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Tell us about your experience with East Commerce Solutions in the comment section below.
Company Overview
East Commerce Solutions is a mid-sized merchant account provider based in East Providence, Rhode Island that has been in business since 1994. East Commerce acts as a reseller of Elavon merchant accounts, so interested merchants may want to consider reading our Elavon review. In 2022, East Commerce Solutions was purchased by Payroc, a company that rates well with us. The East Commerce Solutions website is still functioning, and it is currently unclear what this means for the future of the company. We will update this profile as more information becomes available.
East Commerce Solutions Payment Processing
East Commerce Solutions processes all major debit and credit cards for most business types. Their services include POS systems, EMV card readers and swipers, mobile solutions, payroll services, gift and loyalty programs, and remote card capture.
Point-of-Sale Systems
One of the primary services offered by East Commerce Solutions is their customized point-of-sale (POS) systems. These systems are designed to accommodate different industries, like retail, hospitality, and healthcare, with a focus on user-friendliness and essential features such as inventory management and accounting software integration.
Mobile Payment Processing
To cater to the growing demand for on-the-go payment options, East Commerce Solutions offers mobile payment processing services. This feature allows businesses to accept payments through smartphones or tablets, an attractive option for enterprises operating in non-traditional settings or those seeking to provide additional convenience for their customers.
E-Commerce Integration
The e-commerce payment gateway offered by East Commerce Solutions is designed to facilitate seamless online transactions for businesses. By integrating with popular e-commerce platforms and shopping carts, the company streamlines the online payment process for businesses and their customers.
Virtual Terminals
East Commerce Solutions provides a virtual terminal service that enables businesses to process phone and mail orders securely. This service allows for remote transactions to be handled through an internet-connected device, offering a practical solution for businesses without a physical card reader.
Security and Fraud Prevention
Security and fraud prevention are priorities for East Commerce Solutions. By adhering to industry standards like PCI compliance and employing advanced security measures, the company works to protect sensitive data and minimize fraud risks, ensuring a secure transaction process for businesses and their customers.
Location & Ownership
East Commerce Solutions Inc, is a Registered ISO/MSP for Elavon. East Commerce Solutions is headquartered at 22 Morris Lane, East Providence, Rhode Island 02914. Ed Medeiros is listed as the CEO of East Commerce Solutions.
Table of Contents
- Costs & Contract: Appears to offer a 1 to 3-year contract through…
- Complaints & Service: Complaints number just over a dozen on…
- BBB Rating: Has an “A+” rating and has received 3 complaints and 1 review in the past 3 years. The company has…
- Sales & Marketing: Hires independently contracted sales agents and has…
East Commerce Solutions Reviews and Complaints
Here's What Their Clients Say
Complaint Summary
Total Online Complaints
15+
|
Live Customer Support
Yes
|
Most Common Complaint
Hidden Fees
|
Recent Lawsuits
No
|
East Commerce Solutions Complaints
We are currently able to locate over 15 East Commerce Solutions reviews, some of which accuse the company of being a scam or a ripoff. Common themes among complainants include nondisclosure of contract terms, difficulty canceling service, billing errors, poor customer support, and unprofessional conduct by company employees. In the comment section of this East Commerce Solutions review, a company representative raised his concerns about the review in an aggressive and accusatory tone, which may reflect the company’s attitude when dealing with criticism and complaints from customers. However, we did find some professional and helpful responses from company representatives addressing complainants on other consumer protection websites. Overall, for its size and time in business, East Commerce Solutions has a low-to-moderate complaint rate. The East Commerce Solutions complaint total has increased by a modest amount since our last update. If you have your own East Commerce Solutions review to make, please do so in the comments below.
East Commerce Solutions Lawsuits and Fines
We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against East Commerce Solutions. Dissatisfied clients who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.
We did find evidence of a breach of contract suit filed against East Commerce Solutions on behalf of an individual in Rhode Island’s District Court. It was filed in early 2019 and dismissed by the plaintiff a few months later, indicating a possible settlement.
East Commerce Solutions Customer Support Options
The company offers phone and email customer support contact information on its website, which is the bare minimum that we expect from top-rated merchant accounts for customer service.
East Commerce Solutions Customer Service Numbers
- (800) 527-5395 – Toll-Free Customer Support
- (888) 999-5891 – Fax
Other Support Options
- Customer support form
- Customer service email address at [email protected]
East Commerce Solutions BBB Rating and Report
Our Better Business Bureau Profile Assessment
BBB Summary
BBB Reports
4
|
Fewer than 5 Complaints
As of this review, East Commerce Solutions has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau since 2012. The BBB is reporting an “A+” rating with 3 complaints filed in the last 36 months.
