This is a copy of a letter I am faxing and mailing to the above company. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM IN ANYWAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
February 26, 2009
My Granny’s Attic Antiques
9230 Pflumm Rd (your records show the wrong address of 13501 W. 90th Place)
Lenexa, Kansas 66215
To Whom It May Concern,
PLEASE CANCEL THE SERVICES FOR MY GRANNY’S ATTIC ANTIQUES, LEASE AGREEMENT (not agreed on by the retailer) NO. 170689
This is the second written notification sent via fax. A request was made by phone on the day after the terminal was received which was January 20, 2008, Martin Luther King Day and the LFG office was closed, (this was day one of the 3 day cancellation period as it is when the equipment and contract were delivered). This is the day that we found out that additional fees were involved and our first introduction to LFG aka Lease Finance Group. When I called LFG to cancel I was given the fax # - 1-866-534-2777 to send the cancellation letter (please see the attached successful transmission receipt from Kinko’s.) When I talked to LFG this week to confirm the cancellation I was told that no cancellation letter was received
The salesperson, Vincent Leone was also notified on this date to pick-up the equipment and to cancel the agreement due to his non-disclosure of all fees. Mr. Leone did not return my numerous phone calls until February 5th and a meeting was set for the following Monday with his “boss” Nate. Neither showed up for the meeting and there has been no communication with Mr. Leone since despite several phone calls to him.
The contract with TMG/TransTech Merchant Group has been cancelled effective February 1, 2008
According to the Federal Trade Commission:
1. If you receive supplies or bills for services you didn’t order, don’t pay, and don’t return the unordered merchandise. You may treat unordered merchandise as a gift. By law, it’s illegal for a seller to send you bills or dunning notices for unordered merchandise, or ask you to return it — even if the seller offers to pay for shipping. Further, if the seller sends you items that differ from your order in brand name, type, quantity, size, or quality — without your prior express agreement — you may treat the substitutions as unordered merchandise. Unordered services are treated the same way. However, first consider the possibility that the seller made an honest mistake.
I did not order equipment from LFG. It was our understanding that we were leasing the equipment from TransTech Merchant Group so any additional leasing arrangements were made by TMG/TransTech Merchant Group. If they have a contract with LFG to supply equipment then it is their responsibility to remove the equipment from the premises when a contract with them (TMG/TransTech Merchant Group) has been terminated.
It was not disclosed to us that LFG even existed much less that we were entering into a contract with them.
2. The FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule offers additional protections in business-to-business sales of non-durable office or cleaning supplies and most sales of goods or services to individuals, groups, or associations. The Rule requires telemarketers to tell you it’s a sales call — and who’s doing the selling — before they make their pitch. They must tell you the total cost of the products or services they’re offering, any restrictions on getting or using them, and that a sale is final or non-refundable before you pay. It’s illegal for telemarketers to misrepresent any information, including facts about the goods or services being offered.
Rule #2 was not followed by TMG/TransTech Merchant Group when the service call was made in my place of business.
• The total amount was not disclosed
• We were not told that we had to carry a rider on our insurance to cover the cost of the equipment or be billed an additional $4.95 per month.
• We were not told that an additional equipment leasing company (LFG) would be involved and additional fees would apply for their services.
• We were told that the total monthly fees would be;
o $29.98 for equipment leasing and services
o $9.50 (x 2) for statement fees – storefront and online store
o .25 batch settlement fee
o The per transaction fees for accepting credit cards
• There was a 30 day cancellation period for all products, services and equipment.
Also, the initials on the Notification of Cancellation paper that was received with the delivery of the machine are not those of anyone present at the time of the contract signing with TransTech Merchant Group.
This salesperson was unscrupulous in his manner of doing business and did not leave a copy of the contract with us nor did he allow us to make a photocopy. He took advantage of the fact that the store was busy with customers and when asked to summarize the pages of the contract he said it was “just standard mumbo jumbo.” He was also drinking on the job, standing at my checkout counter drinking a beer. We offered him a bottle of water or, in a joking manner a beer and he went for the beer.
I have purchased my own credit card processing equipment ($99.00) and have switched to a trustworthy company therefore the equipment that was provided to me by TransTech Merchant Services is no longer needed.
My last call to LFG, I asked for an RMA number and address and was told that the lease was non-cancellable so I could not send it back but was then given an address in New York to mail it back. TransTech has washed their hands of the entire situation despite their agreement with LFG. The credit card processing equipment ordered for me by TransTech Merchant Services is packed and ready to be picked up. Based on what I have read about LFG online at the Rip-off, I am afraid to send the machine back as they will claim they did not receive it.
It is our desire to move forward from this nightmare situation and get it resolved. LFG no longer has the correct banking information through which to withdraw money so it is in the best interest of all to terminate this “relationship.”
We would like to point out the phone number provided to my bank by LFG is not their actual phone number, it is for a weight loss company. Also upon checking the New York address given to me none of the companies at this address are affiliated in anyway with LFG in anyway.
Regards,