I work at a small privately owned music store. We’ve been burned on checks in the past and by companies that claimed to guarentee checks but then failed to cover them when they bounced. So, we don’t take checks , with the exception of churches, usually ones we’ve done business with for some time.
Recently a young black pastor came in looking at PA systems for his store front ministry. Spent some time looking at the options and considering costs. He had a valid tax expempt form from the state. after a couple of visits he was ready to buy. He bought a PA from me, and then a drum setr from the manager who talked to him and was convinced this was a safe purchase. Worte us two checks for that totaled over a grand. Both bounced. The owner was pissed and pointed pointed out a few tell tale signs we should have noticed. No physical address on his license , just a pPO box, and how recent the tax exempt form was {he had indicated he’d done business with us before}
We did a little digging and located the store front church. I drove over and it was closed but I could see out gear set up. I also located this pastor on the black preachers network online. All this took three days during which nobody called us to say, oops it was a mistake and we’ll make good, and boy are we embaressed and very sorry.
The owner called and left a message and when the pastors wife called back he said we need the money, the gear, or he was calling the police.
They agreed to return the gear and I went to pick it up. Pastor never showed up. His wife was there and polite but still no apology or any explanation.
Okay crisis averted. I know mistakes happen but with no apology or any attempt to make it right I believe this guy knowingly wrote us two bad checks to start his church.
Then other odd was thatjust after this incident we had three others come in from black churches and try to write checks for PA gear. When they were told we wouldn’t accept a check they had no alternate payment. I suggested some individual pay and have the church reimburse them since the purchases were only 500 or less, but no go. One pastor said he’d go get the cash and come back, and never returned.
What the hell? Is that how you start a church? It’s accpetable to knowingly burn someone with a bad check so you can preach the gospel on Sunday? In know some people are really just in it for the money , but is it a widespread and somewhat organized racket?
Well, it was for Jeebus. What rules do you think apply, mortal?
I’ve had too much business contact with evangelical/storefront/grassroots churches - direct, and as an employee of a shop whose clientele were various local churches of this stripe - and I’d loan a monte mob money before doing anything but a cash business with these types. I had a friend who was the IT consultant for a middling-large “glass cathedral” and besides pestering him with religiosity nonstop, they were forever trying to get him to cut his (modest) rates and charges… but be sure to keep their SOTA, perpetually-updated 100+ workstation, 22-server, 100-phone-line system in tip-top condition. He was better than I have ever been at putting up with such abuse, but wowee did he smoke and vent over beer later on…
Is there a reason you keep mentioning the skin color of the people you’re dealing with? Are you suggesting that that is one of the reasons they wrote you bad checks?
I ignored it the first time, but then he kept bringing it up. Well, next time a black customer comes in, I suggest you treat them with extra suspicion because… you know…
Since no one has bothered to answer the OP’s question, I will: yes, it is standard practice. All churches start out by writing bad checks. Everyone knows this, except you apparently.
In my experience, a lot of charities expect to get a whopping big discount on merchandise, if the merchandise isn’t given out free, when they pick stuff out for the church or charity. Basically, they feel that their cause is so good, that everyone should chip in and help fund it. And they’ll hound ANYONE to do the discounting or giving…even a minimum wage clerk who has absolutely no power to give a discount or gift.
Their faith is strong. They know they’re writing bad checks but keep telling themselves it will all work out in the end since they are doing the lord’s work.
Not at all. Dishonesty is dishonesty and had it only been that one pastor race wouldn’t have been mentioned, but I assume that the black preachers network was started by someone , probably black, for some reason. It was race specific, and it seemed like to much to be a coincidence that shortly after he wrote us those bad checks that other black churches came in to write checks and NOT ONE, actually purchased anything when we declined to take thier checks.
The fact that there was a specific network for black preachers involved was what made race worth mentioning. If it is their standrard practice to write bad checks for the Lord and justify that kind of premeditated dishonesty then shame on them.
It’s dispicable.
I’m certainly aware that dishonest pastors come in all races.
Sometimes the person coming to pick up the product has a check signed by someone else , who is the pastor or treasurer. You don’t want to lose good customers or a big sale but you can’t afford to give it away either. I have no problem telling people that we no longer accpet church checks because a church burned us. If the money is available they should be able to get the cash, or have an authorized debit card.
I’ve dealt with lots of folks who think they deserve a discount because it’s for the Lord. I told one pastor that he should render unto Caesar what is Caesars and he laughed. I usually tell them we do our best to give everyone the best deal we can but we can’t afford to give extra discounts if we want to stay in business.
I’ve dealt with the hound them into a discount so many times I now respond by saying, “that’s the best I can do, please let me know if we can do business” and then I walk away.
I xcan also give them a decent deal, and try to hold firm, and then throw in a little something just so they feel they won. Works for hagglers of all stripes.
One of our employees just had that happen. He went to a church to analyze thier existing system, make suggestions and maybe do some quick fixes. When it came time to get paid the guy there said the “other” guy was in charge of paying and he had to leave. Predictably he got stiffed. I expect that kind of bad behaviour from human beings occasionally but doing it through and for a church just irritates me. I feel like asking them “Is this how you witness for the Lord. By lying and cheating honest people”
