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EXMECHANIC

Los Angeles CA
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October 16, 2007
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Feb 23, 2008, 1:48 pm

Okay I didn't know how to title this topic, but it deals with my frustration today.

Yesterday I won my first straight box for pick 3(yeah!) and I live in California so we have pari-mutuel pay-outs and my pay out was $436. In California like other states I've played lotto, on the back of the play slip it says you can cash up to $599 at participating cashing retailer. Now I just assumed that meant a terminal with an attendant who cashes prizes like when I win 3/5 on Fantasy Five. Well I go to 5 different places before I find someone who will cash my ticket, a ralph's supermarket.

Now, is this pretty common? I mean if your a lottery retailer and you cash lower tier prizes, shouldn't you own up and pay out on prizes up to what is said on the back of the play slip? I don't know I just got frustrated driving around trying to get paid, is there something I missing here and being ticked off for no reason??

EXMECHANIC
"My dollar buys hope, what does yours do?"
spookysoozy

South Georgia
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January 28, 2002
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Feb 23, 2008, 1:59 pm

It is like that here in the larger cities.

Find one that pays and buy your tickets there. I have two places here in small town Georgia and one paid me 25 grand in two increments. Mr store owner drove me to the bank and wrote me checks so I would be safe with the money. He was happy to, he collected too. Some people have such a good relationship with retailers they can call in numbers on the phone. It pays to be a regular.
mjwinsmith

100

United States
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June 8, 2002
18,280 Posts
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Feb 23, 2008, 2:07 pm

Quote: Originally posted by EXMECHANIC on Feb 23, 2008
Okay I didn't know how to title this topic, but it deals with my frustration today.

Yesterday I won my first straight box for pick 3(yeah!) and I live in California so we have pari-mutuel pay-outs and my pay out was $436. In California like other states I've played lotto, on the back of the play slip it says you can cash up to $599 at participating cashing retailer. Now I just assumed that meant a terminal with an attendant who cashes prizes like when I win 3/5 on Fantasy Five. Well I go to 5 different places before I find someone who will cash my ticket, a ralph's supermarket.

Now, is this pretty common? I mean if your a lottery retailer and you cash lower tier prizes, shouldn't you own up and pay out on prizes up to what is said on the back of the play slip? I don't know I just got frustrated driving around trying to get paid, is there something I missing here and being ticked off for no reason??

Before I comment I would like to know the following; When you went to place No 1 and tried to cash the ticket what did they tell you?

Place# 2, same question.

Place # 3, same question.

Place # 4, same question.

Place # 5 cashed the ticket for you, was this the place where you purchased the ticket or was it from one of the other places.

A retailer is suppose to cash the ticket if it is under the limit they are allowed to cash it for, in this case below $600.00 The best thing to do if a retailer gives you a hard time is to (1) Report them to the Lottery Commission in your state, and (2) Take your business elsewhere.
RJOh

100

mid-Ohio
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Feb 23, 2008, 2:09 pm

There are lots of Ma/Pa operations that sell lottery tickets and don't keep enough cash on hand to pay out more than $10-$25 in lottery winnings. Most will suggest you go somewhere else to cash in your ticket if your winnings are more than $25. I usually take their advice and start buying my tickets somewhere else too.

Note: Some states claim they will not allow merchants who don't get enough traffic to have enough money to payout winnings up to $599 to sell lottery tickets.

* you don't need to buy every combination, just the winning ones *
pacattack05

United States
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Feb 23, 2008, 2:13 pm

Quote: Originally posted by EXMECHANIC on Feb 23, 2008
Okay I didn't know how to title this topic, but it deals with my frustration today.

Yesterday I won my first straight box for pick 3(yeah!) and I live in California so we have pari-mutuel pay-outs and my pay out was $436. In California like other states I've played lotto, on the back of the play slip it says you can cash up to $599 at participating cashing retailer. Now I just assumed that meant a terminal with an attendant who cashes prizes like when I win 3/5 on Fantasy Five. Well I go to 5 different places before I find someone who will cash my ticket, a ralph's supermarket.

Now, is this pretty common? I mean if your a lottery retailer and you cash lower tier prizes, shouldn't you own up and pay out on prizes up to what is said on the back of the play slip? I don't know I just got frustrated driving around trying to get paid, is there something I missing here and being ticked off for no reason??

I had a problem with a circle k covenience store years ago. They didn't have the cash on hand and he wanted to give me a money order. This was after he validated the ticket, so I was forced to take the money order. So now, I don't even bother going to the small stores, i just go the supermarkets.

Only one time I had a problem at the supermarket. They were only open for a couple of hours and didn't have the cash on hand. My reply to the cashier was that I'm pretty sure that those 6 cashiers collectivley must have 500 bucks. She went to each cashier and came up with the money.

The only reason she did that for me was because she knew me as regular customer.
MADDOG10

50

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Feb 23, 2008, 2:18 pm

Quote: Originally posted by EXMECHANIC on Feb 23, 2008
Okay I didn't know how to title this topic, but it deals with my frustration today.

