Beware Checks Unlimited's "Fill and Bill" scam!

I submitted an order to Checks Unlimited and, after one exchange of correspondence on a change to my bank's numbers (no correspondence about pricing), I received my checks. Accompanying them was a bill for a $30 balance due!

Checks Unlimited stated that they were charging me the repeat customer price because I apparently had bought checks from them at some time in the past. It seems to me that if Checks Unlimited wanted to charge a higher price, they should not have cashed my initial payment check or filled the order.

Their letters threaten to report a delinquency to credit bureaus. I believe this "fill and bill" scheme to be an illegal business practice. Am I correct?

I have already written them a letter stating that I will not pay and that they have no right to bill for more after having accepted my payment. Should I report this to my state's Attorney General? Any other suggestions?

My suggestion to all of you is to avoid doing business with Checks Unlimited; they do not measure up to my standards of honest dealing.

A number of the check printers have similar "new customer" prices.

I try to avoid doing business with any that offer that for that reason.

I would suggest contacting the BBB.

While I am not sure what they are doing is illegal, its certainly unethical and not good business.

This kind of tactic may work in 10-20% of customers and could be the difference between the business making money or losing it.

Thus, its their only real "profit center".

Shady. Unethical. Dishonest. But probably profitable.

I really doubt they would file on someones credit report for such a thing. Threatening to do it is one thing. Doing it over something like this is another.
That could open them up to a class action lawsuit that would dwarf any profits they make at it.

To me, when they cashed your check it was assumed to be payment in full and not a down payment.

I believe its only a threat. Chances are they are not even a member of a credit reporting agency.

I had this happen once although I don't remember if it was Checks Unlimited or one of the other cheap companies. After I received the bill, I called them up and explained that I wasn't aware I had ordered checks from them previously (apparently it had been 4 or 5 years prior). The rep I spoke with took care of the excess charge as a courtesy, but told me I would be charged the renewal price in the future. Give them a call...it certainly can't hurt.

If you are not really a first time customer, you are screwed! I believe Clark Howard has discussed this on his consumer protection radio show. He said that they CAN and will bill you the return customer rate since they clearly stated this on their rate page, even if you mistakenly thought you were a first time customer.

However, they usually have a satisfaction guaranteed policy. So call them and say you want your $ back unless they give you the lower rate. YMMV

My copy of their paper form says "for first time customers only" both under the title on the front and in the actual order box on the back.

You entered into the contract under the auspices of being a first time customer when in fact you were not. They are not obligated to fulfill the terms of the contract if you failed to fulfill your terms of the contract.

If you are unhappy with the checks, simply return them:

We have a 100% satisfaction guarantee on our products. Please call and speak with one of our Customer Service Representatives. You may reach us at 1-800-204-2244 Monday through Friday from 5:00 am to 10:30 pm, Saturday from 6:30 am to 7:00 pm, and Sunday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Mountain Time.

Quit being an apologist for an illegal rip off sloppy1. It doesn't matter whether he wrote 'payment in full' or if he had ordered checks from them the day before. If they accepted and processed the order that's the end of the argument. Take a look at the link loggia provided.

myf16, kick 'em once in the butt for me.

This is an ongoing discussion on my local radio station.

Apparantly, another company was bought out by Checks Unlimited. So if you ever ordered from the previous company, YOU ARE NOT A FIRST TIME BUYER in their views.

BBB might work. But usually, BBB is a crap shoot.

You might want a local TV station or a local consumer radio show fight this on your behalf.

Good Luck.

Surprise, surprise. They phoned me today after reading my letter, and offered to split the difference. I decided to simplify my life and said OK. $15 for some serious savings of time and aggravation. The phone agent was friendly, as was I. We both got a laugh when she read me back my line about the "hare-brained fill and bill scheme." She mentioned that the regular prices are listed on the order form, and I will have to check that. Just the fact that Checks Unlimited took the time to phone me raises their stock substantially in my book.

I still believe that the fill and bill scheme should be stopped, and perhaps California's section 17200 mentioned in today's Wall Street Journal (The Shakedown State) will be the vehicle for change. I'll put the hounds on the scent, but they'll have to run this one to ground by themselves.

I'm not sure who my current checks came from, but they sent a similar letter requesting additional funds. My wife called them and asked for a supervisor who offered to split the difference or something similar.

Tell Checks Unlimited what you think of their scam Here

Today I got a letter from the collection agency. WTF??? Checks Unlimited had told me I had 2 weeks to respond before collection action, and this letter from the collectors is dated 8 days after that letter from Checks Unlimited. I had thought that my $15 deal with them earlier this week would prevent escalation, but I guess you never can trust Checks Unlimited to do what is right or even logical.

