Alpine Hair Salon Owner Clipped by Credit Card Company

“I can say we are a, sort of, success story,” Ben Ghassemian said, modestly. 

Ben and his wife Lori are the owners of Alpine Family Haircuts, which they opened four years ago. 

The owners of this small family run salon recognized right away they couldn’t make it on cash-only haircuts and services. Ben said they started processing their card transactions through a company named First Data Reporting Services. 

“70% of our customers pay with credit cards,” Ben said. 

Ben said with First Data Reporting Services there was no contract but the company gave him a low-competitive price for their card reader and services. According to Ben, the low-rates didn’t last.

Ben said the services got too expensive so he called the company and they asked him to send a certified letter of cancellation and all of the equipment the company had sent him. 

Two months later, Ben said he noticed something on his bank account statement that didn’t make sense. 

“They charged me for two extra months,” Ben said. He said his business no longer used the card terminal or First Data services but the company charged him $193 for the first month and $64 for the second. 

Ben said he tried calling the company but said he felt he was getting the runaround. After a year of trying to get his money, Ben said he called NBC 7 Responds for help. 

NBC 7 Responds reached out to First Data Reporting Services and a week later, Ben and Lori received their money back. 

A spokesperson for First Data Reporting Services told NBC 7 Responds the company does not comment on specifics surrounding their client's accounts.