August 21
To Whom It May Concern:
I am not sure where to start to explain my dilemma. I am person who is trying to do the right thing and ask for some consideration. Here is my issue.
In January I received and email that advertised to help individuals start online businesses. I had a product, nutritional supplements, and thought that what I was reading was worth looking into. I spoke with a representative from USA Card Services, Brian Parker. He told me of a small business program that would entitle me to a small business education, a website, that would include an e-commerce payment link, and a credit card machine, and that I would be presented to Chase Manhattan Bank as my financial backer for my business. I thought this was great that Chase Manhattan Bank wanted to help develop small businesses online. I did find it strange that a credit card machine was needed to do business on the Internet when I-Payment would be the e-commerce gateway. I signed the contact thinking that I was paying for an education, not a credit card machine.
In June in ran into financial difficulties and could no longer sustain the cost of an e-commerce payment portal and a credit card machine from a website that had not earned any profit. When I contacted LADCO Leasing to explain I could no longer support their machine, I was reminded that I had assigned a Non-cancellable lease. I did not realize that the money I thought I had invested in my supposed business education that was supposed to be backed by Chase Manhattan Bank was actually an albatross in the form of a piece of metal.
To keep in good standing with my bank I had to close the account, as the company would have continued taking money. The account was then turned over to Commercial Collections of America, LLC, 2600 Central Avenue, Suite E, Union City, California, 94587. After several months of discussion with one of their lawyers Tom Baron, I agreed to make 4 payments of $463.37 just to get this affair out of my life.
At the time (early July) I made this verbal agreement my finances had started to improve. I had given the lawyer permission to take this amount from a credit account on July 16.
On Monday July 9th, I receive a phone from Lisa Hart, stating that the payment did not go through. I told her at the transaction was not to occur until July 16. Then on July 16 the lawyer called and claimed that the payment had not gone through. Well, my bank had not transferred the funds to the credit card company until the night of July 16 instead of Friday, July 13 when I requested that the money be moved. This left me leery of this agency.
I spoke with a friend who suggested that I contact an attorney about this before I made another payment, as I had told her of the entire situation. I spoke with an attorney who suggested that I made sure I had whatever agreement I made with this lawyer in writing and to also see if I could get a lesser settlement knowing the scheme that USA Card Services and LADCO Leasing had created.
On August 20 Tom Baron, the lawyer from CCA called looking for a payment and I told him that I did promise to call him today but I had a problem as my financial situation had changed again and I was not sure when I would have the money that he wanted. I told him that I would return his call that today and I did. When I did return his call, I asked if I had been sent our agreement in writing. His comment was that I had not asked for one.
Before the conversation ended I asked this lawyer if I could locate a $1000.00 to end this, if he would take it. This lawyer said that his client would not do that. I asked him to ask his client and his comment was that his company had worked for this client for 18 years and they never take less than half and that if he sent a letter agreeing to any amount he would write that I was defaulting on the agreement. I stated to the lawyer, that that was not what I said and he continued to state that that whats he was going to do and started asking for me to confirm my mailing address. I was so discussed that I ended the call.
I am filing a complaint against this lawyer for the following reasons:
1. His office does not honor verbal agreements, trying to take money from accounts before the date given.
2. Refusing to put the agreement in writing (4 payments of $463.37)
3. Refusing to foreword a request to his client.
4. Threatening to write something other than what was agreed upon to intimate and force a payment.
This same lawyer also said that he was willing to represent individuals like myself because he sees the scheme, but only if I pay his client first. Then he said that I didn't really need his help to get USA Card Services to refund my money.
After this conversation I have come to the conclusion that LADCO Leasing is a willing partner in the scheme that USA Card Services has created to milk middle class people, with a dream of financial independence, to lock them into an overpriced contract with half-truths and empty promises and their lawyers are just as unscrupulous.
Dalal
Saint Louis Park, Minnesota
U.S.A.
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