Refer to maker?

Update- this was an issue on my bank's end. Thanks.

I got a letter from my bank with a returned check. It was a check for $50 from a MSC. I got charged a $20 on top of it. Under "Reason for Return," it says "Refer to maker."

Does anyone know what is going on? The check was from November and they are first sending me a notice. This is for Mercantile.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2019 07:46PM by Niner.

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Your bank is just now returning a check from November written by someone else? Strange!

Is it some sort of scam?

It was a check for $50. So a check from someone else bounces abd I need to pay a fee? I am so confused.

"Whether you write or receive a bounced check — also called a nonsufficient funds, or NSF, check — it will cost you. Write one and you'll owe your bank an NSF fee of between $27 and $35, and the recipient of the check is permitted to charge a returned-check fee of between $20 and $40 or a percentage of the check amount."

So they write me a bad check, not only do I not get paid, but I am charged a fee because they bounced a check?

Has this ever happened to any of you?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2019 03:53AM by Niner.

Did you just deposit the check? Checks usually have an expiration date, sometimes 3 months sometimes 6. If the check expired after 90 days and was issued in November, it would have been voided in February.

As for the bounced check fee; yes, that's how it works. If you attempt to cash/deposit a bad check you get fined from your bank. You can then charge the person who wrote the check a fee to reimburse you and pay an extra charge for the inconvenience. However, if the check was in fact expired, you wouldn't necessarily be able to get anything back from the MSC, as it was your fault and not theirs that the check bounced.

Agreed. I will go to my bank. I deposit checks shortly after I receive them though. I'm thinking if I charged the MSC a fee, they would not pay it though.

Tell them their check bounced and see if they will add the cost of the bank fee. It doesn't hurt to ask.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

I sent them an email and I will go to my bank.

It's pretty standard for a bank to charge you a fee if you deposit a bad check. It stings pretty good, but also prevents folks from intentionally attempting to deposit checks multiple times, etc. There is a good chance the MSC will reimburse you the fee - unless, of course, they are really in trouble.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

The MSC will probably send a new check. A different MSC sent me one that bounced because their bank used what they called an "issue number" that was not in the sequence for that month's checks. The MSC refunded my bounced check fee and recovered that from their bank.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

It's a solid company and I was surprised to hear it. I'd be more surprised to hear they didn't make good on it. I'd expect a sincere apology and full reimbursement of fees. Keep us posted.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2019 01:14PM by JASFLALMT.

Yes, if you deposit a bad check, you will get charged for this. All, or at least most,banks do this. it costs them money to manually process the check and they may owe fees to other "organizations" in the banking chain. Did you actually get the physical check back? Many banks create an electronic image that is processed by the Fed clearing system and they destroy the actual check. Regardless, it doesn't matter. You get charged. I fully expect that the MSC will send you a new check and reimburse the fee that you were charged.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

I got a copy of it.

It was not Mercantile's fault. There was a mix up with my bank. It got deposited into two accounts?

Then the bank should make it right.

They said they will remove the fee. I just checked. They reversed the fee.

Thanks for the update, Niner. I've always liked working a Mercantile shop and would have been surprised and disappointed if their check actually bounced.

I did not think it would be something on their end, but I know a lot of people here complete jobs for them. I have never had a payment issue.

The first post should have an update.

@SoCalMama wrote:

The first post should have an update.

Updated!

I do a lot of work for Mercantile (#1) company and received a check last month with no problem. Being this check was for Nov., could the bank have made a mistake, they should have known months ago if it bounced...the bank should redeem the cost.

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