Commentary
Prefer not to use credit cards? Good luck with that
By Hope Carr
Late last month, my son had a doctor's appointment in Bismarck, N.D. We live in Carrington, two hours away from Bismarck and most shopping, so I planned to roll this appointment into a shopping trip to pick up some of the usual supplies and holiday goods. Maybe we'd spend the night in a hotel and eat at a restaurant.
After the doctor, my first priority was the big-box retail store where I often shop for supplies. I had about $30 worth of coupons and I needed to get some baby stuff (diapers, wipes and bath supplies), Halloween candy and accessories, my son's birthday and Christmas gifts, some kids' socks and Underoos, medicine and a few other miscellaneous items. Some two hours after entering the store with my baby girl and a 2-year-old who would be needing a nap, I was finally ready to check out.
My total was close to $350. I wrote a check, as I normally do. A very nice cashier asked for my ID and ran my check through a processing machine.
Then she handed it back. She told me my check would not process.
The cashier directed me to the 800 number printed on the reverse of the check. Embarrassed, I looked back at the people behind me in line, stepped aside and called the number. Sufficient funds were available, I knew, so I was baffled when a voice told me: "It's too high of an amount. ... You do not have enough check history with us to write a check for this amount."
They wouldn't take my check because it was a larger purchase than I usually made?
Shaken, I asked what I was supposed to do with my purchases. The voice responded that I should pay with a credit card or debit card. I told her this was not possible, as it was against my religion. Did I need to go to the competing big-box store in town for my $350 worth of stuff? The competitor had never refused my check because I was trying to buy too much of its merchandise.
She had no answer. I hung up in frustration.
I then asked to speak with the manager. A young man listened to my issue and quickly passed me to another supervisor. The second manager told me that he did not have any authorization to override the computer. The only other thing we could try, he said, would be splitting the sale up into smaller totals.
At this point I wanted to do nothing more than drop some f-bombs and abandon my cart. But I got back into the same line and rechecked my items. The first check, for $115, cleared with no problem. The second check, for $106, cleared as well. The third and final check, for $117? Rejected.
The manager shrugged. Again I was told to call the 800 number and again I stepped aside and did so. This time a voice told me my check was rejected because of suspicious check activity.
I gave in and resorted to the emergency credit card in my purse, a card that I believed to be almost to its $500 max after our rough month of co-pays and prescription drugs. It was accepted! Yippee.
Only one problem: I did not want to use this card. I was pretty sure that this expense would put me over my card limit and generate a $30 fee. Good thing I had used those coupons.
Needless to say, the buck stopped there. I did not continue on my shopping expedition. I did not spend the night and I did not enjoy my visit to Bismarck. I did, however, scrounge enough cash to buy us supper. Interesting note: My change had to be rounded up, because the restaurant did not have any coins.
On my drive back home I stewed, broke into tears and developed a major headache. In the morning I collected my information and re-called the 800 number to verify my facts. I called my bank to confirm that I had ample funds available and that there was not any type of daily limit that would have come into play. My bank said there were no problems. Whatever had happened was due to store policy, not my account or the bank itself.
I called the retail chain's headquarters, spoke to several managers, and got nowhere.
I will not shop there again. I am sad to no longer be a fan of that store. And I am sad to discover that I live in a world that honors the almighty plastic over personal judgment and common sense.
Hope Carr is a stay-at-home mom in Carrington, N.D.
Comments (14)
I'm confused. There are contradicting statements here:
"The voice responded that I should pay with a credit card or debit card. I told her this was not possible, as it was against my religion."
"I gave in and resorted to the emergency credit card in my purse, a card that I believed to be almost to its $500 max"
What religion is the commentator? Apparently lying and swearing are A-OK but using a credit card is taboo, except for emergencies of course.
Check fraud is a serious problem. If you don't like the fact that businesses won't take checks you are free to not shop there but debit cards and cash are still accepted pretty much everywhere.
Regarding Dan Landherr's comments...
I think what she means in the comment "against my religion" - is that she is stating not a spiritual religion, but a standard policy she lives by.
And sure debit cards are nice, but I find that they are easy to use, but harder to keep track of.
And when balancing my checkbook, I seem to always have missed documenting at least one to four of those purchases. Which sometimes gets me into more trouble because I also write checks assumming that I have money available.
(And also she may not have a debit card, or want one.)
Sure check fraud is a serious problem, but who wants to carry all that cash on hand for a major day of shopping alone and distracted with 2 young kids. An easy prey for theft.
And I agree with her -
I am sad that I live in a world that honors the almighty plastic over personal judgment and common sense.
