Complaint Review: Equitrade International

I've had similar experince to the previous complaint..and then some. I started with a compnay called BCI (barter consultants int.) over 10 years ago, and was lured in by the owner Lee Anne Busman. I had to pay 5% cash fee to BCI when I earned trade dollars, and 5% cash when I spent trade dollars. I was never charged any monhtly fees and my rates never changed for the 6-8 years it was BCI. It was however rather difficult spending my trade dollars. But at least I was not being charged any monhly fees.

BCI merged with Equitrade International approx. 3 years ago, and its so much worse than I ever thought BCI was. My account went from 5% cash fee for income and 5% cash fee to spend, to a 10% cash fee on the spend side because thats how Equitrade did it. I was not "grandfathered" or allowed to spend my money I already had earned at BCI for the 5% cash spend fee, and already paid 5% cash for on the income side, but I had to pay another 10% cash on top of the 5% I alreay paid. So in essence Im having to pay 15% cash fee now. When I spoke to Jim West about it, he got angry with me and yelled at me on the phone, stating I should be grateful that he "accepted" and was honoring my trade dollars from BCI. If I had not racked up $40k in barter dollars I would not have been so upset. Thats an extra $2k cash I have to pay with Equitrade just to spend my money I already earned. And thats just the start. Not only did my cash spend fee double, but I also began being billed $15 cash AND $15 trade fee, monhtly. And I should feel greatful?! I feel RIPPED OFF! 

If, big IF, it were easy to spend trade dollars it would only be slightly upsetting having all the fee changes and add-ons. But its very difficult to spend trade dollars. And its not just my opinion. Every one I have ever met or talked to already in "barter" they complain about it. I speak only good thigns about it, especially with someone I am trying to trade with, so of course to make sure they will trade with me now and in the future, but anytime I meet someone that been in barter for a while, they are not happy. Proof of this is that there are only a few times I have been able to trade or spend with the same person more than 1 or 2 times before they no longer accpet trade. 

I should also mention that Equitrade increased my spend cash fee rate from 10% to 12% after only 1-2 years with them. So now I am paying 17% cash for my money I am still trying to spend, years later. Oh and I forgot to mention, like the previous compaint, I too had gift certificates I bought from Equitrade that are no good. Because I didnt use them right away, the other company was no longer accepting barter, and therefore would not honor my gift cert. When I asked for a refund from Equitrade, they refused and said I should have used them right away. WOW!

Now to top off everything. I am now being told that as of March 1, 2016, I can no longer spend MY money, unless i offer my services to other vendors. I have been trying to spend my $40k i racked up for years, now down to still around $28k, and thats partly because they are taking my trade dollars as a monthly fee, now to tell me "Sorry, your account is on hold unless you start offering your services"...serioulsy?! If I had ever known it was going to be this hard to spend trade dollars, I would never had sold $40k worth of services. And now they want to force me to add more to my account...or you cant have your money you earned?! Not sure if they can legally do that, but I am about to find out.