Customer's CQ bounced - what can I do?

bundly

By the way, I am now waiting for three other cheques to clear, refusing to send out the books until seven days after I have deposited them, and my customers are all whingeing at me... they are clearly insulted that I don't trust them.... but I am not going to get caught like that again, especially as one CQ is for £70.

Once bitten...

patman99

When I list something for sale I tend to put 'If paying by cheque, please allow 10 days for funds to clear before goods are dispatched'.

Makes it quite clear that they will not be getting their goods until their payment is cleared.

bundly

patman99 wrote: »

When I list something for sale I tend to put 'If paying by cheque, please allow 10 days for funds to clear before goods are dispatched'.

Makes it quite clear that they will not be getting their goods until their payment is cleared.

My situation is a little different, as my items are not "listed" for sale as such. I sell from my website only, using Paypal buttons, but people email asking if I would take a cheque. They are often older folk with no Paypal account, online shopping is new to them. Some say they are emailing on behalf of an elderly friend who has no internet. I don't like to lose sales so I take them, and that is OK and saves me the paypal fee.

Even now I feel a bit bad because some cheque-payers want their book in time for Xmas and I won't send it.

However, as a result of this I have been much more assertive -- YAY! -- and when a bloke whinged last night I told him straight that if he paid via Paypal I'd post his book in the morning. He's still sending a cheque - but it's his choice to wait ten days.

I guess ten working days over the Xmas period amounts to more like 15 days?

Oh dear!

macman

bundly wrote: »

By the way, I am now waiting for three other cheques to clear, refusing to send out the books until seven days after I have deposited them, and my customers are all whingeing at me... they are clearly insulted that I don't trust them.... but I am not going to get caught like that again, especially as one CQ is for £70.

Once bitten...

Then tell them to stop whingeing, or use Paypal (or even bank transfer-that has no risk to you and costs you nothing). If you make it clear in your T&C's that no goods will be sent before cheques clear, they should have no cause for complaint.
I suspect that your 'problem payer' does this regularly for small amounts and the vendors usually do not pursue it-so she continues to do so for as long as she can get away with it.
Anyone who has internet access and email can set up a Paypal account. Yes, Paypal take a hefty slice, but how long do you spend per week processing and paying in cheques, and how much is your time worth?
BACS transfer is the way to go, any regular buyers should be happy to use that as they know they can trust you.

stesilc

when i worked for myself i had a cheque returned the guy wouldnt take my calls when i turned up on his door step he found the money and paid me