WHY IS THIS COMPANY STILL ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO STAY IN BUSINESS. My complaint is lengthy but I think it is important to show everyone the degree this company goes to in order to steal from their customers...which is apparent due to the other complaints on the internet...they are still getting away with it so I am willing to do my part to warn others about how they operate and how the regional offices and their corporate office plays off each other in order to swindle fees out of unsuspecting companies...

I own a small firm that provides bookkeeping and accounting services to small companies and one of my clients was concerned about the fees his credit card processing company was charging him. They had been with Eliot Management Group for 5 or so years so I was pretty certain that whatever contract he might have signed had expired. I contacted the Denver office who initiated the relationship to speak with his rep to re-negotiate. Their rep was not available so I left my information for the purpose of reviewing their rates. I didn't receive a call back. I called a second time and again the rep wasn't available, I left another message requesting a call back. In the meantime my client’s terminal failed so he contacted them directly with his problem. Funny his rep was available then. He informed my client that he would need to obtain a new terminal as the one he had was obsolete. The rep proceeded to discuss "lease payment options" available that he would need to agree to in order for them to service his account allowing them to continue accepting credit card payments immediately from their customers. Even though my client specifically ask if he could simply purchase the equipment he was told it was unlikely anything he purchased elsewhere would be compatible, therefore it was in his best interest and more cost effective to go with the equipment that was guaranteed to work. Since credit card payments were essential to his business, he felt he didn't have a choice and agreed to a lease.

When I discovered what transpired I was very upset that this company would basically blackmail one of their clients into signing an agreement that would ultimately cost them almost $3, 000.00 for a piece of equipment that at best should have only cost them $500.00! So I once again tried contacting the rep and again he wasn't available. I informed the person who answered the phone that I was very disappointed that they would allow one of their longtime customer to enter into a lease like this, and since I had tried contacting them numerous times already and they didn't bother returning my call that it was apparent they truly didn't care about their customers- therefore we were going to look for a company that cared about their business partners.

I already established a business relationship with a small local credit card processing company that had treated some of my other clients very well and went out of their way to service them. They even provided the equipment at NO COST to them - they considered this part of building the business relationship. So they did their thing and provided my client with a "Notice of Cancellation" for them to fax to Eliot Management...which my client completed and faxed to the Denver office on 2/5/11. As far as everyone knew that was the end of it. However on their March bank statement there was a fee from Eliot. So I tried calling the Denver office and again, rep not available. Considering my past experience at leaving messages for the Denver office, I contacted the customer service number and requested that they reverse the March fee since the account was cancelled. To make a long story short and a very unprofessional exchange with their rep, they claimed they did not receive the notification by the Feb 28, 2011 cancellation deadline per the 5 year old contract (with an automatic one year extension if they were not contacted 30 day prior to the cancellation deadline), therefore per the terms within that contract the customer was responsible until Feb 28, 2012. They told me our options were that we could pay the $595.00 cancellation fee or keep the service another year and pay the monthly fees. I informed them that their rep in Denver was contacted therefore prior to this deadline and it was his responsibility to inform his billing office. Then the corporate office customer service rep asks me why we didn't call the 1-800 customer service line. This stumped me for a minute because the obvious retort would be that since all prior contact went through their rep in Denver, why would we assume it was necessary to "also" contact someone we had never dealt with. They demanded proof that we faxed the notice...basically calling my client liars. To make matters worse when my client tried to print out the fax report, his machine was out of ink and once he replaced the cartridge, it wouldn't duplicate the report and the phone company claimed they couldn't provide an itemized statement. Again I called their corporate office and tried to reason with them, that even if we couldn’t produce the proof they requested, it was only 3 weeks after the cancellation date and that after 5+ years they needed to do the right thing and simply close the matter. They basically told me regardless of the circumstances they were going to charge my client the $595.00 because that is what the contract read – period - live with it. Not even an offer to pro-rate like most viable companies do.

So I contacted the bank to stop any further withdrawals...HERE IS WHERE EVERYONE NEEDS TO PAY ATTENTION...banks hands are apparently tied when it comes to electronic transactions so if you sign something giving a company access to an EFT or ACH the only way to stop these withdrawals completely depends on your relationship with that company...if you are in dispute the only way you can stop them from getting into your account is to close the account! We thought a possible way outside of closing the account, and the only option our banker could suggest, would be to initiate a stop payment for the specific amount of $595.00– which we did.
Here is where you know exactly what kind of experience this company has with disputes like these and how well they know the limitations banks have to electronic transactions….Eliot Management initiated a withdrawal for $100.00 and a separate one for $495.00 on the same day to avoid the $595.00 stop payment! I admit I informed them I was putting a stop payment for this fee, but in my defense even if I wouldn’t have divulged this to them, I am confident that once the initial attempt to hit the account for the full fee was bounced, they would have simply turned right around and done it exactly the way they did! Seems obvious to me they have pulled this “trick” before.

