I meant to keep you guys updated on my situation. I know my last post concerning my Bovada payout experience was full of confidence that that feeling of personal service that you get when dealing with people in a small town would work in my favor. That turned out not to be the case. In fact it kind of seemed to backfire when the teller called to the assistant manager, to whom I was talking at the time.
It turned out that she was having trouble figuring out where the correct routing code was. It seemed to be a digit short. Then there was a problem with no one answering the phone at the bank which was some kind of red flag. Except that the number she was pointing out was the number for the company that issued the check, not the bank that the check was drawn on. I was told to contact the bank and get a proper routing number before bringing it back.
That's the point where things started to turn against me. They didn't seem to like me telling them there business as I explained to them that the problem with the routing number was due to this being an international check. I explained that the business was legit, without going into detail, that bank was legit, and in fact the 5th largest bank in North America. Then I explained flat out that they should recognize that the problem with the check was due to it being an international check. I told them that an international check is never going to clear at the counter. That is why it is so hard to cash an international check. However, I was not attempting to cash the check. I was trying to deposit it. I told them that what they were supposed to with and international check is accept the check and process it, but not credit the funds to my account until it clears, which, because it is an international check, might take two or as many as three weeks, which was okay with me because I wasn't in a hurry to spend the money, just to get the transaction completed.
Like I said, they didn't seem to like having some well spoken guy, with excellent grammar and perfect diction, and a noticeable lack of any southern accent standing there telling them there business. Although they couldn't refute any of my arguments, they stood their ground on the suggestion that I call the company that issued the check or the bank that it was drawn on and obtain a valid routing number.
My intention was to contact the banks regional offices. I figured they needed someone higher up to tell them what to do. But, with the holidays and all, I never did get around to it. Instead I came up with plan B. The original plan was to leave $500 in my account to play with and on the first of every month to request a payout of any funds above that amount. That first check was for $500. Plan B is to have a stop payment done on the check and have the funds credited back to my Bovada account. The closest branch of the bank that the payout checks are drawn on is 10 hours away from me, in Atlanta. That happens to be where I used to live and where my daughter and grandchildren still do live. Only it wasn't worth it to make that drive just to cash a $500 check. So I will continue build my balance until I get it up above $5000. Then I will request a couple of checks in rapid succession and drive them to Atlanta to cash them and take advantage of the opportunity to visit with my grandboogers.
for $!!!
