TeleCheck Services
Reviews and Complaints

I went to my local market Don Quijote and my check was denied. I shop there once a week and pay by check. I was so embarrassed in line because the tele check operator wanted all my personal information and the store was crowded so everyone could here. Tele Check stated my check number was too small and that is why I was denied. Check # 5334 doesn't seem like a small check number in the amount of $86.00 dollars. Beware shoppers don't shop at Don Quijote

a check was denied by telecheck at a Rite Aid store. I had another check from another bank with me so I used it and it was accepted. When I got home I called the 800 # for telecheck and was told that my first check was denied because of someone with a similar name and account number. I told them this is not acceptable because they are suppose to be checking my name and my number only, not other similar names and numbers. There is only one account at that bank with my number and my name and that is all that matters. I was lucky I happened to have another check with me from another bank and I don't know why they accepted that one but they did...telecheck is a bad system and they should be held accountable for the errors they make.

three days in a row telecheck has denied my check at walmart? called first day they said the system has been up dated now and you can continue writing checks, so went back second tI'me and WOW! denied again the second day, waited till band opened and called she offered to three way with telecheck to resolve this matter. the bank rep told telecheck employee-There is no reason to deny her she has ample money to cover the check, and she also told telecheck I've been with this bank for over ten years and have no history of bounced checks... the employee of telecheck asked for me and i answered I'm here . Put on hold for several Min's when returned to phone stated all has been up dated and i can continue writing checks. WELL was he wrong even after all that once again head to walmart last night and again was denied? i was furious, embarrassed to the point of tears so i asked walmart employee to please key the check in and was told sorry we cant do that any more. What! so i asked for manager, finally after ten min. he informed me sorry once its denied we wont take it, Frustrated i asked why and he told me well maybe you have a bad history or something as to why your being denied. Unbelievable ! at that point i walked away from my 109.66 dollar check and vowed never to shop at walmart on Glimmer RD. in Texas again. When did machines become more reliable then humans? Frickin Never Cathy

Businesses should be aware that if they use the Telecheck system, they may be inadvertently discriminating against honest check writers.

I am a small business owner and work hard to maintain my financial health. To this end, I keep adequate funds in my account, have never written a bad check, and have an excellent credit rating. These facts apparently do not always matter when people write checks at businesses that use Telecheck.

Recently, I suffered embarrassment and stress while trying to pay for my purchases at my local Home Depot and Auto Zone stores. I am a very regular customer at Home Depot and have always paid for my purchases using a check. In fact, the week before this incident occurred, I wrote a large check there with no problem. Over the years, I have spent thousands of dollars at Home Depot and used a check for each and every purchase.

I was shocked when, during a recent shopping trip at Home Depot, the cashier handed my $69 check back to me saying that it had been “denied”. When I asked her why, she just handed me a piece of paper with a reference number and a phone number on it for Telecheck and told me to “call them”. I was very embarrassed, as there were people I knew in line behind me, and I could only imagine that they thought I was trying to pass a bad check.

My first thought was that my checking account had been compromised and my funds depleted. Was I a victim of identity fraud? I immediately went to my bank (where I have had an account for over 20 years), and they assured me there was no problem with my account. The people at the bank could offer no explanation as to why my check had been "denied" by Telecheck.

I went back to Home Depot with a copy of my banking account balance to show the manager that I had adequate funds in my account to cover a $69 check. I told him I was very embarrassed to have my check “denied”. He was sympathetic and apologized, but told me that there was nothing he could do and that I would need to deal with Telecheck directly.

I called Telecheck and, after navigating a lengthy voice mail system requiring me to supply much personal banking information, I finally reached a live person. I asked her why my check had been “denied” and she told me, (in very broken English), that my check “did not fall within Telecheck's parameters”. I asked her what that meant, and she would only repeat the line “your check did not meet our parameters”. I then asked to speak to a supervisor and she said someone would call me back. Of course, no one ever did.

Hoping it was just a fluke, a few days later I tried to purchase a battery at Auto Zone and that check too was “denied”. I was given another slip of paper with Telecheck's phone number on it, and went through the excruciating voice mail system again, only to be told by another non-English speaking person that my check did not fall “within their guidelines”.

I did some on-line research about Telecheck and was amazed at the number of complaints people have posted about them. Many of the complaints were identical to my experience. People who have written checks for years with no problem, were now having their checks “denied” and they could only get a vague explanation from Telecheck. A couple of States have even sued Telecheck over some of their consumer practices. I am in the process of making a complaint about Telecheck to the Consumer Protection Agency and through our States’ Attorney General’s Office.

