Eliot Management Group 2023: Reviews & Complaints

I have severed my relationship with EMG. I was not able to use my credit card processor for about 2.5 months. I also could not pass PCI Compliance. The lack of knowledge and assistance from this company was horrid. There was a local office for this group in Lake Oswego , OR that was closed but I was not notified. Nor was I ever notified about Eliot Management Group no longer using Trustwave. I have made countless attempts to resolve my problems with EMG. In this day and age it does not behoove my business to be unable to accept card payments. This inability to work with me to troubleshoot issues that have been ongoing has caused me to lose money at my business as well as lose all confidence in this credit card management company and months of aggravation and frustration while attempting to ‘jump through their hoops’ in an effort to remedy a situation before I looked into finding a new merchant services company. The lack of customer service, inability to resolve all of the problems I was facing and the incorrect information I was given about entering into a 3 year contract rather than a 2 year contract is disturbing and unethical. I would advise any other small businesses to do your homework before signing with a company. This is a highly competitive field and there are many, many options available. I basically went with this company because the business was already set up with them. I regret my decision and am completely dissatisfied with their method of doing business. I do hope someone at the corporate level might take a moment to review both my correspondence as well as the taped telephone conversations. I sincerely hope this post will save another business owner from the kind of inept, complacent treatment I was given.

This post will help: Best Merchant Accounts for Catered Events

-Phillip

The ABSOLUTE WORST MERCHANT COMPANY EVER!!! They don’t back their businesses when there’s a dispute, charge you random fees for not being compliant, but don’t tell you you’re not compliant until a month later when it shows up on your bank statement. Customer services is amazing, until you sign up, then forget about it. I told them I wanted to purchase the terminal & guess what, they put me on a 5 year lease, to get out of it would be $2400!!!! PLEASE DON’T CONSIDER THIS MERCHANT TO PROCESS YOUR CARDS!!

From The Editor
This Post Might Help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

***WARNING*** DO NOT DO IT, ITS THE LIES THAT LERK AT “EMG” THAT WILL HAUNT YOU FOR THE NEXT 3 YEARS. AND MAYBE MORE.

we signed up with Eliot Management Group, and rested assured that we were not under contract, “according to the sales rep” 1.8 years down the road we decided to upgrade to a POS system. EMG was no longer an option, because they couldn’t integrate. so we call in to cancel and to our surprise, the person on the other line says we are under contract and a $500 dollar fee will be charged for early cancellation, mind you this is after giving them our business for almost 2 years.

that’s when the fun began and we realized the Pile we stepped into. come to find out we are subscribed to auto renew on our anniversary date. and only a window of time allowed to cancel around our anniversary date. so if you miss that window your locked in for another 3 years!
13 months from today is our service anniversary date, so for the next 13 months i will be waiting for that window of opportunity. meanwhile i will have to pay the monthly fee.

every attempt at working with them only ended in the contract being shoved in our direction. my dad is 60 years old and he is a handshake type of guy, he didn’t bother to ask for copies or written confirmation of the “NO CONTRACT” stated by the sales rep. at any rate customer service dropped to 0 sales rep is MIA and we are stuck paying a fee for something we cant use.

We switched to a different provider with NO CONTRACT in writing, and pay a lot less both in percentage and monthly fee that is with the POS included and impeccable customer service.

Eliot Management group is not a Company that values their customers or their reputation. they seem to only value your money.

From The Editor
This Post Might Help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

One of the worst business experiences of my professional career. They approved our application and started collecting payments on our behalf. After they collected and held thousands of dollars EMG decided they could not collect payments for our business. They returned the money to all of our clients with an explanation that made us sound like we were an illegitimate business. After that, they refused to refund our application fee. Do NOT use them…..

I tried this company after much pressure from the sales person, after he told me specific prices and that I could try it with no contract. Well – he lied to me. There is a contract, and I am locked in, and paying much more than we agreed upon. I have contacted the Attorney General to get this taken care of. How dare they take advantage of me and my small business.

