Complaint Review: BankCard USA / Bank Card USA / RTWare / National Bank Of The Redwoods / Harris Trust & Savings B

Hello Friend;
I would hope you don't mind such an ambiguous greeting, but under the circumstances I believe we may have something in common and that something may just be COMPLAINTS about BankCard USA or their so-called RTWare scam, unfortunately. It concerns me that the mere fact that you may be reading this, is because you seek some kind of enlightenment about those 2 subject matters in hopes of coming to terms and understanding about the situation you apparently have gotten yourself or your business into or even more frightening, you may be considering doing business with them. Caution and concern is a good choice at this point. Regardless that they are Merchant Service Reps for a couple established Banks, National Bank of the Redwoods, Santa Rosa, CA and Harris Trust & Savings Bank, Chicago, IL / Both FDIC Insured, doesn't guarantee you anything regarding accountability or Integrity. They are Committed to taking advantage of anyone and everyone they can, dispose of the leftovers and move on to the next victim. They are good at what they do because they are not new to this. They are professional Predators that know that we as busy, overworked small business people who barely have time or the strength at the end of the day to just breath, let alone carefully review every little transaction involved with the ACH Debit and Deposit of our transaction sales and paid out fees for the merchant services we depend on. In only a couple months they can pilfer $600 easily and a lot more with your trust. Their Customer Service is well versed at using their guidelines to their advantage to seize any amount or number of transactions the see they can get away with and keep it until we just give up and go away victimized. Regardless of how sweet the deal sounds, you are better off selecting someone else. Start with Authorize.net for direction. Just stay away from BankCard USA. Please read on to understand why I came to this conclusion.

I can only hope you are merely researching this Company BankCard USA before doing business with them. If the latter be the case, I certainly wouldnt have, had I known what I know about them now. They are a despicable and heartless fraud, devoted to the deception and theft of customer payments including the violation of trusted access to ACH bank account funds, thought to be safe from criminal enterprises such as this one, which make this company so dangerous. You still have to make your own decision. This is America after all, where we have the right to make mistakes. I just wish more could be done to protect us all from Predators like these Companies with owners and employees who control them and belong in prison, but unfortunately manage to beat the system on a regular basis. This being the case, I think it only fitting that we all pass the word as best we can to whom-ever will see and listen via whatever source that permits and share our stories about these Predators.

Yes I am but one more unsuspecting victim of this ruthless cheat Merchant Service Company, truly methodical in their deceptive plans to defraud everyone they can for anything they can and how easily it is to loose track of your money in the Card Merchant Business. First they scammed me out of $795.00 for the sale of their RTWare Server (supposedly Just like a Swipe Machine for the Internet) that can be taken with you when you change merchants. Still havent seen it 4 years later. Authorize provides the Gateway you need. Then small amounts started disappearing from my Bank Account and only temporarily stopped when discovered. Then 2 large customer payments were seized and kept now 4 years $1,703.05. Then they decided they were done with me so they shut off my service and kept taking money out of my Bank Account but I quickly locked them out of my Bank to stop the thefts and then they moved on having taken all they could get away with to devote their time to new Victims.

Those details that follow are far more detailed and have been reported to the FDIC Consumer Response Center as well as their Attorney General Consumer Fraud Division in their State of California.

In an effort to briefly summarize my situation prior to trying to post the entire 4-page complaint, this is how Bank Card USA cheated my company Glassine USA. I simply tried to start my business after being injured in an accident caused by some negligent semi driver in too big of a hurry to secure his load of 90lb hay bails only to loose them off his truck while driving past me at 60mph, hitting my truck forcing me into a ditch injuring my neck. I could no longer do my tractor work once so profitable. So I began the Glassine Paper Business on the Internet but needed the Merchant Service but unfortunately I chose BankCard USA. They Conned me, Scammed me, Cheated me and Stole from me to the Tone of $3,500.00.

So now Ive filed complaints with the Illinois, Oregon and California Attorney Generals Consumer Protection Divisions and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. I hope they will be able to help stop their criminal activity. I just want my money back so I can continue to take care of my business needs and salvage the remaining aspects of my life. BankCard USA has been perpetuating their Internet Scam for some time now. I will try and attach the main detailed complaint.

