What a dumba$$

[mike007]

Anybody ever lose a check? Must have lost it out of my wallet paying for lunch. Should I call the customer and have him stop payment and rewrite? This couldnt look any more unprofessional. If it werent for his info on it Id just eat it. Already looked through the truck and through my business case but I believe my dumba$$ lost it. Lets hear it fellas.:nono:

[Raven386]

your going to have to tell him what happened so he knows. dont want something happening with his account and then blaming you for it.

[Mr. Vern]

It all depends on how much the check was for. If the amount is more important to you than your pride, call the guy - he will understand. It's really not a big deal, just embarassing!:hammerhead:

[mike007]

It was only $200 but its more a matter of pride and professionalism. It was a down payment for materials. Not that big of deal as far as money goes since I always front the materials anyhow but its really bothering me, this just doesnt happen to me. Goes to show no matter how organized you are, stuff still happens.

[Vikings]

Happened to me a couple times, one time it flew off my dashboard while I was driving in rush hour traffic. Get another check, you'd look just as stupid if you forgot to cash it.

[topsites]

Oh yeah, I lose or missplace at least 1 a year, sometimes two, par for the course, no biggie. Half the time I don't even know it until my customer reminds me their check hasn't cleared the bank... Chances are if it's lost, it's gone, but you might wait 60-90 days to see if it clears somehow, maybe you deposited it and don't remember or it just might still turn up.
What I usually do (beyond looking for it of course) is of course wait some time (like at least a month) and then ask them about that check one day and would they mind seeing if it cleared the bank because I think it may have got lost...? Then, once they confirm that it has not cleared I ask if they wouldn't mind writing another one, I don't personally ask for stop payment but I make sure if I ever find it that it does not go through, my customers trust me so it's usually no problem (not saying yours don't, but stopping payment is a bit of a waste in most cases, once lost = forever gone, most of the time)... Perhaps for larger amounts you might stop pay, but not no $35 lol, I'd say at least $350 or so and higher, then maybe yes.

[Midwest Lawn Services]

Remember to put your client first. Personal information on that check if in the wrong hands could cost you more than the amount the check is worth! ALWAYS be honest with your clients. Explain what happened, and explain how you will not let the problem occur again. The big guy up above will take care of the rest for you. I know. It has happened to me before. I still have the client...10 years later!:)

[sildoc]

Lost a few. This is why I like them to mail me my payment instead of pay on site. I put in my pocket and I am sure the washer monster eats a few. people are usually good about letting you know when they dont clear.

[sheshovel]

topsites topsites is offline
LawnSite Fanatic

Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Richmond Virginia
Posts: 6,650
Oh yeah, I lose or missplace at least 1 a year, sometimes two, par for the course, no biggie. Half the time I don't even know it until my customer reminds me their check hasn't cleared the bank...

Oh really? Loosing customers checks 1 or 2 a year huh? Don't even know it??WoW, how responsible and professional can one get!!


Chances are if it's lost, it's gone, but you might wait 60-90 days to see if it clears somehow, maybe you deposited it and don't remember or it just might still turn up.

Oh yes, of course better to wait until someone else finds it, endorses it and cashes it. and THEN expect to retrieve your lost $$ by asking your client for another check. WRONG!


What I usually do (beyond looking for it of course) is of course wait some time (like at least a month) and then ask them about that check one day and would they mind seeing if it cleared the bank because I think it may have got lost...? Then, once they confirm that it has not cleared I ask if they wouldn't mind writing another one,

Oh they already know it has not cleared yet, if no one else cashed it. ALWAYS ask them to stop payment on a lost check. Pay their stop pmnt fee of $25.00 and ask for a new check. This action avoids problems, being embarrassed is better than loosing the whole amount of the check.
You THINK it MIGHT have got lost?? Oh my oh my!!


I don't personally ask for stop payment but I make sure if I ever find it that it does not go through, my customers trust me so it's usually no problem (not saying yours don't, but stopping payment is a bit of a waste in most cases, once lost = forever gone, most of the time)... Perhaps for larger amounts you might stop pay, but not no $35 lol, I'd say at least $350 or so and higher, then maybe yes.
Reply With Quote

Sheshovel advises you not to take advice like this, it is not the way a professional business person handles situations such as this.

