1st National Merchant Service - 1st National Processing Slammed by 1st National Merchant Processing St. Petersburg Florida

Please Note: This complaint is not from a client of 1st National Processing New York. 1st National Processing New York is an independent sales office and provide our own customer service to our clients. There are over 100 across the nation. Just like insurance brokers. The independent sales office who services this client obviously dropped the ball and did not help their merchant. Please don't be confused, this is another Independent Sales Office , not 1st National Processing New York.

We also use Evalon and have never had a complaint with them....  HOWEVER, our office received a call from this company representing themselves as our current merchant provider stating we needed to update our terminal.  I thought, "ok, no big deal... sure, fax us the paperwork".  When the fax came through I did find it odd that they were requiring signatures for a new terminal.  But it wasn't until I flipped to the last page, the "Notice of Cancellation of Previous Bankcard Processing Account" that I got seriously angry.  I called Evalon to confirm that "North American Bancard" (1st National Processing) was in NO WAY associated with them.  The faxed paperwork was also the first time I saw the false company's name.  Never during the initial conversation I had with the representative did she EVER mention her REAL company, let alone that she was NOT with my current provider!!  This company has no moral principal and I feel sorry for small businesses who have fallen victim to their scams... ALWAYS READ EVERYTHING!!!  AND RESEARCH BEFORE SIGNING ANYTHING!!!

What is that BS?  I provide credit card processing merchant account account services and one of my clients was faxed a disceptful notice to have them contact your company concerning replacing my clients merchant account and terminal because of 'data security' concerns.

This fax you sent my client 'decieved' them for it looked like a fax from us stating they needed to contact 'your' phone number (not ours) listed on the fax, only in order for you to try to 'steal' the account away from us! Thank god my client contacted me first before you ripped them off after trying to steal our account...

I have already reported your company to Visa and Mastercard, Federal Trade Commission as well as spoke with the C.E.O. of your company.

You should be ashamed of yourself...trying to 'bait and switch' merchants in order to try to switch their credit card processing over to your company, only to have them find that you are 'ripping them off' with higher processing fees, costly terminal purchase upgrades etc. Your company is all over the internet as being a 'scam' operation and your continued practices will certaintly cost you in the long run. Good luck in your future endevours....karma always comes back to bite you on the long run!

In short folds, DO NOT deal with First National Merchant Service!

Perhaps Howard runs a legitimate agency in Florida, but the office in St. Petersburg is unscrupulous and misrepresented itself to our office. They have recently illegally debited $450 from our bank account. To address some of his points: I know that Costco is not a credit card processor, but they do manage the credit card account. Evalon is the processor and the company that helped me figure out that we were slammed, which is illegal in NJ. They deleted First National's info and reprogramed the terminal remotely.

As I said before, when I contacted the company in California in March, the account was immediately closed, no additional fees charged, and we were told there would be no charge for the terminal as they had ours.

This illegal debit for the terminal has yet to be resolved.

First off I'd like to apologize for the type-o's in last rebuttal. I was talking on the phone saying one thing typing another.. can't do both I guess. (smile)

I'd also like to apologize to whoever it was that posted the compliant if it did indeed actually happen.

Some of you fall victim to rouge agents &/or their sales reps, it has NOTHING to do with 1st NMS corporate office's as we are ALL independent offices (ISO).

Now I did mean a lot of what I previously posted to those that out and out hunt the to good to be true deals then cry and scream when it blows up in their faces.. they got exactly what they was out hunting for. They just never seem to figure it out and more than likely never will. But they will always blame everybody other than themselves you can believe that.

I have been in business for 24 years this year without one registered compliant, almost unheard of. My office gets deals month in and month out that are referrals from both our clients and those that have just talked to us.

EVERY company on the planet has its share of those that will tell you anything to close a deal, they're everywhere. We are not immune to them and it would be crazy to say we was, but we do deal with them here at this office, as I'm sure most do when they surface.

I lost a deal last week here in Florida, a lady was told something by a competitor that was just SO FAR out there it was UN-REAL!!!! To good to be true. She was sailing her boat into a hurricane and had NO IDEA she was in its path. Do I feel sorry for her? No. not in the least. You look for something crazy don't get mad when something crazy happens to you, and future more, don't blame the one that done it to you. If anything you should thank them for the education they gave you or at very least you SHOULD have gotten from it.

I saw a report about another provider the other day that was clearly written by a former agent or sales person with an axe to grind pretending to be a merchant. Perhaps they were scamming people and the provider got tired of it and cut ties.

Folks, a lot of what you read here has no merit what so ever. It's the reason these people don't sign their names or provide any contact information is they don't want you to know who they really are because most, NOT ALL, are telling straight garbage.

It's the easiest thing in the world to hind behind a computer monitor.

This guy says they switched him without his knowledge. HOW? You HAVE to sign a processing agreement with us and you also HAVE to sign a placement agreement.

