Equity Trust Company

Re: [redacted]/ID [redacted]Dear Ms. [redacted]:We are in receipt of your correspondence dated January 28, 2016, concerning the rebuttal of our client, [redacted].  Mr. [redacted] had additional questions concerning his complaint originally dated January 12, 2016. In his recent correspondence, Mr. [redacted] indicated that he did not believe all of the corrections were made to his Roth IRA.  We have spoken with Mr. [redacted] to discuss his concerns.  We have corrected his account and understand that all of his concerns have now been addressed.  We apologized for the difficulties he experienced with the transfer of funds from his account and provided him a contact to discuss any further issues he may haveIf we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter, please feel free to contact me at 440-323-5491 x7190, or by email at b.j[redacted]@trustetc.com.Very truly yours,Elizabeth J[redacted]

EQUITY TRUST COMPANYNovember 22, 2016 [redacted], Trade Assistant (by email only) Revdex.com, Inc. 2800 Euclid Ave. 4th Floor Cleveland, OH 44115-2408 Elizabeth A. J[redacted] General Counsel Direct [redacted]...

bj[redacted]@trustetc.corn  Re: Revdex.com Complaint #[redacted] Dear Ms. [redacted]: We are in receipt of your correspondence dated November 13, 2016 concerning the complaint of our client, [redacted]. Mr. [redacted]'s complaint relates to his distribution request. Equity Trust received a Distribution Request Form and a check from Mr. [redacted] for $25,000 on November 3, 2016. The check was drawn on First Step Real Estate Investment LLC's account and signed by Mr. [redacted]. Equity Trust returned the check to Mr. [redacted] because the check was signed by the client for deposit. Equity Trust is unable to accept checks signed by the client for deposit into the client's IRA. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. If we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter, please feel free to contact me directly. Sincerely, Elizabeth J[redacted] Equity Trust Company

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/03/06) */
This complaint is issued by someone named [redacted] at 1907 Burling. The only person that is supposed to reside at this address is [redacted] Sheppard. [redacted] did NOT sign any Agreement.
In regards to acceptance of money orders for...

payment -> Client paid Dec 2014 - Sept 2015 payments all in the form of CASHIERS CHECKS. Then client began paying via MONEY ORDER, Oct - Dec 2015. Client began paying in the form of CASHIERS CHECKS again in JAN 2016 per request. Client has NOT paid housing or utilities since JAN 25th, 2016 and is now delinquent. Text message from client on 2/25/16 at 2:55 pm indicated "My payment will be there on the 4th." and as of this writing has NOT been received.
Client requested that the 60-day notice of intent to move be changed to 30-day notice and she was granted approval of such as of 12/2/2015. Client sent email notification on 1/25/2016 that she would be moving on 3/18/16 and final housing payment would be due 2/25/16. Receipt of her email was confirmed on 1/26/16 that final payment + all utilities up to 3/25/16 (the end of a housing month) would be due.
Client was read aloud each word, paragraph, and page of the Housing Agreement in which she initialed individual paragraphs and the bottom of each page.
In regards to client's other "issues", those were addressed in an email on 2/25/16 12:55 a.m. after receipt of text message from client on 2/24/16 at 3:32 a.m.
The content of [redacted]'s text message and response are below.
Mgt - "First and foremost, customer service is very important to us.
Your text message indicated that you have been dis-pleased
with our service toward you. This is the first that I was aware
of your displeasure and want to address each of the issues
from your text below. Please see responses to each of your issues below."

[redacted] - "I really can't decide what is much more ridiculous than a professional
sending a group text after midnight to remind me of my adult responsibilities.."

Mgt - "'We send a text message reminder to ALL of our customers as a courtesy to remind them of the due date of their housing payment in order to help ensure they qualify for the on-time payment discount. It is meant simply as a courtesy and not to remind you of your adult responsibilities. A simple text or email asking that you would prefer to NOT be reminded would have been a professional method to notify us. Our method of reminder as a text message was meant to be less intrusive than a phone call and certainly not something that you had to act upon at receipt regardless of the time of day received. We know that everyone lives very busy lives and it is meant as nothing more than a memory jogger."

