I have been sucked in by a strange company that appears to have no real identity. The problems started when I answered an advertisement from Advanta credit cards to take credit cards for my business. I cannot determine the legal name of that business since it has names on statements and other paper work using the following: Express Merchant Process Solutions (MPS), Merchant Services, First Data Leasing Solutions, First Data Merchant Services, and First Data, with a variety of addresses in Maryland, New York, and Florida. I have also attempted to identify the culprits through my bank using information in their system for the unauthorized debits made by this (these) companies. For some reason the banks records DO NOT contain the contact information. Somehow in this tangled web there is one company doing the credit card processing, and a second who has defined themselves as a leasing company.

The salesman who I had originally talked to, a Mr. Charles Slaughter, (Phone 877.315.3058) lied about the terms and I recently found out the application was altered. While trying to deal with the "leasing" company, they told me I had a contract with them. I asked for a copy of that contract. I was sent a copy of the altered application, and a copy of another document with terms outlined on it. None of these documents identified who I supposedly had an agreement with. No company name or address was on these documents.

The Name on my online statements is: First Data P.O. Box 6600, Hagerstown, MD 21740. Phone 877.810.9315, and 800.762.6663

A "change of policy" letter is from Express MPS 4000 Coral Ridge Dr., Coral Springs, FL33065

A recent letter from First Data Merchant Services has an address of 1305 Walt Whitman Rd. Melville, NY 11747, on the envelope, but the address in the footer identified as an address for payment is: First Data Leasing Solutions P.O. Box 407092 Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33340. No phone numbers were listed.

If you have done ANY business with these companies CLOSE YOUR ACCOUNT!! They will continue to take unauthorized debits from it without warning!! Of course you will not be able to contact anyone to get any satisfaction on why the debit was made. Charter One Bank (HQ- Cleveland, OH) claims that these transactions can only be disputed if discovered in 24 hours. Other debots have 60 days. I was told this rule is a government banking rule they have to hold to. No-one I have talked to has identified WHO said this, or provided any follow-up to the affadavits I have filed about these debits.

Now heres the scam:

After multiple chats with sales weenie Charles Slaughter, I thought I had struck up an OK deal for processing credit cards for my small business. The terms I was told was: 28 cents per transaction, 1.9% "discount" (c'mon its a FEE!) and a minimum of $25 transacted per month. The terminal was $24.98/mo rent to own. No other terms were disclosed. I sent my application in and was "approved" and my termianl and sales paperwork arrived shortly thereafter. Wording on the application states that no corrections or erasures are allowed. I expected a fresh one with no corrections, as well as paperwork confirming the terms I discussed. I never got any.

It goes from bad to worse from here!

After 3 months of phone calls, requests for supervisors, etc, I found out some more of the "terms." That $25 was not in transactions, it was in FEES. If you didnt generate the thousands of dollars that guaranteed them at least $25/ mo in fees they charge you an EXTRA $25!! Another suprise was $200 debited for the terminal. WHAT!! That was supposed to be $24.98. (they actually took $28.14/mo.) I was told this $200 debit was the sales tax that was to be paid upfront for the lease of the terminal. HUH?? What lease?? I never saw or signed any lease agreement.

I thought I ws rid of them in Sept. 2003 when I called and cancelled.

I got another company that was upfront about their fees and service and other than minor annoyances, transactions have gone as they said they would.

Well now my "rent to own" terminal is suddenly an "uncancellable lease." No-one at the cust service number has a clue of will say anything other than "uncancellable lease" I would NEVER sign an agreement for a lease like that EVER.

Then I get a new suprise. They take $250 out of my account for a "cancellation fee" THREE MONTHS LATER! Sheesh! I file affadavits over it but then I get a totally new suprise. Although everything I have ever read or heard about unauthorized debits says you have 60 days to contest it. Not in the credit card world! You have to contest it within 24 hours ws the second hand report I got from Jessica the branch manager at Charter One Bank in New Philadelphia, OH. No refund for me! I ask what I have to do to make the account safe. I specifically ask if I should close the account, and I'm assured that my account is on hold and NO funds can be withdrawn from it. This holds true until last week when another $100 disappears. Now I get new stories about how they can change amounts and make new debits or other companies can take it out, and too bad you didn't discover it within 24 hours!!

Close your account so they cant empty it! You will be told you must leave it open for funds to be refunded. Dont believe it! Request funds be sent to you. Even if you have a zero balance they can still take money out and cause an overdraft. Charter One charged me a $7 fee after I took my last $34 out.

I have filed complaints with the BBB, FTC, FCC, and will file ANOTHER with the Ohio Attorney Generals office. I'm also filing a complaint with Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) about the bank.

Anyone with other ideas is welcome to let me know.