What Merchant Say
The company has also received 1 review on its BBB profile, which is negative. It should be noted that these reviews are not subject to verification or investigation by the BBB. The most recent review describes lack of customer support and deceptive sales tactics:
I opened a ********’s *********** store in August 2016 and after listening to a presentation from Reps from this company I decided to purchase the *** system and use their credit card processing even though the system didn’t have everything I wanted but was told that it was in the works. What a mistake! I had nothing but problems getting anything rectified for any of the functions I needed to run my business from anyone in the company. Their follow up is terrible when it comes to working with their customers. As far as the programs that were in the works? That never happened and the system never did what I needed it to do. I closed my business in March 2020. I spoke to the Vice President of the company, whom I had spoken to him a few times throughout the years to try and solve my problems, to let him know I was closing. I was told that all fees that I paid monthly would end the day that I closed for good since they would take care of it. Of course, that never happened. I had to call the credit card processing company myself, which ************* should have done, to cancel my account after 2 months went by and I was still being charged their monthly fee. It is now been almost 1 year since I closed and I am still being charged a monthly fee from *************. I have spoken to and emailed the *************, which I was put in touch with from the ** and I have received no follow up on getting reimbursement for all the fees that were taken out of my account AFTER I closed. I wish when I opened my store I wasn’t so green and I had more expereince & knowledge in regards getting the right *** system for my business. I spent way more then I wanted to on a system that should never have been sold to me based on what my needs were and what the system was capable of doing. It boggles my mind how this company treats their customers. I am sure they have plenty of larger companies that they work with and I hope they are treated better than I was with my little store.”
This merchant could benefit from taking the necessary steps to cancel without paying a termination fee.
An “A” Performance
In light of the company’s complaint total and resolution ratio, we agree with the BBB’s rating at this time.
East Commerce Solutions Fees and Rates
A Closer Look at the Contract
Cost Summary
Cancellation Penalties
Yes
|
Monthly & Annual Fees
Yes
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Processing Rates
1.00% - 4.99%
|
Equipment Leasing
Yes
|
Multi-Year Contract
According to numerous client complaints, the standard East Commerce Solutions contract appears to be a 1 to 3-year agreement through Elavon with an early termination fee of $195, an annual fee of $75, a PCI Compliance fee of $125, and monthly minimum fees as high as $35. The company also leases point-of-sale equipment. A typical Elavon contract includes a non-cancellable 48-month equipment lease that often costs up to ten times the actual price of the equipment.
Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing
In addition to its storefront payment processing services, East Commerce Solutions also dedicates a portion of its website to advertising its virtual terminal and payment gateway services. However, pricing is not disclosed on either of those services. Additional East Commerce Solutions rates and fees, including gateway fees, technical support fees, batch fees, and additional transaction rates typically apply to these e-commerce services.
Industry-Average Pricing
It is likely that the terms of an East Commerce contract can vary depending on the agent setting up the account and a client’s business profile. Overall, the reported East Commerce Solutions rates and fees do not seem competitive with the cheapest merchant accounts, and the available complaints about the company’s contract terms reinforce this assessment. If you have any specific knowledge of the standard East Commerce Solutions contract, please leave that information in the comment section of this review. We also encourage businesses to check out our list of the providers of the best merchant accounts.
East Commerce Solutions Jobs and Employment
Hiring Standards and Ethical Marketing Assessment
Key Points
Uses Independent Resellers
Yes
|
Telemarketing
Yes
|
Misleading Marketing
No
|
Discloses All Important Terms
No
|
Outside Sales Team
East Commerce Solutions appears to utilize telemarketing and independent sales agents to market its services. The use of independent sales agents is usually associated with high complaint rates for a company, as these representatives often receive less training and oversight than full-time staff. We are currently able to locate multiple negative East Commerce Solutions reviews citing nondisclosure or misrepresentation of rates and fees, unethical conduct by sales agents, and undesired sales calls. Some of these East Commerce Solutions complaints have been filed by former employees, who claim that the company maintains an unprofessional and unsupportive environment. This does not compare favorably to our list of best credit card processors.
No Deceptive Quotes
To its credit, East Commerce does not appear to engage in deceptive advertising strategies in its official materials. If you suspect that hidden East Commerce Solutions fees have been added to your contract, we recommend seeking a third-party statement audit to eliminate undisclosed charges.
East Commerce Solutions Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts and Opinions
East Commerce Solutions rates as an average credit card processing provider according to our rating system. The company is showing a low-to-moderate complaint volume for its size and time in business, and its average contract terms and hiring practices have lowered its overall rating in this review. The company can improve its score by continuing to improve its BBB response rate and ensuring that its contract terms are fully disclosed upon signing. Until then, businesses may be better served by a top-rated overall payment processor.
If you found this article helpful, please share it!
