I would like to advise people not to ever write a check to pay for anything at all. Its not just the banks anymore that our profiting at your expense. In fact the whole government system in my opinion is designed to make sure that most people will bounce a check at least once a year.
In the 80s and before the average check took only 3 days to clear, and cash deposits were on hand immediately. Holidays as well did not always affect your deposit clearing sooner than later. Now days
After people are accustomed to the old ways, checks are docked immediately yet deposits are taking longer to clear. Some banks are even a day behind on posting your cleared deposits because of systems like online banking that weren't available in the past. There's also companies for your bills that you allow to directly deduct from your account which I advise against. These companies don't always take out on the day you are told and are also affected by weekends and holidays. Banks know that it is just to easy for people to bounce their account. They even use other tricks like overdraft protection to make you feel more secure and let your guard down. This is especially for cases of joint accounts.
It is a fact that most banks make their real profit on bounce fees which have also increased. They tempt you to use checks by offering free checking and even cash to open up your checking account. They sit back and wait and if your short even a penny their instant fees cause double damage. I have also had a few experiences where I saw a deposit I made in cash posted to my online banking, only to see the next day the bank moved a charge above it. They did not know I was up at 5 a.m to see how they scrambled the figures to bounce an item. Of course they denied it.
Here's an example story of what happened to me. Also the other parties involved besides the bank that profited off of me. Five days earlier my account was very low, and I deposited a check from family for 500.00. I was at a store that rhymes with wall chart and wrote a check for 29.00 for food. My address and phone number was on my check as well. The check bounced and I didn't know because the 500.00 check cleared the next day and covered the bank fees. A month after, I received a letter from the District Attorney's bad check restitution program. It said you bounced a check at Wall chart for 29.00. You are required to pay 150.00 for the Bad check restitution program plus pay back wal chart or we will take you to court for check fraud. I may get up to 6 months in jail for a check bounced under a hundred dollars if I go to court. If I take the 8 hour course and pay for it on time, I will be dismissed. Also required to pass the course, or pay for it, and take it again to avoid court.
I went to the bank and asked them how the check I deposited didn't clear in time. They said it was an out of state check deposit, so it takes 5 days. I said it was 5 days, and they said they didn't count weekends. What ? That's malarky. Now it was not only the bank, but the court system and Wal chart robbing me. The Wal chart debt was almost 100.00 by itself with fees added. Wal Chart never wrote me a letter, they never called me, and no bank notice in the mail? Yet when I looked at the requirements to file check fraud
In my state, it said it was required the company make several attempts to contact me about the bad check, following a mandatory certified mail notice.
I wrote back to the D.A saying I was not guilty of check fraud as the company did not follow these procedures, and I would be happy to resolve the matter with wal chart. Little to say I ended up taking the course. Which by the way is more like a Psychological test about yourself that makes you sound out to be
A murder one criminal.
To prove my story, I did an easy internet engine search on bad checks/ wal chart. There were hundreds of
Similar situations of this same store not notifying customers of a bad check, and filing a crime report for check fraud, so the DA could make some money with their newest program. It was obvious too, how can you send several notices in less than a month. I also demanded wal chart provide a tracking number to their certified notice they never really sent. No one listened or cared. The whole system of stores, banks, and court all working together. Confusing enough to anyone where to start to resolve the matters.
As for now on, I never write a check ever. I will get a money order or pay with my bank debit card. I have
Had no more problems in almost a year now. Writing a check is just not worth it. Thank you.
