I typically get 5 or so bad checks a week and have made a choice that I will collect these through the local state attorneys office as opposed to not taking checks at all. All bad check writers are notified via mail (unless they write from a closed account) 2 weeks before the paperwork is turned over. Only 15% of these bother to pay us before getting a notice from the court. Over the past 5 years since collecting this way we have collected over $35,000 in returned checks and fees and still have over $10,000 outstanding. You may believe this is shallow, but I see it as a good business practice.
The facts are: 1 Call customer when check is returned and ask when they can come in and pay it
2 When they dont come in when they have said call and give reminder
3 When they still dont come in call and ask if they would like us to bring our wireless debit/Credit card machine to them to collect
4 if they dont want us to come I give them 2 more weeks to pay. If they donr pay they deserve to have the book thrown at them, because they are liars and scammers it not just a little mistake, If someone tells me they have money problems I will let them pay a bit at a time but if ya screw me over I go from mister nice Pizzguy to the Pizza bounty hunter because it is no different then if you stole from me and I will not tolerrate that.
Really do you want a customer that doesnt pay? I know I dont and I usually refere them to my competition down the road.
I agree totally with the last 2 posts. People deserve the benefit of the doubt, but if they don’t pay, it’s their problem and it will get alot worse.
So you’re ok with people ripping you off? Do you think this person wants these people ordering from his place again?
I don’t know where you’re from, but I assure you, it’s you out of line,.
We only take business checks.
We’ll do debit cards. But keep your checkbook at home.
If you are in business to make money then you should want EVERYONE ordering again. I think for those who get so huffy puffy over a returned check and call the cops on them have a personal problem. After all like one guy said on here the unpaid returned checks dont come close to equaling the CC trans fees we all love to pay.
You ever wrote a bad check?
I will take a guaranteed credit card over a check any day…just my opinion
St Vito, What if the customer writes several bad cheks that are from a CLOSED account? I get them all the time…nothing left for you to do but to file charges.
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If you are in business to make money then you should want EVERYONE ordering again. quote]
Yes you do want everyone to return but sometimes you have to fire a customer and like you said if your in business to make money you better make sure people pay.
We are not talking about the person that accidently bounces a check we are talking about people that are ripping you off or refusing to pay for something they bought from you.
I dont think you want a person that is not paying you to come in every week and order pizza do you??
You really think “scammers” are “making a living” off writing a bad check to pizzaguy??? Just some poor schmo who didn’t balance his checkbook.
After taking NSF checks from an account that turn to Account closed, then a month later they write 4 more account closed checks, then they write account closed checks from another (stolen) account.
I agree that good Customers make mistakes. At the same time we have an advantage when it comes to the chronic bad check writers, the forgers, the scum… We know where they live.
Cops LOVE me when I can send them strait to the house of some scum spreading bad checks around town!
I promise if you do the math you are paying a hell of alot more $$ in C.C. fee’s then you are eating in bad checks. I understand turning closed accounts over the the police, it’s concided a felony if it was writen 30 after the account was closed. We make sure phone #s’ match on the check for deliveries and require a drivers lic. #, We recieve 2 or 3 nsf returns a month, when this happens I personnally call the customer and inform them, almost every time they come in with cash, I won’t NEVER stop excepting checks…
A shop owner I know told me he used to have $20K/yr in bad checks/cc fraud. Equal to 1 wk sales for him. When he quit taking all but business checks, this went to zero instantly.
Well, I gave my “neighbors” a week to reply to my phone call. Now it’s time to get serious. I’m all for fixing mistakes, but not interested in being nice if they don’t try.
Just wanted to update, last week I went through all the bad checks a had that were unpaid. I called each one and left a message. Just told them I was going through year end files and noticed they had not resolved the issue. All but one has come in to pay. I only charged them the original amount plus the 6.00 that the bank charged me. And one even bought a pizza! Ha! You think that would have happend if I would have used some of the nasty tactics suggested on this board? It sometimes pays to be a real person.
You just dont get it. OK one more time. You only use the tactics we have suggested when you have tried everything else. What part of that dont you get?
I just got the charges for sending my bounced checks through. $9 per check per time. Who is going to pay that plus the food that was sent out if we don’t collect on these checks. People need to understand it’s wrong to write whatever you need to on apiece of paper to get whatever they want with no consequences.
I have turned my checks over to the authorities, I have earned my money, I want my money, and I will get my money one way or another.
RBS Lynk has a Check Service with 3 options:
Verification and Collection: You get the money AFTER we collect it.
20 cents/check.
Verification and Guarantee: Face Value is Guaranteed up to $2000. If a Bad check comes back you send it to our Check Processing Center and the Processing Center Sends you a Good Check.
1.7% + 20 cents
Electronic Check Conversion: Converts Paper Check into an electrionic Debit and is deposited via ACH just like CC Transactions.
1.9% + 30 cents
As you can see by the pricing, Guaranteeing Checks is as costly, if not more, than accepting Credit and Debit
I always ask my Merchants - “Do you need the service?” or I’ll say, “If the service costs more than the amount of Bad Checks you receive you should not get the Check Service.”
If it is a Breakeven proposition then I suggest to get it and leave the Headaches to someone else.
Ultimately it is a cost of doing business and each Individual Owner needs to make up their own mind.
I am currently in texas and have around 10 bad checks from this month where the people arent answering the phones and when we do go to their house, they say they will come by and do not. how do you collect on these people, do you go to the police station? and how do they handle it?
Some Counties in Texas allow you take them to the County Atty and they will take care of it. You may never get your money but the Check Writer may get a “good ol’ Texas can of Whoop @$$ open’d on 'em”
Call the County Courthouse and ask what can be done.
I know thread is old but. My old employer used to have a bad check problem but he solved it with one of those 20.00 finger print pads. when someone pays with a check they have to give a finger print on the check.
we had this one person who always came on Sunday nights about 8pm in and paid with cash. but one day he decided to write a check (bad one) we got his print and check came up bad we contacted the police any how he was wanted so the cops came and got him the next time he came in 
plus $500 reward!