[redacted] - "Could it be #1) Sending someone to show my house and telling him you had a conversation with me, when you clearly didn't realize a conversation is a two person interaction, so he then let's himself in my house and tries to justify how it somehow OK because you said it was? Then acts like I'm stupid for not answering the door? Well I'm a single woman living alone at this point, I don't answer the door for men I don't know and I don't have to.. really ever."

Mgt - "Per paragraph of your Rental Agreement:
_______ 22. RIGHT OF ACCESS: Management may enter the Property without notice to Resident for inspection and maintenance during reasonable hours. Management shall attempt to notify Resident of the need for access, but has no obligation to do so. If locks have been changed without providing Management with a key, Management may forcibly enter without being liable for damage or unlawful entry. In case of emergency, Management may enter at any time. During the last sixty (60) days of occupancy, or upon notification of intent to vacate, Management may place a sign on the Property and/or may install a lock-box and show the Property during reasonable hours. Management will attempt to notify Resident, but has no obligation to do so.

As we discussed during the 1.5 hours we spent when you were read to and initially signed the Agreement, we spoke that while the Agreement states we have no obligation to notify you, we treat others how we want to be treated and have every intention of notifying you of a home showing. You were notified via a text message that the home was going to be shown on a specific date / time. It is your choice to either respond or not to that text message. A response was not required on your part. It is because we do value your privacy, that you are notified at all. If you would notify us that a showing was going to be particularly difficult for you to accommodate, then a simple response identifying the problem would have resulted in an attempt to re-schedule the showing."

[redacted] - "Or #2) You speaking to me like I'm an it because I didn't realize your fax number was in your signature of every email you've ever sent? I'm sorry, I actually have other things to worry about in life."

Mgt - "I presume this is in reference to a text message on 1/14/16 where you said "Ok, I'll print it out today should I fax it somewhere? Or just mail it in." My response was "Fax it to 618-XXX-YYYY. That fax number is in my signature block of every mail." The reference to the fax number was to help you locate the number for future reference. There was absolutely nothing in that text to indicate that I was speaking to you as an it. This multiple text correspondence was in reference to your lack of response when attempting to get you a rental extension with a 30-day notice of intent to leave vs 60-days and the homestead exemption paperwork that was emailed to you on 1/3/2016. "

[redacted] - "Or #3) This being the only company who makes sure the deposits are non refundable? I've never seen this before. Why would I even try to leave the place clean now? I was going to shampoo carpets and make sure it was spotless, fix whatever, I'm not sure why, when I read this.. nope not now."

Mgt - "Of course, it is your choice as to the condition in which you leave the home. Please refer to para 6 of the Housing Agreement in which it states that we have a Move-in FEE, not a deposit. As it states you are provided move-out instructions and are PAID for cleaning and repairs that you perform to leave the home in a move-in ready condition for the next resident. You can be paid up to an amount equal to your Move-in FEE. This paragraph, like the rest of the Agreement, was read to you at the time of signing and you specifically initialed this para indicating your understanding."

[redacted] - "4) You showing up at my door like the police and calling my former employer like im some delinquent to collect a tax form I told you I would TRY to have for you but probably couldn't that day because I work nights."

Mgt - "I came to the house due to lack of your responsiveness to communication and because of the fact as you have already stated, you are a single woman living alone; I was concerned that something had happened to you, nothing more. That was the same reason for my call to what I thought was your current employer. Additionally, I have deadlines to meet like everyone else and have many customers to take care and ensure that we can keep costs as low as possible. Having to reach out to people multiple times on the same topic costs more money that eventually gets passed on to our customers. This is certainly true of qualifying for the homestead exemption (the tax form you refer to) in which we ask your cooperation to simply sign a County document indicating that you have lived in the home as of 1/1/2016 to keep the taxes as low as possible, which in turns keeps the payment as low as possible."

