Landmark Merchant Solutions: Great Business Partner
Earlier this year I received a voicemail from Joe Garza. Joe is the VP of Marketing at Landmark Merchant Solutions. He was called to explore a potential partnership with 2ndSite as they provide merchant accounts services and payment gateway services to small businesses. Companies like Landmark Merchant Solutions are called Merchant Acquirers.
Anyhow, Joe and I discussed things and it became apparent that our clientele had similar characteristics. Joe’s team of advisors has over 100 years of experience in providing merchant account services and they have developed some powerful tools to qualify merchants and their credit risk. At the time of our meeting Landmark was primarily focused on point-of-sale solutions and offered a suite of online resources (shopping carts, email, hosting, etc.) to sweeten their packages.
What makes Landmark Merchant Solutions a good partner? They listen and they do not pretend to have all the answers. For example, as far as we know, no 2ndSite users use 2ndSite as a Point-Of-Sale tool. They invoice for professional services for the most part. I explained this to Joe. He was confident his merchants would like 2ndSite as part of the Landmark Merchant Solution’s suite. I then went on to explain the real points of pain for 2ndSite users who need a merchant account:
- Time to setup – usually 3 weeks of paper work
- Cost to setup – normally $150 - $250 USD
- Complication – merchants need a Merchant Account and a gateway account. That may confuse them. Add the paper work and upfront costs and many cannot be bothered.
Joe listened carefully to these things. He then explained that his merchant qualification system works in real time and is verified by humans. He came back with this offer:
- 3 hour setup
- $50 startup fee
- Account Setup in three hours!
In my opinion this is far and away the best offering online for merchants today. It is fast and we already have a handful of merchants who have signed up with Landmark Merchant Solutions. So you know we do not receive referral fees from Landmark. It is the norm that service providers like Landmark Merchant Solutions give a referral fee to their partners. My thinking was to add value for our 2ndSite Merchants and keep the costs down. We have been live with this service for 6 weeks and so far merchants at 2ndSite and Landmark seem very happy
These people are persistent telephone spammers. They bombard with pre-recorded solicitations in defiance of the Do Not Call list. This is prima facie evidence of sleaze. Do not do business with spammers.
Robin,
My apologies if you received several phone calls from us. Our firm does not condone or actively use pre-recorded voice messages as a common marketing practice.
Our services are catered to the new and existing business owner in the US. In order for us to call you, you had to register your home phone as a new or existing business entity. In the B2B environment, there is not a Do Not Call List. But, one of the items we sometimes see is business owners registering their home phone as a business phone.
We will immediately look into the situation so this practice doesn’t continue. I appreciate the correspondence and bringing this to our attention.
Landmark Merchant Solutions
Dear LandMark Team,
Thanks for the info on Do Not Call List. I just came to know that in a B2B telemarketing campaign there isn’t any term known as Do Not Call List.
Dear LandMark Team,
You would agree that today most of the things on this planet is electronic, especially when it comes to communication. Why is that you don’t have a email where by I can contact you?
Do you have a Reseller Program?
Please Contact me here: MillionAccounts@Yahoo.Com
Mr. Mills,
Although there isn’t a DNC list for businesses, I still recommend using caution for situations like the occurrence above.
Some new business owners haven’t activated commercial phone lines and they use their home phone numbers (on DNC) for the purpose of the business application. You still want to respect consumers that don’t want to be contacted by phone.
I will send you an email but you can reach me direct at joe.garza@landmarkmerchant.com or 847-221-0415.
Best,
J. Garza
I found this board with a lot of information about the company. Yowza is all I can say :-{
http://www.screwedcentral.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000413.html
Great article. Thanks for the heads up on the company.
This compsny will lie thru their teeth to get your business and deduct your money and never deliver what they promise
This is very Funny, I am not an employee of Landmark or of Ladco in fact I have never set foot in either, I found this website because I was thinking of getting back into the credit card processing industry as I have been out for over 7 years but I was an employee of First National when they were in Rosemont when people like Joe Garza self proclaimed gods gift to woman was either dodging complaints that he knocked some girl up or was sleeping with one of the office girls and threatening you to keep it quiet or just bragging about how connected he was. If you look at the work history of some of the very people mentioned on here, it’s all been the same company under different names.