This is how our economy got into trouble in the the first place.
And those that are trying to stay out of debt are being hindred in their ability to do so by being forced to use plastic - thus racking up the debit.
The economy is making it so easy to just use plastic, people are losing the actual value of money.
Laughing- I have to giggle a bit as I read PP comments. My husband told me I should not use the word "religion" when he read this. But- that is what I told the lady on the phone. Let me clarify. It was meant as a word to simply proclaim my personal beliefs... not meant literally. The point is we prefer to use checks. I carry a credit card only for situations like this where I am given little choice in the matter. Problem is... that is becoming very frequent these days.
I agree fraud is a problem. That is part of the reason we choose to use our checks over credit cards. I would think an on-site manager could override a computer and anonymous 3rd party when he sees something that looks to be very legitimate.
Can someone explain to me what the differennce is between using a debit card and writing a check anyhow? My check is ran through and automatic processing machine to verify funds and leads to the same account as my debit card?!?!?! Why should one be accepted and the other not???? As far as I know, the only difference is a Visa logo.
Writing a check (and often) holding up the line while you make an entry into your check register, and heavens forfend as you struggle with simple math, while we languish behind you.
The advantage of using a credit/debit card is that it's fast and doesn't require an elaborate ceremony. It's just as easy to be responsible with a card as it's with a paper check. I can't think the last time I wrote a personal check.
In response to Dan Landherr:
I know Hope, she lives in a family that has mom&pop stores, and I know how she feels about shopping at large chain discount stores that are killing the mom&pop's of America. I can completely see and understand why she wants to just write a check VS. using plastic. If you noticed she said that she has an emergency card (not 5 cards to pick from) handy for emergencies only! She also stated that they had some emergencies ("after our rough month of co-pays and prescription drugs.")Not after a super fun weekend of shopping at the mall that caused her emergency card to be almost maxed out! (Note that when she said it's against her religion she obviously was not talking about GOD, she was stating that in using the emergency card for regular purchases is extremely against how she lives her life and deals with the familys money)
I give her credit for at least trying to stay out of debt, that's more than what most people are doing! Times are hard and she should be given credit for trying. It's a shame that stores are pushing the use of plastic just to ensure they get their money, forgetting how it can harm the people who use them. When they run the check through the machine it automatically finds the funds and takes them, it knows if the check is good for the funds or not, so my question is why would a machine that can see the funds not take them? Machines like that use checks as debit cards...you get the voided check back most the time! Seriously what's the difference, the funds are being taken out of the same account in most cases?!?!? And for someone who has an emergency card the chances of her having a debit card too are slim! Also, the people at the store were not very helpful in the matter. You would think that they would want shoppers like her and do whatever was needed to get and keep her business, yet they didn't! How rude of both you and the store!
"Writing a check (and often) holding up the line while you make an entry into your check register, and heavens forfend as you struggle with simple math, while we languish behind you."
Heavens forfend we have to wait 30 seconds or - gasp - a whole minute to make our purchase while a shopper ahead of us uses a different form of payment than we believe to be most convenient. Keep in mind those pesky check writers aren't forcing the seller to pay for the privilege of accepting plastic cards - a hidden cost borne by all shoppers. In other words, those who pay in cash are subsidizing the convenience of those who pay in plastic. So have a little tolerance, please.
Hope - yes, generally the only difference between the check & the debit card is the Visa logo - and the cost to the seller that the visa logo incurs on a per-transaction basis, but is typically covered in the markup that all buyers pay.
I don't know what bank the writer goes to, but most banks offer check/debit cards. Get one. Problem solved.
Though Brian has a point with card fees, the use of the word subsidy rubs me the wrong way. Those fees are out of the store's control and are because of the card companies. The reason checks aren't accepted in high amounts by some stores is because people write bad checks, its that simple. If someone had written a $350 bad check, that store is now down $350. With cards, the transaction simply doesn't process if the money isn't available, and you don't have that problem. I work at a grocery store in a lower income area in Duluth, and as a rule we simply don't take out of town checks, and we have to get a mangers signature for checks over $150, because the store can't afford a hit like that.
All in all, get a check/debit card. Saves you writing (and its greener, no paper) and holding up everyone in line behind you.
You prefer to use checks. This business requires verification by a 3rd party to take them. Some places won't bother with that expense and put a NO CHECKS policy on the front door. Maybe that is preferred. Then you know up front where to shop.
I am having trouble with your implication that using a credit/debit card is somehow divorced from "personal judgment and common sense". I use plastic cards and yet I believe I do have common sense. I don't understand why paper checks give a person more common sense.