[redacted] - "I could keep going on but I'm sure everyone gets the point here. I've never seen a more unprofessional company and I just wish I knew who your boss was. Living in a house and trying to get your money to people in a convenient way should not be such an issue, but nope its always something with this company. And I hope like [redacted] this wakes everyone up like it did me on my night off!!"

Mgt - "We are sorry to hear that you are unhappy with our service to you while living in the home. We do our best to be fair in all our business relationships. We wish you all the best in your new employment endeavors and hope that your move-out is a stress-free as possible."
IN REGARDS TO CUSTOMER'S "DESIRED RESOLUTION";
Client provided move-out date of Mar 18, 2016, not February 18. Per Housing Agreement, client is responsible for housing and utilities payment to the end of the month, which is the 25th. Per Housing Agreement, once notice of intent to move is provided (provided to management as of 1/25/16), a lock box is placed on the residence to facilitate showing of the property to new residents.

Per phone conversation with consumer, the below issues have not been resolved:1) Equity has not responded to his repeated requests for the accounting charges that were placed on his accounts2)The company did not know how to release or manage stock certificates, however it is advertised that they are able3)Customer service was fairly poor and caused errors on his accounts

EQUITY TRUST COMPANY Elizabeth [redacted] General Counsel Direct 440[redacted]  March 13, 2017 Rhonda [redacted] (by email only) Revdex.com, Inc. 2800 Euclid Ave. 4th Floor Cleveland, OH 44115-2408 Re: Revdex.com Complaint [redacted] Dear...

Ms. [redacted]:  We are in receipt of your correspondence dated March 7, 2017 concerning the complaint of our client, [redacted]. Mr. L[redacted]'s complaint relates to difficulties he faced while attempting to transfer an account to Equity Trust from another custodian. Mr. L** completed a transfer form and began the transfer process during Spring 2016. We worked directly with Mr. L** to obtain all documents necessary to approve the three assets he was transferring to Equity Trust. After the exchange of documentation, Equity Trust discovered we are only able to hold two of these assets and the transfer was cancelled by Equity Trust Company internally. After Mr. L[redacted] complaint to the Revdex.com, we determined we have sufficient information to transfer the [redacted] and [redacted] assets. These assets should appear within his Equity Trust account within 7 to 10 business days. He will need to work with the asset provider to confirm reregistration of these assets to Equity Trust. If we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter, please feel free to contact me directly. Sincerely, Elizabeth [redacted] Equity Trust Company 11 Equity Way Westlake, OH 44145 [redacted]

December 4, 2015
[redacted], Trade AssistantRevdex.com, Inc.2800 Euclid Avenue, 4th FloorCleveland, OH 44115-2408 Re: [redacted]We are in receipt of your correspondence dated November 18, 2015, concerning the complaint of our client, [redacted].  [redacted]...

[redacted]’s complaint relates to a misapplied payment to a previously closed Individual Retirement Account (“IRA”) at Equity Trust Company (“Equity”). Equity did receive a payment for an asset in [redacted]’s account.  It was applied to a previously closed account, which in turn affected a transfer of funds to the successor custodian.  We have been in contact with [redacted] to discuss with him how to return the funds transferred to the transferred account.  We apologize for the inconvenience and sympathize with the difficulties the client experienced with this misapplied payment.  As a courtesy, we are prepared to reimburse his account for the $50 transaction fee.  If we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter, please feel free to contact me at 440-[redacted], or by email at [redacted].Very truly yours,Michael D**  President

