Complaint Review: Telecheck - Telecheck Services - TRS Recovery Services - First Data - Shared Global - Houston Texas

On Friday December 18th 2009, I attempted to pay one of my wholesale venders with a Company check as I have done every week for the last 5 years, nearly $500,000 in checks written to this vendor in the time frame and never any issue EVER! On this morning I had the Check as I do every week to the cashier and she proceeded to process my order paperwork as normal, the check was for my purchases of $1702.00 she then run my check through a device which was a new step in the process and handed it back to me stating that it had been denied, I asked why she state that Telecheck services had denied it, I asked again for a reason and she stated she did not know, the system told her it was a CODE 3 denial and that if I wanted more information to call an 800 she handed me, she also stated that if your checks were denied that it was a new company policy that you would have to pay in cash in order to continue doing business with this company. I was floored, 5 years of perfect business transactions with this company and because of the Telecheck Denial I was now on the CASH ONLY BLACK LIST. I walked away and went to call Telecheck, once going through the digital screening process this company uses I got a human on the phone, gave "AMY" all the information I had just entered again. She asked me some personal identification questions and then proceed to state that the check had been denied, I stated that I was aware of this and wanted to know why, she then put me on hold for 4 minutes 41 seconds and came back and stated it was a code 3 denial, I again stated I know that, What is a Code 3 denial, again put on hold and she came back on within a minute and stated that I / My Company had no history with Telecheck therefore any merchant using there services would deny my checks. I asked what was meant by no history, your checks have never been presented to a merchant that used our service therefore your checks a deemed as a HIGH RISK, mind you I have written over 400 checks to this vender and never had any issues but NOW because of Telecheck I am a HIGH RISK CUSTOMER, I asked for a manager or superviser, typically was told that there were none available, asked again or for their Legal Dept. That got a response, I was told that if I wanted to talk to their legal Dept. I would have to write to a PO Box and wait for a response, I said if that is the case I wanted the address and a customer service or complaint address form anything, I was promptly told that I were considering legal action that I would never be able to cash a check again with any merchant, WRONG ANSWER, I immediately felt as if this was an attempt to threaten me, my company and to BLACK BALL ME in fear of the fact that I might proceed legally in pursuit of this issue. Needless to say after 48 minutes of RING AROUND THE ROSIE with this individual I hang up STEAMING and went back to the VENDOR asked for the Sales Manager that has handled our account for 5 years explained this whole ordeal to him, he called their finance mgr., explained the whole ordeal again, he thought it was interesting and on the sales managers word that I was a good customer and an honest individual with a long standing history with CARGO LARGO / Recovery Services, that they would make an exception and accept my check for the purchases. Fact of the matter is that I was so wound up, embaressed and Insulted by the whole situation that I walked out side and decided that if I were going to be treated by Cargo Largo / Telecheck Services like I had been that morning that I would just go home (284 miles) with an empty truck and not spend my money with a merchant that had been that insensative to a long standing and I hope valued customer. Bottom line is I am contacting our attorney to find out what avenues can be pursued in this matter.

As for CARGO LARGO, I will continue to do business with them BUT IT WILL ONLY be after recieving a formal apology in person and in writing from someone in their management team. The fact that they would allow a long standing customer, in good standing be subjected to this much frustration by turning over control of their Brains to an outside service that KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THEIR customers makes me realize that there must be some REAL issues with the management of CARGO LARGO. I do want to thank the sales manager and finance manager for at least be sensible enough to look at this situation and make the offer that they did, non the less it is something that CARGO LARGO should have considered long before signing on with TELECHECK , I can promise you my company and retail outlet will never use thier services, because (1) I trust my customers that have done business with us and (2) I won't give control of the reputation of my company and that of my valued customers to some electronically controlled, robot managed service like TELECHECK. If I did I wouldn't expect to be in business very long.  Just a side note, at the time tha check was presented the account that it was written on and was the same one I have used for every transaction with CARGO LARGO had a balance of $8755 available.
Again TELECHECK did not care about the BALANCE in the account only based their recommendation on the fact THAT I / MY COMPANY had no History with theirs.