Thanks for taking the time to read about my situation for what its worth. An Unfortunate Tragedy that could have been avoided had I been WARNED. But first we need to realize how to check on our Choices. GOOD LUCK

The Following details about my experience with BankCard USA should clarify why I would never do business with them again. Your choice is up to you and the mere fact that you are here reading this compilation of bad experiences with this Questionable Company shows you are definitely smart and definitely suspicious of this Companies activities and claims..

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In the event you decide to not proceed further to read this lengthly complaint, Take Good Notes: every call / every contact:
Be prepared for the worst.
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In March and May of 2004 I was contacted with several mailings offering Merchant Services, so I responded to check their Fees for my Internet Business Sales. I originally contacted them to purchase a Card Swipe machine unit that they were advertising in their sent brochures. When the lady I was speaking with, Lora Asher, the Sales Rep, discovered that most of my sales were on the Internet she persuaded me to purchase their RTWare, which she explained was the same as a swipe machine only for the Internet, but a server and software that permitted the processing of Credit Card Data on the Internet. She further explained that I would need to pay an additional fee monthly to another Company, Authorize to provide a Gateway/Virtual Terminal to process Credit Cards myself online and also to process forms completed by customers on my Website. I would pay a percent per transaction. The fee was $15.00 a month for Authorize and BankCardUSA got the percentage of my sales, which they would remove from my Bank Account after they Deposited the Money they transferred from the Customers Bank Card. The price was $795.00, which I paid by check for $395.00 and $400.00 by Credit Card.

Several months later, Jan. 5, 2005, (2:30pm), I received a call from a Michael Dom, for Bank Card USA, demanding payment of $99.00 Yearly Service Fee, which he claimed had just been implemented the month following my signing the Contract, but I did not receive my statement so I was not prepared for it, which resulted in 2 additional INSF Fees with them and my Bank. I attempted to explain there was no yearly fee in the Contract and I never received any Notice of the new fee, but he merely explained they were entitled to charge what ever they wanted whenever they wanted. After all, they did send me a notice to the address I provided in the contract. He did agree to only charge me $135.00 if I sent it in right away, but I wasnt able so I sent in a check for the entire $160.05 (Check No.1326 / MTI / Jan 12, 05).

While reviewing my bank records I discovered that BC-USA decided to start taking funds out of my account again, but in smaller amounts so as to not create a problem. So on 1/18/05 they took $83.00 and tried to take the additional $77.00 twice but there wasnt enough money so I got charged another 2 $20.00 charges. The strange thing though, is that there is no record on previous Statements of any attempt or Returned ACH Fee for any attempted Debit for $99, only a RET ACH FEE BANKCARD AMT 135.05 Charging me $20.00 on Jan 3, 2005. No explanation for the additional amount to total the $135.05. Mr. Dom said he was after $99 plus 2 NSF Fees. I just dont get these people, you cant be sure when they tell the truth. So I think they should return one of the Fees. But there wouldnt be any fees if they had only tried to get the $99, there was enough to cover that. Regardless, the issue is far beyond this simple overcharge.

When I contacted BC-USA, Feb 11, 2005, 2:26pm, to confirm receipt of the MTI Check and Cashed Jan 27, 2005, but wasnt able to contact Dom or Lora Asher so I left messages for them. Then again at 3:40pm, I called back and Valerie transferred me to Christine who confirmed that they had taken my $83.00 out of my Bank Account in addition to collecting the money from the Check I sent, but refused to recognize the discounted NSF Fee, claiming it was between Dom. I was referred to a supervisor Scott Hardey but he wasnt in so I left a Message. At 4:12pm I called back, and reached Stacia who referred me to Robert, Customer Service, who repeatedly denied taking any $83.00, and challenged me to try to prove they took the money from my Bank Acct. That was no problem, since it was clearly documented in a printout from my Bank showing the $83.00 and the 2 attempts to get $77.00 to make another $160.00 over what they got.

On 3/18/05, 2:18pm, I called BC-USA Customer Service, Cory looked over my account and advised me that they had been taking a lot more than just the $83.00, but for some reason someone had initiated an order to begin seizing money from my Bank account separate from the $160.00 check I sent and they had stockpiled more than $500 from my Bank. When I asked him what for, he could only say he had no idea and there was no explanation of the action in the file, but it was definitely strange. He said he could return around $330.00 but the rest had to be held, but I dont know if he ever really did return anything.

