The issue with which I would like to include the media involves my recent encounters with H&R Block and affiliated banks.
The reason for which I would like my story to be heard is not only because this incidence has crippled my wife and I financially, but also to alert others that this could also happen to them.
My wife is from New Zealand and we are in the final stages of filing her paperwork to adjust her residency status from temporary to permanent status.
Immigration often requires duplicates of all tax documents reflecting our combined income, so to assure that my tax documentation appears accurately in great detail I chose last year to use H&R Block.
They provide tax-filing packets that document in great detail all tax information for that year.
This year I chose to use them again for that reason and also because of an additional service that they provide called an anticipated refund.
An anticipated refund is basically a loan based on the total anticipated tax refund. The bank cuts a check equal to the amount that the IRS owes to the applicant.
We used this service last year as well and it proved to be well worth the extra fee. This option allows one to receive their refund within 1-2 days.
After supplying all necessary tax documentation and sitting with an H&R Block representative for approximately forty-five minutes on Saturday 28 we had successfully filed our taxes with little effort.
Upon the completion of filing we were offered a service, which allows one to receive their refund the same day it is filed. It involved a brief credit check.
At the time my wife and I were somewhat desperate to get our refund so we agreed to let the representative check out our options. The approval came back allowing a third of the refund to be disbursed the same day as filing and a check for the remaining balance a few days later.
I had no concerns about receiving the full refund in 1-2 days so I refused this option. The point is that I actually qualified to receive partial refund upfront.
After stating that I wanted to continue on with the anticipated 1-2 day refund option my wife and I were told to check back in two days and that a printed tax refund check would be available for pick up.
One day after filing I received this message in an email.
Dear BOBBY J,
The IRS has received and accepted your tax return. Your check has been printed and is available for pick up at DENTON CROSSING 1400 LOOP 288, BLDG 3, STE 300 DENTON TX 76205,940-382-7652.
Thanks for using H&R Block.
*do not respond to this e-mail*
After receiving this message I arrived at H&R Block to retrieve my check. I was quite surprised that it was ready in only one day. Last year it took the full two days to process.
Upon entering the office I gave the H&R Block clerk my name and drivers license to obtain my check. The clerk could not locate my check and suggested that perhaps the email had been sent before the check had actually been delivered to their location. I told her that it was of no concern to me that I had originally been told two days.
I thanked her and told her that I would return in two days.
On Tuesday, January 31 I called before returning to H&R Block so that my trip would not be wasted if the check had not yet arrived.
To keep this story as short as possible I will not include the rudeness that I encountered over the phone when inquiring about my check.
When giving the gentleman on the phone my information he took a moment attempting to locate my check and quickly stated that there was not a printed check for me on file.
After stating that there was not a check for me on file he said wait a second and paused. He then stated that according to the computer I had a debt with the bank and they had decided to keep my refund.
I became utterly confused and asked what he meant by saying that I owed the bank money. I asked to what the he was referring. He said that he did not know to what bank I owed money and that it was my private information to which he did not have access.
Apparently the SAME bank that processed this (loan) anticipated refund to which I allegedly owed money had no name because of privacy issues meant to protect me. My money had been taken without my knowledge as to why or by whom yet I was being protected by not being told who had held my check.
I was simply told the bank was the interceptor of my tax refund.
After pulling teeth over the phone with this representative I asked him if there was anyone that I could contact regarding this matter.
He provided me with a phone number that when called would allow one to leave a message or page this unknown number. When attempting to leave a message after three seconds I was disconnected.
After calling a second time I received the same results.
At this point I decided to go and speak with this representative in person as well as with the representative who had originally filed my taxes.
When entering H&R Block, the gentleman that had filed my taxes just a few days before greeted me with a smile. He remembered my name and began to search the filing cabinet for my check, but as he was searching I explained the situation as well as the conversation in which I had participated with the other representative.
He looked very confused and said that there was no reason for which my check should not be there. He stated his remembrance of us qualifying for partial refund upfront so if we actually owed any money we would not have been approved.
He called for assistance due to his great confusion. The gentleman upon whom he called for assistance was the individual that I had spoken to just moments before driving to H&R Block.
He told the confused clerk that he had already told me the situation over the phone and that there would be no refund check issued to me because the bank held the check as payment for a past debt.
I danced in a circle with the clerk once again asking him to what bank he was referring but still he could not provide me with any information.
I asked again for contact information for anyone that could talk to me regarding this matter, and told him the number he had given me before was faulty. He gave me another number and I exited the building to call and hopefully get to the bottom of this madness.
The number took me to a third party service which provides nothing more than status checks in regard to the IRS depositing refund. The automated service provided only options regard IRS deposit status, which had absolutely nothing to do with my situation.
At this point my wife was in tears and my whole body was shaking so I chose to not re-enter the H&R Block building.
That is where the encounter temporarily ended. I am still in the dark with no idea as to where my money has gone or who took it. All I know at this point is that an H&R Block representative informed me that the bank due to a past debt has held my tax refund check. What bank? I have no idea, and no one can tell me.
Perhaps I should call someone to inquire about a solution to this problem. The problem is that the only number anyone is willing to give as a line for a potential solution goes to a third party company offering services entirely unrelated to my case.
I appreciate any input or suggestions that you might have in assiting me on getting this episode to the public. I greatly appreciate your time and considerations.
Bobby
Denton, Texas
U.S.A.
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