My complaint:
I purchased an App online that I understood the price to be 11.97 a month for one year. When I checked my card after making the purchase I realized that the payment was all months payments in one for an amount of $151. I immediately contacted Direct Express to see if the payment could be stopped so that I could order the one month option which was much less and within my budget. I was told the payment could not be stopped would I want to do a dispute. At that time I was not explained the dispute process and I took it as being yes I want to not pay that lump sum payment I wanted to pay the lower amount I didn’t know anything about the dispute process. Then I contacted the app and told them that I didn’t want that big of a payment I thought it was 1197 a month and the app told me that it was clearly explained on the website and they do not offer a refund. I really like the app and so I decided well I’ll have to deal with it and didn’t think anything of it again to me there was no dispute. if they said it they weren’t going to refund my money and that’s the way they do things to me that was done and over. That was on July 2nd I was using the app just fine all the way up until August 18th which at that time my account on the app was suspended I was told because I reached out to my bank for a refund which I did not. I found out from Direct Express customer service that a dispute when it is open is to be open for 45 days to which then they will look to close the dispute. August 18th was the 45th day and Direct Express reached out to the app to get whatever information they needed to award the dispute or close it. The app took that as I reached out to Direct Express to get a refund at that time and I did not. This is October 6th and I have been going back and forth between the app and Direct Express to try to get someone to understand I did not cancel the app that it was direct express finalizing the dispute so they can stamp it as done and put it away and that there was a misunderstanding. It got to a point where the app would not talk to me anymore about any decision because they said Direct Express was making a decision on the dispute until that happened and they would not talk anymore about it and that I would not be getting a refund because my account was closed and that I initiated request for a refund which I did not. Every time I call Direct Express it seemed like all I did was wait on hold for at least a half hour most times more at which time I would have my information verified then transferred to the dispute department where then again I was on hold at least a half hour most times more to have my information verified again and only three times someone actually helped me ask me questions looked further. Most times though the person would say that it is still in disputes decision you’ll find out when it’s decided. I found out on October 1st that decision was made on the alleged dispute on August 31st and then on the 5th of October I finally got to talk to a supervisor and he said that the decision on the dispute was made August 22nd I don’t know why I couldn’t have been told that every time I called in September which was 2 to 3 times a week. I asked that supervisor why couldn’t Direct Express tell the app that their procedure is at 45 days to close at a dispute and they reached out to gather information and I did that ask Direct Express to get me a refund on August 18th and the supervisor said they can’t do that. Why can’t Direct Express go to bat for me and tell them the truth which with every phone call recorded and notes on my account will show that I did not ask for a refund so that I can get my account reinstated or get money back because at this time my account has been canceled for a long time haven’t been able to use it. I was also told that documentation of this decision from Direct Express would be mailed to me or has been mailed to me I have not received one piece of mail about anything from Direct Express and I have asked on three different occasions to be sent information and I still have not received anything from Direct Express. I am on a fixed income and $151 is a lot of money for me and to buy an app and be using it and then all of a sudden have it be suspended for no reason of anything I did and to have redundant customer service is very very irritating. One customer service person in the dispute part said they cannot read the full entries of what has been entered for the alleged dispute they can only see a part of it so I wasn’t being given honest information anyway I think somebody dropped the ball in this situation . I don’t believe that my statements about what was going on with this app were relayed or entered correctly for whatever reason either lazy customer service or I don’t know why. Direct Express knows that they reached out to this app on August 18th to finalize their dispute file so they could put it away Direct Express also knows that the app thinks that I past Direct Express to get me a refund on August 18th which they know that I didn’t but will not forward that information to the app which would straighten this whole mess out. I am also filing a complaint against the app because there are several incidences of lying fraud and terrible customer service as well
Suggested solution:
I would like the app to release the chargeback of $143 that they said they issued but I never received so at that time I can purchase the app for the one month option which is considerably cheaper. But first I want Direct Express to reach out to the app let them know that I did not request refund of my money on August 18th that it was direct express trying to finalize a dispute and they reached out to the app to get information.
