AAFES review: Took all my tax refund that I desperatly needed. 32

New development I have experienced. I gave AAFES a direct call and by passed their collection agency. Though I have to wait a week to finalize this. I am still in the guard and I asked if they can continue to garnish my wages as the payment per month will be less than the monthly payment to Transworld Inc ( TSI ) ... 2 reasons I want to do this.
1. The payment is cheaper
2. The payment is completely put into the bill and I no longer have interest.
Ex: 6992.46 - 232.23 = 6760.23 Next month I there wont be interest to pay on top of the bill.

I suggest calling AAFES directly and seeing what your options are. Forget TSI and their BS not to mention TSI doesn't report the monthly collection to AAFES. They were skimming nearly 48$ extra from their reports. Not sure how or why that is.

[protected] Ext 0 to get next available operator.

I want to know why AAFES has placed a unpaid debt balance on my Drill check for 67% of the disposable income even though they have a collection agency collecting a solid 300$ from me each month bringing the monthly bill to 532.32$. I went on to the TOP US Treasury website and it clearly states they only allow 15% or 30xFederal min wage (currently) 7.25 to be deducted - whichever is cheaper. So the breakdown
Basic Pay 431.04 for a Muta 4 (2 day Drill weekend)
Fed Inc Tax - 30.34
FICA Tax -32.97
State Tax-19.40
Total Disposable Income = 348.33 of which 232.23 was taken for unpaid AAFES military Star card. That is 67% of the disposable income when all they can legally take is 15% according to the US Treasury department website that when I call AAFES instructed me who was taking my money. and on top of this garnishment of my drill, Transworld Inc who AAFES has collecting the debt is monthly taking 300$.

I'm sorry but I don't see who they can take my money 2x. Transworld claims if they collect from me - AAFES does not garnish my Civilian pay check. I see how they can take the federal tax, but they have taken without consent my state tax and I file joint with my wife so technically they have taken her money as well. It seems they do not care so long as they get their money. I'm no dead beat, I ran into rough times and AAFES and Transworld are both unreasonable when it comes to reaching an agreeable manageable amount. They want you to sell your house/car, apply for a loan, get a 3rd job, sell a kidney, sell drugs do whatever it takes so you pay the amount in 1 lump sum. Sorry, I don't know what realm of reality they live in. Life foes not see fit for that to be within my needs. It is completely unethical.

The short answer is no. Provided you are a permanent full time government employee, you may only be disciplined for misconduct. Seeking bankruptcy protection is not misconduct and I know of no basis for you to receive any form of adverse personnel action, particularly termination. Further, I doubt that whoever receives Star Card bankruptcy notices on behalf of the government would ever associate a notice they get in the mail to any particular AAFES employees.

I am an Aafes employee and I have a question. If I would to file bankruptcy and put my star card on it, will they fire me?

AAFES is a component of the Department of Defense. As such, debts owed to AAFES are owed to the US Government. Unfortunately, there are no statutes of limitations when it comes to the Government recovering its debts through administrative means. The process that is supposed to occur is that AAFES notifies the debtor of an outstanding balance and provide notice that if the debt is not satisfied within a certain period of time that it will be forwarded to the Treasury Department for collection. Once received, Treasury will also send a letter to the debtor notifying them of the debt and that Treasury has added its own costs to the debt (between 28-30%). If Treasury receives no response from the debtor within the time allotted, they may seek to recover the debt and their fees through various means, to include offsetting against tax returns or administrative wage garnishment where they can take 15% of your paycheck.

All this presupposes that AAFES and Treasury have been mailing their demand letters to the proper address. If that is not the case, I suggest you contact Treasury and tell them that they got the wrong address. You may also request proof of debt (POD). However if your tax return has already been taken, it will likely be kept to satisfy the underlying debt. The most you may have to argue with AAFES is that it should waive the interest and penalties imposed pursuant to the debt collection laws which were added on top of the debt (that's Treasury's 28% and any penalties AAFES tacked on).

