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John Doherty

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Posts posted by John Doherty

  1. Posted · Report reply

    I take them for the reasons Ken stated, I have the v/mc logos on all my stuff. I have yet to have a customer ask me to take one. Did I mention that in another life I was a card products manager at a brokerage firm?

    Some things to look for:

    1. Termination fees, they try to lock you in for 2 years or so, want to change to get a better rate, or God forbid you go out of biz, etc. You have to pay it just like with cell phone plans, it's usually around $275.

    2. Equipment, for the amount of transactions our type of biz generates you don't need any equipment, don't buy or lease any, do it via your PC.

    3. Have the rate explained to you, 'qualified' is the lowest, it's also called 'card in hand', it means just that, you have the customers card and swipe it through a machine for authorization. If you do the math the # of transactions you do at this lower rate will probably not equal the cost of equipment to swipe the card with (see#2).

    Non-qualified rate is a transaction done via PC, phone, etc. it's slightly higher but it's the one you'll end up paying, make sure you're clear on which rate is which.

    4. Application fees, if you have bad credit don't even bother, your just throwing the fee away, they won't approve you.

    5. Personal Gaurantee, you personally gaurantee all transactions, so lets say that $2500 deck that your customer isn't happy about and decides to dispute through their Card issuer. The processor takes it out of your account and you gaurantee you'll pay it.

    6. In addition to your rate you will also have a monthly fee.

    7. Discover and Amex, don't accept them, they have different rates that are higher than v/mc. You won't lose any business by not acepting them.

    Shop around, I went with the plan offered via Quickbooks, no application fee, no termination fee.

  13. Posted · Report reply

    I'm really giving this some thought, this guys total lack of assuming any responsibility has me really ticked off.

    My sister is an attorney in another state but, she gave me the scoop on NJ law. This would be a 'Special Civil Part' action not small claims 'cause it's over $3000. Contract is very basic and has no fine print, the emails show he gave me no time to review the proof, he admits it etc.

    Slam dunk for me, but being an LLC I can't bring action w/out an attorney. I just am having a hard time deciding if it's worth the hassle.

  15. Posted · Report reply

    Just signed up w/one of those shopper type mags that come in the mail w/all local contractors in it, 3 zones about 35k homes per zone, for 3 months.

    Met w/the guy Wed says he'll have ad proof to me that night, I don't get it by Thurs night, I call him he says I'll have it by Fri. AM. I get it at 1:00 pm Fri (it is crap, he took an existing ad Keith made and streched it to fit)I make changes and respond to him by 5:00, call him at 6:00 to ask about my changes. He tells me it already went to print, no changes.

    Here's what I proposed, I keep my ad in one zone for the 3 months and also pay for the bum ad, and he cancels the remaining ads and refunds my money for the other 2 zones.

    Response, 'I don't give refunds'.

    Other than being a sucker for paying up front, should I be mad?

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