. and amex. and even those can be stopped for payment.


steve

bbne1

The purchaser of a Money Order can place a stop payment on it, but it will likely cost the purchaser $10-15 to do so. So, you are fairly safe accepting them for reasonable amounts without concern of a chargeback. That doesn't of course mean your bank will see it the same way.

Checks typically clear in the US in a day or two, however the paying bank has 24 hours to return the item, and then of course it takes another day or two to physically make it's way back to your bank. Add it up: 2 days to clear, 1 to be decisioned as a return, 2 more to physically return to your bank, and one day for your bank to actually process it. 6 business days. There's your hold. Don't be confused by terms such as "the bank finally put the money in my account"...it's there as soon as you make the deposit. However until your bank actually receives the funds from the paying bank (the clearing time, aka "float"), your bank cannot invest or lend those dollars, so they certainly don't want you to use them. This is the other reason for placing a hold on your deposit.

I'm curious why sellers don't suggest cashier's checks? The purchaser cannot place a stop payment on it (for 90 days anyway), and your depositing bank cannot place a hold on it. The purchase fee is similar to that of a money order.

One other thing - banks typically use your average balance to determine if they're going to place a hold on a deposit. Maybe keep a few more $ in that checking account!

TNP777

<< <i>he claimed that he had to wait for my money order to clear. Thought that wasn't an issue with money orders?

TNP

yes that is true. also a mo can be stopped as well. a personnal check is a stronger instrument then a MO. the only MO that is as strong as a check is one from the usps. and amex. and even those can be stopped for payment.


steve >>

Steve - I'd forgotten about the ability to stop payment on a MO. However, you'd think a seller would look at his buyer's feedback and make a judgement call from there. Since it's only happened to me once, I'm not all that concerned about the future possibility. If a seller wants to make sure the funds clear, I understand. It's only cardboard.

Geordie

stevek

I feel the benefits of accepting checks far outweighs a possible occasional bounced check. I've never had one bounce - if the ebay feedback is excellent, I even just ship the cards right away after receiving the check...if the feedback is low or shakey then I hold the check for around ten days which the buyer fully expects because I clearly state that in the auction.

viking7

I've never had a problem with checks. Accepting checks may add a few bidders for an item and it does save on the paypal fees. With that said, if a seller isn't accepting checks the buyer should pay according to what the seller indicated in the listing. From the buyers side of things, if at all possible paying with paypal might be the better way to go. Paypal from your checking account, it saves time and the hassle of writing and sending a check, plus you get some protection too.