This is Ankit Anubhav here. I founded a website called www.breakuphelpline.com. It is a website that helps people get over their exes by speaking to to an unkown person who is ready to listen to your problem and give you an honest opinion on it.
How did i stumble upon this idea ? Well unless we have a problem, we dont have a solution.Had a heart break and took it too seriously and happy to run a forum where people with an heart ache can be helped.
We have had a dream run in the past with getting covered all across on the media but sadly there is huge disconnect between the people who appreciate the idea and the ones who help you implement it and make it a business.
After launching www.breakuphelpline.com , a year later after consolidating we thought of revamping the site and adding a payment gateway so that it is easier for customers to transact. Beacuse our’s is a online counselling service and selling an intangible product people do take time to transact. Till now we have been operating by asking people to transfer money to our account via NEFT. So we thought lets speak to a few and get it sorted. But its been nine months and we are still struggling to get a payment gateway. Below is our story on what a roller-coaster ride we have been going through.
My first meeting was with Times Money whose executives had no clue as what they were talking about. They kept on reassuring me that we are on board and after 4 months of mail exchanges they stopped taking our calls.
Learning a lesson from this episode i kept all the documents and queries ready generally asked by payment gateways.
Next i meet someone from PayU, absolutely enthusiastic and says in the first meeting that you are on board as you have submitted all documents as required. Two days later i get a call from him and he says he is sorry but we can’t be on board as the compliances team has rejected our claim. I call up the compliance team, a stern sounding lady picks up and says “Your business is not profitable and you cannot be on board”. I tried telling her how the business runs and she said we cannot give an answer to it.
One of my friends suggested CC avenue, India’s largest payment gateway. Once you drop in a mail to them they call you and verify the details asking every nook and bit about your company. And then ask you to mail the same to them. I mailed them the same information 7 times as every time a new customer executive would ask me about the information. Then they finally say that online counselling is not a tangible product so we cannot have you on board.
This was an experience of a lifetime so i decided to approach the banks directly for the details. HDFC bank, India’s largest payment gateway provider loved the idea but says thay you have to meet three requirements ” 1) Company to be operational for more than 2 yrs. 2) Annual Turnover of more than 50 lakhs 3) Else pay a deposit of 4 lakhs and get the payment gateway”
Its kinda bizarre when India Inc talks so big about letting people start their own businesses but unless you support them how would we progress to the 50 lakh barrier for instance.
For all those who might think that we are pushing an arrow into the dark. We have been covered on almost every notable newspaper and magazine. Non of our customers have ever put up a complaint online and 100% customer satisfaction. But ya that doesn’t matter, there are rules and till the banks don’t create a window for allowing a service like this we are stuck in a black hole.
So do intangible products like ours gets a thumbsup from the Indian banks in future or not is a big question as in the west this is a booming business model.
To give you a background about the company –
A heartbreak is always hard, no matter how many times you have one, or how careful you are and stay aloof. You can pretend to the world that you are ok but inside, you know, you are terrible. And in such terrible times, would you go offline and do something to take your mind off? Breakuphelpline will hear you out, not once, not twice but as long as you need them to. “Our experts will listen to you and advice you on how to move on without being bitter!” – yourstory.in
It would be great if we can be helped on this and paypal doesnt make sense for indian sellers.