Yes, we are aware and I agree that receiving a bounced check is not a knee jerk reaction. That was in no way what I meant and we have a misunderstanding.
What I meant by knee jerk reaction was coming on the forum and posting a "bounced check" without contacting the company and giving them a chance to cover the check. Of course we need to know about non-payment and/or failure to cover checks.
There are many reasons why a company might bounce a check and most of the time it is human error. Perhaps someone paid them with an insufficient check which the bank backed out of their funds and that caused their own check to bounce. It's hard for me to believe they would intentionally write an insufficient check and open themselves up to the legal liability. After all, it's not a felony to owe money. It is sometimes a felony and otherwise a misdemeanor to write an insufficient check.
I don't currently work for this company and as far as I recall, I have never worked for them. I am not defending the company; on the other hand, I am proposing care and concern for all parties. Of course the poster is due her money and of course the company should pay. Of course we want to know if there is an integrity issue with a company or if the company is experiencing severe financial problems. Nevertheless, no matter how this works out, it is my position that if I had a history with a company and they sent me a check which did not clear I would avoid a knee jerk reaction such as immediately posting on a public forum. I would give them the benefit of the doubt for a reasonable time before I made a public announcement.
You are correct it is not the shopper's job to protect the companies' images. It is the shopper's job to protect his or her own image and that is exactly the best course of action. I recommend not taking a knee jerk reaction because it reflects poorly on the shopper as well as on the company and it damages what could possibly have been a solid ongoing relationship representing a future income stream.
We don't know how this will work out. I'm hoping the company is okay. I'm hoping the shopper will be paid and this payment issue will be resolved. That said, it's unfortunate to consider this bad check could be a blip and not a bomb that comes between the shopper and the company. Whether the shopper bails or not, it's probably pretty much over. Nobody has a big enough stake to work on making this work now.
Everybody has to decide if and when to cry wolf. Perhaps this check is the tip of an iceberg and the first indication something may be wrong. Perhaps it's not. I would have taken a wait and see attitude for a couple of weeks, that's all I'm saying. I'm saying immediately posting here was a knee jerk reaction that should have been delayed until after contact was made with the company. I do not believe this is "us against them". I believe we are all in this together and we should treat each other with respect.
Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.