Complaint Review: Telecheck Or TRS Recovery Services

There has to be something that can be done to Telecheck or TRS Recovery Services for cutting off check writing privileges on innocent lawbiding citizens. I wrote a check to Walmart on March 25th for $17.19. I didn't think anything about it until a week later I tried to write another check to the same Walmart and it was rejected. I thought, surely there must be some one time glitch and forgot about.

Then, a couple of weeks later I started receiving these odd phone calls that said, "Out of Area" on the Caller ID and without a phone number. When I answered the phone, whoever it was, hung up as soon as I answered it. I was getting 4 to 5 of these per day. About a week after these phone calls started I got a notice from TRS Recovery Services. This notice was a Notice of Unpaid Electronic Fund Transfer saying I had an Electronic Fund Transfer that was refused by the Bank and I had to pay the $17.19 plus a $30 fee.

I called them immediately and confronted them with this issue. I told them that it was impossible for me to ever have a check refused, because I have all of my accounts linked and in case there ever was a problem or oversight it is covered. They told me, they have followed the entire transaction and the bank refused it. From that point, I got the same 4 to 5 phone calls a day for a couple of weeks. Sometimes, someone was there, other times, they hung up in my ear.

When I did talk to someone, they wanted me to resolve my problem. After a heated exchange with some young female, I was told that it was obvious I wasn't a reasonable person and she didn't have anymore time to deal with me. I told her right then, to never call me again. After telling several people to never call again, the phone calls stopped. I have not received another "Out Of Area" phone call again. So, that verifys that all of those hang ups were from them.

Right after I originally called TRS, I went to my bank. I thought they may have had some change of policy. I know the Customer Service Manager personally, so I went directly to him. I gave him the date, time, check number and the dollar amount. He accessed my account right from his desk and the Bank did not show that the check or fund transfer had ever even been presented for payment. He said, if they would have sent it, we would have been paid.

I came directly back home and called TRS Recovery Service again. They said, have the bank fax us a letter explaining the situation and as soon as we get the letter, we'll rerun the $17.19 and drop the returned check fee. I called the bank and gave the banker the fax and reference numbers. In a little while I received a copy of an email that he had sent TRS. I called TRS back and told them, they had all of the information. TRS informed me it will take 5 to 7 business days to get it processed and I should be cleared.

In the mean time, I am charging on my Discover card and building up my interest charges. A couple of weeks later, I figured plenty of time had past, so I went to Sam's Club and spent my usual $100. Again, my check was refused. I drove directly to the Walmart where I wrote the original check. I had the girl at Customer Service research and try to locate the problem from the store's side. She couldn't find any problems with my checking account or by entering my driver's license number. She said, she didn't know why I couldn't write a check and it should be fine. I told her, OK, let's go to a registrer and see if I can write a check. Sure enough, it was rejected.

She then, called Walmart's main check center department. She found that there is a problem, but there wasn't anything that she could do from there and that I needed to call Telecheck. As soon as I got back home, I called them, I was informed that my original check had been ran through again on May 7th and I was just in a waiting period for it to be cleared. That was on May 12th. Here it is on May 21st and the problem still exsist. I called TRS again a little while ago. As soon as the first agent started giving me that same run around I asked to speak to a supervisor.

After reviewing my issues, the supervisor told me, they could not find the fax from the bank and that I needed to have the bank fax them a letter again. I know the banker faxed it, because he sent me a copy of the letter. I have wasted over a month and and am being lead in circles. I told the supervisor, you know, I can sue your company and very easily win. I am 100% innocent of anything. I never wrote a bad check nor did I do anything wrong. This whole problem boils down to some glitch in some computer somewhere in TRS and I am not responsible.

Sure, I could have paid the $30 and could have made this go away a long time ago, but by me paying that, I am agreeing that I was at fault. I'm not and hell will freeze over before I ever commit to paying them a penny. That is reality. I should sue them for the harrassing phone calls, the lost interest on my credit cards and the pure mental anquish I have had in dealing with them. They need to be held accountable for all of the crap they put on totally innocent people. I have never been found guilty of any crimes other than traffic violations. I have a total clean record and I consider what they are putting me through as a crime. They need to suffer the concequences and If I have anything to say about it, they will.

RobNRichmondTX
Richmond, Texas
U.S.A.