Snail mail

So just over two years ago I did a side job for a woman who lived out-of-state. She paid me part of the money but the last $500 never got delivered. I would sent her a reminder every few months but given the 18 months since her last payment I had written it off as a lost cause.

Last night when I got home I found an envelope. From her. With a check inside!!!

Here is the snail mail part: The check was dated 11-19-15. It was postmarked 12-30-15. It was received 2-8-16. Even the Pony Express was quicker than that! Seriously, did one postal employee WALK the letter across the country?

**note, I tried to deposit the check via my mobile app and something didn't work. I'll count it as a true win when funds clear.

Funds will likely not clear for $500 on a check that old. Your only chance at it would be to go to the same bank the check was written from.

I just got my birthday card from my brother. Post marked for a week ago; he sent it over a month ago. Probably got stuck in a mailbox or fell out of the cart somewhere along the way

I assume you mean the check was dated 2014? Because 11-19-15 was only 3 months ago. I wouldn't expect to have any trouble depositing that check if it's only 90 days old. You might need to do it at one of your bank's ATMs rather than via mobile. But seriously, I'd expect that to clear no problem.

All the dates I used were accurate.

And of course the amount of the check was only $350.

I was confused because you said it was 18 months ago. But I feel your pain on getting stiffed.

Ah. My bad. I read it that it was from 18 months ago.

Yeah, that one should cash, assuming there are funds in the account. I'd still go to the bank it was from and get it in cold hard cash--that was what I used to do when I reffed a hockey team that I wasn't sure could cover its checks. It was a race to the bank they had their account with.

You should carry that check inside a brick-and-mortar bank building where you've done business for years and personally hand it to a teller whom you know by name. They will cash it for you and give you a lollipop.

Mobile app? WTF is the matter with you people?

FWIW I personally know two letter-carriers(one retired, the other still working full-time) who cannot read. While I appreciate the fact they've been successfully able to hold careers, it's still a somewhat scary fact.

1988RedT2 wrote: You should carry that check inside a brick-and-mortar bank building where you've done business for years and personally hand it to a teller whom you know by name. They will cash it for you and give you a lollipop. Mobile app? WTF is the matter with you people?

Get with the times, bro! It really is much easier and faster. Arguably safer too.

1988RedT2 wrote: You should carry that check inside a brick-and-mortar bank building where you've done business for years and personally hand it to a teller whom you know by name. They will cash it for you and give you a lollipop. Mobile app? WTF is the matter with you people?

I am the person who would carry checks around for months because I never happened to remember to take time out of my routine to go into a bank just to deposit a check. Mobile banking has really made things easier for me.

My closest branch to walk in and talk to a teller is ~400 miles and two states away.. I've only ever been in there ONCE about 8 years ago (when I lived a lot closer) and I happened to be driving by it..

petegossett wrote: FWIW I personally know two letter-carriers(one retired, the other still working full-time) who cannot read. While I appreciate the fact they've been successfully able to hold careers, it's still a somewhat scary fact.

That is pretty terrifying. How is that even possible in this day and age unless you grew up on a militia compound in bumberkeley West Virginia? And only in the government could you then possibly get a job making $50k+ a year, probably with a pretty sweet pension to boot.

1988RedT2 wrote: You should carry that check inside a brick-and-mortar bank building where you've done business for years and personally hand it to a teller whom you know by name. They will cash it for you and give you a lollipop. Mobile app? WTF is the matter with you people?

I get charged money if I go inside my bank for any reason other than to withdraw money an ATM won't give me. Phone is more convenient than ATM since I can't go in anyway.

classicJackets wrote:

1988RedT2 wrote: You should carry that check inside a brick-and-mortar bank building where you've done business for years and personally hand it to a teller whom you know by name. They will cash it for you and give you a lollipop. Mobile app? WTF is the matter with you people?

I get charged money if I go inside my bank for any reason other than to withdraw money an ATM won't give me. Phone is more convenient than ATM since I can't go in anyway.

mine is the other way around. any in bank or atm transactions are free, mobile deposit is 50 cents per check.

at least she is making an effort to pay you i guess. i had one lady, i was removing their crappy old deck so they could get a pad poured and the company i worked for could put a patio enclose up. i asked her if i could cut it into 4x8 squares as her husband wanted to reuse the crap wood for something, she OK'ed it. left bill on door because she left when i got done. i got a check a few months (and mailed bills later) for 1/4 the amount, with a note saying her husband said i cut the pieces too small and he couldn't use them, and how i destroyed the coil around the patio door and the enclosure installer had to fix it(it was cut around the deck, i didn't touch it, and i told her it that it was cut around the deck step and i'd have the guys redo it at no cost), and how she felt like she should owe me nothing and was being kind sending almost nothing. i hate people that don't pay for work performed to their request. on top of that, i had slipped the guy installing the patio room cash beforehand and he put all new coil around that door just so it would be nice for them.

Furious_E wrote:

petegossett wrote: FWIW I personally know two letter-carriers(one retired, the other still working full-time) who cannot read. While I appreciate the fact they've been successfully able to hold careers, it's still a somewhat scary fact.

