New Check accptance policy?

Sounds to me like you didn't understand them explaining that they
process check electronically and they return all checks back to all
customers now. The paper is something all check writers must sign at
walmart acknowleging acceptance of the terms. The terms are that if
the electronic check doesn't go through, you will THEN be charges a
overdraft fee! Not that you HAVE been charged. We ALL have to sign
this to pay by check at Walmart. YOUR CHECK WAS NOT DEEMED
INSUFFICIENT! The cashier and manager were just trying to explain
this to you and you were already to upset probably to understand or
hear them. I will admit the first time they returned my check to me I
was confused about it. You probably owe them the apology.

There are 2 sides to every story.
Every time I use a check at walmart I have to sign acknowledgeing if
my check is returned then there will be a fee.
They're not going to refuse your check and make you sign a nsf form.

don't hold your breath to get an apology from walmart. Just go to a
different department store. Walmart has changed since Sam Walden
passed. I do business on a very limited basis with walmart since i
found out i could get the exact same items from Kmart and they will
and do accept my checks. My bank had so many complaints about Walmart
check polices that they quit responding to any inquiries from walmarts
verification company

This sounds like a classic case of poor customer service which, Wal
Mart is notoriously known for. If the cashier does not enjoy her job
she should be angry with herself not you. It is not your fault that
she is a disgruntled cashier. Had she respectively explained the
process that you would only be charged an additional $30 if your check
was returned due to NSF. I'm sure you did not throw cups at her. Wal
Mart needs to realize they would not be in business if it was not for
their shoppers. Hiring, training, and coaxing their employees for
exceptional customer service would go a long way for the continued
success of the store.

P.S Where the other replies from the cashier or other Wal Mart
employees. Seems very close minded at the possibility that a Wal Mart
cashier was wrong.

How did you waste your son's "attention level," and what is this?
Also, why not go to another store to buy said card, and who was it
only some cups that "fell"???

Apparently a lot of you are reading other things into this. The check
was denied and I just wanted to know why. After 10 years working in
retail, I know there is usually some code that tells them why the
check was refused. I know now that they have a new check cashing
policy and have been informed by a WM associate that it messes up the
transaction if you write anything on the check. If I had been informed
of that before I wrote the check maybe things would have been
different.
And I did NOT throw anything at the cashier. This particular cashier
is always claiming people are throwing things at her. I worked with
her for a year at another store and she still has that complex.

Other posters have already explained the transaction policy that
Walmart has adopted. This is much better to all consumers, as well as
the retailer.

I don't think it would have been proper, in any case, to have thrown
anything at your cashier. If you had done so, you should have
accepted your actions and apologized.

The bottom line is that Walmart does accept checking account
transactions, they just do so in a way you are not use to.

I think you may have misunderstood what they were saying~or they
didn't explain it properly. Wal-Mart has gone to a new check system in
a lot of stores, in which they actually give you the original check
back. You sign the receipt that the cashier puts in their drawer
acknowledging that you give permission for Wal-Mart to remove that
amount of funds. The sheet also states the returned check fine.
The company is going to this form of accepting checks for many
reasons, including less paperwork. It also protects YOU, as your
personal information is not left behind.

Sorry but something does not add up - I read your letter a few times.
I used to work for a company that ran EFT's. - electronic fund
transfers
At Walmart and most everywhere that changes your check from paper to
electronic ( ie you get your check back after they run it through ).
the check is ran through, you are asked to sign a paper, this paper
states that if the check is denied by the bank at time of the EFT
transaction ( these usually occur at midnight ) then you will be
charged the $30.00 fee. They would not be able to tell you that you
had "no money" in the account - they could tell however if the
account had a "hold" on it or if the account was closed or if the
checks were reported as stolen. this would cause the machine to kick
it back and deny the check.

I just plugged "walmart check acceptance policy" into Google. The
only thing I came up with was that in 2003 Wal-Mart began running
checks through at the time of purchase, online. I wasn't able to find
anything that said that this policy had been discontinued. Since I
haven't written a check for anything other than rent in years and
never, ever shop at Wal-Mart I really don't know if that is the
standard current policy for all Wal-Marts. If this is still the way
Wal-Mart does business, it is possible that the check did bounce
immediately upon going through the system, but I don't know why the OP
would have to sign a form authorizing them to charge him for the
bounced check. I have always been under the impression that paying
with a check kind of implies consent to be charged if it bounces. It
could be that they have recently started requiring that the form be
signed to prevent customers from being surprised when the ISF charge
shows up on their statement?

I'm not sure what good it would do to post a sign stating that they
don't accept personal checks, since they do. In fact the check was
initially accepted as a potential form of payment prior to its being
rejected by the computer for whatever reason.

I would like to hear the story from the point of view of either the
clerk or the manager, having also been in the uncomfortable position
of telling people their checks/ccs were declined. Most people,
perhaps understandably, tend to get pretty defensive in that
situation, and it sounds like the OP may have taken out a bit of their
frustration on the clerk. Of course I could be off base here, but
having been on both sides of the counter that would be my guess.

Apology for what? Just from reading your letter, it sounds like you
are blowing this way out of proportion....actually, it makes me wonder
what really happened. I wonder what the clerk would say, if she was
asked about this encounter?

wow that's absolutely crazy. i worked retail for a while and when
somebody's check wasn't approved they got mad and went along their
way. no harm done and no fees. just couldn't buy their stuff. i
thought a "bounced" check was when it was initially approved at the
transaction time and then later found to have insufficient funds.
change the policy back, walmart!