People still deposit their paychecks?

The Consumerist is absolutely right -- get your employer to put a stop-payment on the check they issued you, and have them issue you another one. Many banks charge a stop-payment fee (The only time I ever encountered one it was about $15) which your employer might expect you to cover somehow... but that's a small price to pay for recovering an entire paycheck! You should have about 2-3 days, considering the time it takes to process checks, but I'd move fast on this just in case.

This happened to me when I was at school a couple years ago and did a deposit by mail. I mailed the deposit, waited two weeks and nothing ever showed up. After calling them and telling them the amount of the checks were they able to "research" it and call me back the next day telling me my account would be credited. Needless to say, that scared me away from using deposit by mail ever again.

I keep all receipts in an envelope (from everything to a Wendy's meal to plasma TV to bank deposits). Then at the end of the month, I file the ones I may need in the future (like that plasma TV) and shred the others (such as gas, food, bank deposits). It's worked quite well for me...

I wish you luck getting your money. Hopefully the receipt will turn up when you aren't looking for it (doesn't it always?) or someone in the bank will be able to help you. Maybe ask your business if they can get you a copy of the cleared check?

Um, doesn't the payroll department where he work have a record the check went through? Can't they get one?

RTFA'd. I understand working for a small employer doesn't enable direct deposit, but it's something you need to look into.

OK, RTFA.... I know, I know....

@speedwell: If it's a small employer, they might use a third party to process payroll.

Paycheck , Right ?

Go to payroll. They may not have the physical check ("Check 21" lets them shred the physical check),but they will have an image of both sides,including where you signed it and the routing numbers where it made its way from the bank back to your employers payroll account.

Take down names and numbers and times that you spoke to the players involved. This helps with accountability.

I had this happen not long ago and got it straightened out pretty quickly...

FWIW

I wish I remembered more from my short time as a bank teller. The problem could be several things. 1) The teller entered an incorrect account # and the check was deposited in someone else's account (stupid, but not fraudulent/criminal). 2) It was processed incorrectly so the deposit was not recorded (again, stupid mistake, but not intentional). 3) The teller cashed the check and processed the transaction to make it look like YOU got cash and they pocketed it later when they were balancing their cash drawer (definitely criminal). Bank tellers have to account for every cent every day - I find it hard to believe the bank cannot pull journal tapes, look for a copy of the deposit slip, or search for a transaction of the exact same amount from that day (obviously easier to do if your check was $982.74 than an even $500.00 or something). If the teller was new, they can probably pin down whose line you were in (unless they hire 10 new tellers a week or something), so that could help minimize the number of places they have to search.

My advice would be to have payment stopped on the check as Chris suggested and, in the future, view your receipt before leaving the bank. It's easy to get complacent and just pocket it so you can go about your day, but if you review it before you leave, you may be able to see if it said it was cashed vs. deposited or some other critical information that is incorrect. Good luck - this must be so frustrating! I worked for a small employer in '05 and my paycheck bounced TWICE (their fault, not the bank's) and I ended up not being allowed to cash my paychecks at the bank anymore - I know it was a hassle, so I can only imagine what being without your entire check would be like.

I would definitely start working the issue through the employer.

The poster fears that the teller will have pocketed the cash and he won't be able to recover the money. Frankly, I think this is the LEAST likely scenario. If I were a crooked teller, this would be far too risky a scam for me to try to pull. If one client looked closely at the receipt, I'd be busted. It would be clear from the CCTV footage that I hadn't handed cash to the customer, even as I processed the transaction as a cash withdrawal. And people are sure to notice and complain if their paychecks go missing.

I'm sure the teller screwed up, but it's not very plausible that it was such straightforward theft.

I know for a fact that their corporate call center is located in the USX Building in Pittsburgh.

@BuddyGuyMontag: People still allow employers access to their checking account?

Quick note "buddyguy," you granting them access in your account, grants them access to take out.

Good luck with that.

As the same teller handled the wife's deposit and then the lost deposit. One would think that the wife's deposit receipt would have a time/date stamp or a transaction number that would help the bank to find the NEXT transaction handled by the same teller.

If all else fails, the security cameras would have some very good images of the teller handling the deposits, and again, the wife's receipt would have a useful timestamp.

Making the bank find its own error would likely result in a credit to equal the "stop payment" fee paid by the employer, but more importantly, would stress to the bank that training was not optional for tellers.

