FISGlobal.com / Certegy review: declined checks! 620

Several months ago, I opened an account with Netflix online but never used the service. Netflix was taking the money out of my bank account each month for a service that I never used,so I closed the account through the bank. Someone else had tapped into my Netflix account and was freely using it and when I closed the account, Netflix turned it over to Certegy.

Upon investigating the situation, Certegy determined that fraud was in fact involved.It has been several weeks now and today(4/28/07) my checks are still being declined.

I was told several weeks ago that the problem would be taken care of but it hasn't been.

This has happened to me twice. I have had the same checking account for 5 years, I have good credit, I have never missed a payment of any type, I don't carry a balance on my credit card, and I have never bounced a check. I keep at least $1000 in my account at all times. I am the ideal consumer and yet I have been rejected by Certegy twice before. The first time I was rejected was for writing a check for about $160 to GameStop... I called the 1-800 number any they told me that although they had no incidence of a bad check on file the amount was over a preset limit that they had determined for me?!? I was furious and embarrassed and I have not been back to Gamestop. Last week, about nine months after the first incident I went to FYE to buy a dvd. I wrote a check for $17.86 and it was declined by Certegy because I had written a check to the same retailer for $13 two days prior. How ridiculous... it is an embarrassment and the other customers and cashiers look at you like you are a scam artist. I will not shop at a retailer that uses this company ever, if I am spending my money somewhere I feel like I deserve to be treated like a respected customer not like a thief.

Also a victim of Certegy. On 4/22/07 wrote a check at the Walgreens we frequent a few times a week and write checks, none of which have ever been returned. But today's check for $136.26 was denied with no reason. And the store manager was unable to override.

So I called Certegy and like others, was told there is nothing in my records to indicate negative check writing (I knew that) but the "system" had done a "rare security decline" based on factors that have led the merchant to have losses in the past. Also, since it was Sunday, they couldn't call my bank to override. They also encouraged me to continue to write checks since it may not happen again. Yeah, right. That gives me confidence.

I called Walgreens back to explain that while Certegy may in theory be helping them to avoid losses, they might want to partner with a company that has a better process for weeding out the good customers from the bad, as they just lost one of their best. I am now writing to Jeffrey Rein, CEO of Walgreens. He would be a fool to let this company conduct business on his behalf for even one more day.

Yesterday, 4-20-07 I tried to cash a payroll check at my local WalMart like I have been doing for almost 2 years now... and got declined. The clerk told me they couldn't cash my check and gave me a number to call to find out the reason. When I called I found out that WalMart and Albertson's are using Certegy which declined my payroll check. The reason they gave was very vague. All they could tell me was that they had some confidential financial information on the company I work for. (LIncare) They recommended that I call my company for more info.

Certegy is crap!

I had written a complaint back a couple of years ago, thinking that I was the only one that this has happened to, but as time pasted, I have a large collection of emails concerning the integrity and intentions of this Company. Certegy has raised its own "red flag" amongst the American consumer, and the masses have discovered that this company is poorly run, poorly maintained (thru prompts and voice recordings), and just a big fat pimple on the face of the American consumer! Certegy reminds me of an ankle nipper... very annoying after a while. This company, thru its own ability, has done something to the consumer itself... it has, in many cases, has stopped the consumer in stimulating the economy... it is an economic "pill" that we have no choice but to swallow. I myself am very tired of the nasty aftertaste. Many consumers have decided to return their purchases, not exercising their right to pay by check, not returning to the stores at which they have had this inconvenience forced upon them. Many, thousands of consumers, have readjusted their spending habits to Cetergy's rules and regulations, so that the consumer is now "once bitten, twice shy"! Where is it safe to write a check? Where do I need to use my Debit card at? Which store is not affiliated with Certergy Check Services? If I write a check here at this store, will I be put to shame and my integrity questioned when the check-out clerk pushes the final numeric buttons and presses purchase total on the register... when I hand over my check, will I stand tall or will all of my hopes and promises of my purchase be ceased immediately by the clerk announcing "there is a problem with YOUR check clearing and YOU need to call this 1-800 number"! Fear, anger and the ability to choke the living $&*! out of a recording. We as the consumer will rally around this nasty company and put them out of commission. Let's just keep all of the letters and complaints coming and WE will acquire legal representation and let's see if we can cash their settlement check without remorse... but with a smile of complete serenity. Our day will come! 'United we stand... Divided we fall"!

