Blue Dog Business Services

Blue Dog Business Services

 3.8/5 (100 reviews)

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Overall Rating3.8 out of 5
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About Blue Dog Business Services

Blue Dog Business Services (BlueDog) is more than a payment processor. We aim to be the best friend to your business. Our name comes from the blue stuffed dog our CEO's son relied on when things got tough. That's the relationship BlueDog wants with our customers. To be an advisor, someone to rely on in your most desperate time of need. Your company’s best friend.

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Page 1 Reviews 0 - 10
Verified Reviewer
Original review: April 11, 2020

The last year has been and ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE dealing with Bluedog as my website's credit card processor. The representative who setup my account was incredibly vague about everything, failed to communicate crucial account information, did not setup an account to view transaction statements, and became impossible to get ahold of after setting up the account. The only reason I even found out about the statement viewing website was from a customer service representative during one of my many phone calls asking for assistance.

They provide no assistance or guidance for combating fraudulent charge backs, and froze my account on multiple occasions (for 5 days at one point!) because a high dollar transaction took place and was deemed "risky". This not only cost me a large margin sale, but multiple days of down time due to being unable to process payment. Nobody at bluedog offered assistance with this and I had to deal directly with First American each time.

They also apparently charge whatever percentage they feel per statement. The information told to me by my representative, and shown on the documentation signed never equated to the seemingly random percentages I would be charged each month, eating deeply into profit margins. No matter who I got ahold of, or how many times I signed new documents "guaranteeing" set processing fees/ rates, nothing ever changed.

Even now, when I am attempting to close my account, it has taken almost 2 months. I was told all of my accounts would be closed, continued to be charged monthly fees, and when I asked why I was told they had only closed 1 account. They have now closed both accounts and I was suddenly charged just shy of $600 with no notice or explanation as to why. Terrible company, absolutely would not recommend.

Blue Dog Business Services response

Vincent, I can't seem to locate an account with your email. Can you email us at support@bluedog.co or call us (888) 565-4364? We will help resolve any issues that you may be experiencing. Our apologies for any challenges, but we pride ourselves on support, so please reach out to us asap.

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Customer increased Rating by 3 stars!
Verified Reviewer
Resolution response: April 2, 2020

A Manager from Blue Dog reached out. Was sincere and apologetic. Actually took the time to hear me out and said he wished he would have been made aware of the issues sooner and it would not have gone this far. Offered a refund which I am awaiting.

Original review: March 2, 2020

Dealing with Blue Dog has been a NIGHTMARE!!! DO NOT use their services! I have been in business for 7 years and this is by far the most frustrating experience I've ever had! They promised a lot and delivered nothing but have not stopped stealing money from me since! They could NOT do what their Sales Rep "promised' to do in order to get me to sign up. The Sales Rep promised to save me money and it that it wouldn't require any IT work on my end. "10 minutes of my time and start saving" I believe is the quote. DON'T fall for it!!! They were not able to set up processing even after a lot of frustration and hard work on my end including paying someone to do the "IT work" which I was told by Bluedog I would not be required to do! I even spoke with an upper level Manager who said they would be happy to waive any fees associated with this debacle and I thought we were done and I asked that my Account be closed.

I just found out from my Accountant that Bluedog has been stealing between $45.55 - $60 per month from my business account for "NOT PROCESSING" payments for me and a $99 Annual fee!!! This is for "NOT" processing payments, just try to imagine what they would charge to actually process! This is the most disreputable company I've ever dealt with in my life!!! I was willing to let all the deception go if they would just cancel my account, which I mistakenly thought was the end of this but found out from my Accountant today that they are still drawing money from my bank Account. DO NOT sign any agreements with this Company!

Blue Dog Business Services response

Wow, this is terrible to see and we're sorry to hear about your experience. We pride ourselves on top-notch service and support. I can' t find an account with your profile. Can you email support@bluedog.co and we'll immediately look into the issue and get in contact with you?

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    Customer increased Rating by 2 stars!
    Verified Reviewer
    Resolution response: April 3, 2020

    Problem has been resolved.

    Original review: Feb. 27, 2020

    The absolute worst company to work with ever. Look at all the one star reviews below mine. I own three different businesses. All three have different card processors. These guys have no clue what customer service is. I was told it would take 7 days to get my fees refunded for a charge they refused to let go through even though they talked to my client on the phone. We are now at over 3 weeks (I have emails to prove it). Every time I call to check on it, same answer. It is still processing.... Such a joke. Several emails to Melissa, unanswered. One of my other processors refunded fees without me even asking within 24 hrs.

    Ask to talk to a supervisor, never available. I was told one would call me back the next day, 10 days later, no call. They are great at taking your money but if they have to give you back even a penny, watch out! I could write page after page but I don't have room. You have sooo many other options, pick any other processor besides Blue Dog, trust me. They hold you hostage with a 3 year contract and a $500 termination fee??!!!! That is insane. Most companies have no contract and will do month to month with zero termination fee.