[rodfather]

Call him...he is going to find out about it when you trys to reconcile his monthly bank statement anyway.

[flgtr95]

Remember to put your client first. Personal information on that check if in the wrong hands could cost you more than the amount the check is worth! ALWAYS be honest with your clients. Explain what happened, and explain how you will not let the problem occur again. The big guy up above will take care of the rest for you. I know. It has happened to me before. I still have the client...10 years later!:)

I agree with Midwest. The personal, private information (name, address, account number, etc) on that check is worth way more than the $35 it was written for. Would you want this information floating around without your knowledge. It will probably amount to nothing other than embarrassment for you, but at least the customer can notify his bank and credit agencies to look for fraudulent activity. I have seen people put social security numbers on checks. :nono:

[topsites]

Sheshovel, please feel free to add my name to your Ignore List, thank you.

[Let-it-mow!]

everyody makes mistakes. Your customer will understand if you call them, ask them to write another check and to deduct the cost of the "stop payment" from the check. Just find a way other than putting checks in your wallet so it doesn't happen again.

you might be po's at Sheshovel but I'll side with her, they won't be as understanding if you don't call them and somebody else cash's their check.

[sheshovel]

Sheshovel, please feel free to add my name to your Ignore List, thank you.

Sorry Topsites, no such luck.

[Vikings]

topsites topsites is offline
LawnSite Fanatic

Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Richmond Virginia
Posts: 6,650
Oh yeah, I lose or missplace at least 1 a year, sometimes two, par for the course, no biggie. Half the time I don't even know it until my customer reminds me their check hasn't cleared the bank...

Oh really? Loosing customers checks 1 or 2 a year huh? Don't even know it??WoW, how responsible and professional can one get!!


Chances are if it's lost, it's gone, but you might wait 60-90 days to see if it clears somehow, maybe you deposited it and don't remember or it just might still turn up.

Oh yes, of course better to wait until someone else finds it, endorses it and cashes it. and THEN expect to retrieve your lost $$ by asking your client for another check. WRONG!


What I usually do (beyond looking for it of course) is of course wait some time (like at least a month) and then ask them about that check one day and would they mind seeing if it cleared the bank because I think it may have got lost...? Then, once they confirm that it has not cleared I ask if they wouldn't mind writing another one,

Oh they already know it has not cleared yet, if no one else cashed it. ALWAYS ask them to stop payment on a lost check. Pay their stop pmnt fee of $25.00 and ask for a new check. This action avoids problems, being embarrassed is better than loosing the whole amount of the check.
You THINK it MIGHT have got lost?? Oh my oh my!!


I don't personally ask for stop payment but I make sure if I ever find it that it does not go through, my customers trust me so it's usually no problem (not saying yours don't, but stopping payment is a bit of a waste in most cases, once lost = forever gone, most of the time)... Perhaps for larger amounts you might stop pay, but not no $35 lol, I'd say at least $350 or so and higher, then maybe yes.
Reply With Quote

Sheshovel advises you not to take advice like this, it is not the way a professional business person handles situations such as this.

Can someone cash a check written out to a business name? We also don't endorse business checks here, the must be deposited into the business account. I've never thought someone else could deposit and withdraw from my account, also my stop payment fee is $10 but the NSF is $25.

[Lawnworks]

topsites topsites is offline
LawnSite Fanatic

Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Richmond Virginia
Posts: 6,650
Oh yeah, I lose or missplace at least 1 a year, sometimes two, par for the course, no biggie. Half the time I don't even know it until my customer reminds me their check hasn't cleared the bank...

Oh really? Loosing customers checks 1 or 2 a year huh? Don't even know it??WoW, how responsible and professional can one get!!


Chances are if it's lost, it's gone, but you might wait 60-90 days to see if it clears somehow, maybe you deposited it and don't remember or it just might still turn up.

Oh yes, of course better to wait until someone else finds it, endorses it and cashes it. and THEN expect to retrieve your lost $$ by asking your client for another check. WRONG!


