First Data First Data Merchant Services Horrible Customer Service, Couldn't get access to our OWN merchant accounts Internet

My company is very displeased with First Data, their Tele Check product, and with Account Executive Preston Atkinson. His persistent unresponsiveness and business practices have prompted this review as well as a BBB complaint.

In brief, we worked with First Data during the formation of a new business venture. Due to changes on our end (things in business often don't go as planned) the rates they provided proved rather impractical for us and we'd end up paying a very high percent of our receivables back to First Data in processing fees.

We contacted Preston Atkinson about this in 2010 and he said he would investigate and get back to us. A few more emails later and we had never actually gotten to have that conversation. He dropped off the face of the earth as far as we were concerned.

Finally we grew tired of paying the high monthly fees (which would not have happened with Paypal or Stripe) and called to cancel our service. At this point they said we cannot cancel because we are on a 3-year contract. After carefully reviewing our contract documents, we could not find any mention of this. However, First Data insists that all they can do is move us to a lower plan until October when our time is out.

I emailed Preston Atkinson again on 1/14/2013 to try and speak with him about the situation and ask for a copy of the 3-year contract we supposedly signed. As of 1/20/2013 there has once again been no response.

We are finished waiting. We've closed our business and resigned ourselves to paying First Data's monthly fees for another 9 months until our "contract" runs out.

However, fellow entrepreneurs, do yourselves a favor and steer clear of these guys.