ComplaintsforElectronic Merchant Systems

• Initial Complaint

  08/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We signed up with EMS Corporate, few days ago, through Start Merchant Services, the paper out was filled with Zen Payment somehow EMS came into picture. We were not given any kind of logins, whatsoever, and inspite asking them several time, the thing which they should have delivered proactively, they are kind of not corporating, and putting blame here and their,and logging account is absolutely necessary.

  

  Business response

  09/05/2024

  Dear *** *****, 

  Thank you for your patience as you work with our Risk department. The Risk team is continuing to go through the transaction verification process, along with the refunds that were processed, and the two chargebacks received. 

  
  Sincerely, 

  *** ** ********

  Director of Client Services

• Initial Complaint

  08/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This EMS company is not good at all for the small business they kicked me out from the market. We lost our customers, employees, business extensions plan etc EVERYTHING. First they told us the rolling reserves are 10% of the total sale you do, We agreed on it, later they holds our money saying chargeback is more than 2% which we understand and tried to sending them all the documentation whatever the chargebacks are coming and here is the twist ( WE ARE WINNING THOSE) still they are counting agains us. THERE IS NOT A SINGLE BUSINESS WITH NO CHARGEBACK. I HAVE NOT SEEN YET. LATER, risk management team says we are releasing you fund on this date, WE NEVER GOT. when i emailed them they said you might never receive it. WHAT IS WRONG, what you mean we wont receive it. Its our money our customer paid for the service we have legal documentation whosoever paid us we are winning those chatgesbacks which are coming WHY WE ARE NOT GETTING OUT MONEY?? NOT EVEN 50%, I am very okay about the company policy, but at least dont kill us as business release 50% so we can make sure chargeback is less then 2% because our whole operation stopped working and we are not able to pay single bill so we have to close the business, I WILL NEVER EVER recommend this EMS TO ANYONE they are not real. i dont understand how bad 35000 merchants are crying with them. Totally waste by trusting them a good company. PLEASE DONT LOSE YOUR MONEY WHOSOEVER READING THIS. THIS COMPANY WILL TAKE YOUR BLOOD AND SWEAT AND GIVE YOU PROFESSIONAL REPLY SAYING SORRY!! $15000 gone like nothing happened. a small business pain is not small.

  

  Business response

  08/14/2024

  RECEIVED VIA EMAIL BY BBB STAFF MEMBER:

  Good morning ******,
  
   I cannot locate this merchant.  Could you request some additional information?  Maybe his merchant account number?
  
   
  Thanks,
  
  **

• Initial Complaint

  08/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  When i was accepted for a merchant account through this company and went through the onboarding process i was told that i was given a 10,000 dollar monthly cap and 10% reserve. Now my first actual sale went through of $1000 and low and behold they have taken their fee of 60 some dollars which is absurd but have put the whole remaining amount in reserve. I never once was told about a "new account hold" or any of this. This company is literally abusing their power and taking advantage of smaller businesses because they know they can and get away with it. Funny how this new account hold and having to verify transactions only relates to me getting paid they take their money out of the transaction even though its not "verified".

  

  Business response

  08/20/2024

  Dear *** ******

  Thank you for your patience as you work with our Risk department. The Risk team is continuing to go through the transaction verification process. Please be aware Electronic Merchant Systems needs to comply with the Bank Secrecy Act and Anti Money Laundering requirements, as these are both bank and regulatory requirements. 

  I would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. If you choose to transition away from EMS, I will ensure your merchant account is closed without penalty or termination fee. 

