An Alternate Name of Northern Leasing Systems
MBF Leasing is a merchant account equipment lease provider and DBA of Northern Leasing Systems. In addition to Northern Leasing and MBF Leasing, the Northern Leasing family of companies includes Lease Finance Group, Golden Eagle Leasing, and Lease Source-LSI, LLC. As of this review, MBF Leasing’s website is no longer active, but it appears that Northern Leasing still utilizes MBF Leasing as a business name. This is surprising due to the negative reputation MBF Leasing has built for itself through poor business practices, which ultimately resulted in a lawsuit and the creation of a large, independent merchant forum specifically built to warn business owners against using the company.
Northern Leasing Systems Lawsuit Update 2021
In June 2020, the New York Attorney General won the 2016 lawsuit filed against Northern Leasing Systems, Inc, voiding thousands of fraudulently-induced credit card equipment leases. The ruling also vacates nearly 30,000 default judgments and bans Northern Leasing from engaging in equipment leasing, effectively dissolving the company. The Attorney General’s victory will also force Northern Leasing and its related entities, Northern Leasing’s chief executive officer, and others who engaged in the fraudulent scheme to provide restitution to small business owners who were fraudulently induced into financing leases for credit card processing equipment from April 1, 2013, through the present. Northern Leasing is ordered to dissolve 60 days after providing relief. Restitution amounts are to be set by the court at a later date. Small business merchants are not required to take action at this time in order to receive restitution.
In February 2021, the Supreme Court denied the Northern respondents’ motions for discovery and a trial or evidentiary hearing and denied the Attorney Respondents’ motion for summary judgment dismissing the petition as against them, effectively upholding the 2020 decision.
Additionally, according to EINPresswire, in November 2020, the OAG brought forward another, separate proceeding after discovering that Northern Leasing’s owners and officers had created two new entities — NLS Equipment Finance and Leasing Expenses Company — to continue defrauding small businesses using the same scheme barred by the court in the prior litigation, as well as to continue collecting on leases rescinded by the June 2020 court order.
The companies found liable by this ruling — also issued by the New York County State Supreme Court — were operated by former Northern Leasing Chief Financial Officer Ariel Schachter and former Northern Leasing officer Sara Krieger and were owned by trusts that benefited the families of Northern Leasing’s owners, Jay Cohen and Leonard Mezei. The court found that these companies had “risen on [Northern Leasing’s] ashes” in an earlier December ruling that granted a temporary restraining order barring them from collecting on any equipment leases. In February 2021, New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a decision and order in February 2021 effectively shutting down Northern Leasing Systems’ alleged attempt to continue to enforce illegal leases, including those voided in the 2020 decision. The parties named in this proceeding include Leasing Expenses Company LLC; NLS Equipment Finance LLC; Leonard Mezei; Ariel Schacter; Sara Krieger; Jay Cohen; a Jay Cohen Family Trust; Fieldston Capital LLC; and JS Ventures Holding LLC.
Despite the extensive and public legal action against the company, Northern Leasing Systems appears to be still operating at some level, as per a promotional article from March 18, 2021, celebrating the company’s 30th anniversary penned by founder and president Jay Cohen posted to PRWeb, a promotional website. Additionally, some former customers report to the BBB that they continue to receive bills from Northern Leasing Systems, including for properties that the customers no longer own. According to some comments from customers, Northern Leasing Systems no longer answers communications, though they continue to list a phone number on their website.
MBF Leasing Point of Sale
MBF Leasing is not a merchant account provider; rather, it leases credit card processing equipment like terminals, printers, barcode scanners, and other point-of-sale technology. Like other equipment providers, the company’s services and products are often packaged within the merchant account contracts of credit card processors. Because of this, merchants regularly sign equipment leases through MBF without realizing that they are entering into agreements that are separate from their merchant account contracts. As with other Northern Leasing Systems companies, MBF Leasing’s contract terms are non-cancellable and usually run for 48 months.
