INNOVATIVE MERCHANT SOLUTIONS Hard Inquiry Credit Check without Permission! Hidden Fees, Terrible Service! CALABASAS, California

I encourage you to view the Fair Credit Reporting Act.  If any creditor views your credit, they are required to place an inquiry onto your file.  You can view the Act at http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/031224fcra.pdf 

Specifically, please note 609(a) (3)(A) Identification of each person (including each end-user identified under section 607(e)(1) [ 1681e]) that procured a consumer report (i) for employment purposes, during the 2-year period preceding the date on which the request is made; or (ii) for any other purpose, during the 1-year period preceding the date on which the request is made.

The above noted section is explaining who must place an inquiry on your credit and for how long the inquiry should stay on your file.  The "soft" credit report inquiries are typically used to manage ongoing relationships after they have been established via the initial credit review that requires a "hard" inquiry. 

I encourage everyone to file complaints with the BBB, FTC, and also go to www.ic3.gov, a division of the FBI. Innovative Merchant Solutions is a predatory institution in clear violation of the California Business and Professions Code, as evident in my personal experience as well as the overwhelming evidence available on this website. I also encourage you to call the California Attorney General and voice your concern. This type of practice has no place in California, and Innovative will find themselves in very hot water should they be forced to defend themselves in a court of law.

On a personal note, I have read through many other complaints and am appalled at the responses from this "Leanne". Beyond that, actually, I find her and her company disgusting. I will enjoy exposing them and watching the consequences unfold.

Nice try "Leanne". How about we go through the TOS together? Where does it say ANYTHING about a hard inquiry? Oh, that's right, IT DOESN'T. I know exactly what it says. I used to work for Wells Fargo, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that a hard inquiry is not even required for this service!

Further, any company with integrity would point out to the consumer at the time of purchase that they intended to do such a thing, not HIDE it in the fine print. We call that shady and manipulative. So don't sit there and act as if you have this great TOS and everything was clearly laid out. IT WAS NOT. Your response is beyond insulting, it's just plain stupid. Did you happen to read all the other complaints about your company? How it is you're still a member of the BBB is beyond me.

I just finished filing a police report, and look forward to the BBB inquiry I began.

The terms of service are taken very seriously, and are as transparent and conspicuous as possible.  When applying online for a service, it goes without saying that there are going to be T's & C's that must be read by the applicant.  The nice thing about most application processes such as ours is that you can "SAVE FOR LATER" any information you have already entered into the system if you decide you wish to scrutinize the agreement more closely.  When a merchant applies for processing via the online Merchant Application, the final step, as with almost everything a person does online anymore, asks the customer to "Review & Submit" both the information that was entered by the applicant for the underwriting process AND agree to the terms of the agreement.  Directly next to the "CHECK BOX" for the TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT, of course is a link to those terms. 

Once an applicant clicks on the TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT link, he is brought to the next screen that offers several choices.  The merchant can then review any of the following topics in its own, distinct link:  Pricing Information, Principal/Owner Guarantees, Merchant Agreement, Credit Report Consent, American Express Credit Report Consent and Terms, or American Express Card Acceptance Agreement.  These options have been designed to allow the applicant to be very "topic-centric" during their review of the information presented.  Additionally, as mentioned before, the applicant always has the option to "Save for Later", printing the terms, reading and digesting them, all while saving the time and effort already invested into the application process. 

We are certainly disappointed to learn that this customer was dissatisfied with his experience.  However, we understand the importance of feedback from our customers and continue to use this information to improve our processes whenever possible.