Another cheque returned, this time from a million dollar house!:roll:
I always tell clients, I accept cash, cheque or canadian tire money, I think I should drop the cheque part.
Advice needed on point of sale, mobile debit, visa machines for Canada.
Thanks
Allan
Passing a bad check is a criminal offense.
Notify the Client. Notify the Police.
Sometimes it is an accident, buying a house and too many cheques going through at the same time. I always give people the benefit of the doubt and believe most are honest. I have never not got paid but had to call people several times to get a couple hundred bucks.
Just looking for advice on the mobile debit machines.
Thanks again
Allan
I accept cheques, very few problems, and those that were a problem I always got my money.
If I were you I would call the purchasers agent explaining the problem, and failing that ask the purchasers agent who is the lawyer representing the buyer.
Writing a bad cheque is only a criminal offfence if it was done fraudulently and with intent. Pretty difficult to prove. People are absent minded.
Raymond:
It is called “Theft of Services” in the States.
You provide the Service. Client provides you with a Bad Check.
If it was not intentional, Client will bring the money (with the bounced check fees added) when notified of the error.
If the client does not pay…
People are stupid. Every now and then people show up without cheque book. Absent minded seems to be common place in todays world. I always get my money, have yet to be stiffed in over 14 years of inspecting.
You still have to prove they intentionally wrote a bad cheque. Just because they are absent minded does not make them a criminal, or maybe it does. 
All good advice that I follow, but I am looking for info on mobile debit/visa machines. Is anyone using them? How much does it cost, fees, etc?
Thanks
Allan
Allan, when I was investigating wireless credit card devices a year or so ago I found them to be cost prohibitive for the amount of use I would be needing. My merchant account provider, Wells Fargo, provides an automated dial-in feature that I can use on site if I want to and simply key in the card number, expiration date and amount from my cell phone and get an instant authorization number. It takes about 30 seconds but costs me nothing additional for a remote terminal of any kind. In most cases, I simply swipe the card to a paper receipt using a small inexpensive ‘knuckle buster’ manual imprinter, get the client to sign it then input the data when I get back to the office but it’s good to know I can call it in on site if I feel like it. If you Google ‘wireless credit card’ then you’ll get scores of options to look at various offers for wireless terminals. They are all too expensive for me though.
Allan,
If you are an Executive member of Costco Wholesale you can access a debit and credit provider for a very low percentage per transaction. You can rent the machine for about $20 a month or purchase it outright for $1000. After that you only pay for the transactions you do. You can get more info at any Costco location, or at www.costco.ca.
This is why we use the NACHI BB. Great info, I will look into the costco option but I am still willing to hear from other inspectors with info on using debit/credit cards.
Regards and thanks again
Allan
Allan, also be sure to do a search here on this BB and also the old archived board as this topic, not necessarily the wireless version though, has been discussed numerous times over the past year or so. Those threads would be worth reading.
I absolutley agree, tell them they either pay you, or the cheque will be forwarded to the collection services of the O.P.P., and they will collect more than the cheque.
I do accept checks, but off Credit card services through PayPal on my website. No experiences with a mobile device.
I recieved this info last fall
from a Hali Hopkins 1 780 919 0001 for a TD Canada Trust Merchants Services and BBB sponsered offer.
The cost was $35.00 per month for Debit/credit terminal or $59.00 for a wireless terminal. Visa rate was 1.82% for electronic deposits and $0.12 per debit transactions.
You also have to be a BBB member to get this rate.
I have not followed it up but when I phoned her she quoted for a visa inprint machine $20.00 to buy (if I remember correctly). Can not remember the cost per transaction or the cost per month. She called me cold and when I asked the bank if this was lagitmate they referred me to Visa. Never followed it up but sounded like it might be OK if not a scam.
Allan, I just called Costco/Novainfo, they do not offer mobile debit transactions in Canada,
Hi Allan, I got tired of the returned checks too. I do quite a few inspections on vacation homes here in northern B.C. and never see the client. The best pricing I got for mobile credit card / debit card acceptance was from Collectivepos.com. It cost a bit to get started but I figure the money I lost last year would have paid for the equipment. So far this year I am pleased with the results. Hope this helps. Good luck, Mart
I’ve just looked at the collectivepos site and it sounds like they sell you the machine. What do they charge and how has their service been?
[FONT=Arial]I have looked at wireless visa/debit portable units as well.[/FONT]
I found them to be expensive for the amount of use. I use the old style paper imprinter and call in my authorizations. It’s fairly inexpensive and gives clients another payment option. Everybody is into “Rewards Points” of some sort.
Cellcharge…