Complaint Review: National Bureau of Merchant Services - Internet

We were using IRN / NBMS as our credit card processor and recently, we had to purchase a new reservation software package which, if you wanted to process credit cards directly, required use of the Vital Platform.

We called IRN to inquire about the Vital Platform and they said they can process but we needed to call our sales office - National Bureau of Merchant Services. So, we did. The assistant sent me the paperwork to complete in order to switch to the Vital platforms. She didn't say anything about closing any accounts. Just that I needed additional paperwork to process on the Vital Platform. Here is a link to the paperwork I signed.

I sent it in and shortly, we were up and running. Happy as can be. Fees were a little higher but that was fine because I was happy to be on one system.

When I logged into my bank account on June 2, 2011. I saw that I had 2 credit card processing charges now. One from CredoMatic (the vital platform processor) and one from IRN for 31.95.

Confused, I called IRN to inquire about this fee. They said that was the minimum statement charge and that they would refund me that amount if my sales office would send in the appropriate paperwork to close the account. So, I did. I contacted the NBMS Assistant who was very apologetic. She asked me to send in a letter requesting that I close the IRN Account. So, I did.


A few days later, they, IRN, took $1000 out of my account for a closing fee.  I called IRN. After I explained what happened to the customer service rep at IRN, she put me on hold for at least 15 minutes. When she came back, she asked if I switched because I needed to process on the vital platform. I said I did. She said a refund should not be any problem in this case, call the sales office. So, I did. That was on June 8th.


They were very apologetic again and said not to worry.A Customer Service ExperienceThe following Monday, when I hadn't seen the $1000 returned to my account, much less the $31.95, I called again. I called IRN "customer service." This last person I spoke to put me in tears. He said that I violated my merchant agreement. I was on a 4 year contract. Mind you, I don't even think I switched companies at this point so I'm really confused. And, I said, even if I was on a 4 year contract and cancelled (which I don't get), I have 2 years left at at 31.95, that is just over $760, not $1000. It would be cheaper for me in this case to stay on until the contract expires. He told me, it doesn't work that way. He said I had to process credit cards through them or I was in violation of our agreement and would be cancelled and charged anyway. And, he also told me that I was renewed automatically every year on my anniversary for another 4 years. I verified this with the sales office later and they said that isn't entirely true. You need to sign a new agreement each year, which I never saw or did.


I later learned that IRN and NBMS are actually the same company. So I asked the sales office about this and they said they were but a "higher up" had to approve the refund. The sales "manager" kept muting me as I spoke and his tone turned calloused. I knew, at that moment, I'd never see my $1031.95.


Do not do business with these people.They have 3 websites and another website they created to make themselves look legit. Here is a shot from the Wayback Archive of one of their pages of this fake website - one that makes it look like they are a member of an organzation designed to keep the credit card processing industry honest. HA!


Here is another one of their sites: http://www.irnsystem.com/ - note that NBMS is listed at the bottom. If this site disappears, you can find it in the Wayback Archive as well.


And another - http://www.irnpayment.com/ - the Wayback Archive Version.


And yet another - http://payment-processing-online.com/page/Payment-Processing-with-IRN-Payment-Systems.aspx


I don't know how many websites one company can have. They need to be investigated.


Once I switched to another company, it was noted that they had a lot of downgrade charges. So, even though they claim to have 1 rate, they don't. I was paying high rates as well.