When I accept checks I say 7-10 days to clear...which means I just hold the merchandise that long and if my bank hasn't contacted me that there was a problem with the check I ship the items. It is still risky as a seller, because sometimes it is a longer time before they tell you about a bounced check. As a seller you don't really know for sure if a check cleared as a buyer you can check your account and see if has been processed.