Consumer complaint received 2020-02-12
Company: Square Inc
State: WY
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Unauthorized transactions or other transaction problem

Complaint:
Dear Regulating Bodies, This is to report what we believe are malpractices of Square who, whilst handling large sums of money from businesses especially small business owners on a daily basis, do not provide live customer agents nor respond to emails in a timely manner. We have to resort to XXXX because our private efforts were in vain, and we have evidence of action from their end, albeit poorly, once public platforms were used. 

Square has charged our client 's credit card for {$5000.00} last XX/XX/XXXX and immediately kept their fees of almost {$250.00} - however, after deducting their fees, they decided to suspend our account as they say they find it unusual to have a gap between our last transaction with them and XX/XX/XXXX. We showed them proof that we also use other payment gateways provided by our website hosts plus understandably, cash transactions whenever possible. Additonally, we took a small break during the holidays to grieve for the death of our mom which we also told them about ( we can provide the death certificate if needed ). 

They have refused to release the suspension while keeping the money in the Square system. We have followed up on them almost everyday by email and phone calls to their hotline which seem to be fake given it really is just an automated line repeating their FAQs one can read online - and the one email response we got from them was exactly 2 minutes after I posted my first XXXX post tagging them, see other photo enclosed, which was XX/XX/XXXX ( which of course, is not a coincidence ). Until today, XX/XX/XXXX, they still have not released the funds nor reversed the transaction so we could at least use other options to charge our client as we deem it inconsiderate and irresponsible to charge our client 's card twice for the same transaction. WORST, THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO OFFER RESOLUTION NOT EVEN TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE, the one response they sent was to say for us to refer to some sections in their terms and policies essentially saying that they think the transaction is illegal. If they found it illegal, they should not have touched our client 's credit card in the first place and kept their fees? They should have investigated or called the credit card owner ( though we also sent Square proof of client 's approval of transaction ). 

It's XX/XX/XXXX now, we have already contacted our client 2 days ago to please file a complaint / reversal to XXXX XXXX, their credit card company and it is most likely that we have lost this client as they needed their items for XXXX XXXX. Not only for this transaction but repeat transactions to come. 

I am sure if you investigate further ( as we did ourselves ), many small business owners are in the same plight as us. It is appalling to not be able to know what happens to our hard earned money because greedy companies such as Square dodge with automated phones / no customer service at all, leaving the people using their system no option but to wait helplessly, and in our case, wait in vain - which as small business owners, we don't have such liberties of time and money being held. 


Thank you for your time. we have sent these same complaints on your websites and we look forward to your investigation and action.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation