My Article Made it!
http://consumerist.com/383372/certegy-decides-whether-or-not-kmart-will-accept-your-check
Certegy Decides Whether Or Not Kmart Will Accept Your Check
S. wrote a check at Kmart earlier this month and it was denied. No reason was givenâ€â€just "denied." It turns out a separate company, Certegy, made the decision, so S.â€â€who writes, "I've never had a bounced check"â€â€tried to track down someone at Certegy who could tell her what was wrong with her checks.
I've never heard of Certegy, until April 6. I went to K-mart to purchase some items, wrote a check (which I have done there dozens of times before), and it was declined. Huh? I mean WTH?! I've never had a bounced check, I have over draft protection anyways. I called the toll free number, of course it's automated, they won't give you a reason, the recording just said "Precautionary Measures", sooooo, what the heck is that all about? I cashed a check elsewhere a few minutes later, just fine.
I emailed K-Mart complaining about being the embarrassment it caused me. I emailed Certegy also, all I received from both was a form letter giving me instructions how to obtain more information about my particular situation. OK, so, I requested a letter through USPS which was suppose to explain WHY my check was declined. This is the response I received (you guessed it, another form letter).
Dear Ms. XXXXX,
This letter is written in response to your inquiry regarding our recent inability to authorize your check. Initially, we want to assure you that we understand the concern this can cause, and we apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced.
Certegy Check Service (CCS) is a check authorization service. Our clients throughout the United States utilize the service to help reduce losses incurred through retail practice of check acceptance. For many CCS clients we assume liability should an authorized check subsequently be dishonored. CCS maintains a computerized file containing both returned check information and driver's license or checking account number. In addition to this information, over 40 years of check authorization and resulting loss experiences CCS has developed guidelines for authorizing acceptance of checks. Our system determines the potential risks associated with with checks. Many proprietary factors are evaluated and in making decisions for check approvals. We also track check writing based on many factors, including check sequence number,, check writing activity and check amounts. This process is designed to protect consumers and retailers and to prevent unauthorized individuals from writing checks on otherwise valid accounts. Unfortunately, valid check writing patterns can occasionally overlap with these patterns resulting in out inability to authorize a valid check such as yours.
Regarding our inability to authorize your check, although there were no returned checks on file, the check fell outside of approval guidelines. Unfortunately, we did not have any addtional information at the time to override the concern, and we again sincerely apologize.
In closing, we do appreciate and understand your concerns. Please contact our Customer Care Department at 800-352-5970 if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely, CERTEGY CHECK SERVICES, INC. Customer Care Department
The check fell outside WHAT approval guidelines? Does this scream discrimination or am I being just plain stupid?
So let's seeâ€â€according to Certegy, they use the following methods to decide whether or not Kmart should accept your check:
* they keep a "computerized file containing both returned check information and driver's license or checking account number"
* they've used "over 40 years of check authorization and resulting loss experiences" to develop guidelines for authorizing checks
* some proprietary factors!!!
* some sort of pattern matching based on things like "check sequence number, check writing activity and check amounts."
It seems the only factor that could have resulted in your rejection would be something in their "proprietary" bucket. Still, despite all of that fancy-sounding pattern matching and database tracking, they admit to false positives that impact your ability to get a check accepted at a retailer you shop at on a regular basis:
* "Regarding our inability to authorize your check, although there were no returned checks on file, the check fell outside of approval guidelines. Unfortunately, we did not have any addtional information at the time to override the concern, and we again sincerely apologize."
It doesn't sound like discrimination as much as incompetent "proprietary" technology. What's surprising is how impossible it was for you to get a clear answerâ€â€even after following their instructions, you still don't know why the check was refused and whether it will happen again.
Of course, we're not sure why Kmart would do business with Certegy in the first place, considering the company's record for lax security:
Certegy Check Services Inc. disclosed last summer that a database administrator had sold the personal and financial information of 8.5 million consumers to data brokers over a five-year period. The check-processing firm didn't nab the DBA until a retailer reported a link between check transactions and marketing solicitations that some of its customers had received.
That's right, Certegy didn't even catch the theft over a five-year period. A retailer did the "pattern matching" and pointed out the connection.