Then around the first of October I received a couple of large client Orders, which promised to pay some much needed bills, but the payments were seized by BankCard USA, and although they promised to return them if I provided all the information about the Clients, they never did.

On the 5th of October 2005, BC-USA faxed me their form for info on the Customers and I in turn faxed it back, at 1:20pm. The next day on the 6th I received a call from Susan and she advised me they would hold the payments indefinitely and then transferred me to Dina who demanded that I cancel the Orders. She then demanded I Fax them info about the Customers Orders or she would hold the payment 180 days but if I complained she would put a hold on them indefinitely. She also demanded I provide invoices for the purchases to explain what the money they seized was for, so I Faxed her copies of the Product Order Forms for both Orders, at 3:42pm.

I called the Oregon Attorney Generals Office at 3:20pm also on the 6th and explained the situation. They advised me that there had been other complaints about this BankCard USA. I was advised to prepare a complaint in writing, and then I was referred to the Controller of Currency in DC (800) 613-6743. I dont recall contacting them and cant find any notes, but I do believe I did. Unfortunately I kept putting off the difficult process of preparing a complaint, now necessary.

During October I experienced a number of error messages when I attempted to process Customer Card Orders so I had to advise them that I couldnt take their Orders unless they wanted to send a check, which was the only way I could take their Order at this time. After numerous failures in attempting to process customer Orders online I tried to call BankCard USA to see what was going on but was referred to Authorize since they were the online service provider I had been originally directed to from the very start. I called Authorize to find out what was going on, November 3, 2005, and spoke with Loris, who was very surprised at the situation. I explained I couldnt even do refunds. There was no record of any suspension Notices or Termination Notices regarding my account with BankCard USA and nothing wrong with my account with Authorize, which was all paid up, so she was perplexed. I explained that I kept getting continuous Denials for all Charges including Refunds. She explained that Declined Error messages meant there was a problem with the Server being down. She did some more checking and discovered that BankCard USA had apparently shut down the Payment Server, which prevented me from processing any customers Credit Cards. So they had apparently taken back their RTWare that they had sold me yet a review of my Bank Records still showed that they were continuing to take money from my Bank account. She also advised me that I would need to get another Merchant Service Account if I wanted to continue to process Credit Cards. She said there was no record of anything being reported by them, to Authorize so she had no idea why they Closed my Account Loris asked me if I wanted to close the Virtual Terminal Gateway, Authorize account or keep it open until I found another Merchant Service, but I decided not to in the event it was all a mistake or just equipment failures. I kept the Authorize account open for another 3 months in hopes that BC-USA would return my RTWare Server (I paid $795 for), but they never did, so I eventually closed it. When I attempted to contact BankCard USA again, no one would talk to me about my RTWare Server being shut down to prevent me from processing Credit Cards and Customer Orders. Left messages for Lora Asher and Corey, but neither returned my calls. After this final extremely poor Customer Service I decided it was in my best interest to take safety precautions and lock BankCard USA out of my Bank Account.

So around 10:00 am I contacted my Bank and they faxed me a form Stop Payment Order to prevent any further ACH payments or withdraws. I faxed over a signed Stop Payment Order to Pacific Cascade, at 11:27am. I faxed over a final statement to Pacific Cascade at 6:24pm, which included an additional signed Stop Payment Order to Tracy Clevenger (541) 284-5964. On November 18, 2005, I made it to my Bank and signed a Notarized Form at Pacific Cascade FCU, called an Affidavit of Unauthorized/Improper ACH Debit Activity, to officially prevent BankCard USA from stealing any more money from my Bank Account.

Over the next several months numerous attempts to process customer Orders by Card payments resulted in repeated Failure Notices, which left PayPal payments and Check payments as the only options available to make sales from my Internet Website Shop. Several attempts to issue refunds were also declined, requiring I send Checks to those Customers. So in January I decided to terminate the Internet Gateway Service provided by Authorize, and decided to use QuickBooks Merchant Services considering that the QuickBooks option included their own Gateway and Virtual Terminal services, which was apparently how most Merchant Services are operated in the current market. There was no need of any RTWare, which was apparently a nonexistent product only sold to those so ignorant of available services, that they therefore qualify as excellent candidates/targets for further follow-up scams/deceptive trade practices by BC-USA.

