Dear Alex,
First of all, you must ask yourself, if you have:
(1) Had problems with their terms of service. For example, was
involved in type of commerce that is prohibited, or did anything else
that might violate their terms-of-service.
(2) Might have been a victim of an identity theft. I am saying that
based on your claim that you haven't received payments, despite the
fact that these are clearing off your account. Are there any other
signs of a possible identity theft?
Here are some resources on identity theft:
Federal Trade Commission
<http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/>
Privecy Rights. org
<http://www.privacyrights.org/identity.htm>
US Dept. of Justice
<http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html>
Identity Theft Resource Center
<http://www.idtheftcenter.org/index.shtml>
Now, please note that I am not suggesting that the problem is because
of identity theft, only that this is a *possible* reason, one of many,
and in fact - there are some complaints on the same problem in several
forums in cyberspace, which suggests that this is generally not the
source of the problem.
In all of the steps of the following outline, I recommend you to
document everything (including phone calls and emails; or just
developments with your account online).
Contacting their management
===========================
Your first move, whether you have been an identity fraud victim or
not, should be to write a firm letter (LETTER, as in made of paper,
not email) to PaySystems. Be sure to: (1) Make it a registered letter
(this is important! use a courier service such as FedEx/UPS/DHL if you
have to).
(2) Explain your situation as clearly as possible, with as many
details, and evidences if you have any.
(3) Express your disdain with their customer support service.
(4) Clarify that you might seek legal action and detail the damaged
caused to your business.
The letter could be addressed to:
PaySystems
Head Office:
1500 University Street
Suite 920
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 3S7, Canada
You can also try, in the meanwhile, to address not customer support,
but people in marketing and accounts, directly:
Guy Buchanan - Corporate Account Executive
gbuchanan@paysystems.com
PaySystems have - or at least had - a US address. Try it, too:
PaySystems Corporation
334 Cornelia Street #160
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
(888) 751-0744
Please be aware that this is not going to be easy, and that there is a
chance that you won't get an answer, or that you'll get much of the
same unhelpful responses you've received from the customer support.
Addressing the BBB
==================
Your next address might be Quebec's Better Business Bureau. Again,
you'll have to state your complaints, and this time you'll have more
correspondence to show them:
BBB - Quebec
<http://www.bbb-bec.com/>
Complaint Form
<http://www.bbb-bec.com/Html_A/BBB-BECCadrePrincipal.htm>
Address
BBB of Quebec
Bureau 304
785 Plymouth Ave.,
Montreal QC H4P 1B3
Tel >(514) 268 - 9281
E-mail bbbbec@bbb-bec.com
BBBs have some power and their action might put things right. You can
also try the NY BBB:
Better Business Bureau
WWW: http://www.upstateny.bbb.org
Email: info@upstatenybbb.org
Phone: (716)881-5222
Fax: (716)883-5349
741 Delaware Ave., Ste. 100
Buffalo, NY 14209 -2201
Addressing Legal Channels
=========================
The next step might be problematic for you, and this might mean that
you'll have to give up the fight - it depends on how many resources
you've got (and how much they owe you) and if this ordeal will be
worth the time and money invested. This is addressing legal channels
on the matter.
First, another registered letter, this time from a Quebec solicitor,
might do the trick. You might get an honest response, and even your
money back.
Second, consider the possibility of going to court and suing them in a
small claims court in Quebec.
You can read more about an initiative to bring PaySystems to court here:
Web Hosting Talk -
<http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=322172>
Get the Press Interested
========================
This is not a "next step" - if I would have considered suing them, I
would have also made sure that the press has as much information as
possible. Powerful journalists could pressure the company. Here are
some ideas, taken from political or marketing sites, but that could
fit your media campaign:
Shel Horowitz, 1996. How to Get the Press on Your Side
<http://www.frugalmarketing.com/dtb/press.shtml>
Using The Media
<http://www.scvo.org.uk/pias/lobbying/UsingTheMedia.html>
Get The Message Right
<http://www.greenpeace.org.au/getactive/happen/get.html>
Tell The World
<http://www.greenpeace.org.au/getactive/happen/tell.html>
You can start with your local paper, but don't be coy to use such
mediums such as Wired (http://www.wired.com/) magazine or large
national media.
These are ways to apply pressure on PaySystems. Unfortunately, as you
can see in the link I gave you, this is not an uncommon problem. I
hope it will be resolved soon. |
