"Steve Lusardi" wrote in message
...
Larry,
Your observations should lead you to the conclusion that check technology
no longer functions as designed or intended. Therefore your action plan
should be to use other methods. I haven't issued nor received a check in 8
years. Not always is progress forward. Think PayPal, Credit Cards and
Cash.
Steve

None of those methods is without problems.
:-
PayPal is very flaky. After some satisfactory experiences my wife bought
something on e-bay where Pay Pal was specified by the seller. When the time
came to pay PP said her card was invalid. Tried another, same result. tried
a third, same result. All those cards were perfectly good.
This was awkward because if you do not pay on time you get negative feedback
on PP. Luckily she had 100% positive feedback on record so the seller agreed
to accept a personal cheque. She terminated her PP account and now will not
buy anything where PP is specified.

Credit cards. Well, see the above. At any time machines can and do refuse to
accept your card and you can be left away from home with no easy way to pay
for things or get cash. Also there are some really stupid and unforeseeable
regulations applicable to cards. For example, I have a bank account in USA
with dollars in it. I live in Norway but I have a bank card issued in USA by
that bank. It works here in Norway in cash machines (not that it makes much
sense to convert dollars back into kroners!) and in other places but
Continental Airlines in Oslo will not accept it for the cost of a flight to
USA because my billing address is outside USA! So do not rely on cards.

Cash. Well cash is of course Ok if you are face to face with the other party
but you would be pretty stupid to send it by mail. I have done so but only
for very small amounts which involve no great loss if it goes astray..

Online transfer you did not mention. This is the best way to go and you are
protected if you print out a record of your transaction. .