Yesterday I won my first straight box for pick 3(yeah!) and I live in California so we have pari-mutuel pay-outs and my pay out was $436. In California like other states I've played lotto, on the back of the play slip it says you can cash up to $599 at participating cashing retailer. Now I just assumed that meant a terminal with an attendant who cashes prizes like when I win 3/5 on Fantasy Five. Well I go to 5 different places before I find someone who will cash my ticket, a ralph's supermarket.

Now, is this pretty common? I mean if your a lottery retailer and you cash lower tier prizes, shouldn't you own up and pay out on prizes up to what is said on the back of the play slip? I don't know I just got frustrated driving around trying to get paid, is there something I missing here and being ticked off for no reason??

First, contact the lottery and explain to them what happened at that location. Second buy your tickets at another location until the same situation arises and go back and cash it at that location. You'll have a much better experience the next time.

The truth is like a Lion, you don't have to defend it

Let it loose, it will defend itself.
Guru101

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Feb 23, 2008, 2:24 pm

Quote: Originally posted by pacattack05 on Feb 23, 2008
I had a problem with a circle k covenience store years ago. They didn't have the cash on hand and he wanted to give me a money order. This was after he validated the ticket, so I was forced to take the money order. So now, I don't even bother going to the small stores, i just go the supermarkets.

Only one time I had a problem at the supermarket. They were only open for a couple of hours and didn't have the cash on hand. My reply to the cashier was that I'm pretty sure that those 6 cashiers collectivley must have 500 bucks. She went to each cashier and came up with the money.

The only reason she did that for me was because she knew me as regular customer.

The register keeps track of items sold and then that total is compared to the cash in the drawer. It doesn't matter if the drawers collectively have a certain amount. It's not that simple. It is the cashier's responsibility to make sure their drawer doesn't come up short. I hope she didn't get into trouble or lose her job.

Gonna win.
EXMECHANIC

Los Angeles CA
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October 16, 2007
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Feb 23, 2008, 2:26 pm

Quote: Originally posted by mjwinsmith on Feb 23, 2008
Before I comment I would like to know the following; When you went to place No 1 and tried to cash the ticket what did they tell you?

Place# 2, same question.

Place # 3, same question.

Place # 4, same question.

Place # 5 cashed the ticket for you, was this the place where you purchased the ticket or was it from one of the other places.

A retailer is suppose to cash the ticket if it is under the limit they are allowed to cash it for, in this case below $600.00 The best thing to do if a retailer gives you a hard time is to (1) Report them to the Lottery Commission in your state, and (2) Take your business elsewhere.

Place #1 place where I bought the ticket, my local liquor store, not enough money, can pay me on Monday

Okay no problem, its Ma/Pa liquor store I understand they may not have the money on a Saturday, but I've seen them pay out lots of $100 + prizes and the entire ceiling of this about 900 square foot store has instant and fantasy five pay outs from 40-500 prizes, cool huh?

Place# 2/3/4 7-11, Chevron Station, Tobacco Store

7-11 no money, and clerk held on to ticket while explaining he couldn't pay out, I had to literally ask him to hand me my ticket back

Cheveron station, no money but I see a stack of hundreds underneath the drawer when another customer pays with a 50 didn't say anyting don't like confrontation

Tobacco Store this is a big pick 3 place for the retired people in my neighborhood , he wanted to wait until after noon.

Really the ones that got me all ticked off where 7-11 and Chevron these are big companies and if your gonna sell lotto tickets I feel you should be able to pay out as it says on my pay slip, other wise give up your terminal, and the 7-11 clerk freaked me out a little.

EXMECHANIC
"My dollar buys hope, what does yours do?"
mjwinsmith

100

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June 8, 2002
18,280 Posts
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Feb 23, 2008, 2:43 pm

Quote: Originally posted by EXMECHANIC on Feb 23, 2008
Place #1 place where I bought the ticket, my local liquor store, not enough money, can pay me on Monday

Okay no problem, its Ma/Pa liquor store I understand they may not have the money on a Saturday, but I've seen them pay out lots of $100 + prizes and the entire ceiling of this about 900 square foot store has instant and fantasy five pay outs from 40-500 prizes, cool huh?

Place# 2/3/4 7-11, Chevron Station, Tobacco Store

7-11 no money, and clerk held on to ticket while explaining he couldn't pay out, I had to literally ask him to hand me my ticket back

Cheveron station, no money but I see a stack of hundreds underneath the drawer when another customer pays with a 50 didn't say anyting don't like confrontation

Tobacco Store this is a big pick 3 place for the retired people in my neighborhood , he wanted to wait until after noon.

Really the ones that got me all ticked off where 7-11 and Chevron these are big companies and if your gonna sell lotto tickets I feel you should be able to pay out as it says on my pay slip, other wise give up your terminal, and the 7-11 clerk freaked me out a little.

