"Expired" rebate check...am I screwed?

[PingSpike]

I got a couple rebate checks back...I dunno around Christmas time I guess. I put them on my desk intending to take them to the bank that I hardly ever go to and forgot about them. I found them yesterday and they both have expiration dates that have passed. One yesterday, the other maybe a month ago.

Am I screwed here? If I try to cash them I'm not risking some bullshit fee am I?

 

[jlee]

I deposited one that was expired...it went through.

 

[darkxshade]

Doesn't hurt to try

 

[gorcorps]

The worse thing I think that would happen is they wouldn't go through. Might as well try it as you have nothing to lose.

 

[OCGuy]

Some banks do charge fees for depositing bad checks...

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: darkxshade
Doesn't hurt to try

yeha. I've had a few that went through after expiration.

 

[ss284]

Most banks charge money for bounced checks, like $15 to $30. What you should do is call the rebate company and say you never got the check. They will verify the check hasn't been cached, and reissue a new one while voiding the old one.

 

[mugs]

Deposit it. There is a specific legal definition of what constitutes a valid check. Writing "void" on a check does not invalidate the check, so I suspect that "Void after <date>" does not invalidate the check either.

You do run the risk of having your bank charge a fee if it's sent back; whether you're in the right or not (I believe you would be), getting your bank to waive that fee would be a bitch and probably wouldn't happen. But if you get it past the teller, I doubt it would be sent back.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

hope this wasnt an expensive lesson

maybe could contact rebate house and see if they will reissue? mugs may be onto something also, cant really think of a good legal reason why it should expire.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
hope this wasnt an expensive lesson

maybe could contact rebate house and see if they will reissue? mugs may be onto something also, cant really think of a good legal reason why it should expire.

Checks are $10 and $40 so not really. Enough to piss me off, but not enough that I would load a car up with fertilizer and crash it into a building or anything.