Alamo Aquatics = No Checks

[captexas]

For those of us that are fond of our check books, just wanted to let you know that Alamo Aquatics no longer accepts personal checks. So if you want to buy something there, you better have cash or a credit card.

[PeeJ]

Gee man...their policies are much to strict for my liking...customer service is lacking as well.

[Chris]

Gee man...their policies are much to strict for my liking...customer service is lacking as well.

Aquatic Warehouse doesn't accept personal checks either. It's not so much just an Alamo policy, just too many unreliable people out there.

Things like that wouldn't happen if people weren't trying to screw over businesses. :?

[Henry]

The thing with walmart has to due with a dispute with visa/mastercard over transaction fees that cost million of dollars. I think visa may have already settle, but I cant remember. Its cheaper for business to process pin based transactions(debit) vs transactions run as a credit. It involves secondary merchants to process the transactions. Lots of merchants are awaiting the outcome of this dispute to see how they will also process checkcard transacitons. Ok I'm back off the soap box

[mharris7]

someone told me that if you use your check card as a debit card instead of a credit card, you can sometimes get zapped for a atm transaction fee. I don't know if it's true or not, but I always try to use mine as a credit card for that reason.

I know it sux but small business' have to protect themselves. Losing a few hundred dollars here and there to bad checks would really hurt. With the conveinence of check cards today it really shouldn't be too big of a problem for customers.

[brewercm]

mharris7
It depends on who you bank with on the charges. One of my banks doesn't charge whether I use it either way unless I get cash back. The other charges if I use it as a debit but no charge to use as a credit card, that has always seemed bassackwards to me.

[StephenA]

What are checks?

;)

[TexasState]

IMHO, Target charge higher prices, so you're paying either way. I hate standing behind peoples who pay for their purchases with their checkbook. Checkbook should be banned from the grocerie stores. They hold up the line during busy hours. Why don't you use your regular credit card? I have my credit card through Chase Mastercard and Discover. With Chase, I earn 3% cash back on gas, and 1% cash back on other purchases. The rebates are credited back monthly. The only problems with credit cards is that my bills usually end up being higher then my paychecks each month.

[captexas]

I like my checkbook and hate credit cards. Even a low interest rate is too much. As far as holding up lines, I have mine filled out (except amount) before I even get in line. I hate being held up as well and hate people that aren't prepared to pay. I don't like carrying a lot of cash and I don't like having credit cards as that is paying with money you don't actually have. Once you are in debt you will understand. I have $10,000 in credit card debt as a result of being young and being care free with spending. And my debt is nothing compared to many others. Then add a house payment and car payment and family and all that good stuff!

[Sherri]

I'm sticking with my checkbook....they won't accept them, I'll take my business to one that does. It should be MY choice as to how I want to pay for my purchases...Like you Chris, any interest rate is a drag. Like keeping a clean slate. Paid for, done with. But can fall back on credit cards when I want to. And personally, I've never had any business tell me so far that they don't accept checks. Guess it's coming... :roll: I've always been leary of being swallowed up by credit cards.

[spibytes2003]

THe deal with Wal-mart is about the processing fees. But Sam's and Costco only accept differing cards...Sam's is Discover and AMEX. Costco is Visa / Mastercard. Kinda wierd I thought

[alexwolf]

Costco only takes AMEX, or debit

[Jeff Post]

I use a credit card for everything to get the frequent flyer miles. It is a great deal if you pay the entire balance each month so that there is no interest charge.

[kaiser]

I got one of those debit cards with the MasterCard logo on it from my bank. It doesn't get any better than that. Money comes straight out of the checking account, no waiting on somebody to deposit the check that I wrote.
The problem with people writing bad checks and not taken care of them has gotten so far out of hands that I can't blame the businesses for not accepting them. I had my own business for a while and I can tell you that bad checks are nearly impossible to collect. Even if the attorney general gets involved. You spend more time and money trying to go after these dead beats. It's like my attorney told me, don't throw good money after bad checks.
I worked at the county jail for a while and I saw a few that actually managed to get a warrant for their arrest on a bad check. In almost all cases it took at least 12 to 18 months for it to get that far and these checks were for amounts over $100.00. It is hard to believe but writing a bad check for $25 or less is only a class c misdemeanor. That’s the equivalent of a parking ticket. They pay the fine for that and walk unless the Judge puts in the paperwork that restitution has to be made before release.

[kaiser]

Why would You want to run a debit card as a credit card in the first place? It comes out of the checking account anyway. They put the mastercard logo on there so You can use it anywhere mastercard is accepted. By contract anybody that says they accept mastercard has to accept these cards as well. I imagine a retailer as large as walmart can negotiate better rates for transaction fees. I know for a fact the mastercard and visa charge a higher fee for tansactions that have been typed in than for
swiped cards.

