Northern Leasing Systems review: credit card terminal fraud ( 3 comments)

I'm another "victim" of the Northern Leasing fraud. I recognize that I signed a 4-year lease and I fulfilled that obligation. It wasn't my smartest decision, but I accept that part as my responsibility. Since that obligation, however, it has taken over 2 years to reach a company representative and actually cancel my contract.

After being assured by a representative of Northern Leasing (who, of course, contacted me promptly when I changed bank accounts) that I would be notified of my lease expiration, I trusted that they would contact me in a timely manner to alert me of my lease expiration date. I didn't worry; I was assured that "they'd call me". I trusted that agent. My mistake!

After fees were continually drafted from my bank account for what seemed well past my expiration date, I began looking for a way to contact NL. I left countless voice mails with no response. NONE. I also emailed. Silence. I moved in a very remote place, and we were only able to gain reliable Internet access in March of 2008. I was finally able to look them up, when I found more numbers and contacted them.

Their agent, Angel, refused information to me and even hung up the phone. When I first began my innocent inquiry, she started speaking to me in a raised voice with obvious impatience. In hindsight, I see she and her colleagues must take calls like mine all day. Except - at that point anyway - I wasn't angry.

I phoned back two days later...and I ended up with the same rude representative on the phone - Angel. After assuring her I had taken the required steps, including writing multiple emails (to which I did NOT receive a reply) and mailing back a piece of equipment I hadn't used in years, she forwarded me to her "Team Leader" - a Mr Shawn Williams. He was actually very professional. He couldn't do anything to address the fact that his product was misrepresented, but he did assure me April 1 would be my last payment as he would reduce the 30 day processing fee upon return to just 14 days. I wasn't happy, but I thought my unpleasant affiliation with NL was over which brought relief.

Come to find out, they tried to draft my account again today (May 1). I phoned NL and this time Zach Bynoe tells me that there is nobody in the office named Shawn Williams, and that my file did not note the agreement that Mr Williams made verbally to me. Although I mailed the package priority, it took was over a week before their "system" logged it as received. And Zach could only respond to what "his system" noted. (Like it's a client's responsibility what gets noted in their "system"!)

I contacted my bank's fraud department. I'm writing notes like these. I was taken hook, line and sinker from the very first integrity-less salesman who "hooked me up" with this equipment. I speak to hundreds of would-be business owners every year. I can assure you that I will share this experience with them.

Again, I accept that I made a poor business decision in signing the lease. Lesson learned. But getting out of this lease has been traumatic, and they seem to hold the cards with nobody at their call center having any authority to respond to any situation. Zach told me his supervisor's name was Larry, but he wouldn't allow me to speak with him. He denied me the agreement made by this ghost named Shawn Williams. I asked him to go listen to the taped phone conversation. I don't believe that they actually will.

Is it the New York Attorney General who receives complaints... or the state of my former business...or even my current state or residence? I'm the next one in line!