I’m sure many readers are asking themselves why I don't use a credit or debit card to make purchases? Well, I have had to start using a debit card, but it should have been by choice, not because my good checks were being “denied” by Telecheck. I find it odd that I can use my card with no problem, even though the funds are coming out of the same checking account my checks were written on. Could it be that Telecheck makes more money when people use their cards?

Thank you for letting me use this forum to vent. I hope other people whose financial reputation means something to them do not have these same types of embarrassing situations happen to them at local businesses that use the Telecheck system.

I am 53 years old, have had a checking account for 40 years, haven't bounced a check in 30 years, and today I got denied the ability to write a check for $12.36 to Family Dollar. The reason? Because I wrote two checks to Walmart and one to Walgreens in the last 7 days, totalling less than $60. I live in a town of 10, 000 people, 100 miles from any larger cities. I refuse to own a debit card, because I do not want my account compromised, nor do I carry more than $20 on me, for safety reasons. This policy of TeleCheck's is discriminatory toward older people, because many of us do not want a debit card. I am trying to run a business out of my home, and this is my busy season. It puts a terrible burden on me not to be able to write more than three checks in a week that use TeleCheck Services. So, the next time I'm denied, I'm leaving my cart there for them to put my crap away.

Way to go TeleCheck! Because of your "over 100 reasons" to reject a good check, I'm now banning any company that uses your service. I haven't had a single overdraft, I don't write excessive checks, and I have sufficient funds to cover my purchases at a grocery store. The cashier told me that it might be because I don't write enough checks there, which is equally as ridiculous as rejecting my attempts, now a second time! How can we possibly establish good standing if you reject good checks? Well...Sullivan's Grocery Store will no longer be receiving my business again because of your "over 100 reasons" to reject a good check. It's no wonder their isles are free from customers.

I tell you what, Telecheck and Wal-Mart have really screwed things up for me. My bank account is totally jacked up after I tried to make a purchase at Wal-Mart and everything spun out of control.

I tried to use two checks at Wal-Mart, and for some reason, despite there being money in my account, Telecheck said there wasn’t and denied my check.

I had plenty of money in my account; I even called the bank to confirm. The bank said that they had never tried to send the check through.

Because of the mix up, I can’t use a check anywhere that uses the Telecheck system. Not only can I not go to Wal-Mart to get the things I need, I can’t go and write a check anywhere!

I tried to call Telecheck to figure out the situation, but I don’t think I got very far with them. The representative asked me to send in a copy of my bank statement. I’m not comfortable doing that! My statements have my personal and financial information all over them. I’m not going to just give that out to somone!

Telecheck has said that they will release the hold on my account within 3 business days. I’m waiting to see if it will actually happen.

On June 30, 2011 I tried to cash a check at an eye clinic. I had used this same account many times with no problems. The IRS and the State of Michigan have accepted checks from this account among many others. There is much more than enough funds in the account to cash the check (for $1, 998). The check was rejected. I call the toll-free Telecheck number from the clinic's office. The telephone rep said that she was able to correct the problem and that I should try the check again. (It was processed in one of Telecheck's machines). I did and it was rejected again! I then had the lady in the office at the eye clinic try a check from another checking account I have. This account also has ample funds to cover the check amount. I have writtten scores of checks on it with no problems at all. I even recently wrote a check (which cleared easily) to an auto dealer for about 10 times the amount of the current check ($1, 998). This check was also rejected by the Telecheck machine. These rejections caused me much humiliation and incovenience. I had to drive several miles to my bank to draw out cash to pay the bill and had to drive back to the clinic. I did call the Telecheck company a second time but just went round and round with the rep and a supervisor over the phone. I never did receive any GOOD reason why my checks had been rejected. I am trying to protect other consumers from the erroneous and inefficient processes of this company's check verification service.

