I am going through the same thing with this company right now. I wrote a check at Marshalls, a company I have written checks to repeatedly in the past. I have no history of bouncing checks whatsoever, but on this one occasion, Paypal accidentally transferred funds from my checking instead of my savings account, so that check got returned. I realized this right away, and things got corrected. I had Marshalls redeposit the check and it cleared my account immediately, and the return fee was waived. I thought this was a closed chapter. This happened the week of September 16, 2007.
About three weeks later, I wrote a check to Michaels, another store I frequently do business with (I am a teacher) I have written checks to this store many, many times, and am a very regular customer. I was declined. They tried it again, I was again declined. They gave me the number to Certegy, and I called them and was told they do not know why I was declined, that they have nothing in their records about me. So we tried again, still declined.
I ended up walking out and am now too embarrassed to go back.
A day or two later, about the 8th of October, I received a bill from Certegy for the amount of the returned Marshalls check and a 25.00 service fee tacked on. I have since called them repeatedly to inform them that this has been paid, sent them the proof on my bank's letterhead from my bank manager, and still, this morning when I attempted to write a check at yet another store I frequently do business with, I was declined. I called Certegy and demanded to speak to a manager, and was told that they still needed me to pay the 25.00 fee, even though Marshalls was paid directly by my bank to theirs, and waived the 25.00, and Certegy was never even needed to collect the debt. If I do not pay the 25.00, I will be red flagged forever.
I would go and pay this right now, but I am afraid it won't make a difference, and no one will direct me to a manager who will put it in writing that I will have my check writing privileges restored as soon as I pay them this 25.00.. which I do not feel I owe, but will pay if it gets things restored. I have thousands of dollars in my account,and a reputation to consider here. I do not know what to do next, and am seriously thinking of getting an attorney. |