I also agree -- polite, but unhelpful (like that old joke about the plane lost in the fog circling the Microsoft campus).
In my case, I had collected a handful of TWX certificates over a number of years (after my company was acquired and I could exercise-and-hold ISO shares for a "long-term investment" -- believing the AOLTW hype was my first mistake!). I later deposited them in my E*Trade account and had set up the exercise date and price for each lot.
Along comes the 1-for-3 reverse split. Though all of the other (Non-Qual) shares were handled correctly, i.e. multiplying the exercise prices by 3 and dividing the shares by 3, E*Trade mis-recorded the certificate shares as a 1-for-9 reverse split! The total number of 1-for-3 shares were maintained by E*Trade creating a new lot with no exercise date or price.
Q: "Look, you did it correctly for one set, can't you correct it for the other set?"
A: "The information provided in the portfolio is not an official cost basis record, rather it is there for your convenience, and can be edited by you to properly reflect the correct purchase price. For liability reasons, this information will not be adjusted by E*TRADE Securities employees." (Translation: Not our problem.)
"In order to change the information listed in your portfolio please click on the blue Edit link located on the far right of each position. You may then change any information that is incorrect or missing." (Translation: This is what our script says.)
Q: "Really? The quantity is incorrect and I can't change it. I can't divide the new combined lot into the original exercise dates and quantities. You think the IRS isn't going to audit me after I sell these and the E*Trade tax report shows a basis that doesn't match my tax return?"
A: "You are welcome for the information that was provided. I hope everything was handled to your satisfaction. Please let us know if there is anything else that we can help you with. Thank you." (Translation: Now go away.)
Note that all through this Cust Service never acknowledged the original problem -- that there was a recalculation error. Does make you want to reexamine all of your E*Trade statements...