Crooks. Crooks. Crooks. Stole money from my business account after closing my merchant account with them. I would not recommend them to my competitors

November 16, 2016
Elliot Management Group
Attention: Retention Department
300 Burnett St
Suite 400
Fort Worth Tx 76102
Dear Elliot Management Group:
We are writing this letter to inform you that we wish to have our account reference # **** , upon the receipt of this letter. Please see the following reasons that we feel that we have to close the account and expect it to be closed without the $495.00 closing fee.
First I would like to say that I take responsibility for not doing my due diligence on your company. After the problems began I started looking closer at the company and have found that there are more complaints than I could possibly ever read online, many of them dealing with the same issues that I have. It is quite scary.
I first met with Travis Lipp and told him I would have to think about the service due to a crazy schedule I did not sign up until months later. I finally signed up in August and registered the service to use in September.
I first used this service in September 2016. I immediately had issues with the funds not being deposited into our account. I called numerous times and not one customer service representative could explain why I was receiving partial payments and every single charge was flagged, in fact they seemed really puzzled. After waiting for a supervisor to call, and becoming even more concerned I called again since the time period for the supervisor to call had come and gone with no call. I did receive the funds but was shocked at all the charges.
When I was told of all of the charges I was quite upset, I called Mr. Lipp my representative over a dozen times without a single return call. I called your company asking for assistance and was told it was in the contract, a contract that I had not received. I ask for a supervisor call which I did not receive and a copy of the contract which I did receive.
Upon receiving the contract I was shocked, the contract I signed had two pages this one had four. There is obviously discrepancy so I once again called customer service in which the operator said I need a supervisor. I could only laugh at that statement.
The contract was dated in June, I did not have an account with you until August, the date written in a handwriting not mine. I was listed as an owner, I am not the owner as I have stated, I am a managing partner, this is a corporation. It said that I am 100% owner which is completely untrue. I noticed the average ticket listed as $100. The store is quite small and many items are only a dollar, my average sale is closer to $20.00. Once again not my writing and in a completely different pen.
There are numerous areas where a different ink pen was used and things crossed out and written concerning percentages and such. With all of the different writing and ink I was shocked to say the least.
I immediately called for help with all of these contract issues and was told, a supervisor would call. I thought for sure your company would be as concerned as I was considering the person representing you was committing what I consider fraud, a different contract, items added and changed in other inks and a very clear different hand writing. I ask to immediately close the account. Was told I would get a call for sure this time. Plus it was $495, to close a fraudulent account. No help and what seemed to be no concern which leads me to believe that you either accept this behavior, encourage it to make a profit, or just plain do not care.
Needless to say, I am furious about this entire episode that cost me hundreds of dollars and so much stress and worry.
I feel that my account should be closed at once with no repercussions or fees. I also revoke any and all access to my banking account. I want you to look into your representative, Travis Lipp, and his immediate supervisor. I also feel that an immediate overview should be done of representatives and their training. A new contract should be written where a consumer must initial on areas concerning fees, and on each page as well as being clearly labeled page _____ of _____. A follow up call from the representative’s supervisor to check that the contract is understood, as well as checking to make sure there are no inconsistencies as in my contract would be a responsible thing to do. These are simply yet effective changes that could protect consumers as well as yourself. This would go a long way to changing your rating online which is abysmal at best.
I am sending this letter to the Better Business Bureau as well as a copy to your acquiring bank, Fifth Third Bank, and posting online with a place for a follow-up response.
I hope that you do the honorable actions in this case and use it as a starting point to elevate the reputation of your company.

Sincerely,

The following is the address listed for their acquiring bank:
Fifth Third Bank
Attn: Relationship Manager
38 Fountain Square Plaza
Cincinnati OH,45263
Contact phone: 817-317-2996
Acquirer Phone: 866-250-9764

Hope my mistake can help someone else.

Worst company to deal with.
They will conveniently extend your contract for “reviewing your rates”. They said we have to keep 5 year contract terms with them.
When one customer calls in to dispute a charge, they will immediately suspend each and every credit card processing amount for weeks at a time, REGARDLESS the total amount, whether the claim is correct, etc. You will leave numerous messages for their chargeback dept and you will receive NO response back. It is the worst company that will cripple your small business.