Allied Commercial Financial Reviews & Complaints
Overview
In this comprehensive article, we delve into the multifaceted operations of Allied Commercial Financial. Our exploration begins with an analysis of the company's rates and fees, where we scrutinize the cost implications for businesses. We then examine the contract terms Allied Commercial Financial offers, shedding light on the commitments and obligations involved. Moving forward, we discuss common complaints received by the company, providing insights into the challenges clients face. Our review also covers industry ratings and employee reviews, offering a holistic view of the company's standing in the market and its workplace environment.
We scrutinize Allied Commercial Financial's marketing tactics, assessing their approach in acquiring and retaining customers. User reviews form a critical part of our analysis, giving voice to the experiences of those who have engaged with the company's services. In addition to these operational aspects, we explore the various payment processing solutions offered by Allied Commercial Financial, including mobile payments, virtual terminals, and e-commerce solutions. We also look into their gift and loyalty card programs and POS systems, evaluating their utility and effectiveness for businesses.
Our article addresses the company's provision of merchant cash advances, a key service for businesses seeking growth and expansion. We also delve into the background of the company's leadership and ownership, including the connections with other entities in the industry. Lastly, we provide a nuanced perspective on the company’s legal involvements and customer support options, ensuring a well-rounded understanding of Allied Commercial Financial. This article aims to equip readers with a detailed and unbiased view of the company, aiding them in making informed decisions regarding their financial services partnerships.
About Allied Commercial Financial
Allied Commercial Financial is a Tempe, Arizona-based merchant account provider that serves most standard-risk business types. The company is a reseller of First Data (now Fiserv) products and services. The company states that it was founded in 2012, although there is no record of its website being active before October 2014.
Allied Commercial Financial Payment Processing
Allied Commercial Financial processes most major debit and credit cards.
Mobile Payments
Allied Commercial Financial offers mobile payment solutions that enable businesses to accept payments through mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Virtual Terminals
Allied Commercial Financial provides virtual terminal services that allow businesses to process credit card payments over the phone or online without the need for a physical card terminal.
Gift and Loyalty Card Programs
Allied Commercial Financial offers gift and loyalty card programs that enable businesses to reward their customers for repeat business and incentivize new customers to visit their establishment.
E-commerce Solutions
Allied Commercial Financial provides e-commerce solutions that enable businesses to sell their products and services online and accept payments through their website.
POS Systems
Allied Commercial Financial offers point of sale (POS) systems that provide businesses with a range of features such as inventory management, sales tracking, and employee management.
Merchant Cash Advances
Allied Commercial Financial offers merchant cash advances that provide businesses with the capital they need to grow and expand their operations.
Location & Ownership
Shaun Zinke is listed as president and Blake Zinke is listed as the COO of Allied Commercial Financial and also appears to be a former employee of Paradigm Direct, Entrust Bankcard, and MobiSquad. Blake Zinke also serves as the COO of TAPLocal Marketing, an online marketing firm that also provides payment processing services. Multiple other former MobiSquad employees from the Tempe, Arizona area now appear to work at Allied Commercial Financial. Allied Commercial Financial is a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Concord, California. Allied Commercial Financial and TAPLocal Marketing are both headquartered at 2150 S Country Club Dr #18, Mesa, AZ.
The Allied Commercial Financial website also lists another address at 345 St Peter St #705, St Paul, MN, which the company describes as its “Minnesota Processing Center.” This address is actually the location of a merchant services company called Paradigm Services, Inc. which lists a “Tempe Contact Center” at Allied Commercial Financial's address and has a name that is obviously similar to “Paradigm Direct.” Scott Andrew is the owner of Paradigm Services. An independent informant has stated to us that Paradigm Services is the actual registered ISO with Visa and MasterCard and that Paradigm Direct, MobiSquad, Entrust Bankcard, a company called ETS, and now Allied Commercial Financial are all more or less the same company operating as a sub-ISO of Paradigm Services. Much of the information we have found supports the informant's claims, but they remain unverified at this time.
