Complaint Review: H & R Block - Nationwide

Sometime around the end of December I received a copy of Taxcut Deluxe + State 2006. I installed it on 1/25/2006 without any issues except that I had to purchase an activation key for it. On 1/27/2006 I purchased the H&R Block Taxcut software online for $29.95. This was the 4th year in a row I had done this. This is where the fun ensues.

I receive my confirmation email as usual and begin my taxes. Nothing out of the ordinary until I finish my federal portion and get to the state portion. My state is listed in the information indicating it was installed. I go to start the state portion and it asks for a registration key. I thought, thats strange it would ask for that a 2nd time. I put in the key I received for the federal portion and it tells me it is invalid.

This just befuddles me, however I seemed to remember that in the past they require you to purchase the parts separately except for certain versions that you paid more for. I believed that this was one of those copies due to the misleading title. However, it is not the case despite that I received an email on 1/28/2006 which also stated, "Just pop in the CD we mailed to you in December, and follow the prompts to activate your TaxCut Deluxe federal software, plus one state program, for only $29.95 (a $50 value)."

I played around with it for a couple days without any luck. I then decided that it was something additional I had to purchase. I followed the link provided by the disk and purchase my state software for $26.74 (due to tax)on 1/30/2006. Immediately I notice that my invoice that came up did not have a serial # or activation key. Actually it said "NONE" for my activation key. Oddly enough, that didn't work... I did not receive my confirmation email right away which I also thought was odd. However, since the internet can be a fickle environment for transferring data, I just figured it had gotten caught up somewhere. On either 1/31 or 2/1 I filed a claim in the Taxcut support page. Now it was time for the waiting game.

Finally on 2/5 @ 1:44 am I received my response. I am elated, finally I will be able to get my taxes taken care of, I'm getting money back! The following is what I received back.

If you no longer have your confirmation e-mail, you can access the information contained in the email by requesting a copy of your invoice. To receive a copy of your invoice, enter your order number or e-mail address in our Invoice Lookup Tool.

Your invoice can be used as a substitute for your confirmation e-mail when submitting rebates.

Well, oddly enough even though I advised them that my federal activation ID did not work for activating the state they were still referencing the email. The service rep did not include the link to go to their invoice lookup tool page. I even tried browsing their site for an hour to find the invoice lookup page which I never found. Since that was the only email I received, I reply to them to get more information that same day. I also mentioned that I had not received a state email once more.

On 2/9, this time at midnight was my next response. They provide me with the link to the invoice lookup which I performed right away. I also notice that they failed to mention anything about me not receiving an email after purchasing the state software. I figured it wasn't too much of an issue if this works. I performed the lookup, and just as the invoice I printed when I purchased it, it said NONE for my key and NONE for my serial #.

I respond back starting to get upset, but maintaining my anger. As I now am noticing that they have not fully been reading my emails. I respond with a fairly short reply. I told them that I had received NONE for my activation code again as I had when I originally purchased the state copy. I ask them where on the link they can show me where it is from. I then copy and paste the particular pages from the invoice page into the email.

This is the address for their invoice lookup tool... store.taxcut.com/dr/cs/ec_main.entry11

sp=10340&pn=10&xid=1478

On 2/13 I get the response back from their support once more. The email starts off better saying he hunderstands where I need to get my unlock code. However this was just a trap to lure me into false hope. It says:

You can find your key code in the following three places:

On the confirmation page that displays after you complete your order for a TaxCut Premium State program;

In the confirmation e-mail you receive after you've placed your order; or

The Invoice Lookup Tool on our Web site.

Now I'm getting very frustrated. Another person who has not fully read my email. I'm noticing by the way they word the emails that these are different people. I thought, maybe they fixed my invoice or patched the software so I try those to options. I try the software part first, it patches and still the same problem. Asking for a key and the federal one does not work. The invoice comes up the same when I check that as well. Now I'm sitting with software that doesn't allow me to use it fully. Note the software cost me $56.69 for what they stated cost $29.95 ($50 value).

I responded to them with 3 bullets. 1) I did not receive a confirmation email after my state copy. 2) The invoice lookup show I purchased the software with NO key listed. I also listed the invoice below that in my response. 3) I restated that the Invoice page showed I had NO key listed. I also added a paragraph after that that stated I would report the incident to the BBB and that this was the 4th response. I cc'd the email to a claim representitive I had in my address book from a previous years issue. She had been very helpful with quick responses and hoped she could provide some insight.

She responded saying that she worked at 1 of the 3 support centers for H & R Block and that it wasn't her company that had provided the support. They were a company contracted to help with the support. She also stated the other 2 centers were the actual H & R Block support site. She would not be able to help as her company has no access to their tickets.

I'm frustrated with more to come!

Douglas

Minneapolis, Minnesota
U.S.A.

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