The Kensington Valley shop is one of the first retailers in Michigan to use Electronic Check Acceptance, a new system for cashing checks from TeleCheck Service Inc. in Houston. A small computer at the store scans the numbers off the bottom of the check, then transmits them electronically to the customer's bank. The check will take about two days to clear, about the same time for a paper check to be approved for payment. WestPoint executives prefer the system because it eliminates paperwork and employee trips to the bank. And many consumers like to have their checks returned to them immediately, Jones explained.
Many consumers prefer the privacy of avoiding that situation.
Hartland resident Pat Convery, who shopped at the store last weekend, liked the new system. TeleCheck introduced the Electronic Check Acceptance in June 1998. Besides providing this new technology, TeleCheck pays retailers for bad checks and assumes responsibility for collecting the money. I like to be on the cutting edge of technology, and I think this is the way shopping will go in the future. The WestPoint Stevens Corp. makes bed and bath linens, including the Utica and Martex brands.