Last week, I decided to try an experiment… what would happen if I were a business owner looking to find a credit card processor from BuyerZone? Here’s what happened:

Friday  Feb 26th

9 AM Filled out form on BuyerZone. Wow they asked for a lot of information. They said I would get quotes from multiple credit card processors, but at the end of the form, it just said I would be contacted by processors…no quotes. Hmmm….sure smells like lead generation…

9 PM My cell phone rings. It’s an unknown number…I let it go to voicemail since I’m out with friends (at 9 PM on a Friday). Later, I check my voicemail and it’s a processor.

Sunday Feb 28th

Got a few emails. One was very to the point about how much my service would cost. Another had a bunch of text followed by some numbers. The third had no quote at all, just text about the processor. The two quotes I am given are not in the same format so I can’t really compare them;  one is interchange plus and the other is tiered. They also have random charges like “paper statement fee.” I’m most confused and decide to set up a time during the week where I will call these salespeople at my convenience and figure out where I’d get the best price.

Monday March 1st

9:30 AM Salesperson calls. I’m working and can’t pick up. This happens a couple of times throughout the day. Why can’t I just call when it’s convenient for me?

Tuesday March 2nd

I plan to figure out the best prices this afternoon. Opening the first email, I quickly locate the rep’s name and phone number. It goes straight to voicemail so I leave a message asking the salesperson to call me within the next few hours. I dial the next phone number and it’s busy. It’s always busy for the next two hours everytime I try to call. The third email leads me to a salesperson who apparently does not exist, the operator tells me “we have no one by that name working here.” Finally, the first salesperson calls me back and I can ask my questions. This processor advertises 0%. When I ask how they make money, she answers me that there is an annual fee I have to pay. This was nowhere in the email. Finally, frustrated, I decide to be done for the day. This has led me nowhere.

This experience was valuable for me since I got to see exactly why FeeFighters is sorely needed. Business owners should not have to go through such a tedious and inconvenient process to set up their credit card processing! Luckily, using FeeFighters it takes minute to get instant bids that are comparable to each other. Thank goodness for FeeFighters…(trying to be unbiased, can’t help it!)