Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Economics
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 11-16-2010, 11:34 PM
 
88 posts, read 242,820 times
Reputation: 77

Advertisements

This is my first time sending a check through the mail. I put the check in the envelope and i'm worried if the check is transparent. What are some things I should be aware of when sending checks in the mail?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 11-16-2010, 11:54 PM
 
Location: SW Missouri
15,853 posts, read 34,997,155 times
Reputation: 22693
Quote:
Originally Posted by RonnyR View Post
This is my first time sending a check through the mail. I put the check in the envelope and i'm worried if the check is transparent. What are some things I should be aware of when sending checks in the mail?
It is always a good idea to take a sheet of paper and fold it like a letter and stick the check inside of that so you cannot see it through the envelope. Even if you use "security" envelopes it is a good idea to make it feel like there is a letter inside and not just a check.

The most important thing you can do is to call the intended recipient in a day or two and make sure that they have received the letter and check. That way, if they have not received it you can always stop payment (hopefully) before it is cashed elsewhere.

My husband, who is not a computer guy, pays all of our bills by check. We have never had a problem. Even the mail that is OBVIOUSLY a payment. If you make certain that you mail it AT THE POST OFFICE (do not leave it in a mail box outside your house) and the intended recipient has a secure post office box rather than a mail box, your check should be very secure during the delivery process.

If you are that insecure about doing this, I would contact the person who you are sending the check to and find out if there is any other way to pay them. If they have an email address you can send money via PayPal, which does charge a small fee, but it might be worth it.

20yrsinBranson
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-17-2010, 12:59 AM
 
Location: Victoria TX
42,618 posts, read 86,565,652 times
Reputation: 36637
Quote:
Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson View Post

The most important thing you can do is to call the intended recipient in a day or two and make sure that they have received the letter and check.
A day or two? Is Branson in Switzerland? Try a week or two.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-17-2010, 04:22 AM
 
Location: Ohio
2,175 posts, read 9,139,721 times
Reputation: 3961
I've been paying bills by mailing checks for well over 40 years.
But I always take them to the post office and mail them. That might not be convenient for folks who live in rural areas though.
Maybe I've just been lucky but so far no problems.
Some bills I have set up with the bank for automatic payment. Like the house payment, life insurance, etc.
Some folks are afraid to pay using the internet for security reasons. I'm a little concerned about that myself.
I always try to send checks 10 to 14 days before due date when using snail mail.
As far as security envelopes, there have been times when I wondered "did I sign that check" and held a flashlight against the envelope to try to see a signature. All you can see are dark images on lines. You can't see specific letter or numbers.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-17-2010, 05:27 AM
 
Location: The Milky Way Galaxy
2,256 posts, read 6,931,342 times
Reputation: 1520
Yeah you shouldn't have a problem. With that being said, like one person said I always fold up a sheet of paper to surround the check in and/or use a security envelope so no one can see the contents. Also never send a check through the mail for which you've made out to cash.

Other than that you should have no problems. The chances that your check ends up in the hands of a person who is capable of using it for malicious purposes is extremely low.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-17-2010, 05:37 AM
 
Location: Ohio
15,701 posts, read 16,949,464 times
Reputation: 22088
I have always mailed my payments be check.......for nearly 40 years........no problems.

In the last few years I quit using my mailbox to mail them and run them up to the post office instead.

The reason I quit using my mailbox is because they say they can "wash" the check in some type of home made solution that will totally remove the ink so they can then fill in their own info and amount.

Recently, when buying a new pen, I noticed a "Uni-ball" pen that says the ink is formulated to sink into the paper in such a way that it cannot be washed off.

I bought them, just in case/it couldn't hurt. They are really nice pens anyway............I like the way they write.

Now, if I can't make it to the post office because of a blizzard or a car breakdown or something...........I feel a little safer putting a check in my mailbox.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-17-2010, 08:29 AM
 
1,402 posts, read 3,489,921 times
Reputation: 1314
Quote:
Originally Posted by Annie53 View Post
I have always mailed my payments be check.......for nearly 40 years........no problems.

In the last few years I quit using my mailbox to mail them and run them up to the post office instead.

The reason I quit using my mailbox is because they say they can "wash" the check in some type of home made solution that will totally remove the ink so they can then fill in their own info and amount.

Recently, when buying a new pen, I noticed a "Uni-ball" pen that says the ink is formulated to sink into the paper in such a way that it cannot be washed off.

I bought them, just in case/it couldn't hurt. They are really nice pens anyway............I like the way they write.

Now, if I can't make it to the post office because of a blizzard or a car breakdown or something...........I feel a little safer putting a check in my mailbox.
I dunno...people get all worked up about sending stuff like checks through the mail, thinking they are susceptible to theft (and they are to a certain degree). However, they are just as susceptible to theft after they are delivered (by a corrupt employee for example). How can you control for that?

Its the same with using your credit card online....people worry themselves to death about it, but have no qualms about handing it over to a server at a restaurant! That server then takes it away, does who-knows-what with it (99.9% of the time they just swipe it and give it back though).

My feeling is that you take the easiest/most prudent steps to protect yourself, but don't go over board. Thieves/scammers have plenty of "low-hanging fruit" to go after and don't have to take the chance/go through the effort of stealing mail and doctoring checks.

My 0.02
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-17-2010, 10:57 AM
 
Location: SW Missouri
15,853 posts, read 34,997,155 times
Reputation: 22693
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88 View Post
A day or two? Is Branson in Switzerland? Try a week or two.
I'm not getting your reference to Switzerland here. LOL Sorry. Of course transit time depends on where it is going. Most letters I send out that are paying bills or containing checks get there in a day or two. YMMV

20yrsinBranson
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-17-2010, 11:29 AM
 
Location: Victoria TX
42,618 posts, read 86,565,652 times
Reputation: 36637
Quote:
Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson View Post
I'm not getting your reference to Switzerland here. LOL Sorry. Of course transit time depends on where it is going. Most letters I send out that are paying bills or containing checks get there in a day or two. YMMV

20yrsinBranson
Locally, sometimes the next day, if you're in a big enough city to have a sorting facility. Things I send to Michigan take a minimum of five days. A couple of months ago, an envelope straggled in after about three weeks, after I had already re-sent the material.

But bill payment envelopes have barcoded address information imprinted on them, so go a lot faster. Unless you put it in a collection box specifically marked for local zip code.

I bet everything you mail to a local address in Branson goes to Springfield, gets sorted there, and then back to Branson the next day.

Switzerland still takes the post office and mail delivery seriously.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-17-2010, 12:37 PM
 
Location: Apple Valley Calif
7,474 posts, read 22,807,685 times
Reputation: 5682
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88 View Post
A day or two? Is Branson in Switzerland? Try a week or two.
Not sure what you're trying to say, a letter mailed anywhere in the US should arrive at any other location in the US in no longer than three days.
Of course there are always exceptions, but three days should normally be the max no matter how far you're sending the letter...
Maybe your mailman is lazy...?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Economics
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top