Checks Unlimited is a popular company that offers bank checks, mailing labels and more, but after a recent experience I will never order from this or any check printing company again. It is safe to order checks online – unless of course they are intercepted by someone that knows how to use other people’s checks and get away with it. However, this is highly unlikely. People that regularly use these companies for printed checks save a considerable amount of money over checks ordered through their financial institution, but this practice is not safe when it comes to the added charges they might incur.
I was recently charged more than three times the advertised price, and although I made a mistake by placing the order in the first place, they took advantage of my lapse in memory. It is no longer safe to order checks online – at least not when it comes to the price. Until recently I had been using printing companies for decades without a hitch. Read on to find out more.
Newspaper Inserts and Special Offers: Are they Really Safe?
The Sunday newspaper is filled with sales ads and all types of inserts for everything from wraps that look like weird monk’s robes to check offers. I recently tried to order checks online from Checks Unlimited, but I should have thrown the offer in the recycling bin along with the other trash. I had forgotten that I had ordered from this company about a year ago, and this is why it was not safe to take advantage of these types of special offers. It is not financially safe since they can and will take advantage of the situation whenever possible.
They Should Have Not Completed the Order
I was supposed to receive two boxes of printed checks for $11.00, but this offer was for new customers only. I have been ordering checks online for many years, but I did not remember the names of the companies I used. I never ran into a problem. In all the years I have ordered online, this was the first time a company took my funds and then demanded additional payment. Checks Unlimited billed me an additional $29.00! As far as I am concerned, ordering online is no longer safe or feasible.
If I had remembered ordering from this check printing company, I would not have tried to take advantage of their offer for new customers. Since I was an old customer according to their terms, they should have sent back my check instead of cashing it and sending a bill for an additional $29.00. I was not going to pay it, and I no longer wanted their product. I would rather pay my bank than this company that I no longer considered honest or safe to use.
How to Cancel the Order – Even if it was Already Printed
The customer service representative I spoke to was polite, and she offered to accept half of the balance on the check purchase, but I was not about to pay a dime more – even if it was half of the full-price charge. This is because they cashed my $11.00 check in the first place. I never agreed to pay more – at least not knowingly. It is not safe to order something meant for new customers when you might have purchased from the company in the past. These days they will tack on the additional fees.
It is possible to send back a check order to Checks Unlimited by simply refusing it. The orders are marked with a return postage guarantee, and when they receive it returned they will have to refund the money. If everyone that happened to forget ordering from this company chose to send back the product, maybe they would stop the unfair practice of taking the funds and demanding more.
I had to look for a safe and secure alternative since I do not recall which companies I have ordered from in the past. They really are not worth the price when purchased from any source.
A Safe No-Cost Alternative to Using Checks
After finding out the truth about my check order, I decided I would return it unopened. I also decided to contact my bank and order their overpriced checks. A very kind and helpful employee provided a better alternative that was safe and highly affordable. A matter of fact it was free! He suggested using their online bill payment system. They would send the checks to absolutely anyone, and if any should become lost in the mail, they would stop payment for free. The entire service is free, and it is safe in every way.
I will not order checks, now or ever. I will save a considerable amount on postage using this free service offered by my bank, and I will never again have to wonder if sending funds by mail is safe. I will also never again give my business to a company that processes an order they never should have accepted in the first place.