I understand now that when you used the word "religion" you weren't actually talking about religion. I think you would admit that sloppy use of language doesn't help get your point across.
The author actually commented that the cashier at the store was "nice". There was no mention of being rude, just that the manager was unable to help. It makes sense that a large retailer wouldn't allow a local manager to override their fraud policies. That way there would be no way to abuse the system (accept bad checks from relatives, etc).
This is ridiculous. If you don't have a card, carry cash! Every place takes it. End of story.
Your right this is ridiculous, but not about having a card more about how rude you some of you are sounding about this. She is sharing a story about her experience. It is anyones own choice to write a check or use plastic. Yes I understand that there can be bad checks written, however, that is why they invented the check processers. There that problem is solved. And if you are to impatient to wait in live for someone to write a check well that is just ridiculous because it takes hardly any time at all. I am not saying that I disagree about plastic being more convenient because it is, but if someone chooses checks over cards then that is fine it is their own personal choice. 'I do think it was an inconvenience that they would not allow Hope to write a check for the full amount. I know that there are problems with debit cards being declined after a certain amount is reached, but those limits you can set with your bank. Anyways I think the moral of the story is that she was/is frustrated because she was going to make a big purchase at a store that she was loyal to and she had the funds, but they would not except the payment, whether it was about a check they wouldn't take or a card that is declined when you know the money is there it is very frustrating.
As a matter of fact: not everyone does accept cash. American Currency!!! I have carried cash when traveling to Minneapolis and have stopped at gas stations that will not accept either checks or CASH.
For those wondering why not use a debit card? I have to point out that debit cards do NOT offer the same legal protection as a credit card in the event they are lost or stolen and they are linked directly to your bank account. If someone gets your card and PIN they can take every penny in your account and once it's gone, it's gone. The bank can't magically pull that money back from wherever it went. It's the same as losing cash. There are limits to your liability if your credit card is misused by someone else. Debit cards also make it harder to save money because it is too easy to draw down your account without realizing it and the way banks operate today, they won't reject a transaction that results in an overdraft. They will gladly cover the cost of the transaction so they can hit you with an overdraft fee and if you continue to use the card after becoming overdrawn it's another fee for each additional transaction at some banks. Used the card 3 times after becoming overdrawn? That's 3 overdraft fees you'll pay, not just one. You really need to look into the fine print before you even consider getting a debit card as some are a really bad deal. It's better to use a credit card and not spend more each month than you can save up to pay the bill when it arrives than to ever use a debit card.
First, Hope, I am very glad to see a young person with such high standards and values. Keep it up!
Second, I remember when it was believed that credit cards would do away with needing to use cash. Obviously it has opened a new area of misuse and abuse. In hindsight, it's not surprising and it's very sad.
I know credit and debit cards are quick and easy to use. That doesn't mean we should all do things that way. Quick and easy frequently also adds up to low quality and expensive when there is a problem. I do use a debit card and I get a receipt for my purchases and I mark them in my account every few days. It is terribly easy to spend money very quickly this way. Yes, I set a budget, but there is a big difference between having a handful of receipts versus seeing the latest balance in a checkbook, or, as an older gentleman did in the store yesterday, have less cash on hand than one did a bit ago. Debit cards simply do not have the feedback that cash does, or that a well managed balance does. I use the debit cards, but I support those who choose not to. It's a wise choice.
As for stores that refuse any particular type of payment, I understand their hesitation. It only takes a few to make it bad for everyone. There is a restaurant that my family has patronized for 15 years, well enough to know the owners and watch each other's kids grow up. They asked us to write a check because: they know us well, our payments have always cleared and it's cheaper for them to accept good checks than to accept good credit or debit cards. For many businesses, the additional cost of accepting credit and debit cards is worth it to avoid the cost of nonpayment, but yes, every customer ends up paying for it in the cost of merchandise.
Ultimately two things stand out. Making things simpler in some ways makes them more complicated in others, and we need to raise the honesty bar in our society.
To each and everyone of you, your thoughts and concerns can be heard. I am a person who just flat out pays cash. I don't carry a debit card and I don't like to use my checkbook unless I have to, I have cash to pay my bills, and I know what I have left, yes it is common sense and if Hope chooses to use her card for emergency purposes, so be it. God forbid you people who have a credit card lost or stolen, then you have to call all your creditors to stop payments and what not...I know not to shop where HIGH Class people go; I am of the working class people and feel its each persons choice to pay however they choose. By cash, check, or debit/credit card.
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