I am in the process of opening up a small c-store and was in need of merchant services. Being new to the business I was ready for the taking. I signed a contract with total merchant services (A.K.A. United payment group) and thought I was getting a great deal.
The contract states that the equipment would be placed for free, and that if the equipment was damaged it could be replaced up to two times a year. The word FREE appears about 4 or 5 different times in the contract. So basically they lease equipment the equipment to you... Or so you think.
So a couple of days ago i get a bank statement that states $195 has been withdrawn from my account by the company "United Payment Group". Keep in my mind i have yet to open my store and have not even taken the equipment out of the box. So, I contact my representative and he tells me the charge is for a "ONE TIME INSURANCE PLAN". Well, needless to say he is full of s*t. No where does the contract say anything about $195. And as i stated earlier the equipment would be placed for free up to two times a year if it was damaged. I then was charged and additional 40 dollars for monthly fees, (which would have added up to $480/ per year just to lease) also much higher than the contract states. Keep in my mind i have yet to open my business AND I AM ALREADY BEING CHARGED.
So i looked back over my contract and it seems that my representative checked off that my business WAS open and running which is all part of the scam. Bottom line is i closed my business bank account so they could no longer withdraw funds and have filed a dispute with the credit card company.
What scares me most about the situation is not the fact that I lost a couple of hundred dollars, I can deal with that. Its the fact that if I had not caught this earlier I could be out thousands of dollars and it could have truly been a nightmare. I feel for the people who have lost large amounts of money with these scam artists.
If it seems to good to be true... It is. Do not, i repeat do not do any business what so ever with total merchant services. They will take your hard earned money and make it next to impossible to get back. Deal with a reputible bank that has a good reputation. Please... Dont make the same mistake i did. If it seems to good to be true... It is!!!
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