As a teller manager for a large regional bank, you should be able to rectify this soon. If the deposit was made on Saturday, it got posted somewhere for Tuesday morning. Every teller's drawer has to prove, along with work. Meaning all credits MUST equal debits, or the drawer is out of proof. If you deposited your check, and the teller lost the slip, or encoded it wrong, there is a credit sitting in that branches general ledger for the amount of your check. Contact the branch manager, or teller manager (head teller) for the specific branch you went to. All my tellers work is recorded in a journal. Be polite, and ask for someone at the branch level to solve your issue. Main numbers are worthless here, you will need someone from that branch, hopefully the head teller to call adjustments and other in-house offices to track down your lost amount. Trust me, it is somewhere, and right now a division of PNC bank has an offset with your name on it.

Everyone's already said what to do about this.

I don't know if it helps, but when I endorse checks I always write, "For deposit only, [my account number], [my signature]" instead of just signing it. Maybe this would give you additional leverage if it ever happens again...

Also, your canceled check from your employer should have a validation, or stamp indicating teller number, sequence number, and other vital information for the branch.

Most likely the reason they want the receipt is to access the transaction by its transaction number. Now if only you had the transaction number of the immediate previous or immediate next transaction at that teller station... wait, you just may, because that would be your wife's deposit which is recorded on her online account access.

P.S. "all of hell and half of Georgia" is redundant.

Have you checked the balance in the "center" account to see if the check accidentally went there?

It sounds like they deposit the check to your individual account and put the hold on funds on your "center" account, so funds are available immediately in your individual account. Accidents can happen if an inexperienced teller doesn't understand the process and procedure.

Also, check with your employeer for the cancelled check. Their bank should be able to provide a copy of the check that will help your bank track where the money went.

Good Luck

@Crumbles: So what exactly are you implying? That all employers will take money out of your bank account for no good reason?

@Crumbles: Um I hate to tell you, but direct deposit doesnt work like that.

While yes you ARE giving them access by giving them your account and routing numbers, employers are actually blocked from pulling money out of your account.

@Falconfire: Shhhhh. He's gotta be "that guy" who screams and yells that the technology advantages we have to make our lives easier is actually part of a new world order cabal in order to ruin our lives and turn us into slaves. I call them "Neo-Amish".

And after that comment, boy is my screen name ironic.

Banks keep a record of each teller's transactions. If you remember the teller that helped you and the time of the day you went in, they can go back (either through an electronic journal or a physical journal roll) and see what transactions took place. It would help to go to the bank branch in person, as management is more likely to help you if you are at the branch in person rather than a person on the phone.

Handling the issue by dealing solely with your employer might be a good solution for this time, but what about next payday? You should go back and make sure your bank can solve this issue and further train their new employee.

If the employer also has their business account with PNC and the teller is cashing the checks as an 'on-us' item then depositing the cash, they could have deposited cash back into the business account, instead of Nicholas'. It was a common problem with new tellers and the extra step of taking the 'on-us' item out of proof batch. It was also a byte to look for, since the teller is 'in balance' and the ledgers are 'in balance'
If the bank manager is having tellers cash checks to skirt an inconvient check-hold system or drive transaction counts higher for productivity/incentive payouts, then Nicholas is just going to have explain what that sort of scruntiy will pose when he talks to the regional manager about his missing deposit.

Consumerist advice is good, however give the bank perhaps a week turn around if you can, for deposit slips and checks are usually sent to a processing center that is located elsewhere. Should the teller have processed the check and deposited it into another account, the processing center itself SHOULD typically catch it (that's what they're there to do). Good luck with this situation and hope for the best.

You might also go into the bank and speak with the teller in question and the manager, with a polite "remember me?" line.

But yeah, attacking this from your employer's end is probably going to be what you need to do.

Eight years ago a friend of mine had the same thing happen to him. He deposited it in an ATM, one that scanned the check, and showed him the scan. He still had the receipt, but the bank claimed that he didn't deposit anything. And of course this was the weekend. They could not find the check. He was about ready to do the same thing, have the original check stopped and a new check cut when the bank finally found the actual check, and put it in his account. It had stuck in the ATM someway. Oh, and he was on his last actual check before direct deposit hit. It always took two paper checks before your direct deposit hit. Even when you changed banks, which I thought was odd.

Only recently have I ever used such ATMs. But these not only scan the check, they also print the scan on your receipt. Very cool. I only deposit about one check/year in an ATM though. Nothing more than $100. Otherwise I use a teller.

