prodigy payment systems encore 4 LEASE CONTRACT FOR BOTH MACHINE AND PRODIGY PROCCESSING addison Texas

I operate a modest business. A rep for Prodigy Payment Systems who spoke in glowing terms about new technology, gift cards and low, low rates wanted my business. A 4 year contract was signed after he wore me down with his doubletalk and the whole  matter was taken care of that afternoon through faxes. I am a novice at this so let me share with anyone considering this company, the poor quality regarding every aspect of it.

The  gift card lure seemed attractive, although customers thought otherwise and only 5 in 3 years were purchased from their equally attractive card stand. Low fees? Yes- except for all the hidden ones. And I wouldn't see settlements done on Thursday deposited in my bank account until the following Tuesday! I am paying $61. a month on a credit card machine that most companies supply for free. I was told the machine also accepted debit cards which carried an even lower rate on processing! But then , the difference was made up in their sly fee system. I had a purchase that exceeded my arbitrary highest credit card purchase "limit" so Prodigy would  not process it until they received some sort of affidavit as proof of my business integrity (paraphrased) via a signed statement from someone in a corporate office at my Bank of America. But even that wasn't enough; the purchaser of the item had to call them personally- extremely embarrasing to me- identify himself and reassure Prodigy that he indeed had made the sizable purchase. Unfortunately, he was out of town for 4 days so this "case" dragged on to the point I did not have enough money to pay  bills on time until his return.

This January I got rid of them and went with a processing company that put my sales in the bank the next day- and charged me a flat fee for processing that so far has been 15% less than any Prodigy Payment charge.

Because of the fine, fine print - and we are talking about a size 4 letter font that the Prodigy Payment contract was drawn up in- I failed to notice that not only was I indentured to the credit card machine lease for 4 years but Prodigy's services as well. That was not how it was explained to me at the time of signing. So in order to buy out of Prodigy's contract ( and I am still stuck with their junk machine lease) I had to fork over $450!

I thought I had put the whole unpleasant affiliation behind me but the anger returned today when I tried to request statements from Prodigy for the tax year and was told it was cost $60 to forward them.

I admit negligence but no more than one would whose attention, diverted, falls into a snake pit.