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Santa Barbara Tax Products Group [SBTPG]

Santa Barbara Tax Products Group [SBTPG] review: tax refund 65

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Author of the review
11:42 am EST
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I used TurboTax to e-file my federal return this year. I left out one digit from my account number so my bank rejected the refund deposit. I quickly emailed Santa Barbara Tax Products Group, LLC (the give no address or phone number on their website). SBTPG responded quiclky with a phone number. After explaining things to customer service I was assured that if I faxed in a valid ID, SS card and a bank deposit slip they would be able to correct the account number.

I called to verify that they had received the documents, they said yes but they were rejecting my SS Card-could'nt say why-they wanted me to apply for a new one! Now I need to wait two or three weeks for a new card before I can re-apply for MY REFUND while they hold it.

All my other documents match, including my wife's, and my SS Card is quite legible-they just don't like it?

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The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

65 comments
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DeniseLH
Vancouver, US
Feb 18, 2012 4:23 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Santa Barbara Tax Products Group Is the worse. Send several emails to them about a problem. Always was told I would be contact is 24 hours. Finally got someone on the phone. They claimed that I needed to use the website to contact them. I was using a link in the email they sent stating to use to contact costumer service. I was told I was being charged X amount of dollars. Then that amount changed. I was told well we had to ### tax. Why was that added in the total when I agreed to use the service. They said there was nothing they could do to help me. I would need to contact Turbo tax or the IRS. HELLO! It SBTPG Service I am using. Not a helpful company at all. Rep claimed there were 3 supervisors standing behind. Why didn’t she put one of them on the phone since she wasn’t able to explain anything to me?
NEVER NEVER again will I ever use this service. And any one has a ounce of brains they would not either. Borrow the money if you have to pay versus using this service. I don’t know what I was thinking when I clicked on this. STUPID on my part.
OH and still no word on my taxes

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susan49
, US
Feb 01, 2011 9:51 pm EST

Obviously your "baby's mother" took it.

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E. Contreras
Victorville, US
Sep 17, 2010 12:22 am EDT

I also had the same problem with S.B.B.T. I talked to them after they had sent the A.C.H. to my bank. Now my bank after recieving the A.C.H. would not put my refund on the acct. because i was not the primary card holder. My uncle is the original acct. holder but we added my name to the acct. so i could get my refund quicker than waiting for a check, Let me also say, we checked with the bank ahead of time and asked if that was acceptable, and was assured there would be no problem. Well they blocked his acct. when i called i was informed about sending all the documents in which we did, BUT! they demanded i send copies of my state I.D. card, my SS card the front page of my 1040 and a current utility bill in my name with the current address which would have to match what they had on file. AND! the same things from my uncle. including a copy of his 1040! O.K. i was trippin but we complied, after about 2 weeks of getting all of these different docs. together i fax them. i call to make sure they got them and they tell me ""yeah, they got them but the SS# doesnt look right i need to go apply for another! i told them i wasnt going to wait another 3 weeks for them to see a different card, they said i could fax them a copy of the reciept that i applied. Well who the hell do they think they are? so i just say the hell with arguing with them i'll just comply, so i did just that, then fax the reciept to them, i call to make sure they got it ok, they told me they had but they weren't going to send me a check they were going to send it back to the originating financial institution. but first I NEEDED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THAT BANK, and have them fax them over an indemnity bond. thats just utter nonsense. But like a fool i comply because i want whats rightfully mine that they are holding hostage, and until i jump through hoops there isn't a damn thing I can do about it. i call the originating institution, which is Santa Barbara Bank and Trust and they told me that they never heard of such a thing and i should call my bank back and tell them so. and to tell them if any body should be requesting a bond it should be them! so like a fool i do just that, trhey tell me to call them back to tell them if they wont send it they werent going to release it. so i send an E-mail to the C.E.O. of Metabank explaining what i had been through. I didnt expect to hear back but wanted to let somebody know about Larry. Moe and CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. Well next thing you know i get an E-mail from the manager of the escalation department that my funds were being released to S.B.B.T. right away. COOL, i thought. the next day i call S.B.B.T. and they tell me they need a copy of my I.D.and.S.Security card. o.k. i send it and they have a problem with the S.Security card! what ? i had just received it in the mail, it was brand spanking new! they tell me go apply for another one! anyway after going round and round with them for a good week one of thier customer service geniuses tells me "well, we dont have the funds anyway because ACCOUNT NOW hasnt sent us anything, man, m i've had it, I E-mailed them and told them to keep the money, they were a bunch of thieves! Oh one last thing to leave you with other than my sincere hope that you have better luck than i had, this is not my 2009 tax return this was my 2008 return! i recieved my 2009 refund, i had the I.R.S. mail it to me. Imagine that. they should be ashamed, if you or i tried this stunbt we'd be in jail.

