Blank Check in Computer Bag

[alluseridsrejected]

A guy brought a laptop into my shop for tuneup and virus removal. He had it in a computer bag. As I was packing it back up to return, I opened the side pouch to put the power AC adapter in it. It has a blank check from a lady with an address and phone number from a town 50 miles away. Would you call the number on the check and let her know she has a blank check in this bag? I have no other reason to thing anything dishonest is going on. I am sure local laws vary as to what we are required to do, but I am not sure what Texas requires where I am. I am leaning towards just packing the check back into the bag and not saying anything, but what would you do?

 

[phaZed]

Tough call. If you call anyone first it would need to be the guy that dropped off. You don't want to go behind your customer's back. If the guy doesn't sound nervous and his story is plausible, let it go. If the guy is nervous and is stuttering to find a response, you may want to call the check holder and verify.

Check fraud is handled by the authorities and the banks all the time so if there is a problem in the future I'm sure it will get sorted.

 

[frederick]

tough call. If you call anyone first it would need to be the guy that dropped off. You don't want to go behind your customer's back. If the guy doesn't sound nervous and his story is plausible, let it go. If the guy is nervous and is stuttering to find a response, you may want to call the check holder and verify.

Check fraud is handled by the authorities and the banks all the time so if there is a problem in the future i'm sure it will get sorted.

+1

 

[NYJimbo]

I am leaning towards just packing the check back into the bag and not saying anything, but what would you do?

Its none of your business. Its just a piece of paper. You could mention it to the CUSTOMER that you saw a check in the pocket "Just wanted you to know in case you forgot it was there". But that's all I would do.

 

[cypress]

Its none of your business. Its just a piece of paper. You could mention it to the CUSTOMER that you saw a check in the pocket "Just wanted you to know in case you forgot it was there". But that's all I would do.[/QUOTE]

+1 here. Just let him know you saw it, but I would stay out of this.

 

[alluseridsrejected]

Its none of your business. Its just a piece of paper. You could mention it to the CUSTOMER that you saw a check in the pocket "Just wanted you to know in case you forgot it was there". But that's all I would do.

I LIKE that answer NYJimbo, and considering your reputation here and the fact that is what I was leaning toward in the first place, I think I will go with it's none of my business. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't trying to take the easy way out for myself, because I personally don't want to deal with it.

 

[NYJimbo]

I LIKE that answer NYJimbo, and considering your reputation here and the fact that is what I was leaning toward in the first place, I think I will go with it's none of my business. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't trying to take the easy way out for myself, because I personally don't want to deal with it.

To take this a step further, don't comment on what's on the check. Just mention you saw a check in there. Sometimes seeing too much adds drama to what should be just a simple "pickup and pay the bill" by the customer.

 

[callthatgirl]

Yeah, I would not do anything actually, not even say anything to him.

 

[coffee]

A guy brought a laptop into my shop for tuneup and virus removal. He had it in a computer bag. As I was packing it back up to return, I opened the side pouch to put the power AC adapter in it. It has a blank check from a lady with an address and phone number from a town 50 miles away. Would you call the number on the check and let her know she has a blank check in this bag? I have no other reason to thing anything dishonest is going on. I am sure local laws vary as to what we are required to do, but I am not sure what Texas requires where I am. I am leaning towards just packing the check back into the bag and not saying anything, but what would you do?

Ill meet you and Ill have a steak with potato (sour creme and onion) with a salad before hand and vegtable mix.

I would ask the customer about it. Put it in an envelope and give it back to them.

coffee

 

[katz]

Yeah, I would not do anything actually, not even say anything to him.

Same here. I doubt if I would even mention it. It's not like I stumbled across anything illegal that should be reported, child porn, etc.

 

[callthatgirl]

he could be testing you lol, see if you would take it and cash it. hah, I just laugh thinking about that. One of the slimey owners of a shop down the street from me would have done that.

 

[nlinecomputers]

he could be testing you lol, see if you would take it and cash it. hah, I just laugh thinking about that. One of the slimey owners of a shop down the street from me would have done that.

This. It very well could be a trap. You need to document that you found the check and make sure that the owner(of the bag) gets it back.

 

[callthatgirl]

(((trapped)))

yeh, what he said, now that I think of it.

 

[katz]

This. It very well could be a trap. You need to document that you found the check and make sure that the owner(of the bag) gets it back.

I'm a bit paranoid, but not that much I guess. I don't see what could happen if this is a "test" or trap and you don't mention it is in there. What if you simply never noticed it was even there - are you still trapped then? I don't normally check in all of the laptop bag pockets; as long as I find the laptop & ac adapter and maybe a sheet w/ login info. on it, that's all I am looking for.

 

[Krynn72]

I'm a bit paranoid, but not that much I guess. I don't see what could happen if this is a "test" or trap and you don't mention it is in there. What if you simply never noticed it was even there - are you still trapped then? I don't normally check in all of the laptop bag pockets; as long as I find the laptop & ac adapter and maybe a sheet w/ login info. on it, that's all I am looking for.

Yep, I wouldn't mention anything. Plausible deniability

 

[katz]

Some of the best advice I ever got was "Best to let sleeping dogs lie"

 

[CompConfig]

I have to agree, don't even mention it. Put the adapter someplace else and you never saw it. If it were cash, I would document it and return it.

 

[red12049]

A guy brought a laptop into my shop for tuneup and virus removal. He had it in a computer bag. As I was packing it back up to return, I opened the side pouch to put the power AC adapter in it. It has a blank check from a lady with an address and phone number from a town 50 miles away. Would you call the number on the check and let her know she has a blank check in this bag? I have no other reason to thing anything dishonest is going on. I am sure local laws vary as to what we are required to do, but I am not sure what Texas requires where I am. I am leaning towards just packing the check back into the bag and not saying anything, but what would you do?

So... You have no idea of the relationship between these people, no idea of anything really. Perhaps the blank check is to pay you. Could the laptop belong to her?

But, whatever, it's the customer's property. None of your business.

Rick

 

[PorterComp]

Here's my two cents.

1. No matter what you see in there bag or on their computer...it's theirs. Leave all as is unless it's something illegal that you must report. I've seen all sorts of things in bags and on PCs. Even things that revealed stuff about a client that I didn't want to know...However I have/had to ignore it as if I didn't know simply because it's none of my business.

2. The bigger question is, if you are worried about this situation. how are you going to handle other similar situations in the future, such as finding other stuff in bags? Recommendations here are do not take in bags with their laptops or have the customer remove anything unnecessary in the bag before they leave it with you. If there's ever anything in a bag when a customer leaves it with me, I have them remove it. That way I'm not responsible for anything other than the computer and the bag itself.

 

[Markverhyden]

Recommendations here are do not take in bags with their laptops

That is the real solution. You only want the customer to leave the stuff you need to do the work. We all know they will forget things sometimes, need to come back to get it, etc, etc. When I was at CompUSA that was our policy. We told customers that we had to lockup laptops and did not have room for the bags. Which was true.