Kev Williams
05-14-2014, 6:34 PM
With apologies to anyone beforehand... <<flimsy disclaimer>>
--Lately, I have found merchant account sales people to be some of the most dishonest bunch of 'holes I've ever come across.
Now, the first company that approached me, they were upfront and honest.
About 3 years later (which was sometime last year) I was hit up by another company who assured me they could save me money. So I agreed to a sit-down at our home. Some guy and his trainee lackey show up. I showed them past statements, they showed me where they'd save me some money, so far so good. We got to discussing the credit card machine, I told them I was paying $5 a month rent, or I could buy it for $500. I was assured they could beat that deal too. Then we got into "contracts". I said I would not sign up for anything where I was locked in. Oh, no worries there! We all had a good chat about cell phone and cable TV contracts and all that, what a ripoff they were...
So, I signs up. One of their guys calls me and we program the CC machine- from the other company- to run swipes to THEIR company. So far so good.
After I get the first statement, I notice no big changes in what I'm paying. So I call the first company and tell them I'm changing over. Well, sorry to hear that, you should've called us, we could meet or beat their prices, yada yada... well what's done is done. Ok, so we need our machine back. OR, $600. Ok, price went up, after 3 years no surprise. I'll get back to you...
So I call my new place, how about bringing me a machine over, how much is the rent? $24 a month???? Umm, you said... say what? You can rent me an older machine for $15 a month? Well gee, even THAT means I'll be spending more every month with you guys just for machine rent! How much to buy.... $1200???? for the USED machine? Don't even want to know what the NEW model costs...
So I call up my old company, no hard feelings, and we'll drop some of the fees and discounts, etc, and you can keep renting the machine for free... Alrighty then.
Now it's just a simple matter of cancelling the new account.... and guess what I found out after trying to do so?
THAT I'M LOCKED IN FOR 3 YEARS WITH A $500 EARLY TERMINATION FEE. :eek::mad:
The poor girl on the other end of the phone heard words I KNOW she never heard before. But-- I blame myself. I actually thought the lying thieving conniving manipulative worthless excuse for a human being sitting in our home at our kitchen table was actually being honest with us. So I didn't bother to read thru the contract. And I'm paying for it.
But I've learned from it, and I'm telling this story in hopes I save someone else from my fate...
I'm ALSO telling it because, they're still out there...
Just a few minutes ago, the phone rang. THIS was on the caller ID:
http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/jordan.jpg
---Jordan School Dristrict. The district I did all 12 of my school years in, and the district I still live in...
I'm expecting a question about engraving. What I got was:
"Hello there, I assume I've reached Williams & Sons Engraving?"
"yes"
"Are you the owner, or someone that has the authority over your merchant account?"
(uh oh) --- "yes, but..."
"You have an appointment, a rep will be out there tomorrow, my manager will be on the line in a moment with the details"....
--all that while I'm trying to get a word in edgewise.... that word being N O ! !
To shorten this a bit, I had to get very LOUD and nearly offensive with the ... lets just say "manager", before she finally got the freakin' hint...
This isn't the first time I've had a phony caller ID show up, usually it's a Google computer. But this is the first time a real person was on the other end.
And not ONE bit of a surprise that it was a merchant account ******** << invent your own expletive...
How honest can you be if you're spoofing a school district's name and phone number?
I never cease to be amazed...
--Lately, I have found merchant account sales people to be some of the most dishonest bunch of 'holes I've ever come across.
Now, the first company that approached me, they were upfront and honest.
About 3 years later (which was sometime last year) I was hit up by another company who assured me they could save me money. So I agreed to a sit-down at our home. Some guy and his trainee lackey show up. I showed them past statements, they showed me where they'd save me some money, so far so good. We got to discussing the credit card machine, I told them I was paying $5 a month rent, or I could buy it for $500. I was assured they could beat that deal too. Then we got into "contracts". I said I would not sign up for anything where I was locked in. Oh, no worries there! We all had a good chat about cell phone and cable TV contracts and all that, what a ripoff they were...
So, I signs up. One of their guys calls me and we program the CC machine- from the other company- to run swipes to THEIR company. So far so good.
After I get the first statement, I notice no big changes in what I'm paying. So I call the first company and tell them I'm changing over. Well, sorry to hear that, you should've called us, we could meet or beat their prices, yada yada... well what's done is done. Ok, so we need our machine back. OR, $600. Ok, price went up, after 3 years no surprise. I'll get back to you...
So I call my new place, how about bringing me a machine over, how much is the rent? $24 a month???? Umm, you said... say what? You can rent me an older machine for $15 a month? Well gee, even THAT means I'll be spending more every month with you guys just for machine rent! How much to buy.... $1200???? for the USED machine? Don't even want to know what the NEW model costs...
So I call up my old company, no hard feelings, and we'll drop some of the fees and discounts, etc, and you can keep renting the machine for free... Alrighty then.
Now it's just a simple matter of cancelling the new account.... and guess what I found out after trying to do so?
THAT I'M LOCKED IN FOR 3 YEARS WITH A $500 EARLY TERMINATION FEE. :eek::mad:
The poor girl on the other end of the phone heard words I KNOW she never heard before. But-- I blame myself. I actually thought the lying thieving conniving manipulative worthless excuse for a human being sitting in our home at our kitchen table was actually being honest with us. So I didn't bother to read thru the contract. And I'm paying for it.
But I've learned from it, and I'm telling this story in hopes I save someone else from my fate...
I'm ALSO telling it because, they're still out there...
Just a few minutes ago, the phone rang. THIS was on the caller ID:
http://www.engraver1.com/erase2/jordan.jpg
---Jordan School Dristrict. The district I did all 12 of my school years in, and the district I still live in...
I'm expecting a question about engraving. What I got was:
"Hello there, I assume I've reached Williams & Sons Engraving?"
"yes"
"Are you the owner, or someone that has the authority over your merchant account?"
(uh oh) --- "yes, but..."
"You have an appointment, a rep will be out there tomorrow, my manager will be on the line in a moment with the details"....
--all that while I'm trying to get a word in edgewise.... that word being N O ! !
To shorten this a bit, I had to get very LOUD and nearly offensive with the ... lets just say "manager", before she finally got the freakin' hint...
This isn't the first time I've had a phony caller ID show up, usually it's a Google computer. But this is the first time a real person was on the other end.
And not ONE bit of a surprise that it was a merchant account ******** << invent your own expletive...
How honest can you be if you're spoofing a school district's name and phone number?
I never cease to be amazed...