If I mailed out a check, what would be a reason for it not to arrive nearly two weeks later?

Question

I'm HIGHLY frustrated. I mailed out a very important check and the recipients are telling me they haven't received it. The thing is, I mailed it out a couple weeks ago. This is particularly unnerving for me because if the recipients don't get the money I owe them, I could go to jail for a long time (don't ask). Why on earth would a check mailed out two weeks ago not have arrived by now?

Answer 1

I sent my brother a check for $1,000 as a wedding present.  I was waiting for the surprised phone call when he received it.  14 days later he still hadn't received it.   That is the chance you take when you use the mail.  Some letters arrive the next day; some take 21 days to go to the same place.

The Postal Service makes lots of mistakes.  A letter gets put in a wrong cubby hole at the P.O.  It gets put in the neighbor's mailbox and the neighbor is the kind of person who only opens his mailbox once in 2 weeks.

Check your account. Drug addicts look for checks they can steal.

Answer 2

There's many reasons. Often things get lost in the mail, here's my best advice as to what to do next. Check your bank acct, make sure that they are not being deceptive, that they check has NOT been cashed. Then place a stop payment on the check. (Let the recipients know you are doing this). Go to the post office and mail a new check (the next day to make sure the stop payment is complete) but when you mail this check (if your in the US-- idk where youre from) mail it PRIORITY mail and do the overnight with confirmation, the confirmation will provide PROOF they got it and is a much more reliable way to send mail. It's about $5 bucks all and all but it's well worth it. They give you a tracking number and you can see where it is and everything. Otherwise if that doens't work for you, consider using Western Union to send them the money or a similar service.

Answer 3

i had that happen to me.  you have to go to the bank and put a stop payment on the check and then write another one.

then send it registered mail return receipt requested.

Answer 4

It probably got lost in the mail. If it meant jail time, you probably should have sent it overnight with a delivery signature required and you could have tracked the package too. Sorry to tell you this after the fact, if it ever happens again, use an overnight service.