[R.Allard]

Im with Chris and Sherri,
NO Credit cards here, the thing is ... even on the best cards you might be getting alittle back but by the time you get the " user fee,APR up to 19%,Anual fee,etc .. oh and lets not forget the participation fee. what a bunch of ...
If a business dosent want to take my checks or my check card then
i WILL NOT do business with them...
and just a note Texas Tropical will take Personal Checks as well as check cards and credit cards and IMO have the best "Customer Service" in SA..
They will always get the bulk of my business and even if things are alittle higher or i have to wait to get something i would rather do that then have to put up with a rude person or a store that thinks
they are the only "LFS" in SA.
The Internet is really looking good as far as buying dry goods
and they will take your "check card" without charging you any fees..
So you pay alittle shipping... its probably going to be the same as you would have paid and nine times out of ten if you buy over a set amount you get shipping free.
for instance.. Harbor freight and tool.. anything over 50.00 and shipping is free and that is anything. I inquired about a generator
for 499.99 that was 799.00 at HD or Lowes and they told me SHIPPING WAS FREE... Music to my ears........
well thats my take on it if ya want my money give me good service and take my checks and ill spend spend spend...
Robert

[kaiser]

If Your bank charges You for using Your debit card, change the Bank.

[RobertG]

I dont know how long this has been a deal in SA, here in Austin the same thing with LPS. I spoke my opinion, believing I am a good customer. I asked why , told that could not get ckecks guaranteed any longer with current processor. :wtf: Hot Checks suck! We take checks at my job, When our processing co. cant collect they suggest we file charges on the individuals. I as Mgr. have to go & file, PIA. Sometimes it takes mnths , yrs, it catches up to them sooner or later. Then we might get a check for installments until its paid in full. No xtra fee nothing. This however is not on a regular basis. Ussually never gets that far. The fees associated with check processing is minor compared to the benefits. They collect your money, as well a fee charged to the writer. If they dont pay the fee no one on the network will accept their checks. My checks were still accepted on the Low. I know I'm a good Cust! :lol2: This did not last long here. Alot of people still believe in checks cant blame them its an easy log with duplicates. Cant tell you how many Debit swipes I forgot about. They'll wise up. Its bad business, rather insulting. Our store Did shortly.

[GaryP]

People use their debit cards as a credit card so that don't have to punch in their PIN number when making a transaction. I've been guilty of it because sometimes I don't remember my PIN.

Gary

[greatbarrier52]

Couldn't agree with Chris, Sherri, and Henry any more. Once you find out that Mastercard is the Master of You and that you Discover how much debt you get into using credit cards you will figure out a better way to live. Did you know that credit card users usually pay 12 to 18 percent more while shopping than people that dont use CC. For more info on credit cards, dumping debt and slowly accumulating wealth go to www.daveramsey.com it will change your life. Tons of free common sense advice on money life and the persuite of happiness. Oh yeah it isnt a get rich quick sceme. ps Where the heck is the spell check on this board?

[DeletedAccount]

I use my CC everywhere, gather my points, pay off in full at the end of every month, have no service charge or yearly member fee - so for me CC is like cash with more benefits...

My financial institution charges a fee for using my check card as a debit, also. So I use it for nothing but in system ATM.

[alexwolf]

I am the same way. I use my CC for everything because it makes it eaasier to monitor my spendng. I dont have to worry about what my wife bought, if the bank account is going to be overdrawn, blah blah. I have a 40 day grace period on purchaes, so i NEVER pay interest (or very litte) I must say that my credit union charges me .15 for every debit transaction.

[Instar]

I'm with StephenA - This is the 21 st century, we have the techno to pay at the pump with a check card and on-line banking. It is the GREATEST INVENTION EVER, next to the light bulb of course! I don't even keep my own log anymore as its on my computer when I get home most of the time. Gotta love that! I use it everywhere, even out here in the country. Only place I have to have real cash for is the hair salon out in the middle of the pasture. They've heard of the 21st century and computers, but are not sure of what they are. None of the LFS's have ever turned down the cash card for me.

Best part is there are no fees to use it any way I want to! No extra expenses, no 18% more or whatever the theory is - nothing. Better than cash IMO.

[alexwolf]

Alamo made it a minimum purchase. Irritating

[Sherri]

This is the first I've heard of ANYONE not taking checks. In my beauty business, I only accept cash or checks. Of course, I have my regular customers....and knock on wood....I haven't received a bad check in years from them. I stay away from accepting CC's cause of the fees. Guess I'm from the old school...cash is cash and checks are cash. Another example of idiots causing others to suffer for their stupidity.

AND....I've given everyone of these LFS's my business for years...they know me. Never given them a bad check. They don't want my check...then I go elsewhere.