Initial New York AG Lawsuit
In March of 2013, MBF Leasing and its associated companies paid out a multimillion-dollar settlement to hundreds of small business owners as part of an agreement reached with the New York Attorney General. MBF Leasing and its DBA, Northern Leasing, stood accused of creating a shell company called SKS Associates LLC, which it used to deceive merchants and withdraw money from their checking accounts after their contracts had expired. Although the Attorney General’s lawsuit ended the existence of SKS Associates LLC, the Northern Leasing Systems family of companies continued to operate and had grown into a very large network of equipment providers until the New York Attorney General filed a lawsuit in April 2016 and reached a settlement in June 2020 effectively dissolving Northern Leasing Systems and its family of companies. Jay Cohen is listed as the CEO of Northern Leasing Systems (and, by extension, MBF Leasing).
For a full analysis of the primary company in this network, please see our Northern Leasing Systems review.
MBF Leasing Review Table of Contents
- Costs & Contract: MBF Leasing offers 48-month, non-cancellable equipment leases that often cost many times the purchase price of the equipment.
- Complaints & Service: MBF Leasing has received more than 750 public complaints.
- BBB Rating: As Northern Leasing Systems, MBF Leasing has a “D+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has received 106 complaints and 17 reviews across 3 profiles in the past 3 years.
- Sales & Marketing: MBF Leasing allows independent sales agents to package its equipment leases with other merchant accounts and has received an extremely high number of merchant complaints about its sales practices.
54 Responses
We cancelled over 9 years ago, and just found out they’ve been taking $91.54 since cancelled, somehow this was missed by the accountant, as when she started, was unaware it had been cancelled. So approximately this company has illegally stolen almost $12,000.00 And due to Covid-19, James at answering service states company probably not going to open anytime soon to call us back. Crooks!!!
My involvement with MBF Leasing began on 12-20-2007. They were hounding me for unearned monies for years until I hired an attorney firm Chittur Associates from NY in the amount of $5000 to represent me. MBF went away until earlier today (12-16-19). There is now a judgment against me in NY. This is now going on 13 years. Anyone out there that has a solution to make this go away, I would be greatly appreciative.
Dennis,
This article should help: How to Cancel a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee.
-Phillip
I got the same thing there a piece of c*** they like an they are trying to sue me but let them I’m on disability now an can’t work so let them spend all that money for nothing lmao
I too am still getting letters from this company. I have no clue as how to stop this insanity.
Lori Walker
Nevada
this company is not good for your bottom line – stay away from them
I could not cancel during my lease (without an outrageous cancellation fee), had to wait until my contract (which auto renews) was over. Extra fees (Read every little fine print), canceled when my lease was over, still had a $150.00 restock fee for return of equipment, & a $200 something fee to cancel even though my contract with them at that time was month to month. Ripping off their customers. If I ever switch credit card processing companies again, if they use MBF equipment I will NOT use that company! This is after I paid them every month for YEARS!
This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee
-Phillip
If i could get a -0 star i would. I cancelled this terminal months ago. I am not under contract. I keep getting charges $26.73 for something i have not used. I actually have cancelled. This is a perfect example ..The right hand is not talking to the left hand
This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee
-Phillip
We were approached by a Nicole Dickinson, Sales Agent, for Transmerit Merchant services. We agreed to go with them for our credit card services. She told us we had to use MBF Leasing LLC for our equipment. I signed the agreement before seeing that the monthly charge was $189.00. (They withdraw $209.00) I immediately called her, within the next hour that she had left and she never returned my call. We had serious doubts about the move and tried to get out of it immediately. (The very next day) That was 3 years ago. We are now in the process of closing and was told we still had 2 more years of monthly payments. All I keep hearing is that they have a signed agreement and we must adhere to it or else. Help!!!
This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee
-Phillip
Lowlife company. I signed an ironclad 5 year contract with them. Even if I died, my heirs would be responsible for the remainder of contract.
I bit the bullet and leased their junk equipment that I didn’t need for 5 years , then they still wouldn’t let me stop business with them.
They had all kinds of “rules” that made it impossible to get rid of them.
Their equipment was obsolete after 6 months and didn’t even work anymore after 18 months.
Then my office manager finally dug up an address for them and sent them a letter stating we had been off that ridiculous contract for 2 years and she sent the equipment back to them.
