Damaged cheques (or \"checks\" for you Americans)
 

I was recently mailed a cheque for a few thousand dollars from (some form of online gaming site). Unfortunately, Customs opened the envelope when it arrived in Canada, and then the retard who resealed it taped the cheque to the top of the envelope. When I opened the envelope, I ripped the bottom half of the cheque. It's ripped just above the routing numbers, and half through the signature portion.

I taped the cheque back together, and it looks pretty good. What do you think my chances are that I will be able to cash it?

Re: Damaged cheques (or \"checks\" for you Americans)
 

Slim. For that amount of money and the extent of the damage, it would be a real trick to get that check cashed where I work (at a bank.) You'd probably have to have a good relationship with the branch where you tried to cash it...and then it would be considered a big favor. I'm guessing our tellers and managers wouldn't stick their necks out like that. Wouldn't hurt to try, but I'm guessing you'll need to get a reissuance.

ScottieK

Re: Damaged cheques (or \"checks\" for you Americans)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Slim. For that amount of money and the extent of the damage, it would be a real trick to get that check cashed where I work (at a bank.) You'd probably have to have a good relationship with the branch where you tried to cash it...and then it would be considered a big favor. I'm guessing our tellers and managers wouldn't stick their necks out like that. Wouldn't hurt to try, but I'm guessing you'll need to get a reissuance.

ScottieK

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks, that's what I thought. I sent an email off to the site that issued the cheque to see if they'll re-issue it for me.

I figure even if it makes it through my local bank (I was going to deposit it through the ATM), it's just as likely to get stopped when it reaches the originating bank a couple of weeks from now.

I'd ripped a cheque from top to bottom once before, and taped it up and deposited it in the ATM with no problems so if they give me a hard time about re-issuing the cheque, I'll probably just chance it. However, the rip this time looks a lot worse than the rip the last time.

And yes, I'm a retard for actually having ripped *two* cheques in my lifetime.

Re: Damaged cheques (or \"checks\" for you Americans)
 

Step 1: call bank
Step 2: ask

Re: Damaged cheques (or \"checks\" for you Americans)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Step 1: call bank
Step 2: ask

[/ QUOTE ]

1) The bank is closed and I don't feel like sitting on hold all night when I call their 1-800 number.
2) I was hoping someone in OOT works for a bank or has had a similar experience and could provide me with the answer. And surprise surprise, someone did.
3) You're a douche.

Re: Damaged cheques (or \"checks\" for you Americans)
 

Ok fine.

I've worked at various banks and seen this many times. Sometimes it goes through, sometimes it doesn't. Why? Depends on the bank.

So to summerize this post again:
Call bank, ask.

Re: Damaged cheques (or \"checks\" for you Americans)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Ok fine.

I've worked at various banks and seen this many times. Sometimes it goes through, sometimes it doesn't. Why? Depends on the bank.


[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you. This more of the kind of information that I was looking for. I'll probably go ahead and try to deposit it, as I'd deposited a slightly less ripped cheque before and they took it. I'm waiting to see what the site has to say before I proceed.

Re: Damaged cheques (or \"checks\" for you Americans)
 

It gets better: I just noticed that my name on the cheque has a typo in it. And they won't cancel the cheque -- I have to mail it back to them first.

Sigh.

Re: Damaged cheques (or \"checks\" for you Americans)
 

I've never worked in or near a bank, but I do know more than my share of lawyers many of whom know (or claim to know) everything about everything.

General consensus is that the bank has no choice but to accept any check unless there is [sic] good cause to presuppose the likelyhood of fraudulent alteration. (F--king lawyers and their legaleese - I think I came close to the quote I was given).

I'm assuming this cheQUE - and you [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] - both originate in this country; I haven't the vaguest clue as to how a foreign (European ?) bank would handle this.

In some respects this makes sense; people routinely attempt to cleverly deface checks made out to the IRS (nh, well done [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]) and I have never heard of anyone being asked to "please send a clean one to replace this one - which appears to have been pissed on".

*

Can any of you shed any light on this ?

Re: Damaged cheques (or \"checks\" for you Americans)
 

Im a bank teller and I know without routing numbers and such its trash. With the tape on the bottom I couldnt accept it but if you talk to a higher up and feign some interest in possibly inventing theyll help you.