I too was declined. I tried writing two checks for Best Buy totaling 2336.85. the 1st check was the full amount, and the 2nd was 1336.85. I also got some BS about being declined. I was able to reach a Rep and she was telling me that my check (number and amount) was similar to those customers in the past that has tried to purchase and write a check to best buy. Immediately a red flag went up as to how ironic it is that both the check # and the amount was in the same pattern as some previous fraud activity. Anyway she also went on to say that it's a daily thing and that I could try tomorrow. I told her no thanks b/c my merchandise would prob not be there. needless to say I had to wait until today to call my Credit Union to make sure everything was ok on my end...and it was. I knew I had the money in my acct...

What I dont get is how i can use my debit but not write a check. I never written a check at Best Buy before and i was in the catch 22. Seems as if you never written a check to any retailer, chances are you will get tagged too!

I'm looking for some law suit as well from this company.

I also got hit by Certegy's [censored]. AMAZON.COM uses Certegy! I tried ordering a book online and I kept receiving an email from Amazon that my order was put on hold as my debit card payment was denied by Certegy. For no damn reason. I was just given a note saying that if I wasn't happy I have all the 'right' to take it up with Certegy. I never bothered calling them because I know I would get nothing but ###. Don't give me my 'rights' when obviously taking up those rights isn't going to get anywhere. True enough, when I came here and saw the complaints, my worst fears came true. I am not able to order from Amazon.com since. Certegy does DEBIT as well as credit. My debit payment was denied.

What the hell is CERTEGY? How come it seems to be controlling all the major stores around and yet seems to behave nothing more than a filtered scam email?

I BET that if anyone rang up Certegy and informed them about the numerous complaints seen or (unseen) here, they would just simply say "Well, this is just 1 webpage of complaints; our customers span the whole world and it's just unfortunate that you're part of a minority." I BET you some idiot working there would just shrug it like that. It's so predictable... typical.

I also had a similar experience with Harbor Freight. Tried to write a check for an item and was turned down by certegy. Called Certegy and a week later got a letter stating "funds were verified by your bank as not available for this transaction". I called bank and they stated My account Had more than enough funds to cover the amount of this check.

What can be done about this? I would be for a lawsuit against this company.

Also I would be very interested in seeing a list of stores that use Certegy's services so I can stay away from them.

I went shopping at K-Mart on March 10, 2007. This is store that I have been shopping at for 20 years and have never had a problem with using my checks. Yesterday I needed some laundry soap and the total came to $19.80. The clerk asked to see my ID two times specifically asking me about my birth date and consequently after re-ring up my purchases and again looking at my drivers license let me know that my check was denied. I didn't have any cash on me as I do all of my purchases by check. I was never so embarrassed in my whole life...and, as I walked away, I heard the clerk talking about this incident to the next customer in line! I will NEVER ever enter a K-Mart store again. I would like to know what other stores are serviced by this bogus company. I am sending a copy of this to the manager of K-Mart and letting everyone I know about this embarrassing treatment that they might have to undergo. Class action seems the only way to stop this uncalled harassment.

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO AMERICA! Just 1 hour ago the same thing happened to my husband and I. We wrote a check for groceries at Piggly Wiggly and the $63 check was denied by Certegy. We do not write checks there often but since my husband recently reported his debit card lost and we have not yet received the replacement, we wrote the check.

Although Piggly Wiggly honored the check and we were allowed to bring our groceries home (suspicious in itself, leading us to believe this has happened there to honest patrons before), my husband was petrified all the way home that somehow our bank account (which is substantial) was totally deplete (he has overdraft protection).

We were given a card with Certegy's number on it and a list of information to have available to give Certegy when calling. We were also not willing to give out this information (no one should give out this information!) which is all anyone needs to take your identity or your bank account. We called our bank instead who reassured my husband that his funds were secure.
This alleviated our initial trauma but now we were furious!

We called Piggly Wiggly to find out if their use of Certegy was new. It was not. I told the manager that due to the embarrassment, anxiety, and inconvienence, I could not see even spending cash at Piggly Wiggly anymore. We live in a small town and everyone knows each other if only by sight. In a small town, your reputation is everything.

We are all for a class-action suit against this service (?). Who they are serving, I don't know. I do know this, America should NOT PAY TO BE TREATED BADLY! This is a philosophy I stick to. Our money is hard-earned enough. We have refused to patronize 2 gas stations in our area who are not courteous at all and although they were decent enough to honor our check, Piggly Wiggly will be added to the list (I don't shop at Wal-Mart anyway, for other reasons).

I don't know what is happening to our country, the deck is really stacked against us. I do believe that only WE can change the things destroying our way of life. If enough people boycott the stores that use Certegy, Certegy will go out of business or begin to use realistic policies.

