Conference 7.286::dcu

For the LIFE of me, I will never understand why someone would complain about
a botched batch of checks in the notes file!

Do you expect a new batch to pop out of your terminal?

Did you notify DCU about the problem? (Do you intend to?) What did they say?
They might offer to replace them at no cost.  I hope that wouldn't bother you.


I know of no financial institution that notifies its customers of changes in
check printing fees, as these are not set by the bank, but by the printers
(Deluxe or Harland, usually).  The bank has no control, and sometimes no 
warning.  Yes, checks seem overpriced, don't they.

You can also order checks from third parties such as Current without going
through your bank (or DCU, whatever).  You might save money.


Did you call anyone about your share draft interest?  (I certainly expect to
see a retraction and an apology here if it turns out you are in error or if
there's a perfectly good explanation.)
\Gary

You don't have to buy your checks from your financial institution.  In fact,
you don't have to buy them from any financial institution.

My wife often purchases checks from a catalogue company.  I've forgotten which
one it is, but it turns out that this company and one of the major check
printing firms are owned by the same parent company.  So, instead of your
financial institution sending your order to them, you do it via the catalogue
company.

You can often save money, too, depending upon how much of a markup your
financial institution puts on the ones they order for you.

Bob

    
    lighten up .1 !  It does as much good to talk with the powers at
    DCU as it does to post the note here.  At least here, you'll find
    a sympathic ear.  I can only believe you work for DCU  ;-)
    
    Well, gotta ask the question: is there anyone who would raise up
    from us commoners and run for the board?
    I would have,but nothing's changed from last year when I tried.
    And without being nominated, its impossible even if one did
    get the signatures for the ballot.
    
    ed
    

    I'm in agreement with .1.
    
    I expect that if you brought the issue with the checks to the attention
    of the printer, they'd be happy to replace them.
    
    Additionally, I understand that lower cost checks are available thru
    places like CURRENT.
    
    I ask about the price of checks before I place my order.  That way, I'm
    not suprised when I get the statement.
    
    Dave

    RE: .1 & .2
    
    First of all my question to the notes file was:
    
    Has anyone else experienced this problem?
    
    
    With regards to your replies:
    
    I have received FOUR (4) boxes of check books, since January 1989 with
    this defect.  I call that a problem, not a bitch.  The checks can still
    be used, but you must be very careful when you seperate the check from
    the receipt.
    
    I ordered the checks from DCU, not the Printer, so I called DCU.
    The printer is DCU's vendor and DCU is responsible for ensuring quality
    of the check books.  Maybe they should put together a vendor quality
    program.
    
    DCU has never identified to me that I have an option to order check
    books form them or a third party.  Thanks for the info.  How to I
    contact the third party?
    
    Each time I have ordered checks, they are a different price (higher), I
    guess nothing stays constant at DCU!
    
    
    This problem may seem minor, but I have been building up frustration
    with DCU for sometime.
    
    Best Regards,
    
    
    Louis

    I haven't (yet) had a problem with my DCU checks adhering to their NCR
    copies.  I did notice that on my second batch, the VT220 is printed
    dark enough that it's hard to read the amount when I write it in.  (OK,
    I've been too cheap to spring for spiffier checks -- maybe that's what
    I deserve! 8^)
    
    For my other account (the one DCU didn't want to open in the first
    place and conveniently lost the check order for), I went to Checks in
    the Mail.  The checks I received have had NO problems, look better, and
    cost less than DCU's cheapos.  Guess where my next reorder on my main
    DCU checking account will be done?

Consumer Reports had an article about checks and where you can order them
from.  They had places that charged in the 4-5 dollar range, with the high
being 10+ (this is from memory so I might be off a dollar or so).

It does seem strange that the price for checks through a non-profit organazation
would be so high.  If people do not wish to pay DCU's or some other
banks price, go to another vender.

Does anyone know how much money DCU makes from an order of checks?

	- mark

    I went with Current for my checks.  Their prices for duplicate
    checks are as follows:
    
    		First box of 150 checks     3.95    (Introductory Offer)
                Two Boxes 300 checks       13.90
                Four Boxes 600 checks      33.50
    
    Current's Phone Number is 1-800-426-0822, open 6am to 6pm Mountain Time
    Call them and ask them for their Check Catalog.
    
