Monday, July 10, 2006
Current mood: annoyed

[this post includes replies that were received on MySpace]

While I was out of town, the bank terminated my Bedroom Bondage website’s merchant account on Friday — without warning.

For those who aren’t familiar with what that means, a merchant account is what a seller uses to accept Visa/Mastercard from customers.

I phoned them today and they said the content on my website was unacceptable. I pointed out that my content had not changed, and that it was the same as it was last year when they accepted my account. She didn’t reply to that. I asked her if their guidelines had changed. She didn’t reply to that. I pointed out that my customers paid (through them) to receive a certain product and as a seller didn’t I have a responsibility to those customers to provide to them the product they paid for? She didn’t reply to that. I mentioned this was rather sudden and couldn’t I have the standard 30-day notice before termination? She said no, this was immediate termination.

Another fun fact is that when a merchant account is closed, any money the bank has that belongs to the seller, is then held for 9 months “just in case” it’s needed for any refunds. So the income they recently collected for my site will now be in their hands for 9 months.

They told me I could clean up the site and then apply for reinstatement. I’ve decided not to do that. If they approved my content last year and now they’re telling me to delete some of it, who knows what more they’d make me delete a few months from now. Perhaps if I were just a generic business owner of some kind, I would do whatever my merchant bank wanted, but my websites have always reflected what I personally am into — they’re a slice of me — and I’m not up for symbolically cutting myself up and casting off some fingers and toes of who I am.

Like many other beleagured bondage sites these days, at the moment I’m looking into billing services offered in Europe. I do have an account with Verotel but I’m not sure I want to put all my eggs in one basket. We’ll see.

Now signing off,

The disgusting lady who’s into bondage and all that stuff (lol)

–Lorelei

9:18 AM - 17 Comments - 15 Kudos

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marDizzy

Not easy being you.
-m

Posted by marDizzy on Monday, July 10, 2006 at 9:26 AM

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Dark Minded Promotions™

That is so messed up. How dare they do that. In fact, i don’t think it is legal. What are you planning to do for your paid accounts now?

Posted by Dark Minded Promotions™ on Monday, July 10, 2006 at 9:34 AM

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Lorelei

This is very legal. For the past few years, many merchant banks have been doing this.

Legally they have the right to say what other companies they want to do business with and what sort of content they will accept.

Over the weekend some of my members’ accounts “got lost” because of this so I put them on a temporary manual membership. I don’t want people losing their favorite username just because my renewal system is messed up by this development at the moment.

Not sure what I’m gonna do yet. Will keep everyone informed.

Posted by Lorelei on Monday, July 10, 2006 at 9:43 AM

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Pete Puma

In my book, there is nothing worse than puritanical hypocrites! It’s obvious your bank is filled with these vermin. I’ve no doubt that if the banks books were to opened to the light of day, there would be represented those far worse than some tasteful (and quite alluring) bondage imagery. I’d wager that they are still customers and no doubt getting their asses kissed.
Why? They are big business. Trust me, the only “acceptable content” a bank is concerned with is the content of the green and folding stuff in their vaults.

Hank in there Lorelei!

Posted by Pete Puma on Monday, July 10, 2006 at 9:50 AM

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Charlzm

I understand that they can do what they like as a business, but I am disappointed nonetheless. I also understand the anger others feel about, but really, what can be done?

Move to another bank. No amount of cajoling will get them to reverse their decision, so best to move on.

Sad, though.

Posted by Charlzm on Monday, July 10, 2006 at 10:56 AM

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Chuck

This Stinks! Another fine example of Big Brother regulating personal stuff. You’d think you were some kind of anarchist. Which, by the way, I learned something two months ago from a member of another support group of mine. It seems that for every one agent investigating terrorism, 100 are investigating the sex industry, which I guess includes all of us. OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK! Chuck.

Posted by Chuck on Monday, July 10, 2006 at 12:27 PM

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Duct Tape Messiah

My sympathies,

Welcome to the new kinder, gentler, safer America of George W. Bush. Where we are free to express ourselves as the companies tell us to and exposing government spying on it’s own citizens is bad for us.

Posted by Duct Tape Messiah on Monday, July 10, 2006 at 1:00 PM

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John

.. width=”425″ height=”350″> src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/YyBjmeGD7ZE” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” width=”425″ height=”350″>..>

Posted by John on Thursday, July 13, 2006 at 12:00 AM

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Lorelei

Thanks for your thoughts :) Paypal does not permit any adult-oriented products — they drop-kicked me a coupla years ago.

In the current climate it’s become close to impossible for a bondage company to get any billing service within the U.S. We’re all being quietly shoved overseas. LOL :)

Posted by Lorelei on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 at 11:48 PM

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Donald

well that sucks. Effing bankers

Posted by Donald on Friday, July 14, 2006 at 1:56 PM

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WestBound

Holding on to the money “just in case” they have to pay someone back?. 9 months interest will net them a nice little profit from that lot. Money grabbing bastards!!!!

Chin up girl, we all appreciate how much you do for us bondage devotees and love you for it

Posted by WestBound on Friday, July 14, 2006 at 5:14 PM