These people have taken my brother for $8,750. They go under 5 different business names, are listed with 3 different addresses in Phoenix, Arizona. Have a 100% non-refundable clause in their contacts. Steps to take now!!!
1. Contact your credit card company and do a CHARGEBACK to Bankcard Empire, Keep doing this over and over.
2. Contact the Arizona Office of the Attorney General - Terry Goddard and file a complaint, either online or by mail. (consumer fraud act a.R.S. 44-1521) 1275 w. Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85007 Phone: (602) 542-5763 or (800) 352-8431.
2. Contact the Office of the Attorney General in your home state, if you are not from Arizona, and file a complaint.
3. Contact the BBB located in Phoenix, Arizona, 4428 N. 12th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014 and file a complaint. Phone: (602) 264-1721
4. Post you story on http://usacomplaints.com.
5. Don't let them intimidate you and keeping calling them asking for a refund. Don't threaten them with a lawyer (too costly for you and they know that you probably won't follow through because of the cost).
6. Go to the PEOPLE, tell friends, post blogs on the internet on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, tell anyone you think might be helped by letting them know that this company is bad news.
My sister and I found out about this mess when our 83 year old Mother called crying about our brother being in financial trouble. Take action and protect your family, this company doesn't care once they get their money, you are on your own.
One of the Bankcard Empire associates (Greg Mason) called my elderly mother (my brother is using her address and phone number for contact information as he is a trucker, and on the road all the time) and told her that if my brother did not sign the Dispute Resolution paperwork that Bankcard Empire had sent, that they would take my brother to court. She called me very upset, and I called Bankcard Empire (Russ Harris) and stated that if they ever called my mother and tried to harass and threaten my mother again, they would have another problem on their hands besides practicing fraudulent business. It is a federal offense to harrass or try to intimidate people over the telephone under the Communications Decency Act 47 U.S.C. 230, and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
If you are involved with this business, have you been provided with access to an online status report to view details of referrals? Bankcard Empire states in their Affiliate Marketing Partner Program that they are to provide this to you. Breach of Contract if they are not doing so.
Class Action Lawsuit sounds great but you have to make note of all conversations, make copies of all paperwork, and prove that that they knowingly committed fraud. If you signed on to this program without doing the research first, and signed the papers they provided, you were saying you understood everything they were offering. Why would anyone pay money out their pocket and give it to the company to help advertise the company??!! These people have quite a racket, and people are falling for it.
At the bottom of the Bankcard Empire web page they list that they are a Registered ISO/MSP of RBS Citizens, Providence RI. This is a bank in Rhode Island that I contact and let them know they might want to investigate this company.
RBS Citizens has a Code of Ethics and Conduct policy that is pages long, and several of the things that they do not like is business that act irresponsible or illegally. Contact the bank and file a conplaint. Their website is and make it to the attention of Deidre Wilson, Corporate Ethics Officer, or call them as I did. Ms. Wilson said she had not heard of Bankcard Empire.
The phone number is (216) 277-8585. Let's hit them where it hurts, the financial institution that provides them financing. Or maybe that is another one of their falsehoods listing RBS Citizens as if they were legitimate.
They are forbidden to sell anything in Illinois through cease and desist order:
1. Marci Bennett, Senior Legal Consulate with Bankcard Empire called my on February 27 about my BBB complaint. Basically, she said that my complaint was not valid, but apologized for Bankcard Empire phone staff for upsetting my mother. To explain, someone from Bankcard Empire called trying to reach my brother at my mother's home. My brother wasn't there, so my mother took a message. The message was that if my brother didn't sign the dispute resolution paperwork that Bankcard Empire had mailed to him, that Bankcard Empire would have to take my brother to court.
This upset my mother very much. They told my mother that my brother had to sign the papers because they had money waiting for him in his commission account, but couldn't give it to him until he signed the papers. I spoke to her shortly after this and tried to tell her that my brother hadn't done anything illegal, and they were just trying to intimidate them into signing the papers. I filed a complaint about harassment and making false statements. Of course, Russ Harris and Marci Bennett deny any wrong doing. The BBB closed the complaint because they said that the Bankcard Empire had made a good faith effort to resolve the issue.
2. While talking with Marci Bennett on the telephone, I asked her about the Summary Order to Cease and Desist practicing business in the state of Illinois. She said she didn't know anything about this and that Bankcard Empire was operating in the state of Illinois as of February 27. The Summary Order to Cease and Desist was filed by the Attorney for the Secretary of State - Illinois in October. Basically they were operating in Illinois illegally. I called the Attorney for the Secretary of State - Johan Schripsema, and he was very interested in Ms. Bennett's comments to me.
If you live in the State of Illinois and are having problems with Bankcard Empire or if they have contacted you to set up some kind of business, please call or write Mr. Schripsema. Address: Attorney for the Secretary of State: Johan Schripsema, Illinois Securities Department, 350 Seright, Suite C, Harrisburg, Illinois 62946
BjNeligh, Nebraska
U.S.A.
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