The same happened to me. I haven;t been in the military for 6 years since February of 2010, yeah I had a star card and they had the limit raised to 1100$. I'm quite sure that I didn't hit that limit, only about 800$ or so. I never heard hide nor hair of it until just this year when i first filed taxes. I was supposed to receive ~$1000 in federal taxes, and all of a sudden I get a notice in the mail saying that my refund was taken, and ALL of it. Why? Out of every time they could have tracked me down and sent me a letter, why NOW of all times when I desperately need that money for rent and food? I'm making barely 12 hours a week, and it's difficult to secure a second job when there's "people who are better qualified".. I can't live like this, and I needed that money terribly and they just rip it out from the source. Now I can't even get food stamps cause I'm unable to work enough hours, I'm paying 315$ a month for rent and making only about 500$ monthly, and it's only getting less and less. There are people struggling in this world without these f*** nuts stealing the money we need to survive! If you want to kill us, why not just do it when we were active service! We did not serve the military to be tortured for the rest of our lives with you taking the money that's rightfully ours! For shame, American Government, for shame.

They did the same to me. No notices, letters, emails nothing and then money gone. 8 years without a hint and out of nowhere they show up to steal our money. Have no idea of what is owed and how much the debt is. Dont even know the debt is mine. Nobody should be above the law and these people are robbing veterans without due process. Below is a link of the lawyers that won a case agains AAFES and have ongoing cases. Maybe the need another class suit so they behave like a decent bussiness and show people respect.

http://www.visherlaw.com/currentcases.php

Same thing happened to me. 8 years no contact and out of nowhere my money is gone. No statement. No letter nothing. Is not on my credit report and not on collection. They took the money and I dont even know what I owe and how much I owe. If you want call or write these lawyers. They won a class suit against them and still ongoing on more. Maybe they are needed of another class suit to change their practices. Nobody should be above the law and their way of robbing people out of money puts a lot of people in hardship.
http://www.visherlaw.com/currentcases.php

It just happened to me as well. I just got out and have been diagnosed ptsd and am a student. Those of you who think people dont pay their bills I pay my bills! I dont have a job and am still looking. That money get me day to day. No other agency can take your money for a unsecured debt. No one. What makes the aafes think they can do this! If this is a new law they need to wait in line for other debtors. I am ashamed that I went through all of this for my country they just throw your away and say whatever! Who ever that was that said that you should pay your bills we should but you have to look at everyone individually.

Well my debt went into the military star card collections...my fault I let it get that bad that it went into collections. I've been paying 219 a month to collections now. It's the agreement and my responsiblity. However, IRS didn't take 100% of our refund. My remaining balance on my collections is a little over 4300 dollars and I still plan on putting 2100 into my collections. And if IRS is putting the amount they withheld from our refund, then it'll be paid off and settled. But a lot of you are typing up horror stories that even though you paid of your debt, IRS is still withholding your refund...so now I'm freaking out.

My husband and I are having the same issue. We owed them $3000 when he got out in 2012 and since they have not worked with us to make payment arrangements nor sent us any statements. They are rude when we call them. They have taken about $8000 between last year and this year of our tax returns and now are insisting we still owe them $12000. That's $20000 for a $3000 debt. I'm worried this is just going to continue. I can't afford a lawyer. What can I do?

I am having the same problem. Last year 2015 they offset my tax return. I didn't even get a receipt. I have a number of problems with the fact that I didn't get any advance notice. No other private credit provider is allowed to do this. Is there still a class action suit? I would very much to see this in the courts. Great reward for your service to our country. We will strip you of the simple credit/debt negotiation rights of everyone else. Thanks!

I have recently received a letter from IRS stating that my return went to pay off a balance I owed on a star card that I had closed back in 2007. They took $1700 dollars :(. I’m a college student, that money is my life!

