1) The salesman lied about all discount fees being no higher than 2.10% for 5 years. 2) I am still geting charged fees that were X'd out on the contract, such as Address verification. 3) The salesman will not return phone calls. 4) The customer support is very difficult to contact. 5) I was charged fees for the month before we ever even received the unit. 6) I was grossly overcharged for the Verifone unit and they will not take it back. 7) I have been charge fees for services that were never used. 8) Don't do with business with NPMG!!!
This bad saga began in Febuary I was contacted by phone and told that I could save money on credit card processing fees and that this offer was only made to a select few accounts. The Chase name was used in this conversation. As our commercial bank is Chase I mistakely assumed they got our info from the bank and this was a reputable company. So I made an appointment.
They called several times to confirm the salesman's appointment. James Krane, the saleman, arrived on 2/16/06 as scheduled and proceeded to explain that they could save me money. He also presented a business card that had JP Morgan Chase Bank on it. His title was Senior Account Executive.
He promised a flat rate of 2.10% discount rate and. 23 fee per transaction. I explained that we sometimes get charged a higher rate for non-qualifed transactions and he stated that would not be the case. I asked this question several times to ensure he understand and his answer was always that I we be charged not higher than 2.10%. When he reviewed out current statements, he did not understand why we getting charged the higher fee currently.
I agreed to go with the service as it defintely appeared to provide a savings. At that point he said in order to get this special rate, I would have to purchase their credit card machine, an Omni 3750. He explained this could be leased our purchased out right. I asked if it was necessary to use the machine as we currentlyl process everything with Authorize.net over the Internet. The answer was yes it was necessary in order to get the low rate. I agreed to purchase the unit vs leasing for $1,611.19 including sales tax and wrote a check for this amount.
I explained that we had a cancellation fee with our current merchant account and he agreed to reduce the price by $300 to the $1,611.19. I since found out that this unit is easily found for under $500.
All other startup charges were waived and changes were made to the contracts to waive other misc. Fees such as address verifcation. He also agreed to lock the 2.10% for 5 years. Up to this point, everything seemed OK.
We received the Verifone unit lAte February. The model sent connected to a phone line and we had ordered the model that would connect to the Internet. I called their support group and they agreed to send the correct unit.
In March we got the unit and put through our first transaction on 3/8/06. We received our first statement for period ending 2/28/06 in mid-March. It was for a total of $43.77. This included a monthly minimum fee of $25, statement fee of $12, maint. Fee of $5.75 and card fees of $1.02.
I called customer service on 3/13 and talked with Megan. Asking why did I inccur charges for Feburary when we did receive the unit until March. She stated this was a mistake and I would be credited.
Upon receiving 3/31/06 statement, no credit appeared for the $43.77 for Feburary.in addition I was charged. 05 for each address verification, $12 statement and several transactions with a rate of 3.7 - 3.9% for nonqualifed.
I called customer service on 4/6 and talked with Amber. See explained the non-qualified rate was due to not entering address verification. She said there was nothing she could do about it. I asked to talk with a supervisor, none were available.
After placing several phone calls with no results of reaching anyone and leaving voice mail that were never returned, on April 26 I reached Jasmin who gave me the same story as Amber. But this time I got passed to her supervisor Megan and got the same story, except she agreed to lower the 3.9% rate to 3.2% for future transactions.
She said no request for February's charge was indicated but that she would inititate this for approval.
There was also a charge for $1.50 charge for a voice fee. I said we had not made any voice authorizations nor did we even know how to do so. She said the system recorded this automatically, didn't want to call me a liar and there was nothing she could do.
I asked that if the next month I get several of these incorrect voice charges that I would stuck paying? Yes, was the answer.
I left voice mail for Meagan (she had given me her direct number) several times after that because I noticed in my contract that we should not be charged for address verification. She has never returned the calls.
Jeff, the salesman, had left his cell phone number and I tried to reach him. After leaving several messages he finally returned my call. He was surprised at the rates I was being charged and said he would look into the situation and call me back within 2 days. He has never called back and I, at a minimum, I have left messages for him on 5/5,5/6,5/8 and 5/10.
In mid-May, I received April 30 statement. Still no credit for February. On 5/16 I finally got through to customer support and talked with Jasmin again. She said the Feburary credit was still awaiting approval. She would have to look in to the address verification charges. I asked if I could cancel their service with no cancellation fee. She said yes that this was already in their notes. I asked to get it in writing and also that I would get credited the Feburary fees. It seems at that point I got disconnected.
I called back on 5/17 and reached Jasmin again with the same questions. She said she would fax the no cancel fee letter that day. Still have not received the fax. They also stated they would not issue any credit for the Verifone device.
To make matters worse she said the approval for the Feburary credit was denied. I asked how could this be as we didn't receive the until March. See said she would submit the request again.
I have spoken with our Chase contact regarding this matter. He was not aware of any association that Chase had with NPMG. He put me in contact with their credit card division and I am in the process of switching to them.
I should have trusted my original gut feelings when NPMG first contacted me and it seemed to good to be true. I thought I learned thru the years to believe in that statement, but my judgement failed me on this one.
RogerElmhurst, Illinois
U.S.A.
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