   

  Sincerely,

  *** ** ********

  Director of Client Services

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  To whome this may concern: I have had an EMS merchant account since the beginning of 2024 and have had non stop issues with this merchant since the very first day of having it... After the 1st day of processing transactions every transaction was held for several weeks not allowing me to do business.. i had to get my clients to send an abundance of information and do several inspections just to get the money that was owed to me... Furthermore , when the merchant was acquired i was told that my account would have a 10% reserve to be held back on each transaction... which i reluctantly agreed to.. fast forward to the month of april , it was decided that with the reserves taking far too much money from the business to sustain we reached out to EMS to have the 10% taken off the merchant to allow normal funding for the business at worse case at least lower the amount by a few percent to help the business... EMS declined on doing either to help the business. after that We closed our merchant account in april of 2024. We asked about the nearly 5,000 dollars being held in the reserves and was assured by multiple parties on verbal recorded calls and also email trails that ALL reserves would be released 120 days after the last transaction ... Which was eventually told to me to be August 6th through the 8th. Im here to tell you that yesterday only 2,000.00 was released from my reserves not even half the amount of whats being held was released...There is no logical explanation on why its being held as there are no pending chargebacks and the account has been closed and last transaction was over 4 months ago... I have called and emailed EMS's risk department with no response back on not only why 2,000 was sent , but how long they intend on holding the money owed to me without cause .

  

  Business response

  08/12/2024

  Dear Mr. *******,

  This letter is to confirm all monies held in reserve have been released.

  I would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

  At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved.

  
  Sincerely,

  Jon C. ********

  Director of Client Services

  Customer response

  08/13/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *******
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  EMS merchant is withholding our funds that were invoiced and charged via credit card. Release our reserve funds of $1,019.10. Waive the unethical account closure fee of $595.00. Release our funds of $5,071.61 (transaction date: 03/26/2024). Release our funds of $1,263.52 (transaction date: 03/25/2024) Excessive monthly fees. Close account

  

  Business response

  07/25/2024

  Dear *** *****

  This letter is to confirm your Electronic Merchant Systems processing account has been closed without penalty or early termination fee. All monies held in reserve have been released. 
  

  I would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

  At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved. 
  

   

  Sincerely, 
  Jon C. B******* Director of Client Services

  Customer response

  07/25/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ****
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  They charged me a cancellation fee of $595 but nobody told me that this was a two year contract when I signed up with them! The monthly fee is very high and no align with the monthly statements they provided. Customer service cannot explain anything about the monthly charges. All they do is to prevent you from cancelling their services.

  Customer response

  07/18/2024

  RECEIVED VIA PHONE BY BBB STAFF MEMBER:

  The consumer has notified the BB that the matter has been resolved. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Sure, here is the email complaint adapted for the Better Business Bureau (BBB): Electronic Merchant Systems regarding the unjust withholding of $7,250 in funds from my business. After completing a home inspection to verify my business, Electronic Merchant Systems proceeded to call my customer and his credit card company to verify the transaction details. Despite these verifications, they have now stated that I need to process another charge for them to release the funds. In an effort to resolve the situation, I processed a refund as they suggested, yet they continue to withhold the funds. This withholding of funds has severely impacted my small business, nearly crippling our operations and pushing us to the brink of closure. We rely on these funds for our cash flow and to meet our financial obligations. The actions of Electronic Merchant Solutions have placed an undue burden on us and are severely detrimental to our business. I am seeking the assistance of the Better Business Bureau to resolve this matter promptly. I request that Electronic Merchant Systems be compelled to release the $7,250 immediately. Their continued withholding of these funds is not only unethical but also detrimental to our ability to operate.

  

  Business response

  07/18/2024

   Dear *** ********* 

  This letter is to confirm your Electronic Merchant Systems processing account has been closed without penalty or early termination fee. Currently, no monies are being held and no monies due. 
  I would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

  At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved. 

  
  Sincerely,

   *** ** ********

  Director of Client Services

• Initial Complaint

  06/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I started an account with EMS in September of 2021. I have used EMS for almost four years. I have processed between a half million and three quarters of a million dollars with them during that time, never having to have been chased or asked for their fees or exchange rates. My account with them has been and remains spotless. I have moved to a different processor. I insured that my account was orderly and prepared to close, with no outstanding fees owed or batches to process before I contacted them. I was informed by a Retention CS Rep that I have to pay a $500 cancellation fee because I can only close my account on a single day that occurs once every two years. This sounds like an astrology cycle rather than a business practice. I have no record of being informed (other than perhaps the ant track writing in the multipage original contract) that if I did not cancel my account on that single day in September of 2023 that I would be trapped for an entire additional two year period. This cancelation policy is arbitrary, unreasonable, and quite frankly, silly. EMS has profited more than their fair share from my account over the last four years. They need to waive this cancelation fee for my account, and, in a perfect world, not hold anyone else to this ridiculous policy either.

