Certegy Check Services, Inc. Declined purchase at Big-5 Sporting Goods in Elko, NV 89801 using a bank issued checking account. Tampa Florida

Good afternoon.  There are a couple of things that are hard to hear, but need to be said.  Big 5 (and other retailers) enter into a legal agreements with Certegy (or Telecheck, or Check-Mate, or other check guarantee services).  The fact that it's a legal contract means Big 5 (and other retailers) MUST obey Certegy.  If Certegy say's "no" to a check, the retailer must obey.  If they do not AND that check SHOULD bounce, then Certegy will not pay the retailer the face value of it, and may terminate service.  Corporate offices LOVE Certegy, and other check guarantee services.  They eliminate the threat of loosing money on bounced checks.  Store-level staff HATE check-guarantee services because of the yelling(+/-) when a check is declined.  Although the logic of check-guarantee services makes financial sense, no one likes getting yelled at.

It makes sense that retailers would WANT to sell you stuff.  But legal agreements are clear.  It is confusing to most people that check-guarantee services would refuse anyones check WITHOUT providing an explenation.  But there is a reason for this.  If they had to, that reason would be debatable.  And there is NO LAW stating that any retailer HAS to take anyones check.  It's not a debate.  No one has to take your check, and no one needs a reason.  It just makes sense that they'd WANT to take it.

Rest assured store-level staff are SLAVES to the SYSTEM and have NO SAY whatsoever.  Store-level staff just gets yelled-at for it, and sometimes cussed out (or worse...far worse) by customers who blame them for corporate rules. 

Now comes the hard part.  You were not ripped off.  You just feel violated.  And by golly, you want to vent.  Go ahead.  But it's not a crime to refuse a check, and it's not a rip off either. 

What can you do about it?  Very little...maybe nothing.  But you can tell the retailer AND Certegy that where ever you go, if you see a Certegy sign, you'll shop somewhere else.  Stick to your guns...shop some where else.  Then, a year later, tell the retailer AND certegy that you HAD the opportunity to shop with a certegy retailer, but chose to spend your money somewhere else.  Money talks (pardon the pun).