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Joe Mastriano CPA
Houston, US
Apr 29, 2010 5:12 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

You should never hire someone based solely on hype, advertising, or recommendations from "friends". Always do background checks on the people or firms you are looking to hire, before you hire them. In the age of Internet it is so easy to run their name through Google and see what you can find out about them and what complaints they have. One hour of research over the Internet may save you thousands of dollars and a lot of headaches.

I'm a licensed CPA with over 25 years of experience in tax problem solving and IRS representation. You can find a lot of useful free information and tips on IRS and tax problem solving on my website at: www.TaxProblem.org

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HBLansing
Victoria, CA
Apr 01, 2010 3:33 pm EDT

SUMMARY: COMPLETELY INEPT AND UNCARING CSR'S WHO DO NOT READ OR RESPOND WITH ANYTHING BEYOND FORMULA REPLIES. FAILED TO FOLLOW WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS OR HEED CUSTOMER INFORMATION VITAL TO THE TRANSACTION. ENTIRELY DIS-SATISFIED. WILL NOT USE THEIR SERVICE AGAIN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

3/26: Notified SBTPG via online "contact us" form that additional information (transit ID)needed to be appended to the existing routing number/account number combination they had on file, as my bank notified me they would be able to complete the transfer without it.

3/26: Received email asking me to call the 877 number to speak with a CSR

3/29: Notified the CSR via email that the 877 number was unusable from where I am in Canada at the moment, asked for a direct non-877 number. Specifically noted, again, that the transfer could not be completed without the transit ID being appended.

3/29: received an email telling me the IRS had not sent them money yet, and if I had questions to contact the IRS. Not an answer to my request, at all, again provided the 877 number I can not use.

3/29: Once again replied that a)the answer had nothing to do with the question, b) I still can not use the 877 number, and c) please give me a number I can use.

3/29: Received a change form PDF from them, with specific instructions for it.

3/31: Form and information (with a bold note on front of form stating that this change was only to append the transit ID, not change the account number) faxed at 9:38 AM

3/31: Email sent to SBTPG at 2:50 PM requesting confirmation of receipt/processing of change form and reiterating that if the change is not made the transfer will fail.

3/31: Received a reply once again telling me to call the 877 number to speak to a rep, no additional information

3/31: Once again replied that the 877 number is unusable for me

3/31: Received a reply telling me that if I was unable to call the number to try it with an operator.

4/1: Once again replied that the number will not work, please forward to a supervisor, and give a number I can use. Alternately, since they now have my phone number they can call me.

4/1: Amazingly receive another reply telling me to call the 877 number.

4/1: Found this thread, found Ruby's name as a supervisor and her extension. Sleuthed enough to find a non-877 number by tracking back the owners of the domain that hosts the website and called.

