H&R Block

I had the worst experience with H&R Block, the worst experience I’ve had with a business in a very long time.
1. They filed my taxes in 2011. According to them, I owed $ 450 to state and $ 340 to the IRS.
2. The IRS and the NY State reached out to them regarding errors in filing, and asked for them to refile for said year on my account.
3. H&R Block never contacted me or alerted me to said misfile.
4. Fast forward two year later– in fall of 2013, I receive a letter for the IRS. I was mid– move and lucky that I received the mail at all. The IRS said that I was due a refund as they had received a check for $ 340, but technically had no filing for me for 2011.
5. I call H&R Block Customer Service and they quickly set me off to an appointment in-​store. I get to said store and they can not do anything to help me, to contact customer service as only they can handle the issue. I then go to the IRS office myself and only then do I find out that it was a misfile error on H&R Block’s part. The IRS advises me to contact state as the error was probably on both ends.
6. I contact NY State Tax, and low and behold, they do not have a correct filing on record for my 2011 return.
7. With this news, I call H&R Block Customer Service, who again tries to set me up with an in-​store appointment… sick of the Hollywood Shuffle, I ask them to file an E-​claim for me regarding getting a refund of my prep fee from 2011. They said they can’t issue refunds themselves but can put in a claim that will take 4 – 6 business weeks to process.
8. 4… to 6 business weeks to process. For a mistake on their part, that they never notified me about. I would’ve lost $ 900 in mispayments to the government had I not received a letter from the IRS directly (there is a 3 year window to claim government refunds) — and no accountability to boot from the H&R Block team.
9. Never, ever going back. Run. Run, as fast as you can.
It turns out that H&R Block runs on a localized, commission based system, so that practically anyone can secure a license and then do your taxes. Since the boroughs are local, H&R Block then takes no responsibility for refunds for errors in filing a consumer return, as there isn’t a nationwide, systematic network for said errors. They have a «Peace of Mind» credit but the loophole for getting a refund that way is you must report documentation to them within 30 days of receiving any notification of an error– as opposed to the IRS’ notification which says you have a window of 3 years.
Appalling and unethical.

I had a horrible customer service experience with H&R block. I continued to leave voicemails without receiving a response. When I went in to try to explain the situation to the staff in the office I was treated poorly and told that my H&R block representant was responsive and that I had spoken to her many times — which was not true. In the end, I finally was in touch with my representative and received the service I needed a month after the request was initiated.

I can’t say enough terrible things about these people. H&R Block in general it turns out stinks, but I have a special hatred for the office at Wheaton Plaza. My ex picked the location because its right by his work and not thinking I just went with it-​nothing good on a customer service level has ever come out of Wheaton Mall.
Anyway, when our tax return check was delayed, the ex called to find out why and then I had to get the frantic over-​dramatic text stating that we were screwed because they told him we hadn’t filed. We were just there 6 weeks ago filing, I remember sitting for what seemed like forever watching them input information incorrectly into a program I understood better than the accountant and at a pace slower than my mom trying to sign into AOL.
I decide I will call, since I’m usually much much better at dealing with people. The woman who answers the phone tells me we haven’t filed. I politely but insistently state «yes we have, the first week of March». «Then you didn’t pay» «Yes we did» (this goes back and fourth for a while)…“Oh, sorry I was in the wrong year… your taxes were submitted March (whatever date)…they’re probably just slow” «Are you sure, because a minute ago you were very insistent we never filed so I’d like to be positive» «yes you just have to be patient you’ll get your check*** (phone rings) I’m sorry that’s my cell phone that’s all I can tell you» and then she HUNG UP ON ME IMMEDIATELY.
«Relax, you’ve got people”-I hear this ad ten times a day because its tax time… and it pisses me off all over again each time!
***Turns out our refund was delayed due to an issue with a past refund. I discovered this by calling the IRS myself which irked me even more because that’s why I paid for their «rest easy» or whatever guarantee.