Sara Arditti
I used East Commerce Solutions as my credit card processor for about 3 yrs without any problems. On July 30th my business was destroyed on a massive flood in Ellicott City, MD. It took me a few weeks do deal with every aspect of this nightmare. I finally got around to cancelling my account with East Commerce Solutions in late September. I was told there would be no more monthly charges after September, but they kept on deducting money from my business bank account in October, even though they said they would not. I called and emailed them again; they promised they would stop. They did it again in November, and yet again in December. I keep calling and emailing and they keep promising not to but they keep doing it. They have issued only partial refunds, and they lie constantly. These are EXTREMELY unethical, dishonest people. East Commerce Solutions is a very unethical, dishonest company. Don’t use them, it’s not worth the hassles.
Rhiannon Spaziano
We had an account executive come to my business as a cold walk in sale in named Ann, she was completely unprofessional. Ripped apart the service we currently use, and did nothing but tell us how horrible they were. If I even thought of switching I wouldn’t because of her complete lack of professionalism. She didn’t even mention who she was with at first, or who she was in general, she literally walked in and just went into a tirade as to how she personally dislikes the current company we have now, this was before I even mentioned who I used..it got worse when I told her who I went through. East Commerce needs to heed who they have for sales people, because not only did this one person leave a huge uncomfortable distaste with myself and my employees, she did the same with the other businesses that are in the same building as me.
Mike Cappaldi
I have to say being a former employee for a short time I saw what goes on in that place.The owner only cares about how many new people you can sign up for merchant services.He does not care about his employees or customers.I will continue to keep people from doing business with this company until I die.Iam happy to say I have already kept a few people from even talking to east commerce solutions in east Providence RI because of how they treat people and how they lie to get your business.The owner would leave messages on all his employees voice mail saying how great it is to be alive and thank god and how holy he is.Then he turns around and lies lies lies.If you go to work for this company be prepared to produce or you will be gone in a week.I saw they are doing payroll now lmao.The one good thing about this company is …If you like to smoke weed while working its allowed but you better produce.
Mark
I would not recommend this company to my worst enemy. They were difficult to deal with and had an overall bad attitude. Very unprofessional! I felt like I was dealing with a business of 3 employees working out of their parents basement. Too mad to go on….
Phillip CPO
Hi Mark, Can you elaborate on your experience? Otherwise, your review will be deleted on our next update. Thanks!
Kathleen Ogar
My experience with this company has not been a good one. I was told I could use my Mac to access my account and that wasn’t the case. An application fee was deducted from my account and when I asked for it to be refunded, it took a couple of weeks and wasn’t for the full amount. Then they withdrew $295 from my account. I was told it was a cancellation fee that was processed in error. Now I’m waiting for that refund in the form of a check. I don’t understand how they can wire money out of my account but do not have the ability to wire it back. As a small business owner, I do not recommend this company.
ray
east commerce solutions has over 20,000 merchants and processes over 2 billion dollars annually
is this considered small in the processing industry?
Phillip CPO
In comparison to processors like First Data, Elavon, Vantiv, Intuit, Global Payments and various others, yes.
steve
Hey Phillip, why would you have to talk bad about other companies to earn business for yourself? Aren’t your sales skills good enough to not have to put other companies down? What’s wrong inside your head? Every large corporation is going to have complaints,(you can’t please everyone) and sometimes you might hire a sales person that doesn’t disclose all information and they get let go when they find out. I’m sure you’ve had many problems in the past. Just leave everybody alone and GO TO WORK
Phillip CPO
Hi Steve,
I’m not sure what your role is with East Commerce Solutions, but I’ve chosen to published this comment to show the attitude that you chose to use in your approach with this review since it may also indicate how you deal with merchants who are dissatisfied with your service. This review isn’t about “talking bad” about your company. It gave you a “C” which means “average” for the industry and is based on the information we aggregated during our research. If you are scoring well or poorly in our review, it is because you are already scoring well or poorly elsewhere. If you would like to rebuttal anything in the review, see our Review & Rebuttal Policy.
Keith
This is not anyone that works for East Commerce Solutions, at least not at the present time. We do not allow employees to respond in this manner. I can tell you there are many false statements here but I’m also sure that most people have learned by now that just because they read something on the internet that does not make it truth. We have an A rating with the BBB, we do not lease equipment (haven’t for at least 8 years), we do not have a termination fee. Ninety percent of our sales people are W2 and yes we will terminate someone for sitting at home watching cartoons or whatever else is preventing them from doing their job.
Keith
Phillip CPO
Keith, the comment was left by someone using an East Commerce Solutions email address ([email protected]). If you would like to challenge anything in the review, please see this page.
l browner
East Commerce Solutions-Bad experience, rates not as qouted never corrected, very dishonest business.
Patricia
I have been trying to not be ignorant about merchant accounts and have been learning about them for many weeks. I have been talking with someone at East Commerce. Keith said they do not lease equipment but the person who I have been dealing with says they do… (I do see this was a post from 2/15) I have found over the many merchants I have spoke with (since I am considered in the high risk group) what they tell you on the phone and when you get the agreement on paper it usually differs. I have as of yet NOT committed with any merchant, is it industry standard for them to request a credit check? I have been requested this a couple of times? Thanks.