I had to close that business account and open another to keep them from stealing more money from me.
After 6 years they are still harassing me and calling me threatening legal action if I don’t pay them for what I do not even know.
Just got a computer generated call yesterday threatening legal action.
Is this company run by the effing mafia? WTF!?
This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee
-Phillip
Absolutely the worst company. Complete rip-off. The only way they can still be in business is for scamming many small businesses. It’s so sad that people would actually have the guts to do something like this.
This post will help: How to Report a Bad Credit Card Processor
-Phillip
Hello, I got a call from a New York number yesterday. Saying that if I dont pay $2000+
They will take me to court. This is for a terminal I stopped using in 2011 because of the bad service .
Can any one help plz.
This post will help: Legal Advice for Lease Finance Group Victims
-Phillip
So…
I get a ding on my credit report from a MDF Leasing. A inquiry. I don’t know who they are or why they are on my report. I’m thinking my identity has been stolen because they are using an address I haven’t lived at for 13 years.
So
I call today ….they tell me “Oh….you had our equipment in 2009 when you had your business”
I stopped her right there.
Told her….”I haven’t lived in that address since 2006 and haven’t had that business since 2006″
Its 2019….who do you think I am. BooBoo the Fool?!
Then she said “Well, I’m going to send to our legal department”
I told her “please do it”
They done messed with the wrong one now.
I’m getting ready to have my lawyer drag them from here to infinity.
They trying to put some damn equipment on my report and I never had they equipment!
Its on now.
This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee
-Phillip
The biggest scam in the world after I sign the contract the salesman change my monthly contract from 60 months which was original six months which he told me I have a judgement against me for $4,800 for the remainder after three years of paying for it do not do business with these scammers you can get a credit card machine for free from most people
This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee
– Phillip
Do not do business with them. Still fighting with them 5 years now. It is a total scam
We cancelled our contract with MBF in October 2011, they have now been calling us daily saying that we still own their equipment. We have faxed in copies of the receipts and tracking numbers showing we sent back the equipment, yet they still insist that we have it. After an argument on the phone that there is nothing more I can do for them since proving we returned all equipment and cancelled our contract 7 years ago they are sending us to collections.
Do not sign with this company. They require a 4 year contract and a personal guarantee, and the rep even gave me a sign on bonus, even though I said I’m closing my business soon. They came after me, and luckily I googled and found an attorney that vacated the judgment of $5k. His contact is below and I’m not in anyway personally connected with them. My business was in california.
Michael D. Siegel, Esq.
Siegel & Siegel, P.C.
One Penn Plaza, Suite 2414
New York, New York 10119
212-721-5300
I signed a lease with this company a.few years ago it was faxed to me and sent back through a fax I received the equipment the started getting charged with charges not on the lease instantly I call them to find out what was up they then send me a full lease my signature was forged on the rest of the contract and when I confronted them about it I was called a lier when you could look at the contract and send it was no where close to my signature and the keep trying to put things on my credit report and keep doing credit inquiry under my name never do business with this company run as fast as you can. I never run one transaction with this company. That is how fast I caught in to the scam
DO NOT ever sign a lease with this company. They charged me $150 restocking fee, along with paying the rest of my lease to end this.They refused to send me a new or another equipment since that one was not working properly. I asked them why a $150 restocking fee? That thing doesn’t work, are you leasing it to someone else? The answer was that I signed a lease. I sent the equipment back.
It is a scam!
I have mailed out several letters to each address for this fraudulent company to cancel my company’s lease agreement, that wasn’t even signed by anyone in our company. Also we are a home service company and at the time only ran credit cards in our office via the internet or phone. The sales representative was well aware that the peice of equipment was not going to be used. The representative said that it was free and to keep it in case we needed it one day.
Even if we had signed the contract, our lease would have been up and available to cancel at 48 months. I have written letter after letter, now I have to obtain legal counsel that will cost even more!
