843-884-6884

call came in around 11:30 a.m. on my husband's cell. no message was left, and they never did call back. Don't usually answer phone numbers we don't know.

Call says that your Visa card has been locked and to call an 800 number (said so quickly you could not write it down) or hit 1 to rectify the situation immediately.  The phone number goes back to Merchant Cooperative in South Carolina.  Tons of complaints on the internet about them.  BEWARE!  I do not give out my cell number to anyone but family and friends, and they called my cell (which is on a DO not call list).  If you are on a do-not-call list, file a complaint with the FCC at http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm  Whenever a complain is made on a website, they promptly deny and request a full name, business name, and telephone number.  Why would any individual want to post this information online for a complaint!  I am not a competitor (as they often say in their replies), but an upset individual who does NOT want them calling my cell phone in the evening.

This happened to me too, Sun Mar 7, 2010, 2:53 PM EST.

Dear Sir:
    The incident referred to in this complaint did not involve Merchant Cooperative in any way.  Rather, an unidentified automated voice message system was programmed to continuously call random telephone numbers and refer to a problem involving credit card numbers.  The Quincy Federal Credit Union as well Merchant Cooperative and many other financial institutions have been victims of this.

    These calls have been under investigation by local and federal law enforcement authorities.  Most importantly, Merchant Cooperative has absolutely nothing to do with the problem, and has no information about the message, its contents, or who sent it.  Again, I cannot overemphasize that the name “Merchant Cooperative”  and our local phone number were used without authorization in a pre-recorded message by an unknown person concerning a problem that may or may not exist, and that does not in any way involve Merchant Cooperative.  We apologize to anyone who may have received this fictitious message, and Merchant Cooperative assures its customers that it remains ready, willing, and able to continue to provide the superior level of credit card processing services that it has always provided to its merchants.

    We have placed a warning of potential scams and the importance of safeguarding one’s personal information on our website as well as our incoming voice queue message at our location.  I would like to ask your assistance in this matter also.  Is there some way you could post a public warning in regards to this scam?  Merchant Cooperative is as much a victim of this scam as any individual that may have been contacted.

    For additional information contact or follow up, these agencies are aware of this issue:

    Goose Creek Police Department
    Federal Bureau of Investigation – Charleston, SC
    United States Secret Service – Saginaw, MI

Kind Regards,


Jarret Smotrila
VP/COO

The incident referred to in this complaint did not involve Merchant Cooperative in any way.  Rather, an unidentified automated voice message system was programmed to continuously call random telephone numbers and refer to a problem involving credit card numbers.  The Quincy Federal Credit Union as well Merchant Cooperative and many other financial institutions have been victims of this.

   These calls have been under investigation by local and federal law enforcement authorities.  Most importantly, Merchant Cooperative has absolutely nothing to do with the problem, and has no information about the message, its contents, or who sent it.  Again, I cannot overemphasize that the name “Merchant Cooperative”  and our local phone number were used without authorization in a pre-recorded message by an unknown person concerning a problem that may or may not exist, and that does not in any way involve Merchant Cooperative.  We apologize to anyone who may have received this fictitious message, and Merchant Cooperative assures its customers that it remains ready, willing, and able to continue to provide the superior level of credit card processing services that it has always provided to its merchants.

   We have placed a warning of potential scams and the importance of safeguarding one’s personal information on our website as well as our incoming voice queue message at our location.   Merchant Cooperative is as much a victim of this scam as any individual that may have been contacted.

   For additional information contact or follow up, these agencies are aware of this issue:

   Goose Creek Police Department
   Federal Bureau of Investigation – Charleston, SC
   United States Secret Service – Saginaw, MI

Kind Regards,


Jarret Smotrila
VP/COO

Well, I don't get a recorded message at all. I KEEP telling these people that the 'business owner' does NOT come into this office until late at night and they STILL keep calling over and over asking for him. We are not interested in your credit card processing services! STOP CALLING HERE!

May I say I received a call from this number stating the call was from Merchant Services and I told her we were not interested and she thanked me for taking her call. She was VERY polite and not pushy at all. This is the way any business calling should act and respond. I give you guys a thumbs up.
                                                                                              Kathy Byers
                                                                                              Southern Automotive

Keeps calling for credit card processing service.  I have told them that my business has been closed for over a year.

Our office phone keeps getting  calls from this number.  When I answer the line is silent (no dial tone).
I have already got 2 calls from them today and it is just now lunch time. Thankful for info on this website.