Etowah valley?

[kentadel]

I want to go to credit card and dollar acceptance in my SS bays, and my original boxes are not big enough. Etowah gave me a quote of 3600 for a box with ten position switch, coinco, and x20 coin mech. Anyone have any advise? My original boxes are windtrax and are 7 1/2 wide by 9 1/4 tall. Suggestions appreciated!

 

[MEP001]

For what kind of advise are you looking? Recommendation on Etowah Valley boxes or another manufacturer, or whether or not you should do it at all?

 

[Shorco1]

For what kind of advise are you looking? Recommendation on Etowah Valley boxes or another manufacturer, or whether or not you should do it at all?

Why not give the gentleman all three.

 

[Ric]

I want to go to credit card and dollar acceptance in my SS bays, and my original boxes are not big enough. Etowah gave me a quote of 3600 for a box with ten position switch, coinco, and x20 coin mech. Anyone have any advise? My original boxes are windtrax and are 7 1/2 wide by 9 1/4 tall. Suggestions appreciated!

Can you fit the Etowah Valley quick pay timer in your existing box, then (if you feel the need to) mount a dollar bill acceptor in a box next to it? That would save you some $$

 

[ibspuds]

I installed Etowah system in 3 bays. Love it, love it, love it.... Customers like em as well. BUY THEM!!!

 

[lighthousecarwash]

My advice is spend the bucks and put them all in the same box. It looks better, less confusing for customers, and you will have a nice new upgrade that all the customers will notice and appreciate. My credit card acceptance just keeps getting better and better. The other benefit is the bill acceptors. Now if one of my changers goes down, I don't freak out like I used to. Jim's system works great and has numerous features that I couldn't get with anyone else. My system is state of the art compared to every other wash in town. Just my 2 cents!

Lighthouse.

 

[sparkey]

Etowah valley service is poor. They take forever to return your calls or emails if they ever do. Jim, the guy who owns the place is the only guy who knows anything about their systems. If Jim is out of town its almost like the business comes to a halt. There is no one else that can answer your questions, or take care of any issues you have.

That being said the equiptment is reliable and looks good. It is the cheapest way to get credit card acceptance in your bays that I know of. The only drawback is you have to use blue pay for the merchant services which I have found to be much more costly than some other providers I could have went with.

 

[kentadel]

Thanks, I guess I need to clarify. I was wandering if Etowah was the way to go, since a credit card reader will not fit in my boxes. I was not aware that I would be committed to blue pay for my merchant services provider. Would a washcard system be the same? I am getting a new guardian pay-station for my automatic and was told I have many choices for it, and was thinking of using RBS worldpay. As a newbie in credit/debit I am not well educated on what I can and cannot do. I think the timer may squeeze in, but also thought a new box would be a nice upgrade for my customers. Kent

 

[sparkey]

One other thing on Etowah Valley systems. The readers dial out to a long distance number. The system also makes long distance phone calls for system checks of some kind, so you end up with lots of long distance phone calls, even if no cards are swiped.

 

[pitzerwm]

Ibspuds, you should do a review for Etowah

 

[lighthousecarwash]

After the problems with BluePay this summer, Jim has established new merchant accounts. He has been working on setting the timer to call a number for the system checks, and then you can put whatever number you want in for the merchant account. If you find one with a toll free number, that would work, or if you want to use your local bank, you can do that. Right now, mine does dial long distance, but my bill have never been over $70 per month, even when it's been busy. So, to make a long story short....your not tied to BluePay anymore.

Lighthouse.

 

[sparkey]

I was told that you may be able to use a different merchant account if they had a specific type of system. I forget what he called it, some specific software version. It sounded like it was going to be a major hassle to get it to work. I would like to hear from someone who has actually acomplished this. I think Jim does this at his personal carwash for testing, but I would be surprised if anyone else in the field was able to get this to work. If anybody has got it to work I would like to hear from them as I would like to try it myself.

 

[captain cw]

I like my Etowah boxes. They are working on providing more options for processing.

 

[SHINEY2]

etowah card swipes

I have etowah vally boxes. Jim is great, the customer service from others there is very poor.

My customers allot of times have to swipe thier card mulitple times to get a read - and allot of times they simply wont read at all so the customer either leaves or pays with coin/cash. When this happens the digital display wont even show a card is being swiped, wont read "processing" or even "read error" so it obviously isnt reading what so ever at those times.

I clean the swipes every week, but it seems by mid day the swipes dont want to read. These are 6 months old, so age shouldnt be an issue.

It appears that early in the day they read with no problem. Has anyone else expierinced this - is there a cure?

 

[Eric H]

so you end up with lots of long distance phone calls, even if no cards are swiped.

Or you could get unlimited long distance service and forget about it. I forget the cost, and I'm too lazy to look it up right now, but it was very cheap for unlimited and the break even point vs paying per call was low.

 

[Eric H]

I clean the swipes every week, but it seems by mid day the swipes dont want to read. These are 6 months old, so age shouldnt be an issue.

It appears that early in the day they read with no problem. Has anyone else expierinced this - is there a cure?

I had some similar issues when I first started out, 3+ years ago. I changed my 25 year old 24 volt transformers to new ones from Kleen-Rite. http://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-3912-100-va-transformer.aspx
Seemed to resolve most of my issues.

Have you checked voltage and made sure that all of your bays are using the same phase? Are your swipes issolated from the faceplate using nylon screws?

 

[lighthousecarwash]

Mine have been in for a year now. I have never cleaned the bill acceptors or card swipes. I have never had any problems. I have replaced a couple of the beepers and had to send in a coin mech that someone tried to pry change out of, but that was it. They have been pretty much bullet proof. That said....tomorrow they will all blow up!



Lighthouse.

 

[SHINEY2]

i had some similar issues when i first started out, 3+ years ago. I changed my 25 year old 24 volt transformers to new ones from kleen-rite. http://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-3912-100-va-transformer.aspx
seemed to resolve most of my issues.

Have you checked voltage and made sure that all of your bays are using the same phase? Are your swipes issolated from the faceplate using nylon screws?

my building brand new [6 months old] and my pay boxes are all new and came pre assembled from etowah valley. So, i am guessing volts are the same but - i will check into that. I will also check for nylon screws - if they are not where would i get some?

 

[Eric H]

I will also check for nylon screws - if they are not where would i get some?

I got mine at the local hardware store. I'm lucky, I have an old time hardware store in town. It's the place that has at least one of everything and you just sign your name on a hand written charge slip and get a bill at the end of the month. Try that at the BORG.

THey look like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Machine-Bindi..._5?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1289041421&sr=1-5
But these are not the correct thread or length, just a pic so you know what you're looking for.

 

[Louise]

I called Jim at Etowah last week and left a message. I want to add c.c. to three self serve bays. He still hasn't called me back.

Is anyone's business THAT good these days, that they don't have to provide good service????