[captexas]

I can understand businesses being leary of bad checks. My ex wife wrote bad checks from 3 different bank accounts over the years. Never understood how the bank cleared her for a new account!

Retailers can use Telecheck and other services that are just like the credit card machines. They run the check and make sure it will clear before completing the transaction. Simple as that. A business that won't take a check won't get much business from me. Besides the interest rates, anyone heard of identity theft? Credit card fraud has gotten outrageous these days. I have been ripped off and overcharged by a few places in the past year when I used my credit card. Don't care if credit card company does fix it, it's a PIA.

[OldSalty]

The Good news is that they will accept checks from the folks they know well. They still take mine :D

[Sherri]

Maybe that's why Salty....I've done business with the local LFS's for years....13-14 in fact while I was into Africian Cichlid's. Even bred my cichlids and sold babies to them. They are still accepting my checks also.

[MarkS]

Retailers can use Telecheck and other services that are just like the credit card machines. They run the check and make sure it will clear before completing the transaction. Simple as that.

Actually, no. All that service does is run the account number against a database of accounts that have written bad checks and were filed with that company. If it clears at that point, all it means is that you have not written a bad check at a business using that certain check processing company. It is not a guarantee that the check is good.

[fishfancj]

Alamo still will take checks from regulars. Find an employee you know well and get them to ring you up. It wasn't one bad check or one person that caused the new policy. It was a multitude of bad checks from different people.

[manny]

..

[fishfancj]

thanks josh. btw: i'm cindy from alamo so a lot of you already know me. chris and troy finally :o talked me into joining the boards :D

[Ram_Puppy]

well, only slightly off topic, while coming out of walmart the other day (at aroudn 10:30 PM (this is at 281 and 1604) my wife and I were stopped because one of the RFI transmitters they conceal in products now adays was not turned off. The guy at the door came over with a wand and started scanning our cart, then when nothing came up after a few swipes, asked for my wifes purse, I was incensed and told him to try the cart again, that he was going to have to call a cop if he wanted to scan her, or her purse. After diligently searchin through the bags for 10 minutes he finally found the item, her new dayplanner. Meanwhile, people are walking in and out of the store, looking at us like pariahs. Walmart lost our business forever that day, the situation could have, and should have been handeled better, as we had just finished psending almost 800 dollars on office supplies for her company, I think it highly unlikely anyone who goes in and spends that much is going to steal something... ridiculous.

We also had a problem using our card that day, but they let us do it anyway. When someone who is 6'5 and weighs in at 320 or so starts getting mad, people tend to be nicer. I don't make a habit of it, but it sure cuts through peoples bad attitudes in a hurry. I like my wifes way better though, she smiles and bats her pretty eyes... :) much more effective. (at least on men!)

[captexas]

Ram Puppy -
Coming from one of the people that installs Wal-Marts anti-shoplifting systems, what the employee did was simple procedure, nothing personal. They have rules they have to follow every time a system alarms and they have to document the cause of every alarm in a journal. Also, when you carry something into a store such as a purse or backpack, they have the right to search it or make you leave it outside as the store is private property. The greater at the door was simply doing his job, nothing more.

Unfortunately, most cashiers (especially Wal-Mart) are not properly trained and/or could care less about properly deactivating tags. You would be surprised how much stuff comes from the manufacturer with the tag inside the packaging or even inside the actual item to where it cannot be removed by a shoplifter. Even some clothing now comes with tags sewn inside the material.

As a side note, if you are going to boycott Wal-Mart, don't do it for this reason. If you want to boycott them, do it because they are slowly becoming a shopping monopoly and will be too powerful to stop in the future. If Sam Walton were still alive today, he would be wealthier than most countries!

P.S. - The systems are not RFI, they are acousto-magnetic. Wal-mart is in testing stages of using new RFID technology at some of their distribution centers and will probably be the ones to push it into main stream use as it is too expensive currently. :-)

[Ram_Puppy]

Thanks for clearing that up Cap,

I am not so much miffed at them for scanning the bags, it was the implication of theft that I found offensive, that is the only reason he would ask for her purse, and I felt that, and feel justified that he should have done a better job going through the cart first. And having looked at the reciept, and seeing how much we spent, should have used his common sense and realized the chance of a theft in this instance was incredibly slim, i.e. he should have paid more attention to the cart, not my wife and her purse.

If walmart is going to be so stringent about checking things like that, then they should train their employees better, and hold them to higher standards.

I agree with you as well, if there is a reason to boycott walmart, it is their monopoly status (and the fact that fish bought by them are most certainly doomed. Ugghhh) They are also horrible about paying their bills, I have a friend who would love to put product in their store, but they are notorious for giving small vendors the run around, and not paying on time, he can't afford it, so he doesn't do it.

I would just say in general, it was a sour experience, and I just choose not to shop there anymore... they won't miss my business I am sure. :)