What would you of done for a dublicate $63,000 check?

[Jim@Garagecleaning]

Ok, here's one for the books.....

A few years back, I received in the mail a check for $63,000 for a garage we did from a nation wide company. I entered it into the acct. program and cashed it the next day. 1 week later, I received another $63,000 check made out to us but had a different invoice number on it. An invoice that was not ours.

So I called then and said the the system must of made a duplicate check. The Acct Dept. Manager said " No we don't make mistakes like that... that check is yours. You must of made the mistake."

So I went downtown and spent 4 hours explaining it to 6 different managers ( 2 acct managers, 3 quality control officers and 1 dept head in person. They still refused to accept it was a duplicate.

I said " This is made out to our company yes, This is for a garage cleaning... yes. However we did not clean this garage twice. If you insist ONE MORE TIME, I will cash it with a clear conscience and receive the money as a bonus for a job well done."

5 hours later..... they took the money. Parking cost me $20 for being so..... Asked for reimbursement for the parking that day, I was declined.

What would you of done?

 

[BMC PRESSURE WASHING]

That's crazy, it just shows how ungrateful people are.

 

[Squirtgun]

I have returned double payments on several occasions.All initially said they were positive the money was mine until I showed them different.
It sucks they didn't validate your parking,but in the end you did the right thing and that's most important.

 

[jlpressure]

If it isnt your money you got to give it back, just like you did. I have gotten $$$thousands in extra payments ( Not 63K Have always given it back. Can you imagine if you finally cashed it and they figured it out a few months later and they figure you as a theif and take that 63K parking garage away from you.

 

[Scott D.]

I dont do alot of flatwork, but how long does a garage that pays $63k take to clean?? I kow guys that charge .04 / sqft so that would be lie 1.5 million square feet?

 

[bigchaz]

You did the right thing for sure. You had a lot more patience than me though. I probably would have given up after an hour and just torn the check up in front of them. Or give up and tell them you did the job for free and aren't taking the check

 

[jlpressure]

I dont do alot of flatwork, but how long does a garage that pays $63k take to clean?? I kow guys that charge .04 / sqft so that would be lie 1.5 million square feet?

If I remember right he gets around $.15 a sq ft even on the large projects. Jim gets some damn good money $.15 is some unbelievable money he obviously knows how to sell a job. have you seen his rig setups they are pretty cool

 

[BUNN]

$63k is a much larger over-payment than I have ever received, but I have NEVER had any trouble with a client accepting their money back. I did have one client send an extra check once. When I notified them of the issue, they requested I just credit their account for the next service.

 

[Ashley Phillips]

What goes around, comes around.

If your luck is like mine, you cash the check then one of your trailers catches fire and burns to the ground.

 

[Jim@Garagecleaning]

Big Ash,

You and I should of went to school together. I would just have a blast.

 

[BUNN]

That was on a monthly account, with multiple locations, that I had been servicing for a few years. It still surprised me, that they didn't want their check back, but I wasn't going to complain about being paid in advance.

 

[jzjonathan]

you should of kept it and framed to put in your office. unless you get checks like that all the time.

 

[Larry Millette]

What goes around, comes around.

If your luck is like mine, you cash the check then one of your trailers catches fire and burns to the ground.

Same here Ash!
You did the right thing. I would not have been able to sleep wondering when the cops were gonna show up.

 

[powerwashstencils]

Kudos to you! That's a lot of coin to walk away from, but like others said, you did the right thing. If there is Karma, yours has to be good!

 

[Russ Spence]

I am like Ash, I dont care what it is , if it is wrong I dont do it , karma is a bad thing

 

[DAN COSGROVE]

Jim, as you sat there was your big question...now do i tell my partner. LOL. Sorry Jim I've met you a few times, you are what you are. Having principles and morals still ranks high. I'll give you a big 10. Dan Cosgrove

 

[jaxpro]

Id love to buy a boat, just kidding acctg people make mistakes everyday eventually it would have caught up to you and then after you spent that money on the family summer vacation and my boat you would still be liable for refund.

 

[MudDuck]

Yea you know when they did their taxes next spring it would have been caught and they would come looking for their money. Would suck to start the year out 63k in the hole. I would deffinatly write a few letters to some big shots to make sure they knew what you went through to give them their money back if for nothing else gaining trust for job security on future contracts. Nothing like a big o'l 63k "you owe me". lol

 

[Ron Musgraves]

You have to always Be honest, beside they will catch it. Then you would just look just like a thief, because its not yours