Complaint Review: Amscot - Lakeland Florida

I've been using Amscot to cash checks since I had my first job at Dairy Queen at age 16, because I trust banks about as much as an undocumented immigrant who lived through the Great Depression does. It is fast, the staff is helpful and normally polite, and their services are reasonably priced. I will no longer being doing so, thanks to the staff at this location.

I received a bonus from my job at the end of 2014 for several thousand dollars. As a result, I didn't cash my normal paycheck for the end of December right away. In fact, I waited exactly 4 months to attempt to cash it. I entered this location at about 11:30 PM about a week ago and stood by as the person working the window made some phone calls to verify that the check was still valid and had no holds or anything like that. The employee that assisted me explained that since my payroll department wasn't open, she couldn't verify the check and was unable to cash it as a result, and invited me to come back during business hours. It made a lot of sense to me and wasn't really a big deal, it's not like I needed it immediately.

Fast forward to 1 PM the following day. I enter this location again, to attempt to cash the check. I hand it to a young girl behind the thick, bulletproof glass, and explained why it took so long to cash the check. I was told they needed to verify that the check was real/good, and that they had to make a call or two. Okay, fine. Amscot doesn't want to get scammed. Nobody does.

As the girl began making the call to the ADP number listed on my check, she pointed to the middle number on the bottom of my check and asked an elderly staff member if that was the account number. He said yes. Right then and there I knew there was going to be an issue. Presumably, someone who works at a check cashing shop knows the anatomy of a check. Well, here are two that don't. I told them that the number on the right was the account number and that it's also listed more clearly in the top right corner of the check. I was met with a blank stare, and the girl continued her attempt to verify my check through ADP's automated line.

Approximately 10 minutes later, she tells me she couldn't verify the check. I asked whether it was because the automated line said it was not valid, or if she simply couldn't figure out the automated line.

"I don't know." was her reply.

From the parking lot, I called ADP and tried to get through to a live person to help me figure out what the problem with my check might be. I eventually succeeded in getting through to their line that is meant to help clients (such as the company I work for. I am not the client, I am merely the employee of a client.) Although the line wasn't meant for people like myself, I was able to convince the rep to help me. I provided all my information to him, and he said the check was valid and there's absolutely no problem with it.

Strange. So I call the automated line myself, and was able to get it to confirm that the check was issued and valid. I walk back into Amscot and the girl who "helped" me was no longer there, replaced by a guy who was dressed differently, named "Ian." I surmised that he was likely the manager on duty and figured that'd be conducive to helping me get the hell out of there faster. In reality, he was conducive only to helping me realize there must not be any sort of written test required for career advancement at Amscot.

I handed him my check and described my previous two attempts to get it cashed, and told him that I confirmed that the check was indeed good, and told him to call the number on the check as I was able to verify it with that method. So he picks up the phone. I watch his fingers as he is using the system and see that he's neglecting to hit the pound button after entering the account number. I explain that he needs to hit pound, just as the automated line makes VERY clear several times. I get no response. Eventually he hangs up and tells me he can't verify the check. I explain to him to hit pound, and ask him to try again. He does so. As he is entering the account number, he's also chatting with the old guy behind the window and again neglects to hit pound. So I reminded him to do so. Hitting pound is required after every single piece of information the line requires you to enter for verification.

Now that he understands these extremely easy instructions, I can see he's finally having success in getting through the process, as I watch his fingers. He gets to the final part wherein he has to enter the first three letters of my last name, and doesn't hit pound, distracted by his side conversation. I again remind him to hit pound, and he gives me an acknowledging nod, but still doesn't hit it. He hangs up the phone and told me he couldn't verify the check.

I tell him he didn't hit pound for the last part, and ask him to call yet again. Finally he gets through and verifies the check is valid and issued. It was frustrating and time consuming, but Amscot would finally be able to wrap this one up! Right?

Haha, nope.

He explains that although the check is valid, he is unable to cash it anyway because the verification line doesn't say whether or not the check has any stops or holds. What. The. Hell. Yes it does. That's what the automated line is for. Ian explains that he will have to talk to a real person, and I ask him if he can just call my payroll department. He completely ignores me, and I take it as a "no."

Ian, a white man with a mainstream American accent,  wore a button stating that he speaks Spanish. He probably should be wearing a button underneath it that says "...but I am completely (((Redacted))) in English."

Ian tells me that it is the last day I can cash the check. I still have no idea why he said that. It had been precisely 4 months, and the check is good for 180 days. Admittedly, I am no mathematician, but I am pretty sure 180 days is longer than 4 months. This guy works with numbers for a living.

On every window in Amscot, there is a sticker with a phone number inviting you to call if you are unable to get your check cashed. I call it while still standing at the window, and explain to the rep "Dave" what my issue was. I explained that my check was "stale-dated" as Amscot termed it, and although it was verified by staff at the store, they still refuse to cash it. I also explain that the scholarly Ian advised me the check was no good after today for some reason I can't understand. Dave told me not to bother cashing it, that it wouldn't have time to clear since it expired that night.

Incredulously, I leave the store and call my payroll department, where I am told that one of the two people I need to talk to are at lunch. I had been at Amscot for about 90 minutes. Jesus tap dancing Christ. So I start making my way to the office in Tampa to get another check cut. It's a 40 mile drive, but I don't get far before having an idea.

The check is drawn on Wells Fargo. Hot holy hell, why didn't I think of this before? I "pulled an Ian!" I had simply forgotten that as an option. I've been using Amscot for so long and never had any previous problems, so taking it to the bank it is drawn on simply never occurred to me, especially seeing as there was no nearby Wells Fargo at my previous residence, which is why I used Amscot in the first place.

I get to Wells Fargo and explain to the teller the retardation I just went through and told her that I was, uh, "informed," by the best customer service employee on the planet that the check was no good after today and asked her if she knew why that might be. She did not. She went to ask her manager and the manager had no idea why I was told that either. She got the go ahead to cash it for me as there's absolutely no conceivable reason that she would be unable to.

She told me it doesn't expire until 6 months after the issue date, as CLEARLY stated right on the check itself. Turns out, the only problem with the "void" date was that Ian is about as good at math as he is listening. She also asked why Ian didn't simply call Wells Fargo to verify that there were no holds on the check. Good question. For some reason I just figured a guy who does this for a living would know to try something so basic. Nope, not Ian.

Do you want to trust your personal information with a company that employs such rude dimwits? Neither do I, and I won't be doing business with Amscot again for as long as I live, and will advise others to avoid them as well.

Go to hell, Amscot.