So I wrote the letter to the agency, the one that I had spent $15 to avoid writing, and explained again why the charge was not valid. I added that I have already reported the practice to two state and two federal agencies, and that reputable collectors might not want to represent a company engaging in this "fill and bill" practice.

Is Checks Unlimited public? Maybe I should short their stock...

Costco Check Printing provides EXCELLENT pricing on check reorders. Antique Basic Checks $9.99 for 2 boxes duplicate-style

Sorry to hear about your wretched experience with Checks Unlimited. They seem very customer-unfriendly.

myf16 said:

<< When they cashed my check, they accepted the order on my terms, not on other terms stated nowhere on my order form. >>

First let me say I don't disagree that this sucks.

Now...you are SO wrong. Just cashing your check does not bind them into a contract "on your terms." If you use a coupon code fraudulently, they have every right to stop application of the code, adjust the total to it's proper amount, and apply the check/payment you sent as partial payment.

It would be nice if their site/system did this automatically, but it would also be nice if Amazon.com, Gap.com, etc... had real time inventory numbers when ordering, but when the heck will that actually happen?????

WalStMonkey asked mykoleary:

<< What's to stop them from setting any price they like after filling the order and saying you're on the hook? >>

Good question. The more I've studied this thread, the more troubling questions it raises.

Tooshy nailed down a powerful point:

<< "Splitting the difference" is part of the same scam as "fill and bill" IMO. I can just read their minds lol....fill and bill at an outrageous regular price and threaten to collect...if Plan A fails, go to plan B...offer to split the difference....why waste our time trying to enlighten the customer about their error before filling an order and possibly losing the sale. This way they have your order, at full price (which BTW is very inflated) or at 50% discount. >>

Much as I try not to become too cynical about businesses, I am inclined to find tooshy's analysis convincing. Based on the remote possibility that sometime in the last 20 years I might have patronized one of the predecessor companies to Checks Unlimited, I'd avoid patronizing them. Their consumer billing policies have a disgusting odor.

Just to make things a little more confusing, did you know that Checks Unlimited calls the first order of checks on a different checking account a first time customer? I know this because I just received a box of new checks in the mail from them which had a flyer soliciting that business.

There is a real problem here that has not been brought out in any of these posts. To those who have accused the OP of attempting to scam his way into an "introductory" deal, you may not have all the details.

The issue is this: This company does business under several different names, but charges everyone "repeat customer" prices if you order from any of their subsidiaries. So when the OP says he doesn't remember ordering from these folks he may be remembering correctly.

I ordered my first checks on my current account from Checks Unlimited. When those ran low, I looked around for a decent deal and found Designer Checks. I had no way of knowing that I was a "repeat customer"!

I knew I had never ordered from Designer; I had my first order of checks right there and it said "Checks Unlimited" on it. (Previously, I always got my checks from the bank.) Yet they tried the exact same scam on me; because they had my CC#, they just charged it for the full price, which came to almost $50 - should've been more like $15. Turns out both companies are owned by Deluxe, which also owns "Direct Checks" and several others.

Another group of companies includes (at least) Check Gallery, Artistic, Classic, Life, and Image checks. Customer service will TELL you that you can order from "sister companies" and be treated as a new customer. I hope that's true. It's obvious that they're going to great lengths, however, to hide the fact that they are affiliated. They use different addresses, different website designs, etc.

There have been several posts here detailing which companies are owned by which congolomerates. Searching might help.

sloppy1 said:

<< Interestingly, they say they can't tell you if you are an old customer ahead of time! The phone csrs don't have access to that info and can't look you up!

Sounds like a scam! They say that every written order form AND their website state 2 different sets of prices for "new' and "old" customers, they won't tell you if you are "old" before you order!! So you are giving them a "blank check" (pun intended) if you order from them! >>

When you order by phone, do they at least inform you that you will be charged extra if you turn out to be an "old" customer? Or did you have to ask them to get this information?

Your "blank check" comment had me ROTFL. Maybe they shold require that all orders be accompanied by a literally blank check. That would put buyers on proper notice of what might happen.

deallover said:

<< Same thing as OP has happened to me yesterday but the company is "Designer's checks".

Based on this thread I will try to call them tomorrow and see what happens. >>

So what did they say?

sloppy1 said:

<< Clark Howard's national radio show devoted a major expose about this about 1 week ago. >>

I searched his on-line radio show archives and couldn't find it. Do you have a link?