Complaint Review: the counter factory - morro bay California

I am submitting this complaint against Crescent Processing Co. in the hopes that it will stop others from going through what I have, by doing more research into the history and background of unethical business practices before you sign up with a credit card processing service.

I recently was forced to close my construction business. I accepted credit cards only as a service to my customers and typically only received on average one to two credit card payments per month

Five years ago, I switched credit card co. for what I hoped would be better service and a better rate. I was promised by the sales rep from Crescent that they would handle the transfer and that I would be reimbursed the @ 200.00 cancellation i was being charged by the other processing co. This never happened.

I also gave specific instructions to the rep that I only wanted to accept MasterCard, B of A & Discover. I specifically told the rep that I did not want to accept American Express.

Like most people, I throw away all credit card solicitations without opening them. For more then four years I have been throwing away all AmEx mail. Only after I closed my account did I find that I was being charged for access to their accounts and that I was signed up by Crescent without my approval. over $ 7.00 service for 12 moths/ year for nearly five years was being directly taken from my account without my knowledge or my authorization. I contacted AmEx and I believe that I will get back the money. Crescent denies all knowledge? They did it, they had all my information and they gave AmEx access to my account.

Let this be a lesson to those out there that you must be careful who you allow electronic access to your account. I paid no attention to these amounts. The process co's take a percentage of every transaction you make and charge you $ 34.00 to $ 50.00 on top of that all directly through your bank account. I gave it no consideration until I closed my business.

The final insult came when I called to notify them that I was no longer in business. In the "Contract" in some obscure fine print, you have to provide the written proof that you are no longer in business. To talk with a rep you must provide, your merchant number, your address, your date of birth and your social. They have access to your bank account and can remove money at anytime because you signed an agreement allowing them to, but when you tell them you are no longer in business, they do not trust your word.

I returned my equipment in the first week of January 12. I was looking at my bank account in March and saw that I was being charged service fees. I called and they confirmed that they received the equipment and acknowledge that there was no activity on the account. Why is that a surprise? I told them, after the security check and retinal scan, that I was no longer in business and they had my machine. I also told them that I cancelled my contractors license.

I accept that I signed an agreement. I acknowledge like most that I did not read all the fine print. A reasonable person would accept that I was out of business and it would be effective the moment I received the equipment or when I called the phone # and found it disconnected.

Like most people in this country times are hard. For the first time in my life I am unemployed. This further indignation is disgusting and inexcusable. I am being treated like I owe them. They are sending me to collection for $ 34.00 for March 2012 despite the termination of business in January 2012. They got $ 34.00 for February 2012 despite performing no service?

For those of you that may read this. Do not use Crescent Processing Co. They are parasites, and if you think about it they provide nothing. They suck money from your account and when you stop them they treat you like dirt.