ALWAYS endorse your check "FOR DEPOSIT ONLY"

That means for deposit only, and there would be no question if it was cashed

Sounds to me that Banks are just looking for more ways to screw us so we can't enjoy it...

This happened to me a while back with a $400 CASH deposit at Citibank. I yelled as loud as I could, as hard as I could, for as long as I could. Hey, they gave me $400 to shut me up, whether or not they believed me.

Microbreak's right--banks have records of each teller's transactions. (I would know...I work in the data entry department of a bank now, though I've also done my share of customer service work and teller work at other banks.) And banks, in general, have various levels of records that reflects where checks have gone as they have gone through the entire banking system. So personally, I'd get more persistent with customer service/bookkeeping and make them look through their records more carefully and find your transaction.

My other suggestion to you would be to talk to your supervisor and tell them the check has been lost and they should stop payment on it and issue you a new one, if possible. Since you said that your employer's business is on the small side, that should be easy enough to do. Let's just hope that the check hasn't been deposited or cashed by someone else...but I really doubt that this has happened. I think the check and/or transaction itself has merely been misplaced, especially since you were given a receipt. In order to print out a receipt that would be handed to you, the teller had to have processed it, and for that, the teller would have to go into the bank's computer system to get the deed done. So who knows where the check is now...but I really doubt someone's outright stolen it and attempted to deposit it into their account.

This reminds me...in case anyone's concerned about this kind of thing happening to them, I will say this. It certainly does help to keep in mind the fact that the teller who helps you isn't the only one who will see your checks. Other people will, too, in different departments and different banks as they make their way through the system and are processed, so you need to make sure there is no question of who is supposed to get your money. With that said, it's important to endorse your checks PROPERLY when you deposit them. It's not enough to just sign the back or write your account number. Include BOTH pieces of information on ALL your checks when you endorse them, along with "for deposit only" so we know for certain that your checks haven't been cashed. And this includes checks of yours from other accounts--even if you're just using one of your own checks from another account to transfer funds, it always helps to endorse them properly. A proper endorsement makes it super-easy for people like me, in the item processing department, to match your check(s) up with your deposit slip when we receive processed transactions from the teller line, and we can help ensure that you receive exactly the amount of money that you want to deposit into your account.

Uhhh, PNC are the initials of which bank? Consumerist, please watch your copyediting.

Teller stations keep extensive records. Even the trash is saved for several days in case it needs to be searched to make an account balance. I would call the bank branch again and ask to talk to the manager. They can and should find out what happened, even without the receipt.

I had a situation like this happen to me about 10 years ago on a deposit to my business account. I had a receipt which showed an amount equal to the deposit amount on the deposit slip; however, during the bank's proof process, they came up short one check, so I did not receive credit for the full deposit. They swore up and down that their books were in balance and the check was never received. I had to go back to the customer and have them stop payment on the original and reissue a new check. I reimbursed the customer for the fees they incurred for the stop payment.

A month later the bank called to let me know they found the check. A machine required repair and when the repairman moved it away from the wall, there was the check. Bastards never would reimburse me for the stop payment fee I covered for the customer.

I interviewed for a job at PNC a while back. Pretentious dicks, the whole lot of them. Sounds like they treat their customers the same as their candidates.

@Crumbles: Not really true at all. My old employer twice overpaid me (about three times what I was making) and they had to ask me to write them a check because they couldn't take it from my account once it had direct deposited.

I had the same thing happen MANY MANY years ago when i first started working. Midland bank deposited my paycheck & it never showed up in my account and I couldnt find my deposit slip). I went to the tellers & all I got was "if you dont have a deposit slip then nothing can be done" ... they were quite rude & defensive about it too. I even attempted to get a record that my check was cashed from my employer (wells fargo security services), and they delayed & delayed so much that I just basically gave up (I was a stupid kid back then & not the savvy consumer I am now). I was so pissed at midland bank that I closed my account & opened a new one at another bank.

About 2-3 years later I get a letter in the mail saying that I have money in a closed account at midland bank. It was my lost paycheck money from years ago. I go up there , walk in, withdraw my cash (the tellers were stupified as to how I had money in a 3 year old closed account.... I explained to them about the bank's mistake long ago & their refusal to do anything about it).... then I took my money & walked out. They didnt even apologise for misplacing my money for all those years. Miserable SOBs!

@ghettoimp:

I do the same thing (put "for deposit only" along with my signature on the back of my check), however I dont put my account number on there.

