Automated Check???

Post by **lordofduct** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:01 am

What exactly is an "Automated Check" when you check your banking records?

You see I write checks when I pay my bills. I like the pleasure of sitting at my desk and writing out all my checks and licking the envelopes and then balancing my checkbook and all that good stuff. Its 15 minutes of joy I get every 2 weeks. That and I can't stand this BillPay online shit... I mean yeah I love the internet and all, but I just don't trust it with making automatic payments from my checking account. Sorry but allowing that many people in on my private data like that just doesn't feel safe to me at all. Call me conservative, but the more time you put your extremely private data out there, the higher the risk of it getting stolen.

On top of that, the fact that you send a check which has a nice delay on it with the mail, and then the processing time, I know when the funds are there and when they aren't. That auto pay shit just happens every month... and sometimes not even on the same exact day! That's not cool... this month it goes through on say the 18th, 2 days after that weeks check, but next month on the 16th, the day before my paycheck. This isn't really a concern today, but when I was 20 and in school, working 70 hours a week just to keep a roof over my head I'd find overrage charges all the freakin' time due to my insurance company at the time (you got like 5% cut when you used BillPay with them... when you're eating peanut butter on saltines you take that 5% whenever you can!)

Anyways, that is slightly getting of track as I know this isn't an online BillPay thing... I don't use that shit. But what is "Automated Check withdrawal"? My electric company has passed this through twice already and I don't get a record of the cleared check like I usually do with any other check I write. What the gay? Do they get to just call in a check now and clear it over the phone with out any physical proof or something!? I'd really like to know what this is. What are they doing to remove funds from my checking account with out my ability to see the cleared check anymore!?

Speaking of insurance and not having money. What the gay is with 250 dollar insurance? And it ain't even full coverage. As I inch closer and closer to 25 it has dropped immensely, I pay 80 dollars a month now, and on my birthday it's supposed to drop even further (turning 25 this year). But when I was 19 working for 7 dollars an hour at a gas station, I had to pay retardedly high insurance rates... just for bare freakin' minimum! Now ok, yeah, I'm 19 and not really considered a safe driver and stuff. But how the hell am I supposed to pull that money out my ass. Then finally when I actually can afford it, they drop my rates! YIPPEE!

I was watching a documentary on the autobahn yesterday and I really liked some of the ways the ticketed people in certain areas who broke the law on the autobahn. For instance tailgating was a fineable offense, but the fine was based on a percentage of your wealth. That sounds sweet! We should do that here!

Of course all people shouldn't speed. But if a rich bastard gets pulled over he doesn't get his 3rd bottle of champagne tonight. If Miss Smith and her 4 kids get pulled over, jimmy starves tonight.

Post by **D.D.D.** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:20 pm

An automated check is just an electronic payment done as if you had mailed a company a check. It's just easier because they don't have to wait for you to mail it and you don't have to worry about running out of checks etc. I've always hated checks and been doing online or electronic banking as soon as I could.

Post by **lordofduct** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:17 pm

D.D.D. wrote:An automated check is just an electronic payment done as if you had mailed a company a check. It's just easier because they don't have to wait for you to mail it and you don't have to worry about running out of checks etc. I've always hated checks and been doing online or electronic banking as soon as I could.

But it's not, I sent them a check. And never verified that they can do electronic billing. As I said, I don't do electronic billing because I don't like it and prefer to mail out my checks.

Post by **dsheinem** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:06 am

The power company probably just submits your paper check electronically - the same way that some stores do (when they hand you your check back after they process it on the register).

Post by **marurun** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 1:09 pm

Yeah, the company is using the information off your check to request an electronic funds transfer instead of actually submitting the paper check. I think they have to keep the check for a while in case the transfer is questioned, but many companies and banks have started allowing this.

I should note that in Japan very few people use credit cards or checks. Purchases in stores are almost always done by cash, and regular expenses like bills for phone service, etc... are always done by direct bank draft. You give the company your bank account info and they withdraw directly from your account.

Post by **D.D.D.** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:39 am

lordofduct wrote:
D.D.D. wrote:An automated check is just an electronic payment done as if you had mailed a company a check. It's just easier because they don't have to wait for you to mail it and you don't have to worry about running out of checks etc. I've always hated checks and been doing online or electronic banking as soon as I could.
But it's not, I sent them a check. And never verified that they can do electronic billing. As I said, I don't do electronic billing because I don't like it and prefer to mail out my checks.

I've had some companies that even when I sent them the check, they didn't use persay the physical one I sent but did it electronically instead.

Post by **D.D.D.** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:41 am

marurun wrote:Yeah, the company is using the information off your check to request an electronic funds transfer instead of actually submitting the paper check. I think they have to keep the check for a while in case the transfer is questioned, but many companies and banks have started allowing this.

I should note that in Japan very few people use credit cards or checks. Purchases in stores are almost always done by cash, and regular expenses like bills for phone service, etc... are always done by direct bank draft. You give the company your bank account info and they withdraw directly from your account.

Even in Japan the times are changing. Well you're right about checks, no one uses them. I don't think they even have them here.
But credit cards, almost everyone I know has one because they buy stuff, get points, get free stuff, or even buy big items on monthly splits. They're quite popular here but still not as widespread as the rest of the planet.