Wow! As the fundraising chair, the treasurer and I tracked down any bounced checks - and we told JUST the bounced check order that they would not receive it until it was taken care of. I agree with a previous poster - the PTO is cutting off it's nose to spite it's face. If I were on the other end (parent OR student) I'd never participate in a fundraiser again!!!!

We also send a letter to the signed of the bounced check-- we would hold that order, but not the rest-- and I'm not sure I would hold that child responsible for re-paying the bounced check or trying to re-collect--- that's not right--- this family most likely will not be participating in a fundraiser again in fear of this happening again...!

I've been a PTO treasurer for years, and as much as I hate chasing down bounced checks, I would never act like your treasurer. How appalling. We send a letter to the bouncer and try to resolve it directly with him/her. The only time I would need to contact the child seller's family is if for some reason we couldn't reach the check writer and needed more info or a current address, though I dont' remember that ever happening. You and your child should be allowed to deliver the merchandise that has been properly paid for (and your child should get any prizes earned), and the PTO should handled collecting the outstanding money (and holding the affected merchandise until paid).

I'm with the others, this is a ridiculous policy. I think that PTO needs to be reminded that the funds they have to spend are brought in by the students and parents who are willing to take time from their lives to sell and deliver these items and that participation is a voluntary thing-not a requirement.

I believe that the seller should be notified if someone they sold to wrote a bad check, then they can make the decision whether they would feel comfortable approaching the person, but ultimately the fundraiser is the PTO's responsibility and the burden falls on the PTO to handle any bad checks. Holding the whole order does nothing but anger the seller and the people who purchased from them. If our PTO had that policy, I'd never participate in a fundraiser.

That PTO is cutting off its nose to spite its face. Not only will they lose the $180 order (and whatever portion of it is profit), but they are risking the fact all those neighbors won't want to buy from that PTO again and that your niece will never want to fundraise again. I think a sit-down with the principal is in order to help pull that PTO back into the world of reasonableness

In the past our Treasurer has been responsible for contacting the party who bounced a check. To me holding the entire order punishes anyone else who ordered from your niece, not just the offending check writer. If our Treasurer has problems with contacting the writer of the bounced check, the PTO President would then also step in and contact the offender and they are told we no longer will accept a check from them. Luckily this has not been a problem and usually the Treasurer can get things taken care of.