I discussed this matter with the local company I deal with and he told me that some of these companies biggest profit centers are on "equipment" sales and they have iron-clad contracts written by very good lawyers so it is impossible to break them...and they know how to solicit and retain reps that can "sell ice to Eskimos"...and these fast talkers know how to recognize a potential "target". There are a lot of small companies out there fall prey to fast taking reps that present impressive "packaging" and offer a service these companies need in today’s business environment. It is amazing how many intelligent people really know nothing about the "language of the contract" and most don't even bother to read it because they are told just enough to get them to sign on the dotted line. People want to believe that if a company has been around for a while and has reps all over the country, that they are an honest reputable firm that wants to form a business partnership with them. Eliot Management DOES NOT fall into this category. From everything I have experienced and read on line, they are very good at their deceptions and know just when to "ignore" complaints when they come in. If my daughter brought home a potential life partner that had worked for this company for more than 3 years, I would have to find a way to convince her to be very very cautious...because anyone that works for a company like this that long probably has some serious character flaws that aren't apparent during the courtship...but eventually surface and they make movies about them on the Lifetime Channel.

Help spread the word to any business owner you know, or anyone you think might be considering going into business to stay away from this company. They are not looking to establish a long-term business relationship with you...they are only looking at an opening to suck your hard earned money away from you and into their coffers and they are very experienced an accomplishing their goal.

We were ripped off by Eliot Management Group for a total of $1210.53.

Eliot Management Group, First American Payments/Merimac Capital, and TransTech are all interconnected (some sort of conglomerate) ISO's of Keybank. Their headquarters is in SLC, UT.

Eliot Management Group contacted me about merchant services in May this year (2010). Their salesman Matt (don't recall the last name and he doesn't work there now) gave me figures as to what their percentages were and the numbers sounded good.

I met with Matt and Brian, his "trainer, " at Starbucks a few days later and went over their program and asked some questions about how it would integrate with the new website we were building and Brian assured me that it was so easy it could be done "in 15 minutes" and would work with any e-commerce platform.

We didn't immediately start the service as we had some delays, but Eliot Mgmt. began billing our bank account even though they said they wouldn't until we were ready.

Then their software didn't work with Shopify.com's website structure which is how we'd set up our site.

Then they billed me an annual fee which apparently was hidden in the small print somewhere (they'd assured me there were no other hidden fees - they lied - about pretty much everything).

Needless to say, this type of business is at least dishonest, and at worst fraudulent.

Fact #1 - Eliot Management stated that their online software would work with anyone's website - NOT TRUE.

Fact #2 - Eliot Management stated they would reimburse us every month from July to Sept - THEY DIDN'T (except July).

Fact #3 - Acct Rep stated at least twice (Aug. and Sept.) that our account would be suspended to keep this issue from happening again - HE DIDN'T.


Fact #4 - I sent Branch Manager Russ Hausman an email demanding a refund for services not received from Eliot Management Group on October 5...he responded saying he'd call me - HE DIDN'T.


Fact #5 - After we stopped payment of the October fee for the service we hadn't commenced, an associated company of the Eliot Management Group proceeded to withdraw - unauthorized - over $600 out of our bank account - THIS IS FRAUDULENT.


Recommendation - Run away from this company or any connected companies!!!

I worked there for less than 4 months. Every manager I talked with, whether it a District manager or Regional manager, they all have lied to the sales staff and to the customers. they had this "bid tool" to show savings VS your current processor. It is all smoke and mirrors! They can tweek it so it appears you have more savings than you actually do. I have a copy of this on my computer that I will be showing to the authorities under the basis of fraud. My district manager, Gabe Jones is probably the most corrupt manager in the company. He lies to his employees, lies in the face of customers, and I have knowledge he even lied to his superiors. He even, after fraudulently signing up a salon in Seattle, had sex with one of the owners and then when she realized she had been scammed, wanted her and her 8 other stylists to cancel there account. I personally saw the cancellation notice on Gabe's desk. Be very careful with this company and its henchmen. Here is what I wrote the corp office when they wanted my "Exit Survey"
Termination Exit Survey for Eliot Management Group
Our records show you are no longer employed by EMG. In our ongoing efforts to improve employee retention, please complete the short survey below to tell us the primary reason why. Response Let go by manager didn’t like training didn’t like manager wasn’t making money Not a good fit for job requirements other - Explain
Comments

All of the above!
I encountered nothing but misrepresentation and lies from day 1 by the District Manager, Gabe Jones. I even had the Regional Manager, Joe Basura tell me he would get an answer to me by the time he left that day, and like others he did not come through. He told me he would get me list of current customers to contact and see if we could update there equipment, and did not follow through. Good luck with getting and keeping employees. This by far was the worst organization to be employed by. So I have meet Gabe, Jim, Joe and Dave. No one seems to know what the others are doing. I've seen more people cancel there processing on the daily report than the office submit each week, which makes it obvious your customers have been lied to time and again along with to sales staff. I will pursue the right authorities to share with them the documents and proof I possess of what I see as fraud, lies and misrepresentation. You had an "F" rating with the BBB until recently. Business owners need to know to stay far away from your company!!!

This is the worst credit card prcessor out there. Check with the BBB they are the worst in there class by far. They will lie to you to get you to sign up, never fully disclose all there fees, even when asked. Hold you to a three year contract with a huge early cancelation fee if you leave. No honest processor will hold you to a contract if you are unhappy only the dishonest ones it is the only way they can stay in business. Lie, cheat and steal from you. Please tell everyone you know to stay away from this company and also go to all your local chamber of commerces and let all the members know to stay awawy form this company they are very bad for your business.

These people have called me so many times, it is becoming disgusting! I have asked them at least 20 times to be taken off the their call list! They called me on 2/27/2009 and I told him I was overly tired having the same conversation with them. I said to take me off the list loud and clear or I would be filing a complaint with who ever I can. Well guess what?!? Another person from the SAME office just called me again to pitch a sale!! Come on!! Enough is enough.