Was under impression was signing up for customer financing and was locked into 4 year lease for credit card machine that we already had free from bank
Tony, I was contacted by a very pretty girl in 2006 when I had a convenient store in Louisiana she stated she worked for MBF Leasing LLC and they were offering new business a special lease for a machine to verify funds in checking accounts before accepting. Many of my new customers inquired about paying with checks, and since I did not have a machine I could not help them. So I spoke to the person who insured me that if I didn’t like it or it wasn’t useful I could return the machine no questions asked. She had me sign a contract that was not all filled out, and assured me that it was because they had to put it on the computer and I would receive a copy as soon as it went through, that never happened. After 3 months I boxed up the machine and returned it but the machine was returned to me a few weeks later and I sent it back another time. As a side note, several checks that I ran through the machine was return NSF, 2 of them were from the same checking account that was run through the machine 7 days apart. I stop paying the monthly fee after I determined that the equipment was junk and did not do what it was supposed to do. It is now 2017 and I have been receiving threatening legal letters for 11 years now stating they will be offering me a reduce payment from $5600 to $1118 These people are scum and prey on business people trying to make a living. I returned a copy of this letter with the latest invoice I received. I will NEVER pay them for that junk, I get pleasure in burning the original invoices they send using a few words I cannot put on paper.
I have completed the required 48 months contract paying $15,500 for $4,500 worth of equipment and they still want $1,600 to buy it out! Ridiculous! Other companies I have dealt with charged $1 for the buyout.
This is the worst company you could ever imagine. They’re absolute crooks trying to trap small business owners into 60 months non-cancellable leases without providing that information up front. DO NOT in any circumstance sign anything with this company. They’re in a class action suit in NY. I’m waiting for this company to be dissolved but still in a battle with them. I sent the equipment back and refuse to pay them another penny after I realized they’re scammers. Any help would be great. These crooks need to be stopped once and for all. I can NOT believe they’re allowed to still operate in any state.
I paid these jerks the required 4 year contract length and when I tried to quit, they wouldn’t let me!
They have all kinds of idiot stipulations about how and when you can stop doing business with them.
After several attempts to fire them, I finally closed the business account they had been pillaging and sent their obsolete junk equipment back to them.
Somebow they think I still owe them and every few months they attempt to collect on a nonexistant debt.
I just got a 1-800 call from these bozos saying my account is moving through collections.
I got rid of them 3 years ago!
WHAT IS UP WITH THESE IDIOTS!!
Same with me i closed my business8 years ago and they still are charging me auto draft. Called the bank and they claim they cant did anything because its auto draft and i have no number to call these idiots.
This is the worst fraudulent company of all times, having a non cancelable contract is unheard of I didn’t know my elderly father did this for his company now that we closed his business in 2014 and he is blind and disabled they have not stopped coming for him I have written letters returned equipment and still to no avail. I have called the AG offices and filed a complaint and BBB, this business needs to be closed down for good scum company and more research from perspective clients please do your homework
the worst customer service iv ever encountered
Words cannot express how corrupt this company is. Would easily rival Satan for title of Worst People Ever to Deal With.
Yes be careful with MBF Leasing. They are dishonest and very unprofessional. This company needs to be shut down. All the comments listed pretty much sums up my incidence. Please feel free to give the Federal Bureau a call and complain about them. The attorney general of New Year has an active lawsuit against them for the second time.Yes it sounds like a lot of work but we need to protect our rights against businesses like this. In my case, it was a breach of contract when they denied to send me the correct equipment. They continued to deduct from my account and even threatened me when I cancelled them. In order to stop them from harassing you, provide them with a notice explaining why you are stoping the payments make sure all is certified mail.
We cancelled our contract with MBF Leasing a few years ago and were told because we were in a contract, that we had to pay it off, which I have been doing for over 30 months. Realizing that this should have been paid off long ago, I call them to find out when the auto payment would end, and was told that my contract was renewed because I had failed to return a check ready, which by the way, we never had. So because it was missing, they continued to charge me a monthly. I finally called them to find out why and I finally said, let me pay for the missing piece of equipment, that BTW we never had and then they would stop taking out the automatic payment. I tried to have them tell me how many months extra I had been charged for because of this error, but they could not or would not tell me. What a SCAM……BEWARE! Is there anywhere I can go to file a suit against them.
