We purchased 11 mini-ATM's from MPS (Merchant Payment Solutions" for almost $25,000.00, $10,000 of which came driectly from our savings wiping out everything we had set aside to start a part-time home business. I have demanded a refund on numerous occassions and they don't even return a single contact attempt.
It would be a dramatic understatement to say that the MPS service, machines and process are a complete and utter hoax. We reviewed this business opportunity, and found that in fact the industry as a whole is real, the company MPS, is an unscrupulous swindler. They have been sut off from the banking netowrks because of their business practices, and yet they continue to swindle people over-andover again. I have detailed my problems with MPS below, in hopes that no one else will go near them and somehow I might get some of my money back.
1. Getting Machines "Live" and Processing:
We were promised that once we put an ATM on location, that MPS would have us up and processing credit card transactions in 24-48 hours. It took them six weeks to get our first machine up an running.
Within a week of ordering the machines we had placed them all via locators at MPS's recommendation. My machines sat for almost two months, unable to process transactions for me because MPS couldn't get the machines provisioned. During this entire period MPS managed to take payments from my bank account every 4 weeks like clockwork.
2. Transaction Failures:
The MPS web-site (www.mini-atm.com) and newsletters report that the average "failed" transaction volumes for traditional ATM's (cash machines) was 12%, and that the MPS machines averaged 17%. Our statistics across 11 machines, in three different states has been over a 50% failure rate on the MPS service. This means that half the money I could be making walks out the door, because their service does not process as promised.
3. Equipment Failures:
These cheap Israeli (Nurit) knock-off machines that MPS has been using are absolutely non-functional. MPS has sold incompatible, non-functioning scrip-equipment witnessed by numerous locators, and our personal experience. This is even more apparent with they recently moved to Verifone equipment from their previous cheap standard.
No attempt has been made by MPS to correct this issue, and has subsequently left owners like myself being charged for equipment that cannot perform the functions for which they sold it. That is fraud and theivery!
4. Productive Locations Lost Due to MPS Service Failure:
I now have locations demanding that we remove the machines, because over half of their client base is being rejected on cards with network affiliations that MPS claims to handle.
These locations based on failed transactions would be pulling significant revenue for us if not for the MPS service failure.
5. FTC Lawsuit Filed in Georgia: (http://www.ftc. Gov/os/06/merchantpaymentcmp. Pdf)
I became aware of the lawsuit pending against MPS in Georgia's Central District.
6. Misrepresentations About Network Affiliations:
MPS claimed in one of its newsletters that they were affiliated with Cirrus. Additionally, their sales representative (Uta Phillips) claimed that Cirrus processing is available. This is not possible. Cirrus/MasterCard will not allow Scrip (non-cash) machines on their networks, the same is true of NYCE. I had to find this out by researching deep into the industry.
7. Improper Builds on Your Machines:
MPS machines are not using the proper POS (point of sal) build vs. The ATM build that they are currently doing. This violates that standards of the ACH (automated clearing houses) processing companies, and creates many of the problems that we as ATM owners are experiencing.
I could continue, but the point is quite obvious. I have demand that a representative from MPS arrange for the return shipment of all of the 11 machines (MPS fraudulently sold me) from their current locations to MPS, and that the 12 month note be cancelled, and all monies paid by me to this date are refunded. I of coruse have not heard a peep out of them.
In addition, I am demanding the the $4,500 in locator fees that we paid be refunded as well.
Christopher
Ypsilanti, Michigan
U.S.A.
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