That is pretty terrifying. How is that even possible in this day and age unless you grew up on a militia compound in bumberkeley West Virginia? And only in the government could you then possibly get a job making $50k+ a year, probably with a pretty sweet pension to boot.

Well the one who is retired has been retired for quite a few years. He told me once that he made it by getting pretty good at recognizing letter patterns on street signs, names, etc. So although he probably couldn't pronounce the word, he learned it eventually.

We're also talking rural/small-town Midwest, where 40+ years ago not having an education didn't prevent someone who was a hard worker from being able to support their family. Since there was very little migration of people in/out of the area(and thus his route) and many were people he knew before he started delivering, it's not unreasonable that he made it through his career.

However, I will say that I suspect some problems I've had will mail delivery more recently are likely due to the other carrier who is still working. He's a nice guy, but seems to have some type of developmental disability, and I don't think he has the cognitive ability that the other man mentioned above does.

A check sent via snail mail...I had to check to see if this topic was restarted from 1984.

Furious_E wrote:

petegossett wrote: FWIW I personally know two letter-carriers(one retired, the other still working full-time) who cannot read. While I appreciate the fact they've been successfully able to hold careers, it's still a somewhat scary fact.

That is pretty terrifying. How is that even possible in this day and age unless you grew up on a militia compound in bumberkeley West Virginia? And only in the government could you then possibly get a job making $50k+ a year, probably with a pretty sweet pension to boot.

Learning problems weren't diagnosed until the last 20-30 years so it's not so unbelievable that someone could go through life not being able to read. My father has mild dyslexia that when he was a kid was just called being stupid. The odd thing is he's great with math. He went into a the Navy barely able to read and while he was there taught himself to read but still reads very slow with a finger on the page to follow along. Computers are completely beyond him so at work he stays at the bottom of the ladder at his government job driving a bus.

pinchvalve wrote: A check sent via snail mail...I had to check to see if this topic was restarted from 1984.

These kinds of posts always annoy me. Not everyone does autopay on everything.

stuart in mn wrote:

pinchvalve wrote: A check sent via snail mail...I had to check to see if this topic was restarted from 1984.

These kinds of posts always annoy me. Not everyone does autopay on everything.

These posts always annoy me. Not everyone has a sense of humor about everything.

pinchvalve wrote:

stuart in mn wrote:

pinchvalve wrote: A check sent via snail mail...I had to check to see if this topic was restarted from 1984.

These kinds of posts always annoy me. Not everyone does autopay on everything.

These posts always annoy me. Not everyone has a sense of humor about everything.

These posts always annoy me, the guy was just making a point.

pinchvalve wrote:

pinchvalve wrote:

stuart in mn wrote:

pinchvalve wrote: A check sent via snail mail...I had to check to see if this topic was restarted from 1984.

These kinds of posts always annoy me. Not everyone does autopay on everything.

These posts always annoy me. Not everyone has a sense of humor about everything.

These posts always annoy me, the guy was just making a point.

These posts always annoy me, stay out of it man, don't turn it into a "thing"

pinchvalve wrote:

pinchvalve wrote:

pinchvalve wrote:

stuart in mn wrote:

pinchvalve wrote: A check sent via snail mail...I had to check to see if this topic was restarted from 1984.

These kinds of posts always annoy me. Not everyone does autopay on everything.

These posts always annoy me. Not everyone has a sense of humor about everything.

These posts always annoy me, the guy was just making a point.

These posts always annoy me, stay out of it man, don't turn it into a "thing"

These posts always annoy me, I can't tell if they are funny or fighting.

pinchvalve wrote:

pinchvalve wrote:

pinchvalve wrote:

pinchvalve wrote:

stuart in mn wrote:

pinchvalve wrote: A check sent via snail mail...I had to check to see if this topic was restarted from 1984.

These kinds of posts always annoy me. Not everyone does autopay on everything.

These posts always annoy me. Not everyone has a sense of humor about everything.

These posts always annoy me, the guy was just making a point.

These posts always annoy me, stay out of it man, don't turn it into a "thing"

These posts always annoy me, I can't tell if they are funny or fighting.

These posts always annoy me, they are too confusing.

pinchvalve wrote:

pinchvalve wrote:

pinchvalve wrote:

pinchvalve wrote:

pinchvalve wrote:

stuart in mn wrote:

pinchvalve wrote: A check sent via snail mail...I had to check to see if this topic was restarted from 1984.

These kinds of posts always annoy me. Not everyone does autopay on everything.

These posts always annoy me. Not everyone has a sense of humor about everything.

These posts always annoy me, the guy was just making a point.

These posts always annoy me, stay out of it man, don't turn it into a "thing"

These posts always annoy me, I can't tell if they are funny or fighting.

These posts always annoy me, they are too confusing.

Wait, what were we talking about?

classicJackets wrote:

1988RedT2 wrote: You should carry that check inside a brick-and-mortar bank building where you've done business for years and personally hand it to a teller whom you know by name. They will cash it for you and give you a lollipop. Mobile app? WTF is the matter with you people?

I get charged money if I go inside my bank for any reason other than to withdraw money an ATM won't give me. Phone is more convenient than ATM since I can't go in anyway.

Wait, your bank charges you to walk in and do a transaction? Time to find a new bank...