What I usually do (beyond looking for it of course) is of course wait some time (like at least a month) and then ask them about that check one day and would they mind seeing if it cleared the bank because I think it may have got lost...? Then, once they confirm that it has not cleared I ask if they wouldn't mind writing another one,

Oh they already know it has not cleared yet, if no one else cashed it. ALWAYS ask them to stop payment on a lost check. Pay their stop pmnt fee of $25.00 and ask for a new check. This action avoids problems, being embarrassed is better than loosing the whole amount of the check.
You THINK it MIGHT have got lost?? Oh my oh my!!


I don't personally ask for stop payment but I make sure if I ever find it that it does not go through, my customers trust me so it's usually no problem (not saying yours don't, but stopping payment is a bit of a waste in most cases, once lost = forever gone, most of the time)... Perhaps for larger amounts you might stop pay, but not no $35 lol, I'd say at least $350 or so and higher, then maybe yes.
Reply With Quote

Sheshovel advises you not to take advice like this, it is not the way a professional business person handles situations such as this.

Well Little Miss Perfect has never lost a check! Accidents happen for God's sake. I know I lost a couple last year. When you get over 200 checks a month, I don't think you are a dumba$$ if you lose one or two a year.

[Lawnworks]

Can someone cash a check written out to a business name? We also don't endorse business checks here, the must be deposited into the business account. I've never thought someone else could deposit and withdraw from my account, also my stop payment fee is $10 but the NSF is $25.

Yeah I agree... they sure as hell won't let me cash a check at a bank if it has my company name on the check... but then again some of these liquor stores might cash just about anything. Stop payment is the way to go... I think the client will definately understand if you go about it right... I would like to think most clients WANT you to get paid for the work... or at least make sure there hard-earned money ends up in the right hands.

[mike007]

Well, Im going out there today with some more materials and will tell him then, unfortunately he is one of my more valued customers so I will have to be upfront or risk losing him as a customer. Im not looking forward to it. Wish me luck.

[sheshovel]

Well Little Miss Perfect has never lost a check! Accidents happen for God's sake. I know I lost a couple last year. When you get over 200 checks a month, I don't think you are a dumba$$ if you lose one or two a year.

As a matter of fact that is correct, I have never lost a check. If I had I sure would know it right away. Are you saying Topsites is handling his business in a responsible manner?

[Lawnworks]

As a matter of fact that is correct, I have never lost a check. If I had I sure would know it right away. Are you saying Topsites is handling his business in a responsible manner?

How topsites is handling is business was not my point... I was just pointing out "crap happens" and everybody makes mistakes(beside you evidently). I can easily see how getting a check first thing in the morning might fall out of your pocket on the bobcat, fall out when your pulling out wallet, or whatever.

[sheshovel]

I see your point and my point is, when I am handed a check I stop what I am doing and put it into my zipped pouch in my day-planner.

[Lawnworks]

If it was over 1k I would probably make an effort to put it in a secure place... but not pocket change. Knowing my scattered brained self... I would forget where that secure place was! Hell sometimes I write stuff on my hand to remember later in the afternoon... and by the afternoon I can't even remember why I wrote it on my hand!

[ChadsLawn]

Tell him your wife washed your wallet.... Works everytime...

[1MajorTom]

Tell him your wife washed your wallet.... Works everytime...

Yep, that's a great idea. :)

[mike007]

Well I talked to them today and they said it was no big deal, I told them I wasnt worried about the money so much as their info on the check and that Id pay the cancel check fee but they refused to let me pay the fee. Like I said these are my best customers so I felt like I had to treat them as such. I figure better to lose a little money than a long term cust. When I called to let them know they even told me that they had another job for me, thanks to suggestive selling a few weeks earlier. I still havent figured out how I ,of all people, lost that check. Guess Id better ask for a brick of gold next time so I wont lose it. hah.

[David Hartzog]

i've done it, too. and my wife washes them cause i put them in my pockets cause i never can find my wallet.

Really, the most embarrassing is when my 2-year-old got on the desk...took a post-dated check out of the envelope the customer gave it to me in (not sealed of course) and wrote all over it with black pen to the point where the bank said their thing couldn't read it and it would have to be re-written...it was bad cause it took me a couple of months to collect the money to begin with! i took the check back to the woman and she understood.

[Vikings]

One time I put my pants in the dryer with a pen in the pocket. It ruined the clothes and I still got ink stains all over the inside of the dryer.

[mike007]

Thanks guys, its always nice to know your not the only that screws up once in awhile.