[cdestroyer]

because I had moved to another state I closed the current bank account and opened a new one with the first stimulus check. Second check went to closed account and I had to wait until the gubmint sent me a check. Vet friend got one of those debit cards and so did another family member. Both thot it was a scam but after talking to others who had gotten the card and cashed it they realized what the deal was and deposited the funds into their bank accounts. Going back over some old news items I saw where there was information stating that this was going to be how some people got their stimulus money...

[GeoTom]

Our first stimulus payment was direct deposit, so I expected the same for the second one. My bank (BECU) had a notification regarding the cards being sent in lieu of direct deposit for some people, so I had some advance notice. If I hadn't seen that notification I may have thought the card to be some sort of scam. There didn't seem to be much publicity as to card distribution. Once we got the card, I was able to transfer the funds directly into our account without leaving the house, but the process was a little more cumbersome than most internet transactions.

[reststep]

[Anne Elk]

[Slugman]

The info that came with the card says it cannot be reloaded. The FAQ page for the card says that the second payment would not be loaded onto cards used for the first payment. So, cutting it up is probably OK, but I’m saving mine just in case.

[iron]

are you guys talking about the $600 stimulus? or something else?

[Slugman]

Yes, the $600. Mine “stimulated” Earl’s garage to the tune of a new alternator and battery isolater for my camper van.

[Chief Joseph]

[Stefan]

I stimulated a food bank.

[Randito]

FWIW: For people experiencing mail theft, I had a good experience using a UPS mailbox. I got it when I temporarily moved to NYC for a couple years to help with my twin granddaughters entering the world but wanted to maintain my "footprint" in Washington. As far as the postal service is concerned a UPS box is a (tiny) apartment. So one may use that as an address for many cases where a P.O.Box isn't accepted. While I was in NYC, I would have them bundle all the non junk mail in a large envelope and UPS ground ship it to me in NYC. Now that I'm back in the PNW I've kept it for all "business" related correspondence. So I have no worries about mail theft. Cost is $180 per year. It does slightly complicate ordering cheap plastic crsp online, in that I always need to specify a shipping and billing address separately.

[Cyclopath]

[Anne Elk]

Just yesterday, a full month after my stimulus debit card showed up, there was an official IRS notice in my PO Box saying the payment had been issued. Seems backwards, considering how bogus the payment format seemed; but that's just me. More info is here: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments Best news in the letter was that these payments are not taxable income.

[cdestroyer]

did not get your stimulus check? this guy might have it: https://www.yahoo.com/news/stolen-stimulus-checks-found-inside-203128508.html

[Slugman]

I’ve been checking the “track my stimulus” page at the IRS, and it always says “more info needed”, even though I have had the same address for 20 years. I use Safari browser on my IPhone. But I know Safari does not work and play well with others at times, so I tried again using Chrome. This was the result: “ Payment Status We scheduled your payment to be mailed on March 26, 2021 to the address we have on file for you.” Anyway, the tracker is working, and my check (or prepaid debit card) is coming in early April. With me being eligible for a vaccine starting March 31st, this summer’s travel plans are looking more and more likely to happen.

[Anne Elk]

Sluggo - thanks for sharing your experience with browser incompatibility. Although I disabled all my privacy plug-ins on Firefox, I got a message that said, "Access Denied. You don't have permission to access "http://sa.www4.irs.gov/irfof-wmsp/login" on this server." I checked the IRS FAQs re denial/lockout messages, and it says to make sure the way you enter your address matches the USPS official records. I use a PO Box address. I suspect the IRS tool might not have liked the "periods" I used, i.e. "P.O. Box". So I eliminated them, but also used Chrome the 2nd try, and it worked. IRS said, "payment will come via direct deposit to your account ending in ---". So for all who haven't checked, use the Chrome browser.