Sometimes when dealing with processing companies you have to wonder if it’s really worth accepting credit cards. Saeler Enterprises has been putting off changing from Pipeline to anyone else for some time, mainly because I didn’t want to spend the time jumping through hoops, providing financial data, writing and proofing return policies. Unfortunately it looks like it can’t be put off any more. We actually signed up for credit card processing with Merchant Express in 2003.
It turns out they weren’t actually the credit card processor, but a company that resells processing capabilities or something to that effect. To further confuse the issue CTS Holdings (another credit card processing company) get’s in the picture apparently contracted by Pipeline to handle overflow and off hour service. So anytime we have a problem I get bounced around the phone tree between two companies. The problem this time is that yet again Pipeline has inappropriately charged our bank account; this is about the 5th time in 8 years.
It’s just a couple hundred, but at which point do you stop accepting the programming error arguments? Should I really believe that a credit card processing company their size can’t hire decent programmers? Or is it more likely a way to get some extra funds in a cash strapped economy? Each time they do one of these “mistaken” charges it’s posted late night on Friday and you can’t talk to anyone about it until Monday and they always blame a programming error. In the first two years of service with Pipeline there weren’t any problems. But by the fourth year, Pipeline started charging an annual fee, which they weren’t allowed to do because our contract with Merchant Express clearly stated there was no annual fee.
Pipeline did this several years in a row – in fact we were so convinced they would, we actually accounted for it in our bookkeeping. Eventually the annual fee disappeared, coincidentally around the time Pipeline started charging a PCI Compliance fee. And if PCI Compliance isn’t a scam for the banks to make money off of Merchants I don’t know what is. You’d think Pipeline would have their act together by this time, but they don’t; we just received our second “Annual” PCI Compliance Fee within 6 months. Since the fee was posted late last night and they don’t work on Saturday (seriously what’s with that?), we won’t be able to get this billing mistake corrected until Monday.
Our suggestion, if you are considering using Pipeline/charge.com or ACH Holdings – think again, you’ll be happy you did. If you are currently using Pipeline and have enough, be prepared to change your checking account and write your state’s Attorney General. According to Ripoffreport.com postings Pipeline will charge a $300 cancellation fee and based on their inability to apply fees based on your contract it wouldn’t be surprising if an unauthorized transaction were to appear.
Since the original posting of this article, Pipeline Data filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2012. Its assets were purchased by Calpian Commerce in March 2013.
We are in contact with our state Attorney General and the Florida Office of Financial Regulations regarding the situation of the Pipeline Data PCI Compliance fee, as the same thing happened to us on Friday night/Saturday morning. Would it be alright if I contact you or if I have these organizations contact you to get your statement on the events that occurred with your situation? We were charged this fee by “mistake” on December 23rd 2010 and then again on June 23rd, always weekends or holidays. If we have someone to back up our statement on no prior notification etc, it would help put a stop to these people.
Thanks!
We are in a different state, so I’m not certain they would want to contact us, but feel free to provide them with our information in the event they do. Pipeline really does need to get their addiction to “Accidental charges under control”.
Oh I know that, but their business practices are what we would just like for someone else to back us up on. What contact information my I give them? If you don’t want to post it here, please email it to me.
Just give them the info on my contact page. Also, I came to a resolution with Pipeline – adjusted $92.50 for the six months double billed; still not pleased with the way they treat customers and make charges without notification, but perhaps what worked for me might work for others.