Not everyone cashes checks promptly

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I especially notice this with medical offices. One time I sent a check for a co-payment and it wasn't cashed for months. They kept sending me "past due" reminders. I'd call and attempt to straighten them out, only to be told "We'll look into it." and the the next week get another reminder. They probably spent more on postage than the co-pay was worth!

This summer, busy with moving and having a broken mower, I hired someone to mow my lawn at the new house and paid with a check. He didn't cash it for 6 weeks.

Why all this procrastination with check cashing?
 

debodun said:
I especially notice this with medical offices. One time I sent a check for a co-payment and it wasn't cashed for months. They kept sending me "past due" reminders. I'd call and attempt to straighten them out, only to be told "We'll look into it." and the the next week get another reminder. They probably spent more on postage than the co-pay was worth!

This summer, busy with moving and having a broken mower, I hired someone to mow my lawn at the new house and paid with a check. He didn't cash it for 6 weeks.

Why all this procrastination with check cashing?
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For individuals it may be that they are not near a bank building at the times it is open. For a business, they may have specified times/dates when they deposit all checks at one time. Who knows??
 
Depending on what the check is for, I have even used the phone to call my Credit Union and have a contractor's deposit transferred from my account to his directly, via ACH (not sure what that stands for but it was free, while a "wire transfer" cost $15) Anyway - it was available to him, to purchase materials, in 24 hrs while a paper check would take about a week to clear. Made sense to me!

My sons, also don't seem to cash or deposit gift checks in a timely manner. Not sure why - I guess they just don't care about money? Gee, when I was in college and first working, ANY money was welcome!! Since we re-financed our mortgage, everything was done online so I now have online access and since my name is still on the single guy's savings accounts, I can just transfer $$ there for birthdays and Christmas. Much easier to balance the checkbook! (which I still do every month - to the penny)
 
Another fun fact about checks - a bank can and will refuse to cash a check signed in pencil rather than ink. It happened to me once. I couldn't even tell it was pencil until the teller pointed it out & I looked more closely o_O
 
I paid my Honorary Daughter's (HD) rent with a check a few years back. We're talking over $1,000. That check was never cashed. Finally after about a year and a half, I added that amount back to my account. HD told me she had asked about it and the realtor who handled it said they had moved their offices and if they found the check, they'd deposit it but until then don't worry about it, consider that month's rent paid. Well...okay. šŸ˜
 
terry123 said:
I have a few small checks that my granddaughter will deposit for me when she comes by. I don't drive anymore and don't have a smart phone. So there are a lot of reasons for holding onto checks for a bit.
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Back when I was working, I'd wait till I had several checks to make the trek to the bank, because it was a major disruption to my day. Nowdays I guess I'm just lazy about it. I don't get very many checks any more, usually just one from my sis paying me back for groceries I've picked up for her.
 
debodun said:
Many years ago, I made a donation to the local fire department by check. Months went by and it wasn't cashed. I closed the account having forgotten about the outstanding check, then three months later it was cashed. I had to pay the bank back the check amount plus a penalty fee.
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I'm surprised the bank cashed the check on a closed account. My bank would just have returned it marked "account closed."
 
Butterfly said:
I'm surprised the bank cashed the check on a closed account. My bank would just have returned it marked "account closed."
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Same here.

I rarely get checks and when I do they might languish for a month or so until I get to a bank.
My daughter and I often pick up groceries for one another. Usually we don't bother to pay each other back because in the long run it all washes out, but if it's a big amount or for something special we give each other cash.
 
debodun said:
Unfortunately, I'm not that into modern technology.
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Yet you are online posting pics from a digital camera that have to be down loaded into your computer. Then accessed in order to post with dialog. That is using modern technology.

However when it comes to online money transactions untold millions of people, the federal government & businesses use online money transactions. Not using that technology is a choice you get to make, no one can force you to change your mind.:)

As for checks I don't remember the last time we received or wrote a paper check. With technology the ability to track & verify money transactions in seconds works for us.
 
The bank keeps cutting back on checking services. When I first got a checking account, I would get the actual cancelled check back with the monthly statement. After that, they went to a miniaturized photo copies of the checks. Now they don't even do that.
 
@PamfromTx
Could you think of it as a coupon, then? ;)

For example, if you had a coupon for $5 off of your favorite shampoo or lotion or dessert, then wouldn't you be likely to use it? :giggle::LOL:
Please cash it.:D I am just trying to help your sister out here. :ROFLMAO:

Oh, And you, do try to enjoy it, too! :love::)
:giggle:(I am just being silly me, Pam. Do whatever you'd like, of course!)
 

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