We were sold this equipment through hotsauce technologies. The equipment and software wasn’t what we were promised and we are sending the equipment back to hotsauce and refusing to pay any cancelling
I was contacted by a sweet little old man in 2006 when my Rental company opened in SC he stated he worked for MBF Leasing llc and they were offering new business a special 1 year lease for a credit card machine. Many of my new renters inquired about paying their rent with their credit cards, and since I did not have a machine I could not help them. So I spoke to the man who insured me the special was for 1 year and if I didn’t like it or it wasn’t useful I could return the machine no questions asked after the year. I got the machine. He had me sign a contract that was not all filled out, he assured me that it was because they had to put it on the computer and I would receive a copy as soon as it went through, That never happened. After a year, I boxed up the machine, sent it return receipt requested and waited for my receipt. As a side note, I was also told it would be a flat monthly fee, but I was also charged a quarterly charge as well as a large charge at the end of the year. It is not 2016 and I have been receiving threatening legal letters for 9 years now stating they will be taking me to court for violating the 48 month lease I signed, I owe them $2,111.40 for the balance of my 48 month lease, blah blah blah. They even sent me a copy of a contract (finally) that was filled out with the 48 month in the duration of lease box and dated in a different handwriting . These people are scammers and prey on people by using elderly people to do their dirty work. It has been 9 years of them harassing me, I’m sick of it. HELP!
The sales rep told me I needed this equipment to do financing in my store! That wasn’t true and I found out in 2 weeks. I sent the equipment back in less than a month and there still charging me! It went from $3,700 to over $6,000!! Something has to be done about this! Lawsuits or something! They should be returning money!
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Are you with MBF Leasing? Learn how to resolve this complaint.
This company is a total scam. You can not reach a person by phone. They just keep you on eternal hold. When you try to send equipment back, they don’t pick the box up. You can close your account, they try to work around that to collect money not owed to them.
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Are you with MBF Leasing? Learn how to resolve this complaint.
This company is a scam. Don’t ever sign a contract with this company. We were already done with our contract and we already returned the equipment and they are still charging us. We allowed them to charge us for several months while waiting for the end of our contract even though we were not using them anymore. But then when the day of cancellation came, they gave us a hard time to cancel. We returned the equipment as part of the requirement for cancellation but there was one missing, so they continue to charge us until now. From my perspective, they are not ethical and should not be allowed to operate this way. Something has to be done.
This is the exact same thing that happened to us and I finally realized it and had to pay for a piece of equipment that we never received, even though they say we did. We returned everything! I am going thru the same thing with another credit card company as well, and we returned the equipment and they have never acknowledge receiving it and they will probably to the same thing to us as well.
This company did the same thing to me. Very unethical. Beware
They did the same to us signed us up for machine same day took the machine we never used back voided contract for eleven years got charged for the voided contract the second contract expired could not reach anybody to return finally under advisement from lawyer closed that account opened another got different credit card service they got a hold of us by phone and said because we did not call at time of renewal it automatically renewed and the other one they never received back so we had been paying for a contract voided immediately since 2011 one night during business supper which the camera video taped with sound the man called 12 times in a row to demand payment and in a very inappropriate manner my son threatened him with harassment it stopped by phone continues by mail since I help separate his paperwork and send the proper paperwork to book keeper they got my number my son is very nice I had a successful business For 17 years I had them before they sold out “I” am not so nice they only called me once I got a settlement from my business I sold years ago- I play hard Tyler plays nice- not anymore mom was the silent partner who is no longer silent!
This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee
-Phillip
I had set up a contract with Harbortouch and they leased equipment for their service with MBF Leasing. I have been trying to cancel the contract for over a year. I was finally told I could cancel it as of 10/1 I called on 10/1 and was told it would be another 10 days. That account has now been cancelled however I am still being billed by MBF Leasing for the equipment. I called Harbor touch this morning and of course they don’t have a number for MBF and I am being told it is a separate company I am trying to find a way to contact MBF to get the charges removed and return the equipment if I need to do that. I have had to pay for a year for nothing. HELP
We had to close bank account affiliated with MBF, it was worth it. You can open another account or get a new credit card, whatever method of payment used its worth replacing! The number I use to contact MBF is 1800 295-3699. We all should gang up on them and at the least complain to the Better Business Bureau at the least, I’d like to get a group lawsuit going as another angry writer has written!?!