On 1/10/06, 3:05pm I called Authorize Billing, Lilith, said shed reimburse the $15 monthly charge for the Virtual Terminal Gateway for processing Cards for the last 3 months since BankCard USA would not restore the RTWare Server they took from me in October 2005. She just needed me to fax her a letter from BC-USA stating when they terminated services. I attempted to contact BC-USA but they were completely uncooperative and just put me on hold and left me.

Several months later, on 7/7/06, I attempted to contact the Merchant Violations Dept. but I was only permitted the option of leaving a message. I then called the Visa Service center, but they advised me that they had no protocol to deal with such problems.

At 11:30am I called BankCard USA and asked for Customer Service, but after I attempted to explain the situation and requested my money be returned, they hung up on me. I called back several more times and each time they hung up on me. They made it extremely clear that this Company was not merely a Company, with standard Corporate procedures of Credible Public Behavior that Representatives would follow, but something else established far outside the Normal and Established Corporate Entity guidelines, guided by selective unethical and unlawful procedures designed to protect and advance those established as the insider group intent on profiting from those unwary enough to avoid becoming their victims. My Company being one of what appears to be many to have unwearyingly walked into their sophisticated traps.

Ive contacted several Merchant Service Companies and none have ever heard of any RTWare Server or RTWare Electronic Card Swipe Machine for the Internet. BankCard USA (Lora Asher) specifically told me I could transfer the RTWare to any other Merchant Service I wanted if I was unsatisfied with their services and elected to move. But like the Customer payments they kept, they also kept the RTWare they sold me for $795.00 in full at the beginning of our unfortunate business transaction. I guess technically they would owe me for the balance of the Yearly Service Fee they charged me just before they decided to take the customer payments and take back the RTWare from me. Those amounts would appear to be the $795.00 [RTWare Payment] + $1,069.66 [Naomi F. Studios Payment] + $633.39 [Pearle Express Payment] + $500.00 [Seized from My Bank Account] + $83.00 [Seized from My Bank Account] = Totaling Approximately $3,411.05 which I would like returned to my Company immediately, with interest to be included at 18% from when it was all taken without justification. Ive come to realize that there is in actuality No Such thing as any RTWare. It is a scam well implemented by BankCard USA to perpetuate the unfair profiteering of their Corporation at the expense of numerous unsuspecting small businesses. I would like to Champion the numerous Victims that I am one of, but it is enough to try and recover the money they have stolen from me. And Im sure they will come up with some real interesting story to justify their actions here. But I cant see what could justify cheating me for what they have.

ON 7/26/07, 4:35pm, Naomi Fisher called in response to the Notice I sent her attempting to determine whether BankCard USA returned the money to her or kept it for themselves. She called me and gave me her new address and explained that she was charged for the entire amount. I agreed to ship the remaining items when I received the remaining Balance owing on the Order, and She agreed to help if she could.

Unfortunately I wasnt able to contact Pearle Express but I will be trying to get a hold of them within the next couple weeks to confirm that like Naomi Fisher, their Card Company charged them because BankCard USA made a point to get the money and keep it. And I shipped their entire Order to them at my expense. Technically Ive never been paid for my merchandise, so Im not so sure if I shouldnt turn this over for collection. But if you all can help, there may be no need to turn this over for collection. So let us hope.

Recently I was researching their Company on the Internet, primarily Google and it appears that they have cheated quite a few people. Fortunately there are Websites for victims to complain about Companies like this one, to let others know what can happen if you do business with them. It would also appear that they have developed a new Website for their RTWare (SCAM) which is currently advertising that Maverick BankCard, Inc. under its trade name of Bankcard USA Merchant Services is a registered Service Provider for Harris Trust & Savings Bank, Chicago, IL, and is currently FDIC Insured, while previously they claimed to be a division of National Bank of the Redwoods, Santa Rosa, CA, and also FDIC Insured. I have included some copies of this new Website and some of the New information they have posted about the RTWare. So it would appear that the liability is spreading and if something isnt done soon to stop this Fraud Ill bet that there will be lawsuits initiated. I will certainly be posting this information on the Internet so that other victims will see alternative courses of actions and sources for help to stop this Fraudulent Company from terrorizing small businesses that need help and support to give them a chance to develop and begin to benefit from this Great Country with employment and taxes. Bankcard USA has only one focus, themselves at the expense of everyone else. It would appear it is time for them to end their unlawful activity and give way to those corporations that are worthy of trust and insurance. These people are making victims of a lot of small business owners and we desperately need the help of your agencies to set things right again and help make the Internet a little safer.
Please help. I need it. We need it.

