This account goes to show you that even if one tries to do the "right" thing, these pirates will not listen, or even be smart enough to get their money. I have finally gotten a lawyer, reported these people to the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission, and reported them to the Illinois Attorney General. All this, because they wouldn't accept YES for an answer!
I started a small business with a partner in 2007. I was open to the idea of a credit card machine, so my partner called in his friend, who worked for a company called USA Coast to Coast. Actually, he represented World Data Systems. But wait, who exactly did this guy work for? I could never really tell.
Well, he and his wife, (Mike and Carolyn McGuire, of USA Coast to Coast, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin), explained how buying a machine would cost me over $1500.00, so I should lease one. Stupid me, as I didn't know any better at the time, figured that I'd rather spread the payments out. Of course, later I found the same machine on the internet for about $280.00.
When you start a business, you try to be optimistic, so a non-cancelable, four year lease didn't seem so bad, even though I remembered my marketing class that taught me that over 80% of new businesses don't make it past a year. My new venture lasted for about eight months, thanks in large part to my waste-case of a partner.
My partner had no money, so I had to pick up 100% of the risk. After paying off everyone I could think of, I closed the business account, forgetting that there was this credit card machine thing being taken out every month.in my depressed state, it just slipped by me. Well, the calls started.
During the first call, I apologized and said I would fix the problem by paying them every month for awhile until I either found someone to transfer the lease to, or decided to pay the whole thing off. Great. Ten minutes later, another call. I said I just talked it out with someone. Ten minutes later, another call, I think from the same guy! He then said it would take $1,000.00 and the return of the machine to cancel the lease. (I thought this was non cancelable). I asked again to have them send me a bill and I'd be glad to pay it. The calls kept coming: at least 20 calls a day, until 9:00 at night, even though I had agreed to resolve the issue!
Finally, they sent a bill. Unfortunately, I paid them with a personal check. I didn't hear from them for a long time. Then I noticed that they had been taking money out of my personal checking account, which is a clear violation of the lease, as the lease with WORLD DATA SYSTEMS clearly states that only the business account can be automatically drawn from. I contacted my lawyer and closed the account. Naturally, the calls started again, and have continued for over two weeks, even on my cell phone. Last year, I got a call blocker, so at least I don't have to know they're calling. We're on the "do not call registry" so I've been sending LFG's number to the FTC every time they call.
Anyway, these people were so rude and obnoxious to me on the phone that I refuse to talk to them any more. I don't open any mail from them, either; I just give it to my lawyer. He's tried to contact them on my behalf, but they naturally don't answer him. That's OK, I've already helped the FTC bring RICO charges and huge fines against one company that did me wrong, so I know a scam when I see one.
Nowhere on my contract does the name, "Lease Finance Group, " appear. I never heard of the company until the harassment started. So, really, I've decided that I have no agreement with them. Had they been nice to me, I would have just paid the $1,000.00 last year and returned the machine. Now, they can wait for another year-and-a-half to get their money and then get an obsolete machine that nobody wants. All they have to do is get in touch with me through my lawyer and arrange monthly payments, at which time I'll be happy to pay them, bit by bit, with money orders from Kwik Trip.
Buyer beware: this company is bad news. They have no business ethics, and even if you try to pay them, they'll be abusive and unprofessional. They obviously think that their "customers" are beneath them, as they have no respect for them at all. It would be great to see a class-action suit brought against them, and with their complicity with these other "companies" with which I was supposedly doing business, I bet some sort of racketeering is involved.
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