Quicken Bill Pay users need to be aware that Metavante, the current financial processing firm used by QBP, can lose checks, at least temporarily. Apparently, they lack internal controls to track the check processing they do. They fall back on finger-pointing and say it is the bank's fault or USMail who lost the check. Of course the bank does the same thing. In the recent incident the check actually turned up in the destination bank 10 days after QBP said they mailed it.
What is needed is a timestamp that is imprinted on the back of the check every time the check changes hands. Some examples are user requested a check, check queued for printing, check printed and addressed to yyy, check check mailed via USPS office xxx. Banks should apply timestamps such as check received for account zzz, check validated, ....etc. And every timestamped event would be tagged with an employee's name who caused the state transition.
In my case in point, I requested a check to a different account in the SAME BANK on 9/24/05 and to be received on 9/30/05. QBP said they mailed out a check to the destination account on 9/27/05 and used the correct US mail address. Until 10/7/05, the destination bank had no knowledge of the check and tried to blame USPS and QBP for losing it.
However, early 10/8/05 I received a call from the bank saying the check had mysteriously appeared and was processed.
I intend to write my House Representative and ask if he can get the laws changed to include detailed timestamps mention above.