Leaders, The Merchant Services Co. Leaders Merchant Services, Leaders Unethical Behavior and Stealing Funds Thousand Oaks California

I would like to put out a word to the wise. When I am unhappy with a business I spread the word. I do the same when I love something. In January of 2013 I wanted to procure merchant services for my Kindle Fire HD. I wanted something like the Square. We had one for my husband's IPad, but I wanted something for my device so that I didn't have to travel with his IPad.

I was contacted by a company called Leaders Merchant Services. I was assured by the representative that they had a program like the Square. I wouldn't have to pay a monthly fee and would be under no contract, just pay a usage fee every time I made a sale. We were clear on that. There was a contract to read, which I should have done. There was pressure, the representative was waiting. And how much of the "legal contract speak" would I really understand anyway?

When the device came it wasn't compatible with my Kindle Fire HD like they had assured me it would be. So that was apparent right away. I assumed after that conversation that they closed my account as a simple courtesy. Imagine my surprise when the following month I get a fee taken out of my account by them! I called and was told I had to send in a signed account closure form. Really? I open the account by phone and you have no problem taking my money. But I want an account I am unable to use closed and I have to send in a signed form? Really? Not for you to start taking my money, but to get you to stop taking my money. My mad and passive aggressive kicked in. I didn't send in the form. On principle and pure temper I was willing to overlook the $7.95 a month.

Fast forward. The last two months my husband opened the statements I haven't been looking at. $86.90!! I called them and got the same answer. Every time I had that argument with them I just got madder and madder. They refused to close my account by phone. I told them I would be contacting the Better Business Bureau.

I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. They forward that to the company. Leaders responded that I had indeed opened an account, shame on me for not reading my contract, as I was upset enough to contact the BBB they would graciously refund me the monthly fees and some sundry other charges adding up to just over $250. And they would be lovely enough to waive the $250 early account closure fee. That is when I found out I had a 3 year contract!! If I would have sent in the closure form they would have taken $250 more from my account!! They were also nice enough to point out that though I had indeed never used their services during all this time I did have the option of using it if I had wanted to get a compatible device. From my perspective I got the services to be compatible with my device, not my device to be compatible with their services. And if I had gotten a compatible device I would have had to call them and set it up. They would have known I would begin using their services!!

I knew they had taken more from my account than what they refunded, so amidst traveling, I worked with my bank and got all of my statements for that time frame. Hold on to our hats folks!! For a customer that they knew was never able to use their services, over a 17 month period of time, they took just over $1,150 from my account!!

And to add insult to injury, in their e-mail to the BBB and another to me, they stated that since I was upset enough to contact the BBB they considered my account closed. And without the "required" closure form!! How is that even possible?!?!