Don't you just hate dishonest people? We have a family at school that does this nearly every fundraiser. They either don't turn in an order and claim they did, or they go out and take orders from friends and neighbors, lose the checks, write one to us to cover it and then it bounces. I found records showing that they have been bouncing checks for at least five years.

We set aside their order this fall during our big gift wrap sale and took their check to the bank to see if it was good before we placed the order. The bank told us we had to cash it (not deposit it) right then and take the money or it wouldn't be good since they had several outstanding payments.

As for the original poster, I would stand firm since you've had trouble with this family before. If it was just the cash that was missing that would be one thing, but they can't prove that the order was even placed with you. This is a learning experience with them that you turn things in directly to the office and not trust a kinder.

I agree with IMOVE, replace the items, don't give them cash. I also agree with the suggestions above to remind them that this problem has happened before and that they need to pay by check for their items because your group will not be doing this for them again.

Maybe I am just the spiteful type - but if you give them the stuff instead of the money - it will cost your group half or maybe less depending on what you negotiated with your vendor - because you can buy it "at cost" and almost all accept late orders. I just had to send one in to our vendor and they are shipping the order directly to the customer instead of the school since school gets out today for the holidsays. Ask these folks to give you the copy of their order that they are supposed to keep for distribution purposes, place the order and have your vendor bill you but ship to the customer. Then instead of $47 in cash, you are out $23.50, and UPS can provide proof that they received it.

The tricky part here is that systems that would be required to guarantee this not happen again -- some kind of two-copy receipt system that takes place as soon as dollars come in with the kids --would be so much additional effort and investment for your group. There's an element of these fundraisers that depends on trust and good-intentioned parents/supporters. You're not WalMart.

But to put those systems in place for one problem per year is overkill.

Because this is a "second offense" with this particular family, I'd proceed as follows:

1. Speak with them and explain that: a) your group never received the $$. You don't know what happened (and honestly it could be lost on the bus or the kid could have used it for a new video game or it could have fallen behind the radiator in the homeroom after the kid passed it in) but you know your group doesn't have it; and b) you're not WalMart. All of your efforts are volunteer for the kids of the school.

2. 2. Ask if they'll let it go. If not, ask if they'll compromise for a lower $$ amount (they can consider the difference a donation).

3. If they don't let it go, then I'd pay them what I had to pay them this time and then respectfully request that they not purchase from your PTO any more ("it just doesn't seem to be working out"). Or at the very least, insist that they always pay by check.

4. Going forward for your group, maybe consider not accepting cash unless it's in-person, adult-to-adult with a receipt.

Tim

Tim

Florida Mom-
From what you have stated here, it sounds like a shake down by these parents.
I am with you on this one. If you can find no audit trail of the money, no receipt, no invoice, no discrepancy in you funds, then nothing is amiss.
Their order was never received and the PTO is not liable. I would be very solicitious and respectful but firm. And tell them that in the future, kindergarteners shouldn't be expected to carry cash, for any reason.

Though you have to be careful what bridges you may burn, it is also a good idea to let families that you have had issues like this with, that you will take care of the mishap this time but will need them to show documentation in the future. There is always at least one incedence such as this when we fundraise. This fall it was a family never handed out the items they sold and people had prepaid for. Then the family up and moved out of town without forwarding information. I have to refund $47 to at least one person and he didn't even know the name of the student he had ordered from. I told him in the future he needed to write the students name in the memo section of his check as well as get contact information from the student. By the way, I always write checks for fundraisers because I can track my check and use it for proof as well as know that it is harder to embezzle a check than cash. Good luck.