| Pros: | Cons: |
|---|---|
| Multi-year contract stability. | Variable transaction rates (1.00% - 4.99%). |
| No setup fee. | Aggressive sales tactics reported. |
| Mobile payment options. | Non-cancellable equipment leases. |
| Various terminal models. | Complaints of hidden fees. |
| E-commerce integration. | $500 early termination fee. |
Allied Commercial Financial Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
| Total Online Complaints | 10+ |
|---|---|
| Live Customer Support | Yes |
| Most Common Complaint | Telemarketing |
| Recent Lawsuits | No |
Moderate Complaint Total
We’ve identified approximately 20 negative Allied Commercial Financial reviews, with some alleging the company’s involvement in fraudulent activities. These reviews have been consistently filed since the publication of our initial review. Most of them describe aggressive sales tactics, persistent telemarketing calls, lack of transparency regarding equipment lease terms, and higher-than-expected rates and fees.
In addition, there are a handful of complaints filed against Paradigm Direct, Entrust Bankcard, MobiSquad, and Azura Leasing, which specifically name current or former employees of Allied Commercial Financial. While an Allied Commercial Financial representative has suggested that some complaints were filed by a disgruntled competitor, we haven’t received sufficient documentation to support this claim. Even if we discount the disputed complaints, the overall complaint volume against Allied Commercial Financial would still be relatively low for a company operating since 2012. However, it’s the substance rather than the quantity of these complaints that has impacted the company’s rating in this section, lowering it to a “C.”
Allied Commercial Financial Lawsuits and Fines
We found evidence of a legal complaint filed against Allied Commercial Financial in an Arizona District Court on behalf of Stephen Christian against Paradigm Services Incorporated DBA Allied Commercial Financial. While Paradigm was granted a summary judgment as a defendant regarding its telemarketing practices, specific details of the case are not readily available.
Allied Commercial Financial Customer Support Options
Allied Commercial Financial offers live phone support to its merchants. However, some complainants have reported that issues related to equipment leases must be addressed through the appropriate third-party leasing provider. This level of support falls short of the standards expected from top-rated payment processors for excellent customer service.
Allied Commercial Financial Customer Service Numbers
- (844) 311-4734 – Toll-Free General Customer Support
- (480) 999-5632 – Local Office
- (800) 228-0210 – Tech Support
- (340) 244-4339 – USVI Support
Other Support Options
- Customer support form on its website
- [email protected] – General Contact
- [email protected] – Customer Support
Allied Commercial Financial Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
| BBB Rating | N/A |
|---|---|
| ComplaintsBoard Rating | N/A |
| Our Rating | 2.8 |
| Average Rating | 2.8 |
BBB Rating Analysis for Allied Commercial Financial
Allied Commercial Financial currently has no customer reviews or complaints on the BBB website. The business is not BBB accredited but has an “A+” rating.
Negative Feedback
There are no negative reviews published about Allied Commercial Financial on the BBB website.
Positive Feedback
There are no positive reviews published about Allied Commercial Financial on the BBB website.
Source: BBB
ComplaintsBoard Rating Analysis for Allied Commercial Financial
Allied Commercial Financial has received negative reviews on ComplaintsBoard, with common themes including misrepresentation, fraud, and aggressive sales tactics. The reviews describe experiences of misleading information regarding fees and equipment costs, as well as difficulties in stopping unauthorized withdrawals and resolving issues.
Negative Feedback
Sometime in Feb of 2015 my son was approached by a salesman who worked for Allied Commercial Financial after months of daily harassing phone calls. He only took the appointment so they would stop calling. The salesman told my son he had a great deal and it would cost us much less in fees for using his company. The salesman then came to me and explained that there would be a fee for the credit card equipment but it would be refunded to us each month so that the equipment would cost nothing. He gave us his cell phone number in case we had any problems. After the first month when our rebate check for $169.00 did not come we called him and he said two checks had been written and were in the mail. During the second month when the checks had not come we called and his phone was disconnected. I then called Allied Commercial Financial and they said that they do not have any program where they rebate money for equipment leases. – Review from June 29, 2015
These people at ACF will not quit calling us after repeated requests to be removed from their call lists. They seem to have a “boiler room” mentality and are very forceful and rude at times. – Review from October 7, 2015
Positive Feedback
There are no positive reviews published about Allied Commercial Financial on the ComplaintsBoard website.