EQUITY  TRUST COMPANY® [redacted], Trade Assistant (by email only) Revdex.com, Inc. 2800 Euclid Ave. 4th Floor Cleveland, OH 44115-2408 Re: [redacted]/[redacted] Dear Ms. [redacted]: We are in receipt of your correspondence dated April 18, 2016 in regards to [redacted]'s rebuttal to Equity Trust's response to his complaint. Mr. [redacted]'s original complaint relates to issues he experienced during the final distribution and closing of his Equity account. His rebuttal relates to customer service issues he experienced prior to the final distribution. A copy of all statements since the inception of his account with Equity Trust is included with a carbon copy of this letter to Mr. [redacted]. These statements show the subject account distribution and tax withholding. They also show that Mr. [redacted] was never charged a fee in relation to this account. Also included with this letter is a copy of the check that was delivered to Mr. [redacted] as reimbursement for the errant tax withholding. We do apologize for any customer service issues Mr. [redacted] faced and any inconvenience this may have caused him. However, we have resolved all outstanding issues and Mr. [redacted]'s account is now closed. If we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter, please feel free to contact me directly. Very truly yours, Elizabeth J[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear...

below.
Equity Trust did not, as alleged, promptly respond to the issues which surrounded my complaint.  Equity Trust correctly explains, as I explained to them initially, that I purchased my family members interest in the real property in 2009, and could have made the transfer at that time.  But the timing of the requested transfer is not the issue here.  The actual sequence of events is as follows:  1.  Relying on telephone guidance from equity trust, we submitted the paperwork as instructed.2.  We were told that additional papers needed to be submitted.  I called the designated person and requested further guidance.  I did not receive a return telephone call.3.  Both my escrow and I submitted additional papers (which were were later told was correctly done).  We received neither a response nor any action.4.  Both my escrow and I attempted to contact the designated agent several times, with no response.5.  Out of frustration, I contacted the general customer service agent (not the one handling this issue) and asked to speak with a supervisor.  I received a return call from a supervisor (Maria, who would not give me either her last name or her direct line).  I was told that an entirely different set of papers had to be submitted.  I also was told that if those papers were submitted that day, the deed I required would be signed and returned the next day.  The now third set of papers were submitted, as instructed.6.  I received no response at all from Equity Trust in response to that third submission.7.  I again attempted to call the designated representative, again left my name and number along with the Activity Number assigned to my case.  Again I did not receive a return call.8.  I again called the general customer service number and asked to speak with a supervisor.  This call occurred at 2:00 pst; 5:00 est.  I was told that, although the website says that such calls are appropriate before 6:00 est, all of the supervisors had gone home, and so none were available to speak with me.  9.  I wrote an email setting forth this history, and included a reference that I would be filing this complaint with the Revdex.com.  That email was rejected by a customer service representative because, according to that person, the email came from an email address different than the one on my account.  I was instructed to send the email from my email address on file with Equity Trust.  I thus forwarded my original email to my home account, and forwarded it under that web address.  I was again advised that my email would not be processed because, despite the fact that it was sent from a recognized account, internally it still included my office email address.10.  Finally, after filing this complaint and threatening litigation, I was contacted by the assigned customer service representative (for the first time), who advised me that the deed originally sent at the beginning of the process (rather than those deed I was later instructed to send) was sufficient and would be signed.I find it insulting that Equity Trust would try shift the focus to me for an alleged failure to seek this deed in 2009 and to blame me for its ineptitude.  Would it have been more likely to properly handle the matter of this deed if the effort had been made in 2009?  Were its agents better trained or more likely to return phone calls or email in 2009 than they are in 2018?  I contacted the Revdex.com only after being ignored for days into weeks.  I was rewarded with the deed originally sent only after filing my complaint with the Revdex.com.  I them am blamed for not having undertaken this adventure earlier.  This is not what I expect from a company which advertises itself as a member of the Revdex.com.
Regards,
[redacted]

Attached please find our response to the complaint of [redacted]Thank you.