  

  Business response

  07/08/2024

  Dear *** *****, 

  Thank you for taking the time to work with Stacy Smith in our Retention department. This letter is to confirm your Electronic Merchant Systems processing account has been closed without penalty or early termination fee. 
  At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved. 

   

  Sincerely,

  
  *** ** ********

  Director of Client Services

  Customer response

  07/08/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am filing a complaint against Electronic Merchants Processing via Payment Cloud. Our business experience with them has been extremely disappointing and financially detrimental. They operate by holding funds in reserve and using chargebacks as a method to retain business funds. Out of approximately 400 orders processed by our business, we experienced only 12 chargebacks, half of which were related to fraudulent users. Despite this, Electronic Merchants Processing continues to hold our funds in reserve, which is unreasonable and unjust. When attempting to resolve these issues, we have consistently provided the necessary documentation for each chargeback. However, they give us the runaround, making it nearly impossible to resolve matters effectively. Additionally, they directly charge our business account for refunds while holding our money in reserve. This practice is unacceptable and not conducive to business growth. Their goal appears to be pushing businesses over their monthly limit, thus providing them with a pretext to hold funds indefinitely. While our funds are held, they continue to charge our business bank account directly, further straining our finances. I strongly advise against using Electronic Merchants Processing via Payment Cloud for any business transactions. It is in your best interest to work directly with your bank to avoid falling victim to their predatory practices. Their actions indicate that their primary objective is not to support business growth but to take advantage of businesses. This behavior is unacceptable, and I hope the Better Business Bureau can assist in addressing these concerns.

  

  Business response

  07/03/2024

  Dear *** ***** 

  Thank you for taking the time to work with our Retention department. This letter is to confirm that $7,720.31 of funds held in reserve were released on 6/21/24. The remainder of funds held will be reviewed on 7/5/24 for an additional release. 
  At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved. 

   

  Sincerely,

   *** ** ********

  Director of Client Services

• Initial Complaint

  06/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I contacted EMS in March over the phone about lowering my rates. Someone from support emailed me a "cancelation form," but the attachment was a rate review. After wanting to talk to someone about the rate review further, I got an email from Amber from support on April 3rd saying that they could not match the rates of the new company I was going to switch to and to contact the retention department. I first spoke with **** ******* who argued that EMS never told me they could not match the new rates, and insisted that I need to send him a contract from the new company. He laughed at me when I told him there was not a contract from the new company, but then agreed that the new company I was switching to would not have a contract. He said he would call me back. He then emailed me a new rate review, which STILL did not match the new companies' fees. In this second phone call to cancel, he yelled at me, and when I asked to speak to his boss, he refused to tell me their name or phone number and hung up the phone on me. When I finally got a hold of HIS boss, ****** *****, by calling support, I had a similar conversation with her. First, she told me that they did not have an "Amber" working there. She finally pulled up my email conversations from March & April and STILL refused to cancel my contract without fees and penalties. She too refused to give me her boss' information. I then tried to talk to someone in support, *****, who refused to transfer me to customer service or his boss. He told me that I could only speak to Mike or Stacey and then transferred me to ****** after I repeatedly asked him not to.

  

  Business response

  06/25/2024

  Dear *** *******, 

  Thank you for taking the time to work with Stacy Smith in our Retention department. This letter is to confirm your Electronic Merchant Systems processing account has been closed without penalty or early termination fee. A refund in the amount of $24.50 was issued as part of your desired settlement. 

  At this time, EMS will consider this matter resolved. 

  
  Sincerely,

  *** ** ********

  Director of Client Services

  Customer response

  06/27/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *******
  
  
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