Dealing w/ a Returned Check: Advice Needed!

[laura062182]

I need advice on how to deal with a returned check! Ugh... I hoped this day wouldn't come, instead it happened at with my first show! The problem is, the customer is my brother's ex girlfriend's mom. Uncomfortable or what???? How do you guys deal with this situation?? Any advice will be useful. I know this is going to be completely uncomfortable for both of us, but I hate to just let $50.00 go! What should I do?

 

[MomToEli]

Hand carry it to her bank and present it there. If she does not have the funds to cover it, ask the bank if they have a procedure for you claiming the first $50 available - I can't remember what this is called all of a sudden! Shoot. Getting old is really getting to be obnoxious ...

And then I'd consider only taking a check from your host. All guests at my shows must either pay by debit/credit card or a check payable to the host. That very night, she writes me a check to cover their orders (or uses her debit/credit card) and I deposit that check the next business day. Usually it will have cleared by the time the show closes. That's the plan anyway.

 

[DebbieJ]

Call the customer, tell her the check was returned, and ask her how she would like to cover her order plus whatever fee your bank charged you (mine charges $10).

Just keep it all about business.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

Sandy,
Can you explain the host uses her debit or CC? Do you mean for the whole show?
I thought they couldn't put it all on one CC.
I just celebrated 13 years in the biz Friday and change comes hard maybe I just missed it!!

 

[DebbieJ]

I accept checks from people at the show, but all outside orders pay the host directly. Then the host pays me with one big check or cc for her order and the outside orders. It's kind of a "middle of the road" approach and works well for me.

 

[MomToEli]

Sandy,
Can you explain the host uses her debit or CC? Do you mean for the whole show?
I thought they couldn't put it all on one CC.
I just celebrated 13 years in the biz Friday and change comes hard maybe I just missed it!!

Maybe I'll find out next week that you can't do that, but P3 accepted it. I simply entered the hosts CC # and her name as on the card on each individual order. If she wrote me a check, I entered my TPC card number on the finialize page.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss ... other times it can bite you in the rearend. We'll soon see which is the case, eh?

Man, won't that just stink if it doesn't work that way ... I think I'm calling my director now ...

 

[ChefJeniLobdell]

I had a $300+ check returned. Thought I was going to die!! Normally there isn't another $300 just sitting around in my checking account. I called her and she apologized saying they had closed that account and she forgot to change checkbooks. It took her a week and a half to get the money to me. Needless to say I had to transfer money from my home checking account to cover it. Then I find out when my statement comes in that I was nailed for overdraft charges for checks that were paid. I was going to go back to her about those, but she has booked two more shows and has three shows that booked from her. Luckily no issue with checks. I never said anything to her about the overdraft fees.

This is the first time since I started that I have ever had a problem with a check being returned. I hope it is the only!

 

[DebbieJ]

The overdraft fees that YOU incurred because you didn't have enough money are not her fault and you cannot ask her to pay those.

But any charge your bank socks you with because HER check bounced can be recovered. If I deposit a check in my account and it bounces, my own bank charges me $10 and I always get it back from the customer.

There is a big difference.

 

[ChefJeniLobdell]

I had enough money in my account if her check wasn't returned. Her check was then returned, and I had checks go against my account in the meantime. The bank paid them, but charged me for each check it paid.

My bank charges $10.00 for the returned check fee, but then $33 per check paid when the account has insufficient funds.

She was the reason I had insufficient funds in my account.

 

[lizcooks4u]

I totally agree with you...

I had enough money in my account if her check wasn't returned. Her check was then returned, and I had checks go against my account in the meantime. The bank paid them, but charged me for each check it paid.

My bank charges $10.00 for the returned check fee, but then $33 per check paid when the account has insufficient funds.

She was the reason I had insufficient funds in my account.

I had the same situation happen to me with auto insurance. I had cancelled one company well in advance, and the owner of the ins agent called to be sure no auto debits would be coming out and not only did they still take an auto debit, but two came out so my checks bounced, 32.00 ea. and went against other checks. I took the letter of cancellation to the bank, but since it wasn't the bank's fault, so sorry. I"m about to close my accts with that bank.

Back to the original ?....I know some people just make honest mistakes, I was going to mention to try and get a show out of the deal, but sounds like that's already in the works. Luckily my banks down here only charge $ 4-$ 5 charge backs; but I don't usually have the extra funds in my acct to cover teh other stuff. The above ins. situation, the ins company would only refund me on the acct where I had my $$ come out for ins. I pulled other money from PC acct to clear and my PC went into overdraft, so I"m out

Good Luck.

Liz

IF it gets too bad, just accept cash?

 

[ChefJeniLobdell]

She has hosted another show since then and I had no problem with checks. This was my first time having an issue. Other than loosing a little money, everything is o.k. I'm not going to bring it up to her. I figure between the 3 shows she is hosting and shows I book from hers, I will more than cover the overdraft fees I was charged.