EQUITY TRUST COMPANY® February 15, 2016 [redacted], Trade Assistant (by email only) Revdex.com, Inc. 2800 Euclid Ave. 4th Floor Cleveland, OH 44115-2408 Re: [redacted] Dear Ms. [redacted]: We are in receipt of your correspondence dated February 9, 2016,...

concerning the complaint of our client, James [redacted]. Mr. [redacted]'s complaint relates to his purported asset valuation request and an invoice received for account maintenance fees due in his Individual Retirement Account ("IRA"). We have not received any paperwork since 2014 with regard to Mr. [redacted]'s IRA. Mr. [redacted]'s IRA contains one asset for which he submitted a value change at the end of 2013. At that time, he submitted documents to change the value of his asset to $22,524.07. His account is still reported at this value. Should he feel the asset is worthless, he must submit the required documentation to support this value, as well as complete a fair market value form. Pursuant to our Custodial Agreement with Mr. [redacted] (and all clients), we do not assign values to assets carried in accounts. It is incumbent upon our clients to report current value in a form acceptable to us. Additionally to close his account, we require a distribution form be completed. Accordingly, Equity Trust can take no further action until Mr. [redacted] completes and submits the requested documents. Until then, his account will remain open and report the current value. We will expect Mr. [redacted] to pay annual account maintenance fees while his account is open and reflecting value. If we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter, please feel free to contact me directly. Very truly yours, Elizabeth J[redacted]

EQUITY TRUST COMPANY® March 29, 2016 [redacted], Trade Assistant (by email only) Revdex.com, Inc. 2800 Euclid Ave. 4th Floor Cleveland, OH 44115-2408 Re: [redacted] Dear Ms. [redacted]: We are in receipt of your correspondence dated March 22, 2016,...

concerning the complaint of our client, [redacted]. Ms. [redacted]'s complaint relates to difficulties she experienced during a distribution of funds from her IRA at Equity Trust Company ("Equity"). Ms. [redacted] requested two cashier's checks to purchase tax liens during 2013 and 2014. It is the client's obligation to inform Equity when funds are not used for the purpose for which a check is issued. Equity was not informed that these checks were not used to purchase tax liens until February 2016 and Ms. [redacted] requested the funds be returned to her account. Our accounting department contacted our bank to request the return of these funds. Equity is waiting for the bank to investigate to determine what steps are necessary to have the funds credited back to Ms. [redacted]'s account. Her distribution is on hold until the funds from these checks are returned as she currently has no cash balance. Additionally Ms. [redacted] appears to have questions about investing in traditional stocks and bonds through her Equity account. Equity clients are free to invest in stocks and bonds. However, Equity is a passive custodian and does not offer investments or investment advice. Clients must have a brokerage account linked to their Equity account in order to hold these types of investments. ETC Brokerage, an affiliate of Equity Trust, offers this service. The client is also free to open a brokerage account with any broker-dealer of their choosing. Finally, Ms. [redacted] has inquired about the status of her Fourth Quarter account statement In lieu of 2015 fourth quarter statements, enclosed please find a holdings list as of December 31, 2015 and a transaction detail from September 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015. This information is the same information that will be contained in the fourth quarter statements, which we expect to be issued during the first week of April 2016.  We apologize for the delay in issuing statements and any inconvenience this may have caused Ms. [redacted].If we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter, please feel free to contact me directly.Very Truly yours,Elizabeth J[redacted]

