Personal Checks

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

Just curious what kind of history do the rest of you have with taking personal checks for payment on ebay? I do not accept them unles I have had past succesful transactions with the buyer. have any of you gotten baad checks?

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Posted By: leon

over 300 transactions on ebay.....I take personal checks, have never held one so far, and nary a bad one.....(knock on wood)......if I had a big ticket item, I would hold the check, if I didn't know the buyer though.....best regards

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Posted By: petecld

Funny you should bring this up now. I just got burned for a $13.75 bad check as well as for a $9 bank fee.

I've been burned a few times through the years but I still accept them but I wait 10 business days - but got burned for trying to be nice for a small amount so make rules for accepting checks and stick to them.

You'll get emails from people begging to have items sent sooner but now I have to say decline the requests. It's a shame how a few bad apples have to spoil it for the whole bunch.

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Posted By: Tim Newcomb

I've had great success with checks overall. In five years only three bad ones, two of which made good speedily.

The other one was a big hassle: a guy paid me for a 1960 Topps set with a check from a Canadian bank. He claimed it would be fine and agreed I could wait until clearance before sending. My bank said the Canadian check would be OK as well. I waited at least two weeks and the check appeared to have cleared. About two weeks after I sent the cards, I was told the check had bounced. Apparently it can take a month or more for a Canadian check to truly clear. Then there were several weeks of phone messages and emails promising payment, which the buyer did finally make, with a little extra for my trouble.

So I say, domestic personal checks are fine, especially with some of the seller's horror stories we are hearing out of paypal.

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Posted By: TBob

it was a few years ago on a $100 comic book. The guy was from north of the border and ultimately made good. I guess I have been (knock on wood) very lucky.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

I did get a crappy feedback from some goober who decided to pay by personal check and was ticked off that I held it ten business days after receipt per my statement in the auction rules.

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Posted By: jay behrens

I state in my auction that I don't take personal checks but if you find it neccessary to send one, you will be left neutral feedback for not following instructions. I had one guy do this and then got pissed when I did it. I asked if he read the payment and terms and he said 'yes' but thought I was bluffing about leaving neutral feedback. Otherwise, I've never had a bounced a check. Even at my comic store, we never got a bad check in 4 years.

Jay

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Posted By: Cycleback

I regularly receive personal checks as payment, and I haven't had one of these checks bounce in perhaps 3 years. While it would be reasonable practice for a seller to hold checks untiil they clear, especially if for a large amount, receiving a personal check that bounces is rare ... One reason is that most people who take the time to send a check via mail are honest and carefeul. The other reason is that bouncing a check and not reimbursing is illegal, especially when it's done through the mail and across state lines. Remember, when you send a check, you are literally mailing a signed contract with your name, address and bank on it. Stealing this way is akin to shoplifting at a store and leaving behind your business card saying your took the item ... Though, I beleive most of the lack of bounced checks is because 99 percent of people are honest.

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Posted By: Mike Ward

Leon's comments!

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Posted By: Tom Boblitt

transactions on ebay since 1995, took personal checks all that time. Been burned on about 3 of them. Just gotta wait till they clear. One of the three came back though even though it had already cleared. I will only take personal checks on large transactions from people I know though.