My name is richard knott, and I was just conned into signing a lease that I didn’t even see my number is [REDACTED – personal contact information]. feel free to contact me. My fingers don’work well and I can-use a computer
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Are you with MBF Leasing? Learn how to resolve this complaint.
This company is a scam. They tricked me too into signing a lease for 4 years and tricked me to get equipment I didn’t need. I wanted to start accepting financing for my store and the salesman told me I have to have separate terminals. I told him I can buy them cheaper and he insisted that this company want to deal only with their own equipment. When I found out from the finance company that I did not need to have them, I called them and no one wanted to hear my complain. They would not even transfer my call to a supervisor.. It is ridiculous. I have a 1-888-275-3251 number for them in IL. I am going out of business and I wanted to see if they can settle for less but they wouldn’t even do that, even though I am with them for 2 years now and in good stands, paying for equipment I never used. Anyone got out of that lease yet? I would like to know.
My lease with MBF is up in April of next year. If anyone has any advice as to how to finally get rid of these scumbags please let me know or the best way to cancel. I would greatly appreciate it. KB
I am having trouble with this company as well. Merchant Cooperatives told me they could get me out of the leasing contract with MBF Leasing in a couple of months if i was not satisfied. I have had nothing but problems ans merchant cooperatives lied when they told me they could get me out of the lease. They said i have to pay the monthly lease for the rest of the 48month lease even though i have cancelled the merchant cooperatives website development for me and even though i will return the credit card machine and will not use it. I am now going to a lawyer to see if there is anything that i can do.
HI JOHN: Any Luck resolving? I signed through Merchant Cooperative in 2013 and cancelled per S.C.Law timely and they continued to charge me telling me the contract was non-cancellable and that Jurisdiction is in New York. I am working on a Class action lawsuit. These people are horrible.
YES, they are CROOKS…. and despite thinking they would go away…. The took the money out of my account, with a restraining notice from NY, I’m in LA….. M%&#r [email protected]%KERS! $1151.22…. is it worth fighting in NY? NO :-(…. that would be an hour of a lawyers time. So I am pissed to say I have to pay the [email protected]%KERS! If anyone out there wants to get a class action against them I’m in!
Good luck people!
The worst people with whom I have ever dealt. They are rude, unwilling to cooperate, and I would never use their services again.
Our contract expired and equip returned but no way to stop these people from debiting our account. I am looking for an lawyer to sue these scumbags and their processed partner Harbortouch. Together they have overcharged my small business almost 100K. Never touch these crooks.
I closed my account in Dec. of 2014 and returned my equipment and the “assurance” that the only charge my account will have is for $21.41 for finalizing my end of contract. The equipment was sent back and acknowledged received at that time. Now I find on my bank statement that they helped themselves to $125.00 based on an audit that it was “property tax”? NEVER, NEVER do business with this company and make sure everyone knows about their schemes to help themselves to your account!
I have attempted to terminate my contract with MBF Leasing LLC in accordance with my lease agreement, and have been willfully ignored in their attempt to continue to extort money from me and my small home-based business. I have spent the last year dealing with their extraordinary measures and constantly increasing fees, and am to the point where I’m having to consider getting lawyers and authorities involved. These people have to be stopped. This is totally unacceptable.
I too have been fighting this low life,cheating,scamming,company to no end.Have you found any efforts in a law suit against them..This must be stopped.The way they do their scamming,what would stop any company from saying you signed this cartoon like contract and then sueing for money
I have returned my CC processing terminal. Why am I still being charger for this? I will report to the BBB if this issue is not resolved. Our office was closed last June. Seven months later- I am still trying to get this resolved. Our bank account will be closed and I need to get this resolved prior to the closure.
yes these people are surley a bunch of crooks . it is a shame that there isnt any reasonable way to stop them of their crooked practices . i have put a blanket stop payment on anything comming from them in the future . there is a rite way and a wrong way of doing business and these people surley will get theirs one day for their crooked practices