I NEVER cash my paychecks... I ALWAYS deposit them.

And, yeah, I am one of those guys who does not like the idea of Direct Deposit.

@Bryan Price:
The new check scanning atms at my bank did this to me as well. First time I used it it sucked in my check & then proceeded to have some sort of major malfunction to where it shut down & then rebooted. I recieved no deposit reciept & it didnt show it in my account as deposited. I WAS PISSED! 5 am in the mornign & I am screaming & banging on an ATM that basically stole my paycheck & malfunctioned. POS ATMS! I had to go up later that day to the bank & report what happend. The woman assured me my check would be found & deposited & informed me that customers were raising hell about the new atms. They DID find & deposit my lost paycheck later.

@jk09: PNC's official name is "PNC Financial Corporation." The actual initials "PNC" haven't meant anything in decades (for the curious, Pittsburgh National Corporation and Provident National Corporation merged to form PNC Financial in the early 80s.) In short, the Consumerist used the name correctly.

I have also been a longtime PNC Bank customer. There was one incident where I cashed in thousands of dollars in Savings Bonds to make a tuition paument, and they completely FUBAR'd the deposit. They removed several thousand dollars from my account shortly before I was going to make the payment. I was livid, but a trip to the branch and taking down the names of everyone involved in the matter resolved the issue within a day and the payment was made on time. Forget the phones--they won't brush you aside when you show up to a branch in person.

@BuddyGuyMontag: My buddy at work still goes to the bank. You can thank the cute tellers there for that. :P

The employer should get the check back - it should have the deposit info printed on it - bring that to the bank and have them straighten it out.

Of course you should go to the bank. Never underestimate the importance of a personal relationship. Computers ATM and direct deposit has made all you whippersnapers just a bunch of impersonal account #'s.

@BuddyGuyMontag: As opposed to sticking them in the shredder? He explained that direct deposit is not available.

I think that everyone covered the possible issues with the check. I would hope that the letter writer confirmed that the deposit didn't show up in his wife's account or the 'central' account he was talking about. New tellers have a tendency to leave the screen up for the previous transaction, so it might be there.

Also, I think the poster about the "on-us" check would be correct also.

What I would do is go back to the branch the initial transaction was at. Ask to speak to the branch manager and let them know the situation. Hopefully you have the receipt of your wife's deposit (btw, it seems odd you have that one but not the other one -- weren't they together?) and you know that the deposit amount should have been $xxx.xx.

The bank should have what's called a "transaction journal" or "daily transaction report" that shows transactions by time...so they can see what happened to that second check.

You are correct that the journal might say 'check cashed', and if you didn't get the money, the teller was probably off that day.

But yeah, 95% of the time the bank is going to ask you for proof of the transaction. There is quite a bit of work to research this. What some may do is say there's a $20/hour research fee, 2 hour minimum and you pay that up front but they'll refund it if it was their error.

Or you could just go to a credit union and avoid these issues entirely :).

@BuddyGuyMontag:

Exactly. I work for a small company too- there are exactly five of us there, including the two owners, and we have direct deposit.

You just need to talk to the right person. In particular, a friendly bank manager might be your best asset. Many banks have digital security camera systems, and you having a successful deposit of your wife's check right before (or after) yours means that this friendly person can easily find out, in the terms that matter to the bank, when and where the deposit was made: what teller, what window, what time, to within a couple of minutes. From there, they can witness you handing the check to the teller, the teller fiddling around with your check, handing you a receipt, and you leaving. The same information should also allow them to find the transactions this teller did before and after the transactions of your wife. Banks take teller accountability very, very seriously. They have regulations that require them to have people on staff to sweat this stuff on a daily basis. If the bank manager doesn't solve this, ask for people in the internal audit or operations departments - they probably aren't used to talking to customers, but should know exactly who can make things happen.

Don't wait too long to go the branch. We don't know how long they keep video records and you may need those as part of your documentation, especially since you have so little other information.

I think the other lesson to take a experience is to deposit your paychecks as cash unless it is absolutely essential.

Since you maintain a high balance in your accounts, the added "convenience" of having even more money available 48 hours (versus 72 or 96) doesn't seem worth the added risk of dealing with the inevitable new teller.

Let us know what happens when you go to the branch today.

I'm a bit confused here - so why would you take your paycheck to the bank, and then cash it, and then deposit the cash? That seems like a really stupid thing to do.