Source: ComplaintsBoard
Allied Commercial Financial Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
| Cancellation Penalties | Yes |
|---|---|
| Monthly & Annual Fees | Yes |
| Processing Rates | 1.00% - 4.99% |
| Equipment Leasing | Yes |
Multi-Year Agreement
A review of the standard Allied Commercial Financial merchant application reveals a lack of specific pricing information. However, according to customer complaints, the typical contract with Allied Commercial Financial involves a multi-year commitment with a variable early termination fee and a long-term, non-cancellable equipment lease. While the contract includes various fees, the exact costs of PCI compliance, monthly minimum fees, statement fees, and per-transaction fees are not specified in available reviews. We recommend consulting our list of top merchant service providers.
Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Charges
Apart from its in-store payment processing, Allied Commercial Financial offers virtual terminal and payment gateway services. However, the company does not disclose pricing for these services on its website. Typically, additional rates and fees, such as gateway fees, technical support fees, batch fees, and transaction rates, apply to these e-commerce services.
Allied Commercial Financial Program Costs
Clients report that Allied Commercial Financial sales representatives often propose locked-in low rates in exchange for a fixed monthly “program cost” of up to $79. However, according to independent sources, this fee is, in reality, a non-cancellable lease for credit card processing equipment. Customers claim to experience fee increases rather than the savings promised. Similar tactics have been attributed to COO Blake Zinke during his tenure as a sales representative for Paradigm Direct and Entrust Bankcard.
Costly Contract Terms
The pricing and contract structure offered by Allied Commercial Financial resemble those of ElitePay Global and Harbortouch. However, it appears that the fees imposed by Allied Merchant Financial do not benefit clients. Equipment leases often result in higher costs than outright purchases and do not allow businesses to terminate services if dissatisfied. Moreover, the promise of rock-bottom rates in exchange for a lease is questionable, as equipment leases are typically separate agreements with third-party providers like First Data Global Leasing, MBF Leasing, and Azura Leasing. Similar complaints filed against Entrust Bankcard, Paradigm Direct, and MobiSquad suggest that Allied Commercial Financial’s contract terms are far from competitive with cost-effective merchant accounts.
Lease Cost Claims
A company representative claims that Allied Commercial Financial caps its lease agreements through First Data Global Leasing at $65 per month ($49 per month for outside sales agents). However, this claim lacks documentation to substantiate it.
Allied Commercial Financial offers e-commerce solutions including a virtual terminal
Allied Commercial Financial Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
| Uses Independent Resellers | No |
|---|---|
| Telemarketing | Yes |
| Misleading Marketing | No |
| Discloses All Important Terms | No |
Outside Sales Team
Allied Commercial Financial appears to primarily use a combination of telemarketing, inside sales, and outside sales reps to market its services. The combination of telemarketing and outside reps is commonly linked to elevated complaint rates within the credit card processing industry, and Allied Commercial Financial appears to be no exception. We are currently able to locate multiple Allied Commercial Financial reviews that cite excessive telemarketing calls, high-pressure sales tactics, and outright deception by sales agents. This does not compare favorably to our list of best credit card processors.
Allied Commercial Financial Review Details
These complaints describe a sales procedure that is typical of the industry: persistent, unwanted telephone calls trying to set up a “qualified” appointment which is then followed by a visit from a sales rep who promotes a monthly “program cost” that is in fact a long-term, non-cancellable equipment lease. A company representative has stated that these sales agents are “direct employees” of the company rather than independent contractors. If you suspect that one of these employees has misled you about the Allied Commercial Financial rates, you can double-check your monthly bill with a third-party statement audit.
Complaints Under Other Names
It is worth noting that these complaints bear strong similarities to complaints filed against Paradigm Direct, Entrust Bankcard, and MobiSquad, all of which are Arizona-based businesses that are linked to current or former employees of Allied Commercial Financial by client complaints. It is unclear at this time whether Allied Commercial Financial has an active relationship with Paradigm Direct, Entrust Bankcard, or MobiSquad, but the overlap of current and former employees suggests that the sales tactics used at Entrust, Paradigm Direct, and MobiSquad could have been adopted by Allied Commercial Financial. In any case, the company’s marketing practices seem to be average for the industry and have accordingly received a “C” rating. As a point in the company’s favor, it does not list any misleading “teaser” quotes on its website.
