I own a large Hobby Shop and do quite a bit of business on line as well as in my store. About 4 weeks ago I received an order for a Radio Control Car kit, which was quite expensive from a person in Indonesia. I was a little leery, but I put the credit card through and it was approved by the company I pay to do this, First Data Cardservice International. I then ordered the car kit and sent it out. This entire process took about 4 or 5 days. About a week later I received an e-mail from this customer saying that some of his friends want the car kit as well and would be contacting me. I then started getting the orders and like before, I put the credit cards through for approval, and received it on all of them. I then ordered the car kits and began sending them out VIA the USPS. There were a total of 46 cars ordered in all and I sent out the first 22. The next day I received a letter from my Credit Card Approval company which is First Data Cardservice International stating that all the credit cards they approved over the previous 3 weeks were stolen and they are debiting my account.
I called them and they refuse to talk with me. I called the Post Office and they refused to stop the packages, which had not left the USA yet, even though I told them they were stolen merchandise. The International Postal Service said the same thing. I called the FBI and was told since this is out of the country, they cannot help.
I have contacted many agencies and have not received any help.
I pay First Data Cardservice a fee each month to approve credit card sales in an effort to prevent this type of thing happening and I feel they are not keeping up their end of the agreement. I can see if these credit card sales were all put through on a single day, but they were not. This was over 2 weeks and each one was approved. Also, if they had Called me about this instead of sending a letter, I would have not sent the packages out and would be able to return them.
This is costing me approximately $20,000.00 which is being debited from my bank account by First Data Cardservice. I am now forced to sell some of my personal property just to try and get the money to keep my business solvent as a result of all this. It is hard enough for a small business to survive in our present economy without having to go through something like this. I do have several employees that I am trying to keep on the payroll as well.
If you can assist me, I would greatly appreciate it. If not, can you give me any guidance and suggest another recourse?
I have written a more detailed description of this on my website bobshobbyshop.com if you would care to read it. There is also a page that tells about our program to help the Soldiers overseas, which I am very proud of.
I did get a hold of a local representative for First Data named Mark Rashler supposedly out of Portage Michigan. He told me per my "contract" with them that I am not permitted to submit more than $5000.00 per month in Credit Card Sales. Now I have put through more than $5000.00 many months over the past 10 years or more and they have said Nothing. I also spoke with someone named Bob F in Santa Anna California from First Data that said in order to approve a credit card from out of the USA, I need to call 2 other phone numbers for approval. None of this has ever been explained to me, and why would they approve the credit cards through their phone line machines if that was not the proper procedure?
Every time I have spoken with someone from this company, I have been given the "run around" and wrong information.
I am now starting a Letter Writing Campaign as well as having this story published in local news papers and I am contacting Radio and Television stations. I am also sending this story to news papers in the towns where First Data is located. I have contacted several attorneys to see if they can help.
Let me know if anyone has any other suggestions.
Thanks
Bob
Bob t
Watervliet, Michigan
U.S.A.
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