I just left Target on Craig Road in North Las Vegas and had the same experience as other with Certegy. I did as the others, called the 1-800 #, got the automated garbage and was told that the proprietor of the store would be notified. Thinking all was well with the world I went back out to the clerk with my cart full of goods. She said I would have to write out a new check, I did and it was also rejected. The manager called the number and got a real person who told me they could not cash my check until further investigation, 2 business days. I have perfect credit, never had a check bounce in 20 yrs and thousands in my checking account. I got home, called the number to get the consumer report from Certegy, was on hold for 15+ minutes, finally got an answer, gave the information and will wait to see what they send me. Are checks no longer good? If you have been using your debit card for a long time, leave it home but have your checkbook on you, get ready for a humiliating and embarrassing experience all because of this bottom feeder company that takes money from these corporations but doesn't even have anything in place to correct their stupid errors on the moment. You won't see me at Target anymore or any of the stores mentioned in these other complaints.

I was trying to cash an $800 payroll check @ wall mart and was denied because of reason code 2? no idea, and haven't called them.

I'll go to the local check cashing/pay advance and give THEM my 3% of my check which is considerably more than the $3.00 fee @ wallymart.

I was stunned to get TWO letters in the mail today that are supposed to be from Certegy Check Services. Never heard of them before. They say I filed a lost or stolen check complaint for checks written to Big Lots. Never been there. They both have different account numbers, different Big Lots store id numbers, very different check numbers, etc., but they do have my name and address! The accompanying application to be "allowed to write checks at any of the merchants using their services" is very, very personal and great for identity theft, so I assumed it was just that ... an attempt to get my personal info for identity theft. Then I got curious and went on the net to check them out and googled this site. Thought I would put my two cents in. I am still afraid to contact them for fear they are not legit, but I don't want this to show up on any of my legit records anywhere. Puzzled and worried.

I too have has the same experience with Certegy. I filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission today after getting nowhere with this company. Does anyone know of any class action litigation we can become a part of?

I went to TJMax to make a purchase recently and wrote a check for $102.00 and was declined. This is after I wrote a check that same day (roughly 30 minutes prior) in the jewelry department for $50. that was cleared - I could not understand it and was given a piece of paper with a phone number to call. I called Certegy Check Services who told me that I did not meet the check writing "guidelines" for writing checks and that they will send me an application. Once approved (and that is not guaranteed) I will be able to use my checks at any Department Stores with no problems. I am sitting at this moment looking at this application, and decided to check the internet to see who and what Certegy is all about. Needless to say, I am very glad I have, as I am not the only one that seem to be having this problem. What is (the consumer) solution for all this? How are we to get pass this "problem"? I understand that the Merchants have to do their part in protecting their businesses - but what are we to do? There are so many ways of identity theft out there I am skeptical about sending my information on an application along with a blank-voided check to a company in Florida - who will "research" my banking history and credit history to determine which "category" I fall in. Using my debit card is no problem -(which I ended up doing at TJMax) but what if I choose to write a check - these "CHECK SERVICES" says I can't because I do not fall under their "CATEGORY" of check writing ability - what the heck is this all about? If anyone has any indebt information as to why this has become the NEW PROTOCOL to check writing here in our beautiful America - could you please share it with me...!

I just experienced a similar problem with Certegy while trying to pay tuition for my academic coursework. I've paid the same way in the past two years without issue (by check), with the most recent check being approximately one month ago for the same about (my school offers a promissory note that can be paid back in equal shares). Apparently today, Certegy decided it was my turn.

I find it beyond offensive as they seem to arbitrarily decide a credit amount, rather than actually confirming amounts and overdraft information from my bank. If my bank does not participate with Certegy going forward, I have no complaints at all, it just further promotes the use of a Debit card rather than using a crappy check service like Certegy. After providing the customer service rep with all my vitals, she said that because of my historic spending patterns she would do me a favor and bump up my check writing amount so that the problem doesn't happen again (gee, thanks for nothing - I would have to write another check as the originally declined one was now 'flagged'). This is all despite the fact that I've never bounced a check, have overdraft protection and money in the bank to cover the check.

I'm now more concerned about my privacy than I was before I wrote the check. Certegy asked for considerably more information that my bank did when I opened the account, and for all I know, they'll go belly up tomorrow and/or become the latest exploit of some financial hackers.

My advise to vendors and businesses looking for a check processing company - don't pick Certegy at any price. If this had occurred at a private institution, I would not be shopping at your store due to this experience!

I too was a victim of Certegy. I had written a check for $142.00 at one purchase then another for $72.00 at another merchant at the same mall. I tried to write a check for $90 and was declined. I was given an 800- and did get to speak to a rep. She stated that I have been writing alot of checks and this was out of my 'normal' check writing pattern. She stated that there was no negative history its just I've been writing more checks than usual. "Duh its Christmas" I advised her. She stated that I can fill out a form to be placed on a VIP listing. This should stop any further declines. I don't feel I want just anyone having my bank information just because. I don't know what to do.