We started an online business in July -- just in time, we thought, for Christmas -- and decided to go with Capital Merchant Services, a local company as far as it was represented to us by their sales agent, mainly because they would guarantee to handle the web optimization so that we would rank at the top when doing a search. When we asked how they could guarantee that to everyone, we were told they could because the company had people doing nothing but web optimization every day and, being that we were the only business in our field that they handled, that wuoldn't be a problem. Several times we told the agent how important that was for us, as we didn't have the time -- or know-how, for that matter -- to do it ourselves and that that was the #1 issue for us, and he repeatedly guaranteed they could do it.
We later found out through the web administrator that that would've been possible if the company was still Capital Merchant Services, which was in Colorado, but that these people in Albuquerque had branched off and started a new business called First Capital Merchant Services and they shouldn't have made such guarantee because there was no way they could deliver. We were never made aware that this was not the same company; in fact, the receipt they gave us has Capital Merchant, not First Capital, Services on it.
Automatic charges on the part of EPS and MBF (the credit card leasing company) that were not supposed to have been made, were, resulting in our being overdrawn and charged bank fees several times. First Capital did reimburse us for the bank fees and for the charges incorrectly made by EPS. MBF was supposed to reimburse us directly for their charges; not only have they not paid but continue to make incorrect automatic withdrawals on a monthly basis.
We have given First Capital every opportunity and ample time to correct the many, many problems we have had from the beginning, which the manager, the owner's wife, has acknowledged, apologizing and thanking us for our patience. Months have gone by, monthly payments continue being taken out of our account while we are nowhere to be found on the search engines and, therefore, no business is being generated. Finally today, after sending several emails and leaving several phone messages, all of which have been ignored, when asked to terminate our contract, First Capital advised us it would take 90 to 120 days, if not more because of the holidays, for them to transfer our lease to another company and that, in the meantime, we have to keep our payments current!
Our complaint, then, is against First Capital Services for their failure to comply with their promises and against MBF Leasing for continuing to rip us off.
Nora
Albuquerque, New Mexico
U.S.A.