Get ready for a long read...
I don't take a lot of checks. I have a real low price so customers are pretty happy to do what I ask. I tell them I take CASH only and if they don't like that, a money order made out to the company from Quik Trip is fine. Quik Trip is everywhere in Tulsa. I will only accept Quik Trip money orders. I go in, inspect the home, go over the price with the customer, explain to them that I do not take checks, but if they do not have the cash, I will take their check and there is an additional $25.00 fee for taking their check. (hence I already told them cash or money order only) In the event that the check bounces... I charge a return check fee of $1000.00. It's in the contract they sign and agree to.
Some people think it's excessive but I go and perform the services, then people don't care to make sure the check pays. I'm actually charged $20.00 by my credit union for each check that comes back. The reason I have my contract is because a few customers would leave and never come back... I don't like to collect first as I want the customer to be happy..(but if it's a rental home and they are moving out, if they go to leave I require payment. IF they say no, I literally stop what I'm doing and leave). A lot of the houses I clean are empty rental homes. So people don't have the money to pay me and they are trying to get their deposit back...some have told me they need a receipt to go get money from the ATM... nice try but no. So the contract also goes into collections. In the event I am not paid, my hourly fee to collect is $150.00 per hour. The customer agrees to pay all lien fees, court costs and attorney fees.
I've only had to enforce the lien thing four times and I was paid every time when they went to close on their house. I would file the lien with a copy of the contract they signed. On the check thing, I've only enforced it once. The woman I cleaned for put a stop payment on the check and told me she decided to have the carpet replaced because she did not like the color of it. I told her it had nothing to do with me and the carpet was clean. (3500 SF of carpet btw) So long story short... I did sue her...and I won. The check amount was $450.00.... The return check fee was $1000.00 , Lien fee was $30.00, attorney fee was $450.00 and court costs were about $150.00. Total for bad check... about $2080.00. The judge said because I had a contract which she signed, the return check fee was legit.