Anyhow, After I received the Treasury’s letter I gave the aafes number a call. The lady I talked to required all my information - social security, current address, full name etc. before she could disclose any information to me… So I gave her the info and then she told me she in fact did not have any information for me and told me to call TSI. Also, when I asked for an ID number, employee number, etc. she said she didn’t have one - I don’t know if this is legit but I thought it was kind of weird.

Anyways, I then called TSI and that’s when they told me I owed $5882! I gasped, I don’t remember ever owing that much money on the card even when it was active 7 years ago! :( . He told me that I could pay it now and they would be willing to settle for a lump sum of 30% off bringing it down to about $4k- but still, I don’t have that kind of money!

I have not received any letters from them since I move around so much for school, they said they sent a debt validation letter back in 2007 to the address in their records (but it was not my current address). I requested that they send me another one at my current address and the guy told me he was not required to do that because they had already sent one out in 2007! - Anyhow, he said what he could do for me (like this is all a favor?) was send information what I still owed and where to send the money, but it’ll take 30 to 45 days. Also, I asked him how much of the balance was interest and how much was principal and he said he didn’t have this information available to him.

Anyhow, I feel sort of screwed - it is my understanding that the 10 year statute of limitations for federal debt was lifted in 2008 so I don’t even have that to protect me.

However, the 5, 882 balance sounds incredibly high - I was told that there is an 18% annual interest rate being charged on it currently. Can they still charge interest after its been closed?

Supposedly it wasn’t officially sold to TSI, TSI is just over seeing it for AAEFES? But I don’t know.

Furthermore - it isn’t on my credit report - anywhere… Doesn’t show up as a “closed” or “transferred” account or anything - nothing - but all my student loans from 2007 and 2008 are still on there, so I don’t know what that’s all about.

I have no other financial delinquencies, and I’m up to date on all other open debts - the only other debt I have is student loan debt and I don’t start paying on those until [protected] ish.

Anyhow, I was just wondering what your take on this was and what I should do… I don’t know my rights and I don’t have that kind of money. I feel like I’m dealing with loan sharks...

How can I find out if that is even an accurate balance - How do I go about getting detailed information from them about my account (interest, principal, fees, etc.)? Is there any type of maximum time frame they are required to collect in? Can they charge interest even though its closed?

Thanks!
Gisela Turner

Ok so Military star has taken your refund.. Sadly you have no argument. You used the card and incurred the debt. The fine print states that wages and taxes can and will be garnished if debts aren't paid. Realize that this is a government debt, and the government will get their money. Been through it just like you. Tough it out and move on because that tax refund check is now AAFES!

We just found out that our entire $3, 645 tax return was taken to pay off the STAR Card. No notices, no attempts to contact us. My husband tried to pay them off with his severance check when he first got out of the army a year ago. He asked them to take it off the top, and they refused to do it. They closed his account and that is the last we have heard from them, even though they have our address and contact information.

We really needed that money to move home and get out of this Godforsaken place, and now we're stranded here. I don't know what we're going to do, now. We can't afford to stay here because the job market is awful and the transportation system might as well not exist. We have one car and one income, and we were trying to get home where there are more job opportunities for both of us and public transportation to get around.

All of this happened suddenly and with zero warning. The IRS said that we were getting a refund and said that it was deposited in our account, and we only found out because the money didn't show up. Now, our hopes of getting out of here and into a better situation are crushed. Thanks, IRS. Thanks, STAR Card. You ruined our lives.

