In early May I sent off my regular donation to the local food pantry. As of yesterday the check hadn't been presented. So I got in touch and they hadn't received it. Oh.
Off to the bank, to chat with an officer, to see if my account was the kind for which they waive the $30(!) stop payment fee. They didn't know but I could do the stop payment with no guarantee. I don't think so.
Off to the post office where I was repeatedly interrupted with questions like did I know which slot to mail in, was there a return address, had I thought of checking my bank. Hello? That's how I knew to follow up. Best and brightest.
Off to the nice lady at the food pantry, updated her, wrote and handed over a new check. I instructed her, if the original check shows up, to cash it anyway and I'd count it as the next donation.
From now on, I'll hand over the check in person, make sure it arrives. Good thing this is a small town, everything happening in a few hundred square yards.
Finally made it to the Tuesday Knitting Group who were a bit anxious because I hadn't been there last week and was I okay.
They were hugely amused at my life of speeding crime! Nice afternoon.
Meanwhile I've been weaving, and these two pieces might feature in my next stitching page
Who would think it would be so complicated to donate to the food pantry?
ReplyDeleteNo good deed goes unpunished.
DeleteIt's distressing when a cheque (or any mail, really) goes astray.
ReplyDeleteAnd nobody is responsible!
DeleteI cannot remember the last time I wrote a cheque! I don't think many people use them here. It's all electronic banking these days.
ReplyDeleteImpossible to donate to this small local charity other than cash or check. Also my chimney sweep, plumber, handyman, only handle cash or check. If you didn't handle checks you'd be in trouble!
DeleteDid they ask if you put a stamp on it? I do enjoy your weaving. Do you have enough squares yet for a king-size bedspread?
ReplyDeleteI have enough squares for maybe a tote bag. I guess they were going to ask about the stamp when they realized it might be the last thing they asked!
DeleteIt is obscene that a bank charges $30 to stop payment on a cheque.
ReplyDeleteIt's a new raised charge since February.
DeleteIt's irritating when helpful people behave as though you're one sandwich short of a picnic.
ReplyDeleteIt's the Dunning Kroger effect at work.
DeleteI'm not sure cheque-ing is even available any more in UK. I last wrote a cheque over 20 years ago! Even the buskers at the railway station have an electronic payment gizmo to accept paywave cards and contactless phone donations.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how you make an occasional charity donation? Around here checks are very acceptable. And you'd never get work done by local tradesmen without them.
DeleteI might add that the bank to bank clearing system in this country worked overnight even 30 years ago, which may have paved the way for a lot more electronic banking to be adopted early.
DeleteTwas a good idea to check on the check.
ReplyDeleteI do keep an eye on my bank account, because you never know.
DeleteDisconcerting when mail goes astray; I hope the original check turns up at the food pantry. Last night I left a rather important (barn related) letter in my letterbox for pickup by the rural carrier this morning, and will be counting down the days til I can reasonably expect a response.
ReplyDeleteI know that calendar watching!
DeleteI sent a check somewhere recently and kept it small because it might get lost. I'm calendar watching right now.
ReplyDeleteYes, that interval between sending and clearing, familiar.
DeleteUgh. I hate having to do deal with things like checks gone missing. Right now I'm getting emails about my payment method as my old debit card has expired and the new one must be taken note of. Such a little thing but it drives me crazy.
ReplyDeleteI have a regular direct debit to several good causes, and one of them has been nagging me for weeks to update my credit card info. The card is good to July. The new one hasn't arrived. Impossible to update yet. If they don't stop, after I've explained this, I'll find a better use for my $$.
DeleteYour check may float in mail limbo into eternity. I like those squares and look forward to what they will become.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably under a machine in the Trenton sorting office.
DeleteThe squares are nice to weave, better than to knit.
Of course the posties have to act like it's YOUR fault. Geez. Hopefully it will turn up, but if not, at least you've got the donation covered. What on earth is a "stop payment with no guarantee"? Like, the bank might honor the check even if you put a stop payment on it? That sounds pretty shoddy.
ReplyDeleteThey meant no guarantee of waiving the fee for stopping payment. I still think it's shoddy.
DeleteI have had a cheque disappear more than once and you're right - it IS a hefty charge to get a stop payment issued. The latest thing to disappear here was a parcel from a 'sample freebie' company and I assume some postal employee is enjoying it. No big loss but annoying anyway.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why they charge so much that if the check is small, people won't bother and they don't get the fee. It's only a couple of clicks to them, too. Not proportional to the check value either.
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