Its a shame that US Corporations have to base their business on fraud and deceit to fatten their profits. Here here! for the BAD Business Bureau!

-p

Peter

Strasburg, Ohio
U.S.A.

Click Here to read other Ripoff Reports on First Data/First Data Leasing

14 Updates & Rebuttals

Dan

North Miami Beach,
Florida,
U.S.A.

I'm living the nightmare of First Data's criminal activities.

#2Consumer Suggestion

Fri, October 17, 2008

Check out NewLawsNow.com, they have destroyed my credit and my businesses and now I will try to prevent them from hurting anyone else. I've reported First Data crimes to every agency possible, now it it's time to get them into court. If you know of other victims point them to the site, this big dog is going down, the only class this company will ever have is the class in a classaction lawsuit brought against them. Thanks

Dan

North Miami Beach,
Florida,
U.S.A.

I'm living the nightmare of First Data's criminal activities.

#3Consumer Suggestion

Fri, October 17, 2008

Dan

North Miami Beach,
Florida,
U.S.A.

I'm living the nightmare of First Data's criminal activities.

#4Consumer Suggestion

Fri, October 17, 2008

Dan

North Miami Beach,
Florida,
U.S.A.

I'm living the nightmare of First Data's criminal activities.

#5Consumer Suggestion

Fri, October 17, 2008

Kathy

Amery,
Wisconsin,
U.S.A.

I Agree

#6Consumer Comment

Sat, August 02, 2008

I am going to put this rebuttal to everybody that has been ripped off by FIRST DATA GLOBAL LEASING/MERCHANT SERVICES. I want to encourage everyone to contact their local news stations and major news stations on how they were ripped off by this company. One would think we would get someone's attention and something would be done to this company. I'm a small business owner that really cannot afford to be ripped off by this company. I tried hiring a lawyer but was told it would be cheaper for me to just pay them off. Which I did but am very angry about it! I work hard for my money and this company just takes it and say's oh well with no consequences. I want my money back plus some for all the stress, mental and health issues I have had because of THEIR dishonesty! So I am typing up a letter and am going to email to my local news stations and major news stations everyday till I get a response from someone. Hope you all join me in this quest. More voices are heard than one!

Carol

Celina,
Ohio,
U.S.A.

Based on BBB files, this business has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau because it failed to respond to one or more complaints.

#7Consumer Comment

Tue, March 04, 2008

i am also a victem. BBB says that since 05 that all reports have sent back to them unopened with no forwarding address for them.

Wendy

San Francisco,
California,
U.S.A.

Express Merchant Processing Solutions is untrustable.

#8REBUTTAL Owner of company

Tue, October 09, 2007

I got similar situation, I use this Express Merchant Processing Solutions for handle my credit charge for over one year, I found they always charge me more money than the contract. After contact with them for several times, they always give different reasons. Therefore, I stopped their service and switch to another company. However, I found they charge me $500 for last statement. Call them, after transferred for several times, the guy, call Jeffery told me that we have three years contact, which not show up in the contract pink papers, but in listed in the thick book. I checked the book, but still not found the sentence for three year, but, shows few lines of sentences that the terminated service is $500 if you transition less than $5,000,000 in last 12 months, the fee will be even high, if you transition is above 5 million dollars. Which is never be mentioned when I apply for this service. It is misleading and fault dishonest service. I plan to fill a law suit against this company. Anybody know their owner's full name and company address? And willing to join me, please contact with me thanks CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Tracy

Akron,
Ohio,
U.S.A.

Also have problem with FDLS

#9Consumer Comment

Wed, March 28, 2007

My friend owns a small business. He wanted to accept credit cards and checks. He contacted Telecheck who sent out a sales rep, Holly. He signed a lease aggreement for a machine to take credit cards and checks electtonicaly. Then, less than a month later, he gets a letter from FDLS (First Data Leasing Services) that tells him his lease has been taken over by FDLS, and that now he has to, subject to section 4B of his lease (there IS NO section 4B in his Telecheck lease) he has to pay sales taxes up front for his leased machine. OKAY?? He asked me to look into it. I do some digging, and if you want to look at the leasing aggreement contract for FDLS, heres how. You go to Firstdata.com. In the "search" line upper right hand on the page, you put in "leasing equipment contract". you will be directed to another page. the hit you want (probably 1st one) will say in blue: microsoftword-genericE39FD0333REV08.05AB.DOC Click on that one, and you will get a copy of the lease contract, which, by the way, DOES have a section 4B! They are making people who signed a lease contract with Telecheck, or some other business who then sells the lease to FDLS, to go by THIER lease contract, when they dont send the consumer a copy of it! In most cases, they wont send one even if you ask for it. You will see that on THIER lease contract, you are now in a uncancelable lease. Even though you have not signed thier lease, they will say you have. If so, they are forging or copying the signature from the original lease that IS signed by the consumer. They need to know, that if they did that with my friends signature, they are in deep doo-doo. His SECRETARY signed the lease with telecheck, not HIM. So, if they produce a FDLS lease with his sig on it, it will NOT be his handwriting. Gotcha. Good luck, anyone who is gettting overcharged. At least now you can see the FDLS leasing contract. Until they delete it from thier website, that is. Tracy

Donna

Montgomery,
New York,
U.S.A.