    These guys are the dinosaur of the industry, they have no idea how to keep up with their competition. Here's an idea, have great customer service and your customers will CHOOSE to stay with you NOT be FORCED to be a customer by a ridiculous $500 termination fee. Good customer service is NOT talking friendly on the phone. It is the actions of the company that portray good customer service. Talk is cheap and they have plenty of it.

    Blue Dog Business Services response

    We sincerely apologize if you were not receiving the support that we've come to be known for in this industry. Sometimes refunds can take more days than expected depending on the day it was submitted, but it should never take longer than 5 days. We will be in touch shortly to confirm everything has been refunded to you.

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    Customer increased Rating by 3 stars!
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    Verified Reviewer
    Resolution response: Feb. 22, 2020

    Blue Dog has been working with me and while we are still working, They have gone way beyond my expectations. Andrew and David have been great, I will 100% support them. I'm very grateful for what they have been doing and still doing.

    Original review: Jan. 10, 2020

    While they have been a good processor when dealing with sales and getting help with POS systems the first line of people I dealt with were a total fail. No stars quality, rude and had a matter of fact attitude. I would keep calling to get an answer they said they would give me and would get nothing. I asked for the Manager and he was a Jack a, they finally got me to my original sales guy and he helped me as I expected. I bought the system but after that, it has been quiet, where is it? I finally got an email saying it will be there no later than the 9th. Today On 10th I get an email saying, "Your package has been scheduled to ship today, it is expected to be delivered on the 13th." Not good as we are doing inventory this weekend and now it will not be going on the new system but I have the people here to do it now. So we now do it on an old system but it will not convert to the new. 2x the labor. I based my schedule and others on the information given a week ago.

    Blue Dog Business Services response

    Michael, thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. I am happy to see our service has been good for your business, but I am very sorry that our support hasn't lived up to our reputation. One of our Operations leaders will call you shortly to resolve the issue. Again, thank you for your business and we'll work hard to regain your trust.

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    Customer increased Rating by 4 stars!
    Verified Reviewer
    Resolution response: Nov. 7, 2019

    I had a bad experience with CC processing at Blue Dog, but Jonathan went above and beyond to take care of my situation. He explained my situation to the powers that be and got the cancellation fee waived. Thanks Jonathan.

    Original review: Oct. 5, 2019

    They started off by committing coercion by insisting that I deliver my product to the customer first before they would release the funds to me! Can you imagine ordering something online and paying for it after you receive it? They made me wait months to get paid because they thought that is the way I should run my business. They left such a bad taste in my mouth that I decided to stop taking credit cards online. Then they stole $495 from me for early termination fee!!! Stay very far away from this thieving company.

    Blue Dog Business Services response

    We're very sorry to see this review and apologize if you had an issue with our service. I believe there is a clear misunderstanding about accepting credit cards that we'd like the opportunity to discuss with you. I am able to see an account and there appears to be a misunderstanding with the fees. We'll call you first thing in the morning to resolve any outstanding issues.

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    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: Oct. 4, 2019

    Their service is excellent. HOWEVER, I was paying over $80.00 a month for all the years I was with them just for the privilege of doing business with them. PLUS the additional % fee for each transaction. Then the WORST! When I canceled their services they charged me a #495.00 Termination fee. Better check the fine print. I canceled in September and YES, It's October and guess what? Yes, another $66.95 charge??? For What! NO SERVICES WERE PROVIDED! I'M now using Intuit, QuickBooks Online. I am only charged a % fee for each transaction, NO MONTHLY FEE WHATSOEVER! I have been throwing away almost $1,000.00 a year for several years to these guys! WOW! Was I stupid or what?

    Ron ** Global American Enterprises Inc. Vero, Beach Florida

    Blue Dog Business Services response

    Thank you for leaving a review. We're thrilled to hear that you like our service, but disappointed that the fee structure didn't work for you. We have many programs including no fee programs. It's possible we just need to move you to a different program and can work with you to find the best solution. If you still want to close, we can work with you on that too, because we certainly don't want to have you paying more with us and can work through the closure. Thanks again

    2 people found this review helpful
    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: Aug. 6, 2019

    Blue Dog seemed like a good company to do business with. I signed up to use them as an online payment processor. Soon I discovered additional fees in excess of $45 I was being charged by "First View" (i.e., Blue Dog). The charges showed up in my account as Gateway Payment Services. It took some work to figure out what was going on. The initial fees that I agreed to were only for the Authorize.net account they signed me up for. These new First View fees were from Blue Dog and I never agreed to these fees. They are very sneaky about the way they do business. I decided to close my account and request a refund. They then told me I would be charged a $495 early cancellation fee! After much discussion, they waived the ridiculous fee and refunded my charges.

    However, I soon got another charge from them so I was back on the phone again. Despite having closed my account TWICE I was just charged AGAIN for the month of August (a full $45 again) and they refuse to reply to my emails now. My advice? Stay far away from Blue Dog Business Services unless you like having money stolen from your account and being threatened with astronomical fees.

    Blue Dog Business Services response

    Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. While we always strive for a 5-star review, we do value anything less as it gives us a chance to either fix an issue we are unaware of or learn from something, so we can do better in the future. I was not able to find an account with us (current or past) from the name or email used in this review. If you can email support@bluedog.co with your account name we can immediately look into the issue and resolve your concerns.