They are very greedy! My husband shared his card with his ex wife... of course he gets left with it. Anyways they took all of our tax money last year. Had no clue of it, until after the fact. If I would of known that we would of filed separately instead of jointly. Hello, they took MY money in which I had nothing to do with the Frickin star card! We have tried to work with them but they won't sent us anything in the mail. They are really difficult to work with and won't accept a payment u can pay. For example we offered $50 a month...they said nope. I told them that they can not legally refuse one penny if I offered to pay them. I don't get it. They need to get off their high horse and realize LIFE happens and hopefully one day all of those big wigs LIFE will come crashing down on them

I am now going through the same thing as well. They do not care about current or veteran military members. All they want is money and they found the perfect way to get it with no way of you stopping them short of bankruptcy if you even have a chance to file before finding out they are taking or already taken your money without notice! I served 13 years in the air force before being medically discharged (Which I was given a 20% rating just under 30% needed for retirement benefits) and now at 60% from the va with 5 conditions with claims still processing. I was given a roughly $71, 000 severance pay which was around 52, 000 after they taxed it. After filing my first set of va claims and being awarded the 60%, found out the hard way that I had to basically repay that back to the government with my va benefits. I am only getting $463 out of $1071 until 2017 and have just had to leave my job with usps because of my medical issues. I have racked up a huge pile of medical debts the va will not pay for because I had to go to a non-va facility on several occasions for er issues and hospital stay because the closest va hospital is over a hour and half away.. I filed an amended return for the taxes they took out under the st. Clair provisions which really changes it to non-taxable disability and was suppose to be getting a little over $18, 000 back they took out in taxes on it. Well, I just found out my aafes star card was not paid off with my last earning like it was suppose to be and I never received a notice until it was "offset" out of my taxes by taking almost $11, 000 of my severance pay tax recoupment!. I also had to pay dfas back my travel pay because the paperwork kept getting "lost" even though I sent all documentation to 3 different air force bases and finally a legal office for collection. I never heard a response back from them and they took the money out of my refund last year.. So, I basically left the af after 13 years of service with nothing but my gi bill and a bunch of debt! They con young troops into getting the card, running it up and then most stay in so they can keep paying those bills and then when you get out take every penny they can out of you even if it will make a disabled or veteran broke and in debt even further. Thanks!

How can we stop this? My son legitimately owes a debt to AAFES. I believe, after this last tax refund payment, it's at about $300.00. Can he contact them, pay the balance due and get something from them to document that the debt has been satisfied? Then do we just have to wait to see if it gets taken again and then go hire a lawyer? Can the Veterans association help at all with this potential dilemma?

Im concerned because i just had fraudulent charges come up on my star card. Im hoping they can find the person that did this and also re imburse me the money. Has anyone else had this same problem?

AAFES stole my money too.

They violated several US Code laws to include the Fair Debt Collection Act.

These are not isolated stories, I have been researching and finding many AAFES Horror Stories.

Write your senators like I did, write the president...write AAFES IG...let them know that AAFES is a rogue and dangerous agency.

No other "private company" in the world is allowed to "garnish" and "offset" without due process.

I requested a hearing to verify the validity of the debt. I got a letter back stating the date of the hearing and instructions...ect...4 days later they took $4000 right out of my bank account.

This is the enemy, veterans deal with after we get back from war.

AAFES must go.

Well its a cruel world were nobody cares about the welfare of one or another. Even if you owe them money because you seperated the military and couldn't pay it off before you left, they should be a little more considerate as everybody has thier own reason why it hasn't been paid off yet. Some people try to make a break for it, other people don't make enough money to handle another bill payment. Some people in todays economy especially don't have jobs when they seperate the military and can not collect any federal assistance. I thought when I left the Air Force cripled for life no thanks to Minot, I had a good job with lockheed martin I was going to make everything right. Unseen I lost my job as the contract was terminated so they could replace us with government GS positions, my supervisor was an ### who failed to do his job. I had debt i need to pay off and have been unemployed for over 8 months can not find work anywhere my only chance to change anything in my life was my federal refund which AAFES took and now my car sits with a busted windshield finally got hired for a job but now cant drive my car because can not afford to replace windshield to drive 3 hours to training, my insurance is about to cancel. Everything could have been fixed and without warning my life takes a drastic turn from bad to worst. So in my oppinion this country is a bunch of selfess greedy ### i am no longer patriotic to this country, ten years all i end up is broken, unemployed and left to rot. So hope this country burns to the ground everytime i try to stand up somebody is kicking me down. This will be my only and last acknowledgment on any other matter.