I look forward to hearing from you and a quick resolution to a lengthly and troublesome loss. By the way I did ship those customers their orders believing I would be receiving the payment from BC-USA. One of Naomi Fishers Items was a special Order and very expensive but by the time I received it since I had not been able to get the money for all the merchandise I was shipping out I put a Hold on it until I did receive payment. It is still here waiting to be shipped.

Thank you very much for your time and any assistance you might provide us in the recovery of moneys that have been stolen from us by this Dubious Merchant Service Company, Bank Card USA. We also hope you will assist the many others that this company feels they have a right to take hard earned income from. But for now, to start with, please help us recover the much-needed income we worked so hard to earn and were so easily cheated out of. We want our money back because it belongs to us. All $3,500. The Money does Not belong to BankCard USA. It is time they return it to us.

MERCHANT SERVICE PROVIDER: Engaged in Criminal Activity
BankCard USA Merchant Services5701 Lindero Canyon Road, Building 3Westlake Village, CA 91362, (800) 589-8200, (818) 597-7000, Fax (800) 644-9313


BankCard USA is the Registered Service Provider for the Following Banks:
Harris Trust & Savings Bank, Chicago, IL. FDIC Insured.
National Bank of the Redwoods, Santa Rosa, CA. FDIC Insured.

Bank Insurance Company [Complaint Filed about BankCard USA]
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Consumer Response Center, 2345 Grand Boulevard, Suite 100, Kansas City, MO 64108-2638, (800) 378-9581, Fax: (703) 812-1020

Corporate Offices: Authorize.Net Registered Trademark of CyberSource Corporation
[Provided Good and Courteous Service for their Gateway & Virtual Terminal separate from BankCard USA and shouldnt be confused with the Perverted Fraudulent services BankCard USA provides]
Authorize.Net, 808 East Utah Valley Dr., American Fork, UT 84003, Tel: 801-492-6450, Fax: 801-492-6489
Authorize.Net, 10800 NE 8th St, Suite 600, Bellevue, WA 98004, Tel: 425-586-6000, Fax: 425-586-6005
CyberSource Corporation HQ1295 Charleston Rd.,Mountain View, CA 94043Tel: 650-965-6000Fax: 650-625-9145
Complaints were filed with 3 Attorney Generals Offices: Department of Justice / Consumer Fraud Divisions

STATE: HOSTING CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND ORIGINAL TRADEMARK OWNER BANK in CALIFORNIA
Attorney Generals Office, California Dept. of Justice, Attn: Public Inquiry Unit, 1300 I St., Ste. 1740, P.O. Box 944255, Sacramento, CA 94244-2550, (916) 322-3360, Fax: (916) 323-5341, (800) 735-2929

STATE: LOCATION OF NEW TRADEMARK OWNER BANK in ILLINOIS
Lisa Magigan, Illinois Attorney General, Consumer Fraud Bureau, 500 South Second St., Springfield, IL 62706, (212) 782-1090, (800) 243-0618, TTY (877) 844-5461

STATE: LOCATION OF VICTOMIZED COMPANY [Our Home State of Glassine USA is OREGON]
Attorney Generals Office, Oregon Dept. of Justice, Consumer Fraud Div., 1162 Court St., NE Salem, OR 97301-4096, (503) 378-4320 Salem, (503) 229-5576 Portland, (877) 877-9392, email: consumer.hotline@doj.state.or.us

No Doubt they shall fabricate some excuse for keeping our money but the fact remains that it is ours, we earned that money, so it is time to pay it to us. With Interest for the last 3 years they have kept it..And we have made an effort to complain to the appropriate Agencies to resolve the problem they created.
THE END

TheBear
GlassineUSA

If you would like to file a complaint with a specific States Attorney General there is a Website in our backyard here in Oregon called that has a lot of Free Local Community Links, but also some useful ones for out of State as well. They have a list of all 50 State Attorney Generals under the City State Federal Agencies

TheBear
Springfield, Oregon
U.S.A.