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    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: July 10, 2019

    We started working with Blue Dog when we opened our small business 4 years ago. Credit cards were processed appropriately and their bills were deducted from our checking account like clockwork. (I would give them 3 stars for this service.) This year we found a different merchant services provider who 1) does great education about fees. 2) Sends a monthly paper summary with all fees explicitly detailed. 3) Has easy to contact phone support. 4) Saves us about $600 dollars on fees per year on top of the superior service. So we canceled Blue Dog (we thought--but they have auto-renew contracts). I learned today if we break the contract we get hit with a $495 early cancellation fee now or if we wait 'til our auto-renewal date we will pay $467 dollars in our monthly "service" fees (they are doing nothing for us now, just taking our money). All this fine print is frustrating for a small business owner.

    Blue Dog Business Services response

    We'd like to thank you for 4 years or service and appreciate your business. Regarding closing your account, what you're referencing is not the norm. We can't locate an account w/ the email used for this review. Please email us and we'll immediately look at your account and reach out to you for a quick resolution. Regarding support and statements, we'd love your feedback when we speak, because we put our support number on the statement, on our site and other places (we're 24/7/365)

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    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: Feb. 7, 2019

    The cash discount program from Blue Dog helps small business like mine, Barbershop Salon cut my fees to virtually nothing. Instead of going cash-only this alternative saves my clients time and fees from going to an ATM machine and is a win-win for both me and my clients.

    Blue Dog Business Services response

    Thank you for the review and we're so glad we could help your business!

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    Verified Reviewer
    Original review: Jan. 25, 2019

    When I first started with Blue Dog everything was wonderful. The got my account setup explained everything and I was off to the races. 1 year goes by. My business is small and sometimes it's feast or famine, well specifically in Dec 2018 I was waiting on a payment from the Gov for a contract I was awarded by them. Well as you know Dec 2018 the Gov shut down. I waited 5 weeks for this payment. Finally, the individual in charge of paying me called and said, "Alright your payment has been released. Process my credit card." So, what did I do? I keyed in the charge hit process and everything was good. Until! The next day I received a phone call from them saying that they were reversing my payment since it was not firearm related. Of course, to my surprise! My business is very broad in all the products I sell and produce in my shop.

    According to the account managers, no business can sell more than one type of product, in their words "that's not how it works." I ask, what is there I can do, I've been waiting for this payment, I have Bills to pay, I'd like this to no longer be delayed. They tell me, "Send us the invoice with the customer's info, we'll call them, confirm and you'll be good to go!" I say, "Ok, of course." At this point I had used some pretty vulgar language because they are literally trying to take money out if my pocket because of some ** that no business can sell multiple products. Well, my customer confirms the purchase, and I get a call back.

    When I started talking to them all of the sudden, it has nothing to do with products anymore, now they will not fund the account because my business is too small and I don't keep enough money in my business account, so allowing me to get paid is apparently doing bad business for them. Obviously I'm furious at this point, but to no avail my payment was reversed and I will never use their service again. P.S. I'm not sure how small businesses grow if they can't make big sales to support growth? Weird concept.

    Blue Dog Business Services response

    I am very sorry to hear about your experience with us. We strive hard to help our customer's process payments as effectively and safely as possible while being very mindful to costs. This situation sounds like something that can be resolved, however, when we set up an account there is a business type and if something is drastically different it could cause problems. Please email us and we can help resolve the issue.

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    BlueDog author review by Beverly Harzog

    Blue Dog Business Services was founded in 2010 to help make complex business products simpler. With comprehensive, easy ways to handle payment processing, Blue Dog puts customer service at the heart of its business model.

    • No need for a middleman: Blue Dog works directly with the consumer to deliver comprehensive, transparent statements.

    • Next day funding: Blue Dog’s processing solutions offer next day funding on all card types.

    • Mobile solutions: Blue Dog offers mobile solutions, so vendors can take payments from anywhere. Their card swipers and signature software work with many different phone types.

    • Analytics: Blue Dog Reporting and Blue Dog Insights allows consumers to monitor their merchant statements and view their business analytics respectively.

    • Emphasis on customer service: Blue Dog has built its reputation on customer service. With an emphasis on local, regional and national support, Blue Dog remains committed to customer support at all hours.

    by Beverly Harzog Credit Cards Advisor

    Beverly Harzog is a nationally-recognized credit card expert, consumer advocate and author. She’s appeared on Fox News, CNN Newsource, NBC New York and more. Her advice has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Money Magazine, CNNMoney.com, The New York Times, Kiplinger, Real Simple, Time.com, Family Circle and much more.

    Blue Dog Business Services Company Information

    Company Name:
    BlueDog
    Company Type:
    Private
    Year Founded:
    2010
    Address:
    1701 Highway A1A, Ste. 220
    City:
    Vero Beach
    State/Province:
    FL
    Postal Code:
    32963
    Country:
    United States
    Fax:
    888-248-3450
    Website:
    yourbluedog.com