I should say when I started there I was impressed it seemed like a really good company, I even quit a job where my employer warned me stating she had heard these people were not on the up and up. I though he was nuts, But if your not ready to try and be cool and follow the lead of those who think they know your in for a rough ride, its like high school bully’s you think as a merchant they take advantage of you, they take advantage of employees who have mortgage or kids to support and hang that over your head, it really is not a pleasant place to work
Lets just say I am not surprised, Look if Landmark is anything like First National Bankcard, and your a merchant you are most likely considered high risk. Internet merchants are a prime example of high risk or you sell a goods or service that is considered high risk. Visa Master card considers any transaction where you don’t see the costumer high risk, so you could run CC numbers through your machine all night have the money in your account within 2 days and be on a beach before the poor fools even got his Credit Card Statement. This doesn’t mean your evil it means you have the ability to take them for a lot of money so they watch you very closely and charge you higher rates just like any other industry that handles a risk does. IE: you have to put a down payment down before you get a cell phone because your credit isn’t A+
So some of the complaints listed by merchants or perspective merchants may or may not have any substance to them, However im sure that the above example doesn’t apply to all of you
Some of the allegations made here I have witnessed at FNBC (First National Bankcard) other I haven’t however I am not surprised
take my post for what its worth, you can dispute it or agree with it or sign on tell me you know who I am and call me a liar, it doesn’t matter and I really don’t care, what I would suggest you do is make note of the personnel at Landmark Because they will resurface again under another name operate for a while then sell the business and start all over.
Like I said I worked for this company and these people are not stupid, im sure the contracts and most of what they did will turn out to be legal (although im not a lawyer much to my parents dismay)
However they have a moral compass that is way out of wack, at least when I knew some of these people there is arrogance and of feeling of superiority
I have read some of the post on here and let me say, Not all sales people forge documents, not all sales people lie and do drugs so this attitude of “that’s just the way it is “ doesn’t hold much credibility with me. It’s nice to know that what I witnessed years ago wasn’t just my imagination..trust me to work for this place is like high school for 30- and 40 and 50 year old men and women who doesn’t want to admit there not teenagers
Now that my thoughts have gone all over the place, I will disappear into the internet for another 7 years and see if when I re emerge if VP Garza is now VP of marketing or whatever he worms his way into
ps my comments are only about landmark
very nice
This is in response to screwed.com’s thread
Hello to All,
I feel I must weigh in to perhaps lay some wisdom on some of you. Not because you deserve it, but because this is the longest thread I have ever followed!
I worked for these guys Tim, George,Camille,& Colleen?, These people are not evil.Are they drug users, Sure, Dorks, undoubtedly They are (were)deeply flawed hustlers Not liars.
(Remember Sweat ? and Richard M ?)This is going back almost Ten years ago. I used to run Landmark’s warm leads out the backdoor, close deals on my cell phone in the front seat of my car in the middle of the winter and pocket the money. GOOD TIMES ! Everything that I read about the ole crew seemed probable so I am not doing this to defend them. I venture though in defense of George he would never say or teach some one to LIE. He’ll tell you to go to hell and make you forward to the trip.
It is called a negative take away. The people who signed those documents are being some what disingenuous when they feign surprise over what has happened. That Lease says
NON- CANCELLABLE. All over the top header. The way you close that sale is after you’ve listened to him qualify himself, is to let him “close” himself.
“Look Lenny based on what you shared with me I think your crappynicknacks.com website could be a real winner.” and then maybe add something like “But Lenny make sure you hear when I say this is a Non-cancellable Lease.” “Lenny, that means these guys get paid no matter what” and then shut-up. He will either buy right then and there or say something that lets you know he needs to talk more about the farm and the rabbits. Every single person who signs that is paying money out of his future pockets which are plump with imaginary cash.
Incidentally, Landmark sales people love SMC people because the mere fact that you bought that Biz-op means you are more committed to the dream of a Business than you are to doing any research.
What is amazing is how long this has been going on.How talented people could squander their gift of gab on that tired old pitch. George how do you type these emails with a gun in your mouth. (Just joking, all though I shouldn’t on this url. You’ve made quite a name for yourself) To those who lost money time and energy, believe me after 10 years, rest assured these people are in hell and are doomed to die of boredom. This website will do more damage than any piddly class action suit together. If you do find an Attorney that will wade through all this shit for a $ 2500. loss get me his number because I am going to sue everyone I know. Don’t give him any money up front.
They probably are under a different name in downtown chicago by now and keep landmark up for appearances. Search Al Gittles
.
Now on to why I came here in the first place. Cleo! it is Troj if you catch this thread. Got something big you’d be perfect for you!
email moonshark2008@gmail.com. Paco that goes for you too.
i think all this blabh blah about land mark is just a lil taste of people whom didnt succed in their lifes, and now they have to put down other people…as for me i dont know this guys personally, but i do know that they do keep their word.. i have been processing with them for 5 yrs and i’ve gotten other quotes after that, and nbody can even get close to them…and by the way to all those shit talking scum bags…>GET A LIFE!!! this might not be the best CC processing company in the world but they do more for me than you!!!
RE; Will Robinson, funny you can not come up with a better name. Danger,danger Will Robinson.
I am sure this is an employee of LMS, sound like their short ,fat, troll friend George.
Huh- looks like the president, Al Gitles, decided to off himself just after Christmas. Keeping it very quiet tho, very little on the web about it being a suicide.
Who else is tired of the harrassing phone calls and repeated unwanted telemarketing calls from Landmark? Call them to complain. Maybe if enough people voice complaints they will change their marketing strategy. 866-606-1505 & 800-314-5492
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