Accepting Checks

[dogmom327]

For those of you who accept checks as payment--what's your procedure? Do you end up with many bad checks? Have you found any good tricks to limit that problem?

Do you have people place orders online than send the check or do you have them send their order via mail, fax, etc.?

[CawMama]

I accept money orders, and my cart is set up for that. If it's someone I've worked with before, I'll accept a check...otherwise I only will take a money order.

[dogmom327]

Originally Posted by Carrin

I accept money orders, and my cart is set up for that. If it's someone I've worked with before, I'll accept a check...otherwise I only will take a money order.

Have you ever run into someone saying they sent it but you didn't receive it? I'm guessing a huge fight would ensue since aren't money orders essentially cash--if they're lost, there's no way to recover them? I think that's the only thing that worries me.

[CawMama]

I haven't had that happen. I guess you could suggest that the person send it certified if they are concerned?

[dogmom327]

Thanks Carrin--the fact that you haven't had an issue really makes me feel better! I'm probably just being paranoid.

[CawMama]

I don't know about you, but my type of biz tends to attract the most wonderful people. I'd assume you have had similar experiences as I have, for the most part. Now I need to find a piece of wood to knock on.

[dogmom327]

Originally Posted by Carrin

I don't know about you, but my type of biz tends to attract the most wonderful people. I'd assume you have had similar experiences as I have, for the most part. Now I need to find a piece of wood to knock on.

No, you're right. 99.9% of my customers are fantastic--I just have a worry wort nature sometimes

[dachshundqueen]

People can pay by echeck on Paypal. When we have had money orders or checks sent in with people's harnesses to be rewired, the understanding has been we will not mail until a week after the check is cleared and we usually wait 2 weeks from receipt of the harness as it takes a week with current harness backlog to clear a harness. Most guys don't want to wait that long so will pay by paypal.

Our bank is usually pretty fast about bounced checks, but we have not fortunately had to deal with them for our harness business. Our insurance agency receives bouncy checks all the time. Lame.

Liz

[dogmom327]

I'm actually planning to dump Paypal as a payment option sometime very soon so going to checks or money orders is kind of the plan--but clearly not a great one.

I wonder if I ask my bank if they can tell me about turn around for bounced checks?

[dachshundqueen]

Originally Posted by dogmom327

I'm actually planning to dump Paypal as a payment option sometime very soon so going to checks or money orders is kind of the plan--but clearly not a great one.

I wonder if I ask my bank if they can tell me about turn around for bounced checks?

Some banks are very slow, up to 6 weeks. Long after you've otherwise utilized the money. Ours is within a week, so we feel comfortable taking checks. We do a fair bit of international business so we need paypal! Your bank will then immediately debit your account for the bounced check, so you will need to float that amount if you are concerned about a particular check.

Be aware that there is a decent money order fraud problem, so make sure that you know what the money orders should look like (specifically USPS/Western Union).

We like cash, but don't do enough local business here to get mainly cash. Would be nice though!

Liz