[Michael Beard]

I had two Feld checks - one from Pro-Am points and one from National points. I deposited them both on 11/24. The bank deposited one of them, and not the other. The one that they did not deposit, they sent me a notice saying that the check had been marked "Refer to Maker". I'll admit, I had to look that one up online to try to get an inkling as to what that meant... sounded like, "we don't feel like accepting it" to me (it's probably significant to note that it's NOT an "insufficient funds" notice). To make things more interesting, the copy of the check they sent back was someone else's! I talked to Sharon Ramlow at IHRA, who responded immediately and was very helpful. I took the other guy's check to my local branch of my bank, and while I was there, they called their HQ, and had them redeposit the check right over the phone, and they handled getting the other guy's check back to him. IHRA reimbursed me for the $5 service fee my bank had charged me on the original check.

The strangest thing is having the problem with one check but not the other, in the same deposit! Although it was distressing at first, both my bank and IHRA handled things quickly and correctly, and luckily, nothing bounced in the meantime.

Sorry to hear things haven't gone as smoothly for you, Mike. Best wishes for a better '09!