I received a video game purchased at Wal-Mart for my birthday. I did not want this particular game so I took it to their store so I could return & exchange for a different one. They confirmed the still brand new & sealed game was purchased at Wal-Mart, but during the process they had to enter my driver license number & it denied the return request. They printed off a sheet saying I must have a bad check in their system. This I did not understand cause I have not had my own checking account for nearly 3 years & it was not maybe a month earlier I had brought back a computer monitor & exchanged it with no troubles. They gave me a number to call Telecheck which handles this stuff for them. I called them & went through 3 or 4 people all stated that according to their system I have not & do not owe Wal-Mart anything. However, I was then told by both Telecheck & Wal-Mart that they could not fix their system from saying I owe money even though I really don't & I would still not be able to return any items. DO WHAT? Their both telling me I don't owe anything & have done nothing wrong, but just because their system is messing up & saying otherwise I get same treatment as someone whom wrote bad checks to them? I admit at this point I told everyone how stupid this was & left, but here I sit nearly 2 weeks since that day & I have contacted both several times with same conclusion. This is the biggest load of crap I have ever been involved with. I don't understand why Wal-Mart wouldn't just let me exchange the game. Telecheck told them I did not owe anything & they confirmed the game was purchased at a Wal-Mart store. I'm trading one brand new game for another brand new game of the same exact price, how could there be a problem with that? I have not been so pissed off over a ordeal with a store ever in my life. I finally gave up on exchanging the game myself, my brother did it for me no problems. Sadly, I will have to always find someone else to return whatever items back to Wal-Mart for me unless they suddenly decide to think logically & really start actually caring about their consumers.

I have a small business banking account, and have utilized my business debit card and checks for years. On 5/11/11 telecheck processing denied my debit card, and a check (both methods of payment). I phoned my bank to for shock of identity theft. They confirmed the correct good standing account balance. The bank also informed me to look for contact information on the denied receipts and to contact the third party processing company. I phoned telecheck, they "updated my information". The operator informed me that the information would be updated in their system in 5-7 business days, do not try to process again, it will still be denied. I then utilized a personal account to pay the vendor. I was on a business trip, the debit card was denied 3 additional times by different vendors. I phoned telecheck today to speak with supervision/manager to try to get this mistake made on their behalf more quickly remedied (because freezing my ability to pay vendors does not work & is nuts), and also to request a letter stating why my account was denied and could not be processed and the length of time this error is to occur. (This letter is needed to put with my receipts, in event I need to justify IRS records for co-mingling personal and business expenses, while my account remains frozen by this inefficient third party company that has complete power to block your funds, and no way to correct mistakes. ) The only way I have found to place complaint with Telecheck is to write a letter to a snail mail address. The fact that a processing company that is not my bank has the complete ability to block all types of funds and render your money useless for 1 week is outrageous. If anyone has suggestions on how to stop this company, please advise.

I wrote a check and it was declined. When I called telecheck, the recording told me I had two checks for $17.63 written on 12/16/02 (they were identical), that were returned. After they gave me two different numbers to call, they finally told me that I had one check on their record. I told them that it was impossible and asked where the check was written. They told me the store, which I knew I did not shop at. I also asked them why there was two checks indicated, they said that there was only one. However, the recording is stating that there are two checks. When they asked me what bank I had, they told me the check was written from a bank I had never heard of. They told me to 'just pay it' and when I refused and explained that they were hurting my check writing, they told me 'no, you are by writing bad checks'. I then asked for a copy of this check and they told me to write a letter and fax it to them requesting a copy of the check. They told me it would take 7-10 days. A month later I called them and they told me they were still 'requesting' the check. They said it was up to the 'company' to get it to me, and they should be getting it to me 'anyday now'. Three weeks after that I called again, and got the same answer. Two weeks again, same answer. To this day, I still have not seen a copy of this check, but still cannot write a check. It soulds to me like this company does these things on purpose to make people pay for things, just to fix the problem.

On April 28, 2011 I used my HFS Credit Union draft(checkbook)for the first time at our local Office Max to purchase HP ink cartridges for our printer. My total purchase was $34.87.
Just last week I received two notices from my credit union of the returned check unpaid. As this was my first time using a draft account at a credit union in a very long time, I had overlooked
the fact that my funds were in my share account and not my draft account. I have since tranferred some funds over to my draft account sufficient to cover the check amount. I called Office Max
to try to have them re-submit for payment but was told that I had to call Tele Check and work it out with them. The phone number I was given is [protected]. Problem is none of the options really applied to my situation, so even if I chose the one I thought was the closest to it, I could not proceed because the next section for me to complete did not apply to my my circumstance. And untop of it all there were no options to speak to a REAL LIVE operator for assistance. I can't see how your company can be called a service becasue I was not able to obtain any service regarding my cicumstance.

I want to clear up this matter ASAP, but my hands are tied as I am not able to reach anyone through your toll free number I got from Office Max. Please havesomeone from your office either contact me Leland K. Okura at [protected]@yahoo.com or call me at my land line [protected]. As I am in Hawaii PLEASE NOTE THAT HAWAII IS THREE HOURS BEHIND PACIFIC TIME.

