- Report: #840446
Complaint Review: Direct Express - Austin Texas
Reported By:
kickstand -
Srikan, Donmueang, Other, Thailand
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Direct Express
P.O. Box 81309 Austin, 78708 Texas, United States of America
Phone:
1-888-741-1115
Web:
http://www.usdirectexpress.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
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Direct Express COMERICA BANK changed my "direct deposit" before I got the card Austin, Texas
In late January I applied for the Social Security Direct Express Card. It seemed like a good idea. I use online banking and credit cards fluently and have lots of protective devices and tricks to keep safe on line, but I did not see this one coming.
The card is mailed like any debit or credit card. That is safe because after you receive it, you must call to "activate" it. This is a quote from the Social Security Direct Express website:
"You may start using your card as soon as you activate your card and receive your deposit to your card account (generally within 1 or 2 months from when your account is "ACTIVE")."
Now here is my complaint.
Comerica Bank/Direct Express received my social security benefits just days after I was enrolled in the program and weeks before I got my card in the mail. That left me with no money. None, for I do not know how long. Emails and calls to Social Security and Direct Express met with callused kids who suggest that I report the card missing. That would only lead to further delays. One stated that the changing of your direct deposit back to your Bank of Hawaii account will take 30 days. Another stated that they "don't have alot of money."
From my point of view the problem is with the lie that it will take "1 or 2 months" to get the direct deposit going to my Direct Express Card. I expected that to happen. As I see it, the problem can be easily fixed by Social Security/Direct Express/Comerica Bank (whatever that is). They need to do a bank transfer of my money back to my existing Bank of Hawaii account.
It is their mistake/lie. So they should be sympathetic and pay the transfer fee and try to understand my dilemma. I have no money! I am 65 years old and have no family. I cannot eat! And what bills I have, will go unpaid this month. Social Security has ruined my life. I am contacting the US Embassy today.
The card is mailed like any debit or credit card. That is safe because after you receive it, you must call to "activate" it. This is a quote from the Social Security Direct Express website:
"You may start using your card as soon as you activate your card and receive your deposit to your card account (generally within 1 or 2 months from when your account is "ACTIVE")."
Now here is my complaint.
Comerica Bank/Direct Express received my social security benefits just days after I was enrolled in the program and weeks before I got my card in the mail. That left me with no money. None, for I do not know how long. Emails and calls to Social Security and Direct Express met with callused kids who suggest that I report the card missing. That would only lead to further delays. One stated that the changing of your direct deposit back to your Bank of Hawaii account will take 30 days. Another stated that they "don't have alot of money."
From my point of view the problem is with the lie that it will take "1 or 2 months" to get the direct deposit going to my Direct Express Card. I expected that to happen. As I see it, the problem can be easily fixed by Social Security/Direct Express/Comerica Bank (whatever that is). They need to do a bank transfer of my money back to my existing Bank of Hawaii account.
It is their mistake/lie. So they should be sympathetic and pay the transfer fee and try to understand my dilemma. I have no money! I am 65 years old and have no family. I cannot eat! And what bills I have, will go unpaid this month. Social Security has ruined my life. I am contacting the US Embassy today.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
These Social Security accounts are too small to give much attention to
#2Author of original report
Mon, November 16, 2015
Direct Express debt card does not work for Expats! It seems like a good idea but beware. Two years ago I tried the Direct Express method of receiving Social Security benefits. It was a disaster! irect Express works with Comerica Bank. They changed my direct deposit four days after I opened the account. That meant that my money went into a bank account that I had no access to at all; no card had come in any way and Comerica account can not be accessed online. So I was left penniless for two months while we sorted out the mess.
As foolish as it sounds, I recently tried another go at Direct Express. The result was even worse. They agreed to send the new card via UPS. UPS got my card switched with another Expat living in Phenom Phen. It took two days to sort that out with UPS. Then I activated the new card by calling Direct Express. Then, curious about why my Social Sec payments were not being diverted from my stateside account, I visited the Direct Express website again, which by the way looks like it was put together by a ten year old! (the first thing you see after login is a banner for PayPerks a lottery) and there was two account numbers listed, not one! I called and the moron on the other end immediately CANCELLED the card that I was holding in my hand and ready to use, saying, "your new card has been mailed to you in regular US mail." I told her that I would never see that card and asked for a reason to cancel a perfectly good card that I held. She hung up on me.
Most of us know that Stateside mail to Cambodia is deplorable at best. There are many comments to that subject on this blog. So don't be fooled. Direct Express is not geared up to handle accounts for people living outside the US. Its website is childish and the only way to contact Direct Express is by phone and the people on the other end have zero training in customer service. I was told by one of them, "These Social Security accounts are too small to give much attention to."
