I accidentally wrote a check on my closed account. What should I do?

Question

This is embarassing but I need some guidance. I just went to Old Navy and I didn't have my debit card so the sales associate told me they can take a check and run it through as a debit. I handed her the check and when I got home and took out the shirt I saw the receipt with a check stapled to it. I had accidentally given her the check from an account I had just closed! I grabbed the wrong check book. I had just opened an account at a credit union because Regions sucks (that's another story) and now I need to correct this mess. What should I do? Old Navy was closed by the time I got home and realized the mistake. I want to take care of this first thing tomorrow but it's a Saturday and I don't know what to do. If I want til Monday they might think I tried to defraud them. Someone please assure me that there's some number I can call and give them the right check or the cash and that I'm not going to be sued or arrested or something else awful over this mistake. Help!! What steps to take..

I already feel really stupid about it. I will destroy the book now. The reason I still had it is because I had to wait until my direct deposits stopped to close the account. During that interim I still kept the checkbook. The account has been closed for only a few days and that stupid checkbook just stuck around in my big old purse.

Old Navy is open on Saturday. I just know that my credit union doesn't count Saturday as a transaction day. Does that make sense?

Answer 1

RUN RUN RUN to the store first thing Saturday.
BE THERE WHEN THE STORE OPENS seriously like be waiting for the doors to unlock.
Find the store manager or assistant manager, bring the items you bought AND the receipt AND BRING CASH. They might make you do a "return" and then just pay cash and buy the stuff all over again.

You poor thing. Just get back there when they open so they see you are sincere. Dont forget to bring the clothes and your original receipt.

No matter where you live "check kiting" (bouncing) is a crime. But if you make good before it even hits the system (OR OLD NAVY'S BANK!), then you will be OKAY.
Tell them they need to run it through as a return, cancel out the sale, GIVE YOU YOUR CHECK BACK (if they havent gone to the bank) and give them cash! MAKE SURE YOU APOLOGIZE again and again, because someone is going to have to go in the back and RE-DO the balance sheets for the sales/deposits.

Answer 2

Call the store first thing in the morning and maybe you can work something out before they run their deposit. Maybe call the credit union too. Otherwise, the check may bounce and you'll end up with a fee.

I doubt you'll end up with any legal problems. Most retailers now run checks electronically, immediately taking the money out of your account, but when they don't do that, they typically just take a loss on bad checks. I reckon they probably don't pursue pressing legal charges unless the check looks like a forgery or is for a significantly large amount of money. (For just a shirt, they'll probably just eat the loss.)

Answer 3

Call your band and tell them what happened. On the back of your check, you should find a 24-hour number you can call in order to get something like that fixed.

Then immediately after that call Old Navy and tell them what happened. They'll be happy you came to them before they found 'insufficient funds' in your dead account.

Good luck, and don't procrastinate. In these days, people can make changes in a matter of seconds since everything is electronic. So hurry!

Answer 4

This is an easy one if you go to the store tomorrow you should be fine, most stores are now franchise owned meaning owned by individual rather then the corporation. Which means they can work with you and not report it to the um, who ever it is that watches over checks and possible fraud systems. but the franchise store go by numbers and rules and might mess with you a bit. Try calling old navy 1800 number and give them the store number written on receipt. If you cant go tomorrow first thing Monday call both banks to explain your new one might be able to help. if you really do have a new account and it was a mistake then they will work with you good luck throw out your old checks but first write void on them or burn them.

Answer 5

Contact Old Navy and ask to speak to the sales manager. I would imagine that you could go back to the store and purchase your items again. But pay cash..lol They might be a bit suspicious but at least this way they can see you've made an honest mistake and you're trying to correct it. Put a stop payment on the check if that's even possible, or talk to someone there at the bank and see what they say.

Answer 6

accidentally wrote check closed account

Answer 7

Well you wont be sued or arrested! Go to Old Navy and ask them if there is anything they can do. If not, you can call the old banks customer service number- they'll tell you what to do (maybe re-open the account temporarily). But I'm sure Old Navy can take care of it- It obviously hasnt gone through at the bank.

Answer 8

You can call them first thing in the morning - even though it's Saturday they can put a notation into their system notating the date and time you called and someone will call you back if they can't handle it right away. As long as you call and make good on the check, they can't prosecute you. Just make sure you call. You can even call the store tonight and leave a message on their answering machine so they know you are legitimately trying to rectify this. Good luck!!

Answer 9

You need to go to the store and speak to the manager.. depending on the location... it could be trouble. Los Angeles County enacted a law.. check bouncing is a crime, even if by accident. The Republicans here.. pushed to criminalize even insufficient funds bouncing much less a closed account as you have done.

Answer 10

Old Navy is open on Saturday.

Here's a hint: destroy all checks from your closed account and don't carry that checkbook around.