I have been screwed by this company as well!

#10Consumer Comment

Fri, January 26, 2007

For the past year I have been tormented by this company and wish I was never sucked into thier scam just to save a few dollars! After months of getting charged differnent fees and never recieving the discount promised by the sales rep ALEX MILLER, I decided to terminate the account. At which time the customer service rep said nothing about a termination fee. Then a week later I see my account has been deducted $500. When I called I get several other numbers to call and finally get Jeffrey Dennis and he tells me that the contract I signed which says nothing about a termination fee, was just a application fee. And they sent a packet that says the terms and I had 30 days to read the terms and call to cancel at that time. I never recieved the packet nor do thye have proof but yet they are still $500 richer and I am broke. There has to be something we can do to this company to stop more people from losing thier hard earned money to crooks like them!

Maryland,
Maryland,
U.S.A.

Read Everything

#11UPDATE Employee

Mon, January 22, 2007

I also work for First Data. As an Account Manager I deal with these types of complaints EVERYDAY. I've found that most of the merchant complaints come from merchants who do NOT properly read their contract, program guide, and lease agreement. I would advise that when you sign a merchant agreement, that you make a copy of the contract and lease agreement before you return it to your Account Executive/Sales Rep. That way you have back-up documentation to assist in fighting less than honest Sales Reps. To back-up what was said before, if you leave you cancel your merchant account with an outstanding balance or leave your account with an unsatisfactory status, you are subject to being placed on the Terminated Merchant File (TMF), and cannot resign with another processor.

Jon

Chesterfield,
Missouri,
U.S.A.

Contracts

#12Consumer Suggestion

Sun, January 21, 2007

Hi! I dont work for this company however my job is also to sign merchants for cc processing. To help with your question about different address. Most of your cc processing companies can easily have different address listings in many different states. a. Agent offices. b. Outsourcing c. Other Parties envovled. The leasing company, in my opinion didn't do anything wrong. Your sales rep should have cleared this. Express MPS uses First Data for its leasing. This is outsourced and not done inhouse. Normally when you cancel on a leasing contract, you have to pay of the remainder of the lease. As for closing your bank account. It is possible for your company to be placed on the TMF list. Meaning you can no longer accept credit cards. Taxes on your lease agreement. When leasing your required to put down a lump sum of money. Leases do have tax on them. Most of your contracts will require a Early Termination Fee for the discontinued terms of the contract. The $250 debited out of your account sounds about right. The real complaint would have to be on the rep and the company for allowing there representatives to lie and leave out anything that should be said. These cc processing companies and MLS Merchant Level Salespeople are giving this industry a bad name. Advice when opening an account for cc processing be patient, ask questions, request a copy of your application and terms and conditions before signing anything, and dont assume you know more than you representative. My experience in business owners calling me up or me calling on business owners, is that they give me the rush rush on the phone. Sometimes I think its the merchants fault for getting ripped off. Simply because these busy bee business owners dont have the time in the day to listen to your honest representatives to disclose all fees. The reason why I know is because this is how my Brother was ripped off. He asked, all I want to know is your discount fee and per item. That question right their just hurts you. Either sit down and think whom his honest or who is sly. The application has many defaults on them, pay attention. Good luck with your next processor.

Doug

Toronto,
Ontario,
Canada

First Data - Twilight Zone Mystery Company

#13Consumer Comment

Sat, August 27, 2005

I owned a pizza franchise unit, and signed up with a company in Utah to do my merchant proccessing. When I sold the business to a gentelman, I successfully closed all of my ongoing lease arrangements EXCEPT for this merchant account. I spoke to a rude "customer service" rep who told me I could not transfer my account to the new owner, and HE CANNOT SEND ME A COPY OF MY CONTRACT. HE WANTS $500 termination fee as per the "terms" of our alleged "contract", and 3) HE didn't want the cc equipment mailed back to him, NOR DID HE WANT TO KNOW WHO THE NEW OWNER OF MY PIZZA STORE WAS!!!!! If that's not retarded, I don't know what is. Please tell me if you are interested in suing them, or at least threatening First Data with legal action for misrepresentation. If you post a rebuttal, please try and leave some way I can contact you to go on the attack with this company. Enough is Enough.

Doug

Toronto,
Ontario,
Canada