# Greyhound accepts personal checks. Don't get stuck anywhere.



## chriscarter (Aug 13, 2014)

I keep reading these posts about people getting stuck in one town or another. 
Don't get stuck anywhere. Write a check, even if it's a bad check but don't get stuck somewhere bad. Use some one's checking account to buy you a ticket. If you buy a ticket in person you will need to show id. They won't let you pay by check oniline. Amtrak won't accept checks at all. United Airlines will allow you to pay by Telecheck over the phone and you will have to show id when you get the ticket. 
Even if you have no money in your account, the bus company will let you bounce a few checks for awhile.


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## libro (Aug 13, 2014)

Wait really??? Have you done it?


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## Tude (Aug 13, 2014)

I will add that if someone other than you buys a ticket using their credit card - will be charged an extra $18 (that was 4 years ago) on top of the ticket.


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## lry (Aug 13, 2014)

They run checks through a machine that instantly pulls funds from the account, similar to what groceries and Walmart does. A bad check will be declined before a ticket is issued. I don't know many traveling kids that bring check books anyway.


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## Dameon (Aug 13, 2014)

Brilliant, so rather than being stuck, you just risk some felony fraud.charges. I'd rather be stuck in the crappiest town than prison.


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## chriscarter (Aug 13, 2014)

lry said:


> They run checks through a machine that instantly pulls funds from the account, similar to what groceries and Walmart does. A bad check will be declined before a ticket is issued. I don't know many traveling kids that bring check books anyway.



That is not true. I was a manager for Greyhound. The machine that they run your check through does not instantly pull funds from the account. The machine checks to see if you have been bouncing bad checks in the past. The machine will allow you to pass 3 bad checks before they will stop taking your checks. A bad check is not declined before a ticket is issued. They will take the check if your id matches.


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## chriscarter (Aug 13, 2014)

Dameon said:


> Brilliant, so rather than being stuck, you just risk some felony fraud.charges. I'd rather be stuck in the crappiest town than prison.


Writing one bad check is not a felony, it is not even a misdemeanor. I'm not telling anyone to go on a crime spree. I just said write one check to get you a ticket out of town. You would be out of town before the check is deposited to the bank. They will not arrest you for bouncing one check. They arrest people when you've been writing bad checks all over town. People overdraw accounts everyday. That's why the bank started overdraft fees.


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## lry (Aug 13, 2014)

Dude your clueless, shouldn't be spreading bad information.


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## Dameon (Aug 13, 2014)

Writing one bad check can be a felony if you know it will bounce and have no intention of paying the money due. It's called fraud.


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## chriscarter (Aug 14, 2014)

lry said:


> Dude your clueless, shouldn't be spreading bad information.


I was a manager for Greyhound and I know how it works. You gave them the wrong information. That machine doesnot pull money from your account.


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## chriscarter (Aug 14, 2014)

Dameon said:


> Writing one bad check can be a felony if you know it will bounce and have no intention of paying the money due. It's called fraud.


Writing a check for a bus ticket is not a felony. In most places, it's not even a misdemeanor.
In most states the check has to be for over $25


lry said:


> They run checks through a machine that instantly pulls funds from the account, similar to what groceries and Walmart does. A bad check will be declined before a ticket is issued. I don't know many traveling kids that bring check books anyway.



You should actually check with the company before you start saying things that you don't know about. You thought it would be cute to say something smart alec. That machine is called telecheck. It doesnot check how much you have in your account. That telecheck machine does not pull the money out of your account. It doesn't work like that. I have worked for Greyhound. You should look it up before talking some bullshit out of your ass.
This link actually tells how telecheck works.
http://www.firstdata.com/telecheck/telecheck-declined-check.htm#2
Telecheck will decline your checks only if you have a past history of bouncing checks. The first 3 checks will be allowed. This I know for a fact because I took these payments everyday.


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## chriscarter (Aug 15, 2014)

Dameon said:


> Writing one bad check can be a felony if you know it will bounce and have no intention of paying the money due. It's called fraud.


In most cities it is not a crime to bounce a check. I'm in Baltimore. I forgot that alot of those small towns send people to jail for that type of stuff. I found an article online that explains it better. http://banking.about.com/od/checkingaccounts/p/ovLOC.htm


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## Matt Derrick (Aug 16, 2014)

@chriscarter , even if the other person is incorrect, you need to post your disagreements in a civil manner. consider this a verbal warning.

i'm closing this thread since nothing productive is going to come out of it (just a flame war).


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## eske silver (Aug 23, 2014)

chriscarter said:


> I was a manager for Greyhound and I know how it works. You gave them the wrong information. That machine doesnot pull money from your account.


If you were a manager at Greyhound, then you would know about the Homeward Bound program, and would be offering that information, rather than trying to get all of arrested.
In almost every state, even walking into a store with any money on your person is considered intent to steal, and is in itself a ticketable offense. & Pushing checks that aren't good on purpose _is _ a jailable offense - I don't care who you are. Even pretty much every gas station automatically checks your account for a minimum or 75$ before a card is accepted to use as payment (I know this because I used to work at all the gas stations in America).

Shit, Most of us don't even have bank accounts anyways. On purpose. Fuck the banks! Down with the Oligarchy! Kill Caesar! Alonz-y! Release the Kracken!


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