WHen purchasing a refrigerator at Lowe's, my check was rejected. The reason given "Check being held". I was fortunate enough to have another means to get the refrigerator.
The following day, Monday, I called the number for Certegy Check Services (aka Certegy Check Services, Inc) and was told I had a bad check with K-Mart. Having not shopped in K-mart in at least 15 years, I was then told it was recent, and probably a cashier put MY driver's license number on someone else's check. That person obviously wrote a bad check, with my identity attached.
I was told I would have to wait 3-5 business days to write a check until they cleared up the error. I made no error, I had money to buy the refrigerator, and now due to some dim witted cashier, I cannot write a check for 5 business days? Where is the justice in that? I asked WHERE this K-mart is located and they wouldnt tell me. PRIVACY issues to protect the GUILTY!
I went to my bank - and my account is fine, never had a bad check, but the bank couldnt help, due to the fact its my driver's license number causing the issue. I am building a new house, and need to write several checks DAILY this week to finish up. Now I am on total hold, and furious! In America, dont we PROTECT the innocent, not PUNISH them?!?
ibsuesue
Culpeper,#2Author of original report
Thu, December 31, 2009
I do not think for ONE second you understand how having your checking account frozen for - in my case - 6 full days affects a person's life. Certegy may be limited as to what they can tell a caller - but they told me this happened in a city miles from me,(seond phone call). where I hadnt been in at least 25-30 years, I had done nothing wrong. A cashier at KMart had erronously put MY DL number on a check that turned out to be bad.
Just where is the JUSTICE in that causing ME the problems it did? They were able to tell WHERE the error had occurred and having been a store owner in the past myself, I know they could have easily determined the "criminal" and cleared my name immediately, not 6 days later. WHile I do realize many people write bad checks all the time - just read the Court actions in a small town paper like i live in - but I do not happen to one of those people. It would seem to me that Certegy, in their role of playing God over people's lives - would have a way to check my history to see if I had ever written a bad check. I HONESTLY believe they KNEW the day I called that I had not written a bad check - but due to whatever reason - they could not or would not clear it up.
Interesting that an EX employee would be defending their actions - especially in a case that is so clearly a MISTAKE by some not so careful KMart employee!
I totally stand behind my initial statement that in America "we protect the innocent - not punish them".
Treva
Battle Creek,#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Wed, December 30, 2009
A number of things could have happened here.... Among them ...
A typist could have keyed a number in wrong
A Kmart cashier could have written a keyed a number wrong
Once it was verified that the check in question did not belong to you, Certegy is EXTREMELY limited on what information that they can relay to you about that check, if that was the case. Were you able to verify where the error occurred, on the Kmart side or the Certegy side? Is your life completely and utterly free of alphanumerical transpositions, typos, and improperly communicated information of your own doing?
ibsuesue
Culpeper,#4Author of original report
Thu, October 01, 2009
I called Certegy Check Services today (Thursday) to see if they have cleared my name to that I could again write checks. I had to speak to several people, as well as be on hold for over 22 minutes. I was told that I could write checks now, that "IT would fall off their services at midnight tonight". I had no clue what she meant and asked for an explanation. I was told that MY bad credit would go off their service at midnight tonight....whoa - I didnt write a bad check and I explained to the representative what happened. SHe stated "You can now write checks, its been taken care of". I asked her just what had happened to the cashier who wrote my Driver's Licence on someone elses check....she stated "nothing". I asked if she lived in America, she said "Yes". I asked her what gave her or her company the RIGHT to punish people who do absolutely nothing wrong, preventing me from writing a check from Sunday - Thursday. She stated "You can write a check now". She took absolutely no responsibility that the company who gives her a paycheck controls peoples lives. A company who hires their services does nothing to the employee who commits the error. The totally INNOCENT person, in this case me, is the only one punished by this company. BEWARE of large stores who put your check through those automated scanners - I will ALWAYS ask to watch as they write down my license number on my check, as well as watch them punch it into their computer. However, the bigger issue, is a cashier who transposes someone's DL number, writing it wrong and entering it wrong, because that could be YOUR DL number. There must be a way to hold Certegy Check Services liable.