On March 10th I regrettably became another victim of Innovative Merchants Solutions. The first batch approximately $23,000 was composed of several transactions. After being contacted by the incredibly rude and unhelpful risk management department, they told me they were unable to verify these transactions and I needed to fax over all the invoices and my customers' information (sounds like a familiar scenario).
I complied with all their demands for data. (I was advised that I had to fax over every invoice when I accept credit card payments so this would not happen again.) Risk Management told me they were not able to contact any of my customers (once again, sounds like a familiar scenario).
I took the pleasure doing their job while they were charging me and contacted my customers to have them verify these transactions with their card issuing banks in case they had flagged them for fraud. 9 days later, after a letter from an attorney who has been practicing for 35 years in the San Fernando Valley, they released the full amount of funds.
2 days later, after the funds were in my account, I was notified by my bank (Bank of America) that they had been looking on my account for fraudulent activities and noted that IMS is trying to reverse the credit to my account. One of BofA's fraud analysts immediately stopped their transaction and flagged it for fraud (thank you Jackie), thereby keeping my money in my account. I contacted IMS the same day and spoke to Crystal in regards to the reversal. Crystal stated that my new transactions (in the amount of $25,000 over several days) are being held and will not be released until I let the reversal go through. My new income was being held hostage until I gave them my earlier income! Being a former FDNY Paramedic at 9/11, we all have horrible memories of that tragic day where our country was attacked by cowards.
IMS has made me feel in the past 2 weeks, the exact same way as I did on that day. Being a Paramedic and a veteran I believe we all can agree that by attacking the finance of so many small businesses, IMS is equal to those cowards who attacked our country. Therefore, I have retained an attorney to file suit in the Los Angeles Superior Court.
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