Our Allied Commercial Financial Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
Allied Commercial Financial rates as an average credit card processing provider according to all available information. The company has received a moderate number of complaints in the few years that it has been active, and these complaints describe industry-average contract terms and consistent problems with the company’s sales staff. Our rating for Allied Commercial Financial may be subject to change as the company continues to operate and develop a reputation within the industry, but business owners should be sure to compare the company’s pricing to that offered by top-rated merchant accounts.
If you found this article helpful, please share it!
Nancy Li
I wish I could give a ZERO rating on this company, they are a complete scam, please be aware of this company.
On June 2016 after so many phone calls, I agreed to have a meeting with one of their sales rep in my office, during the meeting the sales compared the rates and told me how much that I can save annually if I use their service, I told her that my only concern was the service term, I couldn’t follow their original contract which was 3year on the service and 2year lease on the credit card terminal, because I will be work overseas after June 2017, so I refuse the service. But that sales called their supervisor right in front of me to get the permission to avoid the 3 year service term and 2year terminal lease term on the contract. After the phone call she told me that she had the permission to do so, she put me on the spot, high pressured me signed the contract, when signing the contract she told me that she took off the service term categories so I shouldn’t worry about it, but the credit card terminal lease was done by the third party, just sign the 2 year lease on the contract, when it’s time to cancel the service, the company will notify the party to cancel the terminal lease as well.
I was so naive to trust sales from this company, I got burned so bad. Their rates go up month by month, I end up spending even more. I try to cancel the service in June this year, and their service rep told me I have a 3-year contract, and if cancel now I have to pay $500 dollar fees for early termination, and still have to pay the monthly lease on the terminal even if I returned it. I told the service rep what happens, but she shows me the contract I signed last June, I couldn’t find where the service term I was signed at the beginning then she pointed out, guess what, they hide the 3year service term under the processor and banking information with small print. I want to talk to the sales rep who sold me the service, and they told me that the sales left the company already, and they can do nothing about it.
The whole thing was a scam, I searched online and find out, a lot of business got trick in and had same bad experience with me. Their BBB review is low, the owner blamed the competitor purposely write faults review on them, but I am their true client and my horrible experience tells you STAY AWAY from this company!
John
We had switched over to Allied Commercial early last year. They sent a rep out to our business. He looked at a previous bill from our current merchant and said they could safe us a lot of money. The rates on the charges were often 2 or 3 percent higher than what was promised. On top of that we had to lease a machine for $50 a month for 4 years. Later we found out that same machine could be bought online for $65
To get out of their contract, it cost $500 and then $1,700 for the machine and on top of it we have to ship the machine back.
Allied Commercial Financial attempted to resolve this complaint via our mediation program but the commenter declined to participate. ACF supplied the following response:
Allied is more than willing to help or fix any problem you’re having. However without knowing your Business Name or contact information we are unable to do so. Please reach out to us as soon as possible so we can work towards a resolution that suits your needs. Customer Service: 844-311-4734. We look forward to hearing from you.
Dave Patel
Since the posting of my previous review on July 9th 2016, Sean, one of the partners, has contacted me and resolved all my issues in a prompt and professional manner. The excellent customer service provided is very much appreciated. If exceptional customer service is provided from the beginning, I am positive your company will continue to be successful. Thank you again.
J DeL
after receiving a series of sales calls over a 2 wk period and after advising each time I was not interested in doing business with their company.. today I finally demanded to be removed from their call list in an equally as aggressive manner. I have now, thus far, received a total of 7 consecutive phone calls. ‘oops. sorry. didn’t mean to call you back’. all are on my toll free line. meaning I have record.
while googling this company / adding my reviews to every site.. I’m also calling my attorney to find out additional options
Dave Patel
his company is big lire & Cheater.Never trust their Reps.Actual Charges you pay are much more higher than they guarantee.They charge your account for unrecognized Charges you never approved. Once you start using their processor,They won’t listen your complaints & never call you back as they have the worst customer service.