On 12/23, I went to Instant Tax Service and applied for their "Holiday Loan", which I understood to be a type of (RAL), a loan based on the expected amount of my Income Tax Return. They advertised you could get "up to" $1,000, and as a single-mother of 2 small children (2 and 4) who made $20K in I figured at the least I would qualify for at least $500. Imagine my surprise when I was told I was approved for $100. The manager told me to come back with my last pay stub of the year and I may be able to get more money.
I rescheduled my appointment for 12/27. They attempted to keep my most recent pay stub. I told them "no" and told them to make a copy and I would provide the original at my next appointment. On 12/27, after waiting in their lobby for an hour or more, I was told their systems were down and they would call me when my check was ready. They pulled my file before I left and confirmed they had all the necessary documents. I heard nothing until 1/2, when I called to check, I was then told they did not have or had misplaced my most recent pay stub and was told to bring my pay stub and complete the process. I informed the man I was speaking with I was waiting on additional W-2s and would return when I had them.
On 1/25, I had a voice mail from the manager Sega, stating they had been trying to contact me in regards to a check they had for me, and she noticed I had additional wages and I needed to come back with all my W-2s. When I called back, I informed her of the previous situation and told her I was still waiting for another W-2. She then told me she had a $200 check for me for some other loan product they offered. I then asked her if I could just pay the $100 back in exchange for all my info as I was growing leery of the company in general and had seen many negative online articles about the company. She told me I had no choice because I had signed a contract with them. I ended the call and contacted H&R Block and asked if it was possible for them (Instant Tax) to tamper with my refund. I was told as long as they did not have my W-2s I had nothing to worry about.
I filed a complaint with the BBB on 1/26. On 2/06, I went to Jackson Hewitt and filed my taxes. On 2/8, Jackson Hewitt notified me my return had been rejected. On 2/9, I went to the local IRS office and found out that Instant Tax had already filed, with incorrect wages, and it had been deposited in an account. So, I filed an amended return with form 14039 (ID Theft form). I was told today, 4/2 that the ID theft department had just confirmed receipt of my documents on 3/31 and it could usually take up to 6 months to receive my refund. I have requested a tax advocate. Any help or information regarding how I can shut this place down or sue would be greatly appreciated.
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