[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by egbeachley

Yes, written checks are never officially "stale". I have also found small paychecks over 5 years old and deposited them with no problem. If you write a check that goes missing, your only safe recourse is to close the account.

As for Stop Payments, as others have said they are only good for 6 months and then you have to pay another fee for another 6 months. And so on. For large checks people sometimes do a Stop Payment twice, but rarely more than that. That's why you often see them deposited 13-14 months after getting "lost". It's not forgetfulness, it's a scam.

https://watchdognation.com/stop-payment-check-scam/

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20060601/031244.shtml

One thing you can do is write "Void in 180 days" on all checks. Then a stop payment only needs to be done once.

Eric, this is a wonderful post. I didn't know that a stop payment was only good for six months. Nor did I know you could write "void after 180 days" on a personal check. I've never really thought about that, but it makes good sense, as I've seen so many businesses do this.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Theo_450

Those who are complaining that Ian won't out the suspect need to take a step back. He is handling this how he deems the best, and that is his perogative.

Given that the matter is unresolved and has the potential for legal action, I fully agree with Ian's discretion.

Obvious things to do:
Print and scan all sent and recieved emails from seller, banks, authorities.
Start a journal documenting with as much detail as you can remember about every aspect of the transaction and interactions with all involved parties. Details will get fuzzy over time, documentation is critical.

I hope that it works out in your favor Ian.

Ted, this is an excellent suggestion. I'm sure Ian has been taking detailed notes, and keeping a running paper trail of all pertinent communications.

By the way, guys, put me in the camp with those who think Ian is handling this the right way. I'm sure all of us would like to know who the board member is that's causng this issue. In time, if it's not resolved, we will know. I think that exercising discretion here is the way to go. In detailing what has happened, Ian has raised everybody's awareness when dealing on the BST. Without knowing who this person is, and how it was ultimately resolved, I will think twice about sending a personal check for anything (unless it is somebody I know well). Otherwise, I'll choose Paypal. He's also made it quite clear the steps he is taking to resolve this, so hopefully seeing this on the board will motivate the other member to resolve this amicably.

Ian is one of the most trustworthy members of the forum, and he's taking every step possible to move this to a resolution while still giving the other member the opportunity to right the ship, so to speak. With Leon involved, too, I'm sure things are going on behind the scenes that we are not privy to.

I understand the concern that this person might be trying to trade on other sports card forums, possibly with a different name. I would ask Leon if he has any contacts at the CU board, Sportscardforum, Blowout, etc that he might give a heads up to, without outing the person directly to the public?

Good luck, brother! I hope this ends soon, and the resolution is to your satisfaction. You need to be made whole. I know, too, this has to have put a damper on your enjoyment of the hobby, and I hate seeing that. I know how much you love collecting.