Lew Isom, Northern Leasing And Nationwide Merchant Services
Credit Card Processing Ripoff

In October I purchased an existing franchise. One of the requirements in the purchase agreement was that I take over the credit card processing machine, so at the suggestion of the franchise seller I contacted Lew Ison of Nationwide Merchant Services and explained that requirement to him. He took some info from me over the phone. Later that day he phoned me back and told me to come into his office in Salt Lake City to make the arrangements.

When I arrived at his office, the outside door of his office was locked, so I complied with a note on the door to knock. After he checked to see that I wan't somebody that was after him (I'm sure) he came to the door an let me in. He then proceeded to inform me that he'd run my credit and it was too bad for me to qualify to assume the prior owner's lease (that didn't really surprise me since I was in the midst of clearing up damages caused by somebody stealing my identity). He said that the ONLY thing that we could do is to apply to another company on leasing a NEW machine so he did that and got me hooked up with Northern Leasing. He assured me that he would get somebody else to take over the existing machine. He thus enticed me to complete his paperwork.

A day or two later, I decided to contact the leasing company that the former franchise owner had the machine thru and discovered that ALL I had to do was purchase the machine outright for $1,853.23, so I bought the machine and proceeded to go after Lew Ison for fraudulently inducing me into a contract.

When the machine was delivered to my office, instead of opening the box I left it unopened and notified Lew Ison's office to come and get it and that I was arranging for the cancellation of the contract. My contacts with Northern Leasing, informing them that their agent Ison had lied to me (saying that the ONLY thing we could do is sign up for a new machine), fell on deaf ears, and they told me that I was stuck with their contract!

In speaking with Ison, he told me that he could get me out of the contract but I'd have to write a letter to Northern Leasing telling them that bad health had made it so I wasn't able to continue on in my business (which, of course, was a TOTAL lie so I refused to write that letter. My constant houding of Northern Leasing via telephone and email FINALLY resulted in their telling me and my attorney (on a conference call) that they were writing off that indebtedness they showed owing to them. The problem is that, when I asked their assurance that this entire incident would be totally erased from their records they told me that this writeoff would show on my credit report (even though the contract was fraudulently induced by Lew Ison and, thus, NEVER should have been enterred into to begin with! Lew ison and northern leasing are total scumbags!

Company: Lew Isom, Northern Leasing And Nationwide Merchant Services
Country: USA
State: Utah
City: Salt Lake City

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