Thank You, Leland

Are there anyone insterested in start a Class action law suit against Telecheck for unauthorized monitoring of personnal bank accounts, and unfair business pratices, etc...
PLEASE CONTACT ME.

Telecheck took the 251.00 payment for a Sears Appliance Warranty from my account twice, they are holding my money and will not credit it back to me until I PROVE to them that they took it, they can see it right on their computer and admit they made the mistake, Why do I have to pay for affidavit letters from my bank and wait 7 to 10 days after Telecheck receives them to get MY money back. Do not use a merchant who uses telecheck, telecheck steals money and only gives it back if you will fight them for it.

The only thing I did wrong was run out of checks and had my bank print me a few checks until I could get my new checks in. I had 1 check left out of my check book and went to the store and presented one that the bank printed and telecheck denied it-gave them the one left out of my check book and they approved it. After calling them, I was told by a foreign speaking person that there was no history on my account and when she would not listen to me, promptly hung up on me. I called again and got the person and told her I wanted to speak with someone above her that I refused to talk to her. I waited and got another foreign speaking person that I told I had already been hung up on and I wanted to talk to someone that would listen to me. I wanted to know how 1 check could be approved and another denied at the same store at the same time with the same account, name everything the only difference was that one was printed at the bank and the other wasn't. She assured me that it was fixed and I should not have any more problems! HA! I go grocery shopping the next day and have the same issues! I hope the merchants that use this service realize they are losing money this way, as I went to another grocery store that had no problems taking my check!

I was at the grocery store in my home town and my check was denied. When I called the company, all they could tell me was that my check was linked to another account. She couldn't explain why. She wanted me to fax or mail all kinds of personal information such as drivers license numbers and social security numbers. I talked to my bank and they recommended that I didn't send any personal information. There was no reason my check should have been denied. I waited a couple of weeks and called back, hoping it was a mistake. Again, I was told that my account was linked to another account but she couldn't explain what that meant. I was very aggravated because she kept telling me the same thing over and over again. I asked to talk to a supervisor and she would start repeating the same information that meant nothing over again. I finally just kept on demanding to talk to a supervisor and amazingly after about ten minutes I got one. After going through all my information over again with her, she told me the reason my check was denied was because I had wrote a check to an individual and when they presented it to cash it, they were asked for identification. Turns out the person I wrote the check to has negative information on their account and until they clear it up, I cannot write a check! That is crazy! I don't understand why any business would use a service that is not even accredited by the better business bureau. After reading some of the complaints on here, this company is bogus and has no business doing what they're doing.

Once again I fell for the telecheck bull. My bad, but I will never use another buisness that uses telecheck. They told me I would be able to get my checks through again on Aug 5' 2010, I went like a dummy to the grocery store and you know what happened. I take the declined check home call telecheck and they tell me it will take another 7 to 10 buisness days because they haven't cleared the check yet. My comments were then very unpleasant. My bank has said they get several calls a day about them. They recommend a debit card. I have been given several different reasons why my check has not gone through, I am tired of being bull#&^&*#. I am going to seek out a way to put a stop to this. I will not be told when and where I can spend my hard earned dollars, and how much I can spend at a time. It has to be stopped. I have talked to several very good hard working people who have been imbarrassed by this company. Someone has got to do something. There are people out there just as mad as me and I am going to seek them out. Sincerely screwed by the bailedouts again.

My husband and I wrote a check to an auto service center on June 24, 2010. The check was refused. We immediately called the 1-800 number provided us and gave the declination code that showed up on the refusal receipt. The owner of the repair shop very kindly agreed to take our check anyway and submit it to the bank through the mail delivery system instead of Telecheck (He had a similar situation to ours and understood!) In the meantime, my husband spent four hours on the phone trying to fix this situation. Telecheck said we had written four bad checks in Ocala, FLA in 2005 and that Chase bank had pinged our account with negative comments. We called Chase and they have no record of us (We NEVER had an account with Chase). Then we had to call Fraudulent Management Systems to inquire about this. They are the ones who told us about the bad checks and when/where they were written. Finally, a supervisor at Telecheck assured us our information would be cleared up. Then on Aug 1, 2010 we tried to write a check at Sears but it was declined. I called Telecheck and they gave me the same information as the first time, that four checks were written in FLA through Chase, etc. As of today, we have to wait 48 hours to hear back because Fraudulent Management Systems is closed on Sundays! Needless to say, we are contacting the Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, and whomever else we think will be able to fix this ridiculous company. If you have experienced a similar situation, we encourage you to do the same. If there is a class action lawsuit against Telecheck, you can count on us to be involved!