Sunday, February 15, 2009

H&R has blown it (RANT WARNING)

I just had the worst experience, ever with H&R Block. Like many people I am doing my taxes, and being that my budget is tight this year I am doing my taxes myself online with H&R Block, when I found I needed the AGI (adjusted gross income for a past tax year. Unfortunately I had to box up a lot of my paperwork recently and I can't find it.

Never fear, I though, I use H&R Block, and I paid $326 last year to have my taxes filed (that was just the fee not what I owed), and the IRS doesn't work on the weekend, so I figured I could call "my personal tax professional" and see if he could help me. I should have know this would be a problem finding him because I didn't know how to spell his name. No problem the H&R Block website lets you look up your tax information if your are a customer, so I plug in my customer information and it tells me that it doesn't know who I am, and that it has no record of me. No record of me!? I paid $326 for them not to have a record of me when I need to look up my tax professional?

So, I figured if I call H&R Block Customer Support they surely will be able to grab my records and at the very least tell me what office, and tax professional filed my taxes. After waiting on hold for a while, a voice finally cuts in and asks what I want. In a tone as if to say I am inconveniencing her. So I explain the situation, and she says, no problem we can have you pick up a copy of your taxes for ~$60. I was livid, you mean I payed over $300 for you guys to prepare my taxes and your site doesn't recognize me as a customer and you want to charge me to tell my one number from my tax return. After a second or to I calmed down, and I could tell she was starting to get irritated that she had to try to help me, or maybe she was just irritated that she actually had to work.

So I tried to made it easy for her and asked if she could find the person or office that prepared my taxes, "oh yes now that's something I can help you with." she bitchily stated. I though oh good, at least if I talk to who did my taxes they surely would remember me as a customer and want to help. Oh, did I mention that when they filed my returns last year, they messed up and it was only when I called them and pointed out that I didn't get my refund, that they found the error and amended it. With no real apology.

So back to the problem at hand. She makes me wait a minute or so more then asks for my social. After another minute she says that she is locked out also and for me to have a good day and tries to hang up on me, but I won't let her. I continue talking, irritated she starts trying to blame me, telling me its all my fault. I tell her yes, your right it is my fault for choosing H&R Block.

I was done with this BS. I politely told her that this is the reason so many people don't come back to H&R, and that its really pathetic that they can't do the simplest of tasks right. I ask her to make a formal complaint. I then also asked if she has a supervisor, she says yes you can call back and talk to him if you want, CALL BACK? I said why can't you transfer me? She said there were no supervisors on duty. Begrudgingly she told me her name was Vanisha. So who knows what hoops I will have to jump though, however H&R Block Customer Support Operator Vanisha has successfully put my over the edge and I am done with H&R block. I couldn't help but laugh at her attitude and bitchy babble as I was hanging up on her.

Sound off what would you have done?
Click here to voice your opinion or leave a comment.

Ohh so now I am doing them with TourboTax online and all is going smooth! :)