Consumer complaint received 2020-03-12
Company: FISERV INC.
State: CO
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Communication tactics
Sub-issue: You told them to stop contacting you, but they keep trying

Complaint:
FIRST - none of the options that took me to this place fit my case. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX is a merchant services company who works with XXXX. My association with this service began XX/XX/XXXX with a 4 year lease on a credit card capture device through my bank in XXXX, Ohio, XXXX XXXX Bank. In XXXX of XXXX I had to close my business due to poor sales and moving from XXXX to XXXX  where the sales market and distances to the better eastern markets were not good. As I closed my business I tried several times to contact XXXX to let them know that I wanted to return the machine XXXX. I only did five trade shows a year, I never owned a storefront, but the lease payment was monthly, per the lease contract. I could never get a human on the phone. Every phone call was answered with automation and the requirements were to submit my merchant ID number, phone number, house number, terminal ID, email address and if anywhere in that series a number didn't satisfy the input requirements the automated system would then recite to me to call back when I had all of the correct information. I had moved to XXXX  by then and was trying to update my information and my bank account and to ask how to end the lease with the close of my business. Being unable to speak to a human being and my XXXX bank account closed ( no XXXX XXXX Bank in Colorado ), I stopped payment to XXXX. 

That got a human phone call. Before I could proceed at all with my case, I had to update my banking information, mailing/home address, phone number etcetera. I had to repeat this a few more times as I was passed on to other offices until I finally spoke with someone about all of the above circumstances. I was told that the lease contract was enforceable through XX/XX/XXXX and still had to pay for the lease of the machine and service whether or not I used it. I told them I wanted to return the machine so that it wouldn't be lost in the coming 12+ months of non-use. They mailed to me directions as to how to return the machine. I returned the machine on XX/XX/XXXX. I had professional help with my XXXX taxes and when I got the year back it was boxed and placed in storage. 

In XXXX and XXXX of XXXX, I noticed that XXXX   was still drawing monthly lease payments from my XXXX XXXX bank account. I didn't pay much attention to the XXXX draw, not certain if it was tor the month of XX/XX/XXXX. But when they drew from my bank again in XXXX, I began trying to make phone calls to XXXX. As ever, it was maddening that I could not get past the robot technology. I had not changed any of my account information since XX/XX/XXXX but in XXXX of XXXX I could not get past that final order to try again when I had the correct information. These phone calls take a lot of time and are enfuriating. They have all my information and most of all my routing and bank account number. I went into storage and found my XXXX tax year and pulled the XXXX file and after more phone calls finally got a human answer. The woman was professional and polite and after making certain she had all of my merchant ID, bank routing and checking account numbers, phone number and address and email address, she then let me know that they have no record of receipt of the XXXX machine that I shipped back a year ago. Until I could provide proof of return I would have to continue payment on the lease or I could purchase the machine. It wasn't expensive, less than {$300.00} but the idea was frustrating. 

Not only had I just paid over {$600.00} for the past year lease for a machine that I no longer used nor had in my possession, but payment would not cease ever, unless I paid the purchase price for the device. I searched for proof of shipment but it was not in my tax records. Lost somehow, so I went to my post office and was told records don't go back that far. So the next step seemed logical, I had to pay for the machine. 
I found a paper from XXXX and tried them, since XXXX didn't like something in my numerical interview. On XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX and I got an XXXX woman agent who was very kind and patient but the phone connection was very bad. We both mentioned a few times that it was hard to hear and understand each other. In my rising anger at the unfairness of all this I found myself yelling over the phone that I had sent that machine back a year ago. I told her that I was advised a week before her that I could purchase the machine and that was what I wanted to do. 

She seemed sympathetic to my case and said she'd sent the case forward with priority, as an appeal for refund of money taken over the past year. That wasn't the reason for the call, but I did feel better at the possibility. A few days later I got a blunt email stating that the case was denied, that payment for services must be paid " whether I used them or not. '' I tried to reply to the email, stating that I wanted to just pay for the machine and end all this but I got an automated email reply stating that the case was closed and no longer monitored. 

I got more than one email such as that one, stating in clear terms that nobody would talk to me about the case. It's worth mentioning that the emails that told me my case was denied do not indicate that no reply was possible so of course I spent a lot of time ( as I am, now XXXX trying to explain, only to get a " reply '' that nobody was ever going to see nor reply to my case. 

Payment has been stopped, to XXXX but I expect a phone call from them, asking where their money is. 

They are the worst customer service anyone 's worst imagination could face. The complete disregard for myself as a business owner, a human and a professional are off the charts.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation