NOT A SAFE COMPANY TO DEAL WITH. I WROTE THIS REVIEW YESTERDAY. THIS MORNING AT 9AM I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A FUNDMERICA MANAGER LITERALLY CUSSING AT ME, TRYING TO PROVE ME WRONG AND ENDED BY TELLING ME TWICE THAT I WAS FULL OF SHIT AND THEN HANGING UP ON ME. PLEASE BE AWARE IT DOES NOT APPEAR THEY HAVE YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND. THE CALL WAS FROM A PERSON CLAIMING TO BE THE MANAGER OF A.G.
At 10:03 a.m. I got a call from J.L. who said he was a senior customer service consultant. He was courteous and insistent. He offered me a gift card several times to compensate me with the express intention of getting me to remove my review here on Google and at the BBB. He kept forcing the issue, cutting me off mid sentence and persisted. In the end I politely ended the conversation. Not a reputable business practice - trying to buy me off with a gift card from leaving a review of my interaction with their company.
-----------------------------------Here is the original review----------------------------
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ON THE APPLICATION YOU SIGN AWAY YOUR RIGHT TO LEAVE A NEGATIVE PUBLIC REVIEW REGARDLESS OF HOW YOUR EXPERIENCE GOES WITH THEM AFTER YOUR FIRST SIGNATURE ON THE APPLICATION.
This leaves the recipient, LEGALLY BOUND - to be unable to leave a negative review if, after signing the application, they have a poor experience and want to make it known publicly to safeguard others. The penalty is a $7500 fine for EACH infraction + Legal fees.
I caught this while I was filling out my application, queried it and it was confirmed by A.G. that this was in fact true. He voiced that its purpose was so that there would be no disparaging remarks.
I feel this is an UNFAIR BUSINESS PRACTICE. Once you sign up with them, you can NEVER speak ill of them publicly - NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO OR HOW THE EXPERIENCE IS FOR YOU AS THE CONSUMER. I will be reporting this to the Better Business Bureau as I feel this can catch an unwary consumer and leave them with no ability to safeguard others.
Here is the clause: Non Disparagement: You agree that you will not criticize, denigrate, or otherwise disparage FundMerica or any of its divisions, affiliates, or parent subsidiaries, predecessor and successor entities, and its past or present directors, officers, members, managers, shareholders, agents, servants, employees, and their respective assigns, heirs, successors, predecessors in interest, insures, adjustor's and attorneys (collectively FundMerica Parties) or any of their respective products, services, processes, policies, practices, standards of business conducts or areas of techniques of research in any way, provided. However nothing in this agreement shall prohibit you from testifying truthfully in compliance with any lawful subpoena or court order. Since the damages FundMerica parties would suffer if this section would be extremely difficult to calculate, you agree to immediately pay FundMerica the sum of $7500.00 for each violation (In addition to any fees and cost pursuant to this agreement) and in any addition to being subject to any injunctive relief to which FundMerica may be entitled to as a result of your breach.
Once you sign that application - (I have not signed it) - no matter how poorly your experience goes, you are not allowed to "criticize, denigrate, or otherwise disparage." It is essentially a GAG ORDER - signing away your right to communicate before they lend.
I do not feel that is a fair business practice.
Also - they asked me for my personal Social Security Number on a business loan application for an LLC. I don't feel that is correct.
In 30 years of doing business I've left 2 negative reviews - total. This review is my second. I feel this is unfair. To their credit, this text is on the application in bold, blue letters in the body of text with a bunch of other legal stuff. That said, I wonder how many people don't read or understand that signing that, totally limits their ability - EVER - to leave anything but a positive review after they sign that application.
Please just be aware of what you are signing. Does not seem like a fair business practice to me.
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