Should I give stores my phone number on my check?

I don't have my phone number on my checks and when they ask for one I give them an old number that I don't use anymore. It's nobodies business what my phone number is. Besides, with the new check 21 laws, why do they even need it. They have the ability to withdraw funds as soon as they receive your check.

should I give stores my telephone number
Well, what happened to me was that our credit card got lost and we were in shopping limbo without it. So it was check or nothing (and a question of necessity; the purchase had to be made).

Anyway, legal or not, if a store owner refuses your check what actually can you do about it except to leave without your purchase? Make a scene? Call the cops?

Along with this gripe, goes another - what about the stores that post a minimum for credit card purchases? I thought that was illegal, but one store told me that as long as it's posted it's okay. Is this true? Or maybe it's local option?

Re: should I give stores my telephone number


The store is either fibbing or is ignorant of the law. Limits are illegal per credit card issuer policy.

Tell them, the store manager, not the clerk, to remove their limit signs and stop their practice or you will report them.

BBB

MINIMUM CHARGE REQUIREMENTS

Some stores require consumers to spend at least $20 (or some other minimum) to pay for purchases by credit card. They engage in this practice because they and their banks do not want the expense of processing a credit card transaction involving a small amount of money.

This practice defeats one of the major purposes of credit cards?-convenience?-and may force credit card users to spend more than they want to. In addition, minimum charge requirements vary from merchant to merchant, and there are no regulations requiring disclosure of these minimum purchase levels.

Visa's and MasterCard's regulations prohibit minimum charge amounts. American Express's regulations do not explicitly prohibit minimum charges, but its policy is to discourage any merchant practices that create a "barrier to acceptance." Amex does prohibit "discrimination" against the Amex card, however, so if a merchant has no minimum charge for Visa and MasterCard, the merchant may not discriminate against Amex by imposing a minimum charge.

TIP: If a store requires a minimum purchase for Visa or MasterCard, point out to the store manager that the practice is prohibited by the card companies.

should I give stores my telephone number
Again it boils down to whether you want to risk making a scene. And if the store stonewalls & simply refuses to accept the credit card or refuses to stop insisting on a telephone number, there isn't really anothing you can do at the moment. The best move is to contact the Better Business Bureau and/or the credit card company after not making your planned purchase.

Unfortunately, stores know that the hassle of reporting these illegalities is usually considered more trouble than it's worth. The coward's solution (mine, preferably) is to shop elsewhere, but circumstances don't always permit that.
Then you're stuck.

You're only stuck if that's the only store that carries what you're buying.

should I give stores my telephone number
Or if you don't have access to other stores that do carry what you need.

I buy more and more via the Internet because circumstances make it increasingly difficult to get to most shops.

So - stuck.

I must be different. I pay for a lot of things by check. I don't have my phone number on my check, and if they want one, I usually make up a number on the spot.

I work from home and despite being on "do not call" lists and having privacy manager on my phone, I still get some time-wasting telemarketing calls. I don't need any more.

If that store carries a sign stating the credit cards they accept, they accept them. Report them, but to the credit card issuer, not the police. Stores have an agreement with the card companies, and that's your only recourse. If it's a franchise operation, there is also an agreement between franchiser and franchiser. More recourse there.

It may sound a stupid question, but do some still buy with checques (as privates, I mean)?

Hey, Walter. Don't quite understand what you mean. As opposed to credit cards?

I use checks about a third of the time; I use my debit card most of the time, and a credit card when I am being a bad girl...
I almost bought a painting today, but stopped myself; had I bought it I would have used a credit card.

No, literally using it - I don't know any person since a couple of years here, who used a cheques for buying things. (We only use our banc card, credit cards or "real money"; cheques are 'old fashioned'.)

Well, all I write checks for is groceries. Haven't written a check in years except to pay bills.