    Another place that does checks is called "The Check is in the Mail"
    Their number is 1-800-422-2439
    
    -Kevin
    
    
    

       Thanks for the numbers Kevin, I'm calling them this morning!
                                  Denny

    re: 198.1
    
    I would like to remind you that this conference exists to discuss any
    issues related to DCU, to share information, and to gripe if the noters
    wish to do so.
    
    I would like to also remind you that DCU does get copy of notes posted
    in this conference, and might choose to work out the issue at hand.
    
    Anyway, if you wish to reply to notes, please address the
    base note topic without attacking or ridiculing the writer, as that
    goes against conference guidelines.
    
    
    Thank you.
    
    Your moderator.
    
    

198.0 CSSE::CARPENITO

>>> Another thing I noticed this month (end of quarter) is that I did not 
    receive any interest for my checking account (share draft).  I guess
    they stopped paying interest on checking or increased the minimum
    balance. <<<

198.1 LCDR::REITER

>>> Did you call anyone about your share draft interest?  (I certainly expect to
see a retraction and an apology here if it turns out you are in error or if
there's a perfectly good explanation.) <<<

    FWIW, I have been using third party checks with my DCU account for
    two years and have never had any problems (either with the checks
    or with DCU). They are a little cheaper, but not drastically. If
    you do go this route, remember to order 2 part checks!
    

re .8:  Current has raised their check prices.  The price for the very
first 150 checks you get from them is still low.  But the price for
300 checks is a bit over $15.  The current DCU price for 200 of their
cheapest checks is a bit over $10.  Not a lot of difference.  Since
I don't want cute pictures on my checks, I think I'll go with the DCU.

	Enjoy,
	Larry

    The print quality of the checks should remain constant but the quality
    of the COPIES should be improved because they are now offset printing
    the copies, and that I suspect is what has increased the cost. 
    
    	RMM
    

re .14:

    You can get non-cute checks from Current.  They have safety paper checks
    (the ones that really look like checks), but they don't show them in
    all their ads.  I found out about them after I got what I thought was
    their minimally cute design.

    The Cambridge Savings Bank is now offering 'free checking with
    no minimum blance, no charge for checks (redundant..), no per
    check charge and no service fees.' 'There is even free Overdraft
    Protection -- to keep checks from bouncing"
    
    Includes the CSB X-Press 24 ATM card etc......only takes 
    $ 100.00 opening deposit.
    
    I wonder what the catch is....although I cant see why banks
    charge us anything since they use our deposited money for
    revenue generating purposes.
    
    Lloyd

    Re .17:                                                 
    
>   The Cambridge Savings Bank is now offering 'free checking with
>   no minimum blance, no charge for checks (redundant..), no per
>   check charge and no service fees.' 'There is even free Overdraft
>   Protection -- to keep checks from bouncing"
    
    That's an exceptional deal!  BTW, "no charge for checks" ISN'T
    redundant, since most institutions have a separate service charge for
    the printing of checks as opposed to processing the ones you write.
    
>   Includes the CSB X-Press 24 ATM card etc......only takes 
>   $ 100.00 opening deposit.
    
    Any comment about a per-transaction cost for X-Press 24 usage?  Even at
    a modest cost (less than the $1 assessed by DCU), access to the
    hundreds of X-Press 24 ATMs throughout Massachusetts is valuable.
    
>   I wonder what the catch is....although I cant see why banks
>   charge us anything since they use our deposited money for
>   revenue generating purposes.
    
    You're overlooking the obvious.  Cambridge Savings Bank is trying to
    attract the business (and deposits) of the thousands of Harvard and
    M.I.T. students, who play no small part in the Cambridge economy. 
    You're quite welcome to go along for the ride.
    
    CSB, like all other savings institutions, has a reserve requirement (a
    percentage of the demand deposits) and can lend based on the excess.  It
    doesn't make anything on the funds in reserve but (a little economics
    can be a dangerous thing 8^) it can write loans totalling several times
    the amount of cash actually on deposit (the multiplier:  if the reserve
    requirement was 20%, then the bank could write loans until its total
    demand deposits were five times the cash in hand).  It's very much a
    license to print money as long as there's no "run on the bank".