Just as I suspected, it's not that they did'nt want to pay you or cash the ticket, but that they did'nt have the cash on hand at the time you presented the ticket for payment. Some establishments keep their lottery draw money separate from other business reciepts, therefore, try cashing in the ticket later on in the afternoon or evening when they would have the cash on hand to pay you.

Remedy (1) Report Retailer to Lottery Commission, not applicable since they are not refusing to pay on the ticket, but to pay you when it is convenient for them.

Remedy (2) If this causes you a problem then by all means take your business elsewhere.

By the way, congratulations on your win.

>Michael
pacattack05

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Feb 23, 2008, 2:53 pm

Quote: Originally posted by Guru101 on Feb 23, 2008
The register keeps track of items sold and then that total is compared to the cash in the drawer. It doesn't matter if the drawers collectively have a certain amount. It's not that simple. It is the cashier's responsibility to make sure their drawer doesn't come up short. I hope she didn't get into trouble or lose her job.

She told me she wrote a note of how much she took from each drawer, and also gave each cashier a piece of paper with the amount she took out.
EXMECHANIC

Los Angeles CA
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Feb 23, 2008, 2:54 pm

Quote: Originally posted by mjwinsmith on Feb 23, 2008
Just as I suspected, it's not that they did'nt want to pay you or cash the ticket, but that they did'nt have the cash on hand at the time you presented the ticket for payment. Some establishments keep their lottery draw money separate from other business reciepts, therefore, try cashing in the ticket later on in the afternoon or evening when they would have the cash on hand to pay you.

Remedy (1) Report Retailer to Lottery Commission, not applicable since they are not refusing to pay on the ticket, but to pay you when it is convenient for them.

Remedy (2) If this causes you a problem then by all means take your business elsewhere.

By the way, congratulations on your win.

>Michael

Well I agree with you for the most part, but 7-11 made it clear he would never cash a ticket of that size, so yeah he Did Not want or Never can cash the ticket, that bugs me. And the Chevron clerk while he didn't make that statement, I'm guessing I could go there every hour on the hour and get refused, and yeah I will take my business else where.

Thanks as well :) Its a bummer to realize there are probably 100 people a day running around trying to get paid by the CA lottery only to realize most places can't pay them.

EXMECHANIC
"My dollar buys hope, what does yours do?"
pacattack05

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Feb 23, 2008, 2:59 pm

All the 7-11s in Florida throw the big bills into a vault. And about 3 or 4 years ago, they have this new system, where if someone pays for something with a 50 dollar bill or larger, they have to wait for about 3 minutes, for the change vault to open up. This new system was implemented to discourage armed robbery. A robber probably wouldn't want to wait 3 minutes...lol
justxploring

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Feb 23, 2008, 3:01 pm

First of all....Congratulations!

I mentioned once that I only won $72.50 getting 4/5 in Fantasy5 at 7-11 and the clerk didn't want to cash it, although I bought my ticket there. I now just go to a Publix supermarket to get paid.

Guru wrote: "The register keeps track of items sold and then that total is compared to the cash in the drawer. It doesn't matter if the drawers collectively have a certain amount. It's not that simple. It is the cashier's responsibility to make sure their drawer doesn't come up short. I hope she didn't get into trouble or lose her job."

Very true. I've worked in one of those store and they can't do that, Pac. Even when one cashier is out of ones, for example, they have to "buy" them from another cash drawer, which is usually handled by a manager. Everytime money is taken or added to a cash drawer, the cashier has to sign for it. That's why at the end of their shift, or even when they go on break, they remove their cash drawer. Also, Publix has an entirely different cash drawer they use for the lottery. If you go to the stores in Bonita Springs, for example, they have 2 registers at the customer service counter, one they use for the lottery. Anyway, why didn't you just come back later in the day? From your description of how she "wrote a note" (like an IOU) it sounds as if she had to go through a lot of work. As Guru wrote, this woman would have been fired, if not for violating the rules, but for interrupting the course of business while people are trying to buy food.
benmas

Rhode Island
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Feb 23, 2008, 3:18 pm

This problem is easy solved this way: (at least for me it is cause this is the way i do it)

Find a (store/supermarket/sunoco) that sells MONEY ORDERS and lottery together..ask to be paid in money order if it is a large sum...sometimes they will split give you some cash ~100 bucks so that you have some cash in hand and the rest is a bunch of money orders you can fill em out payable to yourself...take em to the bank, in two or three days they are processed...

NO cash register will give you $500 cash or above, they serve other customers as well, store needs money for other things besides lotto etc...
Dead_Aim

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Feb 23, 2008, 3:22 pm

The stores are not required to pay you. It is their choice if they wish to do so or not. As someone said earlier, a lot of small stores do not keep enough cash on hand to pay larger prizes and do without that cash until they get reimbursed. If a store refuses to pay all winnings of any size then that may be something the lottery commission would check into.

The place to play is the store that will pay.

I use the supermarkets. Some will pay multiple tickets at one time, if need be.

Best of Luck Everyone!

D_A

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