That was so awesome! K-mart acutally denied me from writing a ch
That was so awesome! K-mart acutally denied me from writing a check, too - this was also after a long time of writing them checks. Dispite my crazy history, I seriously have never bounced a check in my life.. I wondered if PDLs had anything to do with it? Because one of my local grocery stores won't neither but some places still do. And as I have said, I have never bounced a check.
Shazzers, That was so great! The same thing happened to me wit
Shazzers, That was so great! The same thing happened to me with telecheck and I filed all over the place and suprisingly enough I have never had a problem again. Awsome article!!
Denied Check Approval Belks
I went through the same thing two days in a row. Also could not get an answer. I am going to my bank tomorrow and have them try to get answer.
I had this happen several years ago and I think it was at K-Mart
I had this happen several years ago and I think it was at K-Mart before all of their TX stores closed. I watched the cashier punch in the incorrect drivers license number and when the check was declined, her whole attitude changed, like I was a piece of lint. I told her to run it again and she refused even after I told her that she entered my DL# incorrectly. She tried to give me the card for the check verification company they were using, I think it ws SCAN at the time, but I refused to leave. She called over the floor supervisor who treated me about the same way and would not listen to anything I had to say. When I demanded to see the Store manager, they tried the whole "he's busy and can't be disturbed". I ended up calling their divisional office while I was standing there and about 5 minutes later the SMGR showed up. He tried to just repeat what the cashier and supervisor told me and I finally had to tell him to shut up and listen to me. She entered some one elses DRIVERS LICENSE NUMBER! Not mine. He finally had her run it thru again and he punched in the correct DL and it instantly went thru. He apologized profusely and I showed him my checkbook register with K-mart listed every week for about $200 in groceries. I told him he could keep his apologies and the $230 in groceries I was trying to buy. I got my check back and left them to put up the buggy and a half full of stuff. In the immortal words of Rainman - "K-Mart Sucks!"
Quote:I had this happen several years ago and I think it was at
Quote:
I had this happen several years ago and I think it was at K-Mart before all of their TX stores closed. I watched the cashier punch in the incorrect drivers license number and when the check was declined, her whole attitude changed, like I was a piece of lint. I told her to run it again and she refused even after I told her that she entered my DL# incorrectly. She tried to give me the card for the check verification company they were using, I think it ws SCAN at the time, but I refused to leave. She called over the floor supervisor who treated me about the same way and would not listen to anything I had to say. When I demanded to see the Store manager, they tried the whole "he's busy and can't be disturbed". I ended up calling their divisional office while I was standing there and about 5 minutes later the SMGR showed up. He tried to just repeat what the cashier and supervisor told me and I finally had to tell him to shut up and listen to me. She entered some one elses DRIVERS LICENSE NUMBER! Not mine. He finally had her run it thru again and he punched in the correct DL and it instantly went thru. He apologized profusely and I showed him my checkbook register with K-mart listed every week for about $200 in groceries. I told him he could keep his apologies and the $230 in groceries I was trying to buy. I got my check back and left them to put up the buggy and a half full of stuff. In the immortal words of Rainman - "K-Mart Sucks!" |
nascardevil, I haven't been back there since, and won't. :x
it's a shame, KMart used to be a good company, they don't have a
it's a shame, KMart used to be a good company, they don't have any near us where we moved so I haven't been in one in a while. When they were bought by Sears I was hoping they would bounce back and make a big improvement. It sure doesn't sound like they have made any sort of rebound (unfortunately!)
Alot of them have closed around this area too. I haven't been to
Alot of them have closed around this area too. I haven't been to one in about 3 years. The last time we were there, was Christmas Eve day for last minute things. After we had checked out and were walking towards the door, this guy appeared with a gun, only 2 feet away. You know, you think if you are in that situation, you will do this or that--I only froze!! My hubby started toward him and I had to grab him back. Everyone was screaming and he finally got out the door. Some people chased him and got a tag number, but nothing happened, guess the car was stolen.
To this day, if I am in a store and I hear loud voices, I start looking around :lol:
scarey >:( good thing you were there to hold your husband back!
scarey >:( good thing you were there to hold your husband back!
Love the avatar btw bossy...