My ex husband is in the military and he owes them nothing! They had the nerve to take my whole tax refund and I dont know why. They messing with the right person because I WILL handle this. I will get a lawyer to fight this. They took $8, 000 from me! I need that money. I have kids tocare for. The sad thing is I have no idea why they took it and neither does my ex husband.

AAFES just garneshed my taxes from a claim they said i owe in 2001.I paid off my star card at the exchange in cash and told them i wont use it to close the account.Then I moved from Cali.to PA They said they were sendind notices to the cali address and in 2004 they said they sent me a letter informing me they were going to take my taxes if i dont pay.They sent that letter they said to the address in cali.I said .well i did not live there.I lived in pa since 2001 .(the collections department)Said well you should have called us .HELLO I just told you I paid the card off but yet i was suppose to call them to tell them i moved.So anyway the only reason I found out that they said I owed them money was a letter was sent here saying I owe them 4000$.WHAT!UUmmm it took 9 years and 7 months to find me in pa and 10 years to take my taxes .But she said well if you can show proff you paid .Hello who keeps something like that for 10 years when i had no idea they were even saying i owed them money.I could have fought this years ago now i have no proff So they just get to do what they want.WTF!

We just found out today that they are taking what we owe out of our taxes, but they are taking are full return and said that we get they dont use. We have over 2000 coming back and only owe them 800! We was making payments and were planning on paying off the star card with the tax return, just pissed that they are doing it this way! What will stop them from taking all of it and claiming that it was just extra fees? On top of this, AAFES, I work for them for a little while and never got a time card, the store mgr just wrote down the hours for me. Well last pay period I got just $100, and now this time..NOTHING! I called AAFES h.r. today to ask where rest of my pay is and I got them telling me that they would see if there was any proof I worked the hours I gave them, then if not they might settle and give me a small amount of WHAT THEY OWE ME or I could try to get a lawyer and get the money they owe me, but he said that wont happen and it would be just a waste!

Your post is about a year old bud but, I have somthing to say about Afafes that judge and jury doesnt know.

AAFES is breaking the law and since it is part of the dop its going to continue to.

They are Frying peoples credit scores long after the 10 year contract with them is over with.

They are collecting The amount the people owe them 10x over and using late fees and intrest on closed accounts even after they have been closed or inactive for periods of 5-10 years.

Let me break this down to you. You owed affes 500 dollars. It was dilinquent 12 years 2 years after the contract was serviced to be ended any way and the account has been inactive for 11 years.

In that 11 years they have collected the 500 dollars from your taxes and 1500 dollars in fees and intrest (on the fees and intrest also). They have collected 22, 000 dollars from your taxes for an original debt of 500 and are still saying you owe them money.

They been garnishing my wages over 9 years I owed them 2, 000 and they have recieved that 2000 dollars and another 3500 ever year and continue to take my wages. For a debt that should have paid with first tax return. Not all 9 years takin ever penny I got thier intrest and fees- is is 150% what original debt was and they take it then create a new debt on your credit report with intrest and fees on your intrest and fees and continue to collect even after the total has been pain 4x in acess. Its against the law for any other place to do this but since they are with the dop they are lawless lmao no read this.

http://creditsuit.org/credit.php/blog/C167/

gl

They got me too ! But the account is fraud so I wrote the white hose and gonna keep writing to inform our president that our military cant be trusted! I have no tie to the military but have an account owing close to 3000usd! Messed up and im never filing taxes again due to the fact that they keep taking my money and I was never in any branch. I hate the military they are a sorry group of lies! Im taking them to federal court for mine. Send emails of your complaints to me because we want to win this suit and we will have them in debt. My credit is horrific due to aafes. My life is messed up! Government stealing identity, only in america, home of the free to do what we like government! Tiesha21legal@yahoo. com send complaints! We gonna win like that chic @ mickey d's with the coffee, multi millon dollar suit!