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Certegy Check Services - Fidelity National Information Services Fidelity Infomration Services Denying cashing Social Security Checks Atlanta, Georgia
On 8/13/2009 I received my Social Security Check and went to the Walmart located in Chamblee Georgia. When I tried to cash my Social Security Check (it was issued from the local office because the check never arrived in the mail and I needed it to pay my electric bill before it was shut off) I was denied, and the written reason on the slip is reason 2, which, after talking to the Federal Trade Commission, is not a valid reason, as required under the FCRA. I was told to call Certegy, which I did in the store, and I was informed that the reason the refused to cash the check, was because it did not fit into their computerized models.
I have checked with the Attorney General of Georgia's Office and found that under Georgia Law, it is illegal to refuse a government check, unless the check appears to have been altered. This check was issued at the local office, and was not altered in any way, shape and/or form, so I have forwarded a copy of the check to the Attorney General's Office, US Attorney's Office for Georgia, and the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance for prosecution.
I intend to sue Certegy and Walmart for not only violating the FCRA, by not stating a reason but for undue hardship for me needing to go out of my way to cash the Social Security Check, since I have a heart condition, and it was almost 100 degrees out side.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Treva
Battle Creek,Michigan,
U.S.A.
Oh my...
#6Consumer Comment
Wed, December 30, 2009
Normally I would not say this but Nick, your comments in places are a bit out of line, I'm sorry.
In regards to the original poster, I can understand your frustration. However, I have multiple health issues that are affected by stress and heat, and I still have to walk places. No sympathy here on that matter. I cannot, however, speak for GA law regarding refusal to cash government checks.
As for Nick, in other matters, he is correct. MANY people come onto this site and various others, ranting and whining, when in fact many of them don't even know what they are actually ranting about. Sometimes they are simply ranting because agencies are leaving messages on their answering in the parameters of the law, but maybe they're dialing the wrong number. And oh, oops, not even knowing the real reason behind the calls, they come on here to rant and whine.
The thing that I find most appalling and disgusting, is the shear amount of people who have no idea about the laws, their rights, and their obligations as a consumer, particularly when it comes to checking and credit. I worked at Certegy for a while, and the thing I loved to laugh at was the ridiculous amount of people who would say "I didn't even know it's against the law to bounce a check". *Headdesk* My second favorite has to be the incredible goofy amount of people who place the blame of what goes on at a merchant on collection agencies and vice versa, as well as the amount of people who think that the collection agent should call the bank and everyone under the sun to fix the problem that they themselves created. People.. ANY idiot can call a bank and pretend to be someone that they're not.. so plz plz excercise some courtesy, common sense, AND intelligence before drowning us all with the tears. I know that sounds horrible, but those three things combined can often help clear up the moleholes before anyone has the chance to turn it into a mountain.
Nick
Salt Lake,Utah,
U.S.A.
Georgia takes the cake
#6Consumer Suggestion
Fri, November 20, 2009
If you ignorant with nothing better to do than complain lazy Georgians knew how many stolen social security checks, payroll checks, etc people are stealing and trying to cash on a daily basis you'd be looking for ways to protect yourselves. Daily I see people trying anything and everything to cash these stolen and altered checks. Just yesterday I had a guy come through my line trying to cash a savings withdraw slip which was filled out and made to look like a check, another person trying to cash a stolen ssi check. another person trying to cash a payroll check which was for $5.39 but had altered it trying to cash it for $1539.00. As the recession continues so will the crime against merchants as well as consumers continue to rise and the sooner people realize they need to protect themselves the better off they will be.
As for the Certegy employee who stole peoples personal information this was almost three years ago, and yes I was part of that group of people that had their information stolen but I did what I had to do and moved on, I have let it go, and this just goes to show you that no matter who the company may be as long as they employee people there is always a risk no matter how much security they take, they are not able to control what a person might or might not do.
I have a heart condition too but I don't use it in order to reinforce complaints I may have or have not against any merchant or institution, instead I have direct yes direct deposit through a bank
if the bank doesn't trust you to open an account in your name why should anyone trust cashing a check for you regardless of whether it's a social security check or not. Wake up clear up your credit and your finances so you'll able to open a checking or savings account with your local bank and quit your whining.
infiniti
Mesquite,Texas,
United States of America
Certegy is a Scam
#6Consumer Comment
Thu, November 19, 2009
Nick, you are really something. That was a most rude and uncalled for comment to the original poster.
Certegy is breaking the law by not approving government checks to be cashed, and they are violating the Fair Credit Act every time they arbitrarily decline a check presented by someone who has no negative check writing history. They do not have to use algorithms and check writing "models" to base their authorization decisions upon; rather, there was the Banking Reform Act that put into place more technologically advanced, and accurate, methods of detecting check fraud.
I am calling for a nationwide boycott of all merchants who use Certegy to authorize checks presented to them. If these merchants are hit where it hurts (their bottom line), and stop using Certegy, Certegy will eventually be put out of business. I am sure that their recent loss in the class-action lawsuit has affected them financially as well. They are an unscrupulous company that is victimizing honest, hardworking people and they need to be held accountable for their misdeeds.
John
Venice,California,
U.S.A.
Who takes the cake? Nick and Certegy.
#6Consumer Comment
Sun, October 11, 2009
No Nick, YOU take the cake. Certegy has a ton of complaints against them for declining to cash checks based on erroneous "codes". The original poster here is correct, and you are wrong Nick. Of course, check cashers need to take security steps to prevent accidentally cashing bogus checks, but we're talking about government checks, made out to recipients who have state and other identification. Certegy's common explanation is that checks have certain "markers" that identify them as "risks". A government-issued check that hasn't been altered should have no such markers, and Certegy knows this. They're known for screwing up. Certegy recently had a class-actioin filed against them because one of their insiders sold tons of personal bank/credit card information (of others) to a data broker. And Nick, you truly take the cake for trying to determine if another person has a health condition or not. Certegy (via Albertsons market) recently declined to cash a Social Security check for an elderly friend of mine ... saying that the check had "markers" that deemed it risky. The unaltered Social Security check was made out to a retired woman who had her drivers license and several other forms of identification ... yet Certegy saw reasons to not cash it.
Nick
Salt Lake,Utah,
U.S.A.
SS check in Ga
#6Consumer Comment
Sat, October 03, 2009
You really take the cake, so your check was not cashed suck it up and move on with life it's not the end of the world. Noone can force a merchant or any other person to accept any check if they do not wish to do so, after all the thing they neglected to tell you is a check is only an IOU until it's actually collected on.
As for you having a heart condition as you state it surely didn't seem to bother you any to first of all go to Walmart to cash the check, and 2nd of why don't you have direct deposit set up with with your local bank where you do business, but I guess if they don't trust you enough to give you a checking and or savings account how do you expect a merchant to cash your check for you.
People like you make me sick always throwing a tantrum like a 2 year old because you didn't get your way, you're an adult act like it and quit your belly aching or find something else to do to keep your self occupied.