Now, I'll give him he might have been fast talked all the way up to the signing point, but then how does someone convince you they are simply updating your equipment and while you are clearly staring at all new contracts? "Oh we're not refinancing your house, but you will need to sign this new note and deed of trust with a NEW lenders name at the top?" I'm not saying it didn't happen to this guy, but if it did, he had to been totally in another state of mind, respectfully meant.

Secondly, Costco and Sam's Wholesale Clubs aren't processors any way. All they do is sell you the equipment and set you up with someone, usually First Data of California for processing. So how was Costco talking him thru a download when they are nothing more than a retail store of the equipment? First Data is who you would have been on the phone with and I can tell you now, I've sold First Data paper in the past and they are great people although I'm sure they as well have what may be bogus complaints about them here as well.

All I'm saying is when you read this stuff here consider all possibilities. You have former sales reps or agents that post this stuff with an axe to grind, you have rouge agents and sales people as ALL companies have that will tell you anything, and then you have that looking for the all to perfect deal joker that will fall for anything shiny with ribbons on it, and by the time he figures out there's a hook in it, it's TO LATE (Andy Griffith) and it's EVERYBODIES fault but his.

Some of you need to quit shopping when looking for something, you're no good at it. It's a sickness with you. You look and look and look to the point you make yourself a target. All you need is 3 comps, anything more than that is over kill. You have one a lot less than the other 2, don't think you found a deal, you need to throw that one away and get yourself another one, because that one is baiting is you, now you found your shark. That's your lesson for the day for those that need it and you know who you are. I wish this to you with your best interest in mind.

You also have to keep in mind; ALL offices are independent offices of the provider/processor so you can't go judging an entire company or other offices off the actions of what some do.

If I hear of something crazy numerous times one of my reps is telling people I terminate them. I will not let one monkey damage 24 years in business without even one registered compliant. When you post, say a certain office and not the entire company. If you did and I missed it please accept my apology.

If you want to be told the truth, as you should expect it, and a fair handshake then feel free to give our office a call, we'd welcome you as a client.

We here at the St Augustine Florida office understand all to well, it's not just enough just to get your business, we have to keep it.


1st National Merchant Services of Florida at Crescent Beach
St Augustine, FL.
Howard R. Whitaker, MBA, Agent
tmscardservices@gmail.com
(615) 593-8759

1st NMS, when service matters

You know what I've come to find is the case in well over 50% of these compliants you people read is? They are made by made sales reps or agents that havge problems with the company for one reason or the other and in most cases they were dishonest to begin with and got caught..... period end of paragraph.

1st NMS is one of the larest providers/processors in the nation, now let's use just A LITTLE BCS here (that's basic common sense), they didn't get that big by putting the bolts to everybody..... think about it? Use the the mind the good lord gave you for a minute.

Now, as for agents and sales reps......... I hear nightmares everyday where somebody has had the bolts put to them by these characters but they are in every business on the face of ther planet...... NOBODY has a short supply of them, NOBODY!!!!

My office has been in business for 24 years as of June 2nd 2009 without even ONE registered comppliant..... not ONE!!!!

You people that are always looking for that one deal somewhere that doesn't exist are the ones that ALWAYS fall prey to these characters and then the FIRST thing YOU want to do is cry foul.

Let me let you in on a little secret, if it sounds to good to be true....... what did you say.........? Then it probably is........ You remember that next time your looking for your so-called BEST DEAL and it's nowhere near what everbody else is offering.

Don't go blaming IPayment or 1st NMS because YOU made a mistake... step up to the plate, and for one time in your life say "I MADE A MISTAKE!!!!" If you don't, mother nature will keep throwing you through that same ole hurdle over and over and over again until you wake up on day and say "OK, I've got it" (Brain Tracy).

Howard R. Whitaker, MBA, Agent
1st NMS of Florida at Crescent Beach
St Augustine, FL.
(615) 593-8759
tmscardservices@gmail.com

I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHO I AM.... WHY YOU WONDER? I HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE. THE ONE THAT POSTED THAT GARBAGE DOES..... HE OR SHE IS A FORMER AGENT OR REP THAT GOT CAUGHT. IF YOU CAN'T SIGN YOU NAME TO WHAT YOU SAY..... WHY ON EARTH, SHOULD ANYBODY TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT?

After trying to reach the home office in Califorinia for close to a week, it was agreed upon to close our account and waive any fees for the terminal, as they had my original terminal. I asked for written confirmation which I never got, but the account was closed and no more fees were taken from my account as of March 26, 2009. So imagine my surprise to find a $450 debit from my business account on July 3, 2009. It is no surprise that I have been calling since July 6 with no return phone call. Tomorrow I will fax my response and leave another phone message. I have filed complaints with the dept of consumer affairs and attorney general's office in Florida, California, and New Jersey.
Only Florida's dep of consumer affairs has attempted to help. California will do nothing because I am not a resident; and NJ will do nothing because the company does not reside in NJ. What a waste of taxpayer's money these organizations are!