Card Services International - Virtual Solutions Using ripoff misleading bait and switch sales tactics sold limited service area and defective mobile credit card processing systems Simi Valley California

In my business, I go to craft and art shows to sell my product. To process credit cards, in April, 2001, I bought from Card Services International (CSI) a mobile credit card terminal that uses radio frequency signals to transmit transactions. I was never told that terminal's radio signals were available only in large metropolitan areas. Since most of my shows are not in these areas, the terminal was of little value to me.

CSI switched my equipment to an analog bag phone. It required that before each show I call my cell phone carrier and switch my cell phone signal from my digital phone to the analog bag phone and then back at the end of the show. CSI assured me that it would work fine. It didn't work for 2 reasons. First was difficult to get cell phone representative to change signal from digital to analog, even after a long explanation of what I was doing. Second, the bag phone battery pack kept the phone powered for only about four hours, when I needed it from six to nine hours. Returning the unit twice for new batteries failed to correct the problem even though CSI assured me it would work.

In Nov. 2001 my cell phone carrier notified me they were discontinuing analog signal support and I could no longer use the analog signal after the end of the year. CSI told me they had a piece of equipment that attaches to a digital cell phone and converts the signal to analog, but that it required a Motorola Startac cell phone.

Early in 2002 I bought the phone from my cell carrier, US Cellular, extending my contract for two years. When I called CSI to get the switching equipment, I was then told US Cellular service won't work and that I needed to subscribe to Verizon Wireless. In my rural area, Verizon isn't even available.

At this point I asked for a refund of my $2,250 purchase price, because the original equipment sold to me didn't work as promised, the replacement equiment didn't work as promised and I could no longer use it at all. Not one time did it work as promised. The CSI representative refused because, he said, I had used the equipment. I called the sales rep and was told he had no control over it and could not make that decision. I wrote a letter to CSI asking for a refund and got no response.

Barbara
Princeton, Wisconsin
U.S.A.