4/1: Convinced the person who answered the phone to transfer me to Ruby at her extension

4/1: Ruby informs me that...despite the entire chain of notifications, emails, and their own change form spelling out that the transit ID needed to be appended...they have received the funds from the IRS and sent the electronic transfer based on the original insufficient combination of routing and account numbers. Additionally, she informs me that they do not/can not use SWF codes or transit numbers...only routing and account numbers. Which means that a week ago I could have been told this and instructed them to just cut me a check and we could have avoided this whole mess.

4/1 After a long conversation with Ruby (who at this point is the only bright spot in this fiasco) we are at her attempting to kill the transaction and get me a check cut. I'll find out later this afternoon if she pulled it off.

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tompar
Wheaton, US
Feb 22, 2010 6:15 pm EST

This involving my 2009 Federal Tax Return. I used Turbotax to file the return. My refund was scheduled to be released to TurboTax on the 10th of February. TurboTax received the funds on the 12th of February. The refund was to be released from Santa Barber Tax Group on the 16th. Due to a numerical error in their computer system my account number was incorrect and the funds could not be deposited and was to be sent in check form. I called the number provide and spoke with a general customer service representative. I was told there was nothing that could be done and it was sent out in the days mail. I then asked to speak with a supervisor and was told there are none available at this time. The customer service representative told me that they would not be able to help me and the supervisor would only tell me the same thing. I then asked to be transferred again and was. The person I spoke with did not intent on telling me their title at Santa Barbara Tax Group and I continued to ask for it. This person was also a general customer service representative. Once I found this out I asked to speak with a supervisor again and was transferred to Lead Customer Service Representative Trey at extension 6824. He was aware of the situation and told me he was going to transfer me to his supervisor and put me on hold. Once he came back on the line he told me that he was able to retrieve my check from the mailroom. My check was not sent out in the days mail as I was told. Trey said in order for a direct deposit to be put in motion I was going to have to fill out a “Address or Account Info Change Request form” and fax it to [protected]. Also in this fax was a voided check and copy of Social Security Card. He stated that once the fax was received that it would take two hours to adjust the account and release the funds that day. I called roughly one hour later to confirm the fax was received and spoke with Jeremy at extension 6814. He said the fax machine was backed up and to call back around closing time (5:30pm Pacific time). I called again and spoke with Jeremy. He said the fax had not be yet received and to contact him in the morning. I did as such and spoke with him at 7:00am on the 17th. The fax was still not received and once again he asked me to contact within two hours to see if it was. At 11:30am I spoke with him again and the fax was received. He stated the account was updated and the funds were going to be released later that day. On Thursday the 18th I checked my bank account and no funds were posted. I called and spoke with Jeremy he told me the fax was not processed until Wednesday evening and it takes 1 to 2 days for the funds to post. The transaction was in the form of an ACH deposit. He then stated the funds will be released on that day the 18th. On Friday the 19th I still had not received any funds and called to speak with Jeremy once more. He told me that for what ever reason the funds were not released when they were supposed on the 18th and they were released the day of the Friday the 19th and should post in my account no later then Monday the 22nd which is today. Today is Monday the 22nd and I still have not received anything. Upon checking my bank account I called and spoke with Trey at extension 6824, who did not remember the situation, he also informed me his title was a customer service representative. At no point did he state he was lead or supervisor. He told me the funds were scheduled to be released today the 22nd and will posted within 1 to 2 business day. I asked what guarantee that I had my funds would be released today. He then transferred me to his supervisor Ruby at extension 6518. She was aware of the full situation dating back to last Tuesday the 16th. She stated my funds are scheduled to be released today at 3:00pm Pacific time and should post tomorrow Tuesday the 23rd. At no point in time did she apologize for the inconvenience or provide me with any real verification that the transaction would take place today. She was able to provide me with a Trace number which was 8 digits long my bank confirmed they are supposeded to be 15 long. I asked that she email me with that number, her full name, title, and extension and also trey’s information. I never received the email. I am writing this to inform you that their business practice is subpar. They did not try to resolve this situation the way they portrayed that they would. In dealing with their customers they do not treat them with professionalism or respect.