Complaint Review: Total Merchant Services - Basalt Colorado

Local independent contractor in Panama City, FL solicited me in my business and advised me that they serviced a large amount of clients in this area, including many stores in my viscinity all the way up to top names in our area like Captain Anderson's on Panama City Beach.

I signed up for the services and had no problems with them the first month (December 08). In January, we had a customer come in and purchase a few canoes out of a catalogue we order from, totalling $4600.00. We charged his MC, and the next day 2 different people called saying they were turning that charge over to their account investigations because they felt it was a fraudulent charge. I gathered the required paperwork and faxed in a copy of not only the sales agreement, but the original signed merchant receipt for payment. This process took more than a week and a half, and after 2 weeks I called our local rep to find out what was going on, because they had not only frozen the $4600.00, they had frozen every other charge since 3 days after that amount, almost causing our bank account to go into the negative. He stated they said the charge was fine and the money would be deposited to our account on Tuesday as they considered Friday a weekend. I said ok, well if they were going to freeze the account I wish they hadn't gone ahead and charged us for all the swipes and percentages of sales we had not yet received. He stated he didn't know what was going on, but that everything was ok.

A few hours later Abby Boak called from customer service to say that they did not feel comfortable with releasing the funds from this credit card and that they would be ending our contract with them she stated 'as is stated in the originally signed document'. I asked what the reasoning was that they wanted to close the account, and she stated that they did not feel comfortable with the charge and were choosing to end the agreement as was set forth in the contract. She would NOT give me a straight answer at all, even though I asked several times. She stated they would either hold on to the $4600 for 6 months or return it back to the card immediately. I advised her to send me the paperwork to turn it back over to the cardholder as he was agitated about having charged his money to us and now had nothing to show for it. She advised me that they would be ending my term 'soon' with their company. I told her I had 100 calls a day about service with other companies but had refused their services because I liked TMS better thus far, so should I go ahead and go with one of them? 'I would advise you go ahead and do that' she stated. I asked her how long did I have left to use the terminal? She stated they would be shutting it off 'soon'. I asked soon as in 2 hours or 2 weeks? She stated by the end of the day.

I was so furious I drove to my house and took care of the paperwork she needed immediately so my client could get his money back. I then tried to run a final batch through to get our final charges in and the machine had an error message with 'Merchant ID Not Valid'. jgkloasfdjgklasjdkogajewkljnfSKL? I had to call back again! and talk to an answering machine again! and ask if the terminal could be turned back on for a minute so I might send my batches in. Abby could not even call me back and tell me anything, she had the secretary call me and tell me to send the batches in.

I have no idea what will happen now or if I will even get any of the money from the last 2 1/2 weeks worth of charges plus the interest they charged me from running the $4600.00 (yes they took that money out too). This company has been absolutely ridiculous, the local rep nor the customer service line is EVER available, its like they have to screen their calls through voicemail before they will even begin to call you back. This place is absolutely beyond words. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THESE PEOPLE!!!

Dam Bait & Tackle

Panama City, Florida

U.S.A.