I remember making a post about Securus shortly after we got set up, but I can't find it so long story short: an agent from Securus Payment Systems lied to my husband about saving *so* much money, failing to mention the contract was for four years AND we had to rent a terminal from them, rather than using the terminal we already owned outright. I couldn't read the contract beforehand as I was doing that whole working thing. I worked out the numbers once and we're saving about $2-$5 per month over the company we were with before, who had so much better customer service.
Oh I wish that was the end of the problems we've had with them.
Somewhere between 6 and 3 months ago, our credit card machine died. I don't recall what happened with it exactly or even exactly when it was, but the unit was replaced with what appears to be a refurbished unit (the faceplate stickers are coming up). Luckily it died when we were either very slow or had a big job that ate up our entire schedule (and those don't pay with credit cards) so it wasn't a HUGE inconvenience, other than the phone tag and figuring out how to ship the old unit back as we normally don't get Fedex deliveries.
On Thursday, we replaced our main computer. We were moving around wires and power cords, so the credit card machine lost power at least once as well as got disconnected from the internet. That afternoon when I tried to run a credit card, I noticed it was giving me a *tamper* error that I could not get around.
I called the unit on the side of the machine to be told that it was the customer service line not the tech line, so they gave me the number and transferred me. Tech had me download a new file to the machine, which took approximately a half hour and call back to set it up. It gave me the *tamper* error again after the download and install, so it was declared a hardware issue and I'd have to talk to my provider about doing that.
I call the number on the side of the machine again. They tell me that I need to contact Securus, they give me the number (which either they gave me wrong or I wrote down wrong) and transferred me again. After explaining, again, what was going on, the Securus rep put in the order. It was too late in the day on Thursday to get it by Friday, but she said it would arrive on Monday.
Keep in mind that for each of these calls, each of these transfers, I have to give them my 15 digit merchant ID number, verify the name and address of my business, and give my full name. I swear I'm going to have that number memorized by the time this is all over.
I took the day off Monday so I wasn't here when the replacement unit DID NOT ARRIVE.
I tried calling the number I wrote down for Securus bright and early at 7:45am MST this morning (Tuesday), only to find out it was the wrong one. I then called the number on the Merchant Statement I get from Securus every month, only to be told that it was just the Customer Service number, not actually Securus, and that Securus is Pacific Standard Time, so they aren't even open for another hour.
I gave it a try anyway and the recording does state their hours are Monday thru Friday 8-4:30, but not what time zone.
I try again at 9 and get a real live person! I inquire as to why the unit we ordered isn't here yet. It takes her a bit since I called *just* as they were getting in, but then she sees that it won't get in until "the morning", as in tomorrow morning ('but it is morning' was my response). She doesn't have a tracking number either as she won't get one until 'the morning' after some sort of magic goes on at the warehouse in Atlanta that she claims is responsible for the delay. She can't tell me anything more than that. There is some sort of delay and we won't get our unit (which is our only working one for them) until tomorrow. Hopefully.
I then inquired about what hoops we had to jump through to get a backup unit so when (not if but when) this happens again, we're not out our only working credit card machine for a week, inconveniencing our customers (who have been awesome and understanding about the whole mess). She said she'd email her supervisor and call me back. I haven't heard anything yet as of 3:45pm and I don't expect to quite honestly.
I'm fairly pessimistic about the unit actually arriving tomorrow, but they may surprise me. We had the contract checked out and despite the agent's lies, we don't have a leg to stand on about getting out of it early without paying an rather expensive early termination fee. It sucks, but it was a rather valuable learning opportunity. And a headache.
Our contract is up in June/July of 2015. Just under 3 more years to go! It can't come soon enough. My husband has been told, multiple times, that he is no longer allowed to sign contracts without me reading it first (and vice versa).