EQUITY TRUST COMPANYElizabeth [redacted] General Counsel Direct 440-[redacted]
March 16, 2017 Rhonda [redacted]by email only) Revdex.com, Inc. 2800 Euclid Ave. 4th Floor Cleveland, OH 44115-2408Re: Revdex.com Complaint [redacted] Dear Ms. [redacted] We are in receipt of your correspondence dated March 10, 2017 concerning the complaint of [redacted]. Mr. [redacted] is not a client of Equity Trust Company. Mr. [redacted] was appointed an account designated representative by our former client, Mr. [redacted]. Mr. [redacted]'s complaint relates to fees assessed to Mr. Z[redacted]'s account after it was closed. Pursuant to Mr. Z[redacted]'s instruction, Equity Trust closed Mr. Z[redacted]'s account on December 22, 2016. Once a client closes an account with Equity Trust, we can no longer share account specific information with account representatives. When Mr. [redacted] called Equity Trust, we were therefore unable share information in regards to Mr. Z[redacted]'s account. Our customer service agent offered to place a conference call with Mr. Z[redacted]'s to address Mr. [redacted]'s specific concerns. Mr. [redacted] declined this offer and terminated the call. The fee assessed to Mr. Z[redacted]'s account after it was closed was a $25 special handling fee, after his account was closed. This fee was incurred because Equity Trust received funds on Mr. Z[redacted]'s behalf on March 2, 2017. Equity Trust forwarded these funds by check to Mr. [redacted]. Pursuant to our fee schedule, an action taken on a closed account triggers the special handling fee. Although properly assessed, as a courtesy, we have refunded this fee to Mr. [redacted]. He will receive a check in the mail within the next seven to ten business days. If we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter, please feel free to contact me directly. Sincerely, Elizabeth [redacted] Equity Trust Company   [redacted]

The company of complaint is "Equity Trust Company"    1 Equity Way    Westlake, Ohio 44145

EQUITY TRUST COMPANYJuly 1, 2016 [redacted], Trade Assistant (by email only) Revdex.com, Inc. 2800 Euclid Ave. 4th Floor Cleveland, OH 44115-2408 Re: [redacted] Dear Ms. [redacted]: We are in receipt of your correspondence dated June 25, 2016...

concerning the complaint of our client, [redacted]. Mr. [redacted]'s complaint relates to fees he was charged in relation to closing his Equity Trust account. Mr. [redacted] opened up an account on April 7, 2016. At that time, he paid a $50 one time set up fee and $175 in account maintenance fees. On May 23, 2016, he made the decision not to fund his Equity Trust account and requested a refund of all fees paid. On June 3, 2016, Equity Trust mailed a check for $175 to Mr. [redacted] as a refund of the account maintenance fees paid. Mr. [redacted] never received this check. Equity Trust reissued this check on June 29, 2016 and sent it overnight with no charge to Mr. [redacted]. The $50 set up fee he paid is a non-refundable fee. Equity Trust completed our account set up prior to Mr. [redacted]'s decision not to fund the account. Equity Trust charges all customers a fee, fully disclosed in our custodial agreement, in connection with an account opening. If we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter, please feel free to contact me directly. Very truly yours, Elizabeth J[redacted] Equity Trust Company

EQUITY TRUST COMPANY® March 24, 2016 [redacted], Trade Assistant (by email only) Revdex.com, Inc. 2800 Euclid Ave. 4th Floor Cleveland, OH 44115-2408 Re: [redacted]/[redacted] Dear Ms. [redacted]: We are in receipt of your correspondence dated March 17, 2016 in...

regards to the complaint of [redacted]. Mr. [redacted]'s complaint relates to issues he experienced during the final distribution and closing of his Equity account. Mr. [redacted] submitted a distribution request and requested taxes not be withheld. Unfortunately, due to an internal error, federal taxes were withheld from that distribution in the amount of $3643. We have since corrected this error and a check for this amount was sent to Mr. [redacted] by [redacted] on March 18, 2016. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused Mr. [redacted]. If we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter, please feel free to contact me directly. Very truly yours, Elizabeth J[redacted] Equity Trust Company I 1 Equity Way I Westlake, OH 44145 1 440-323-5491 (p) 440-3663750 (f) 1 www.Trust[redacted].com

June 30, 2015 [redacted], Trade Assistant Revdex.com, Inc. 2800 Euclid Avenue, 4th Floor Cleveland, OH 44115-2408   Re: [redacted]   Dear [redacted]:   We are in receipt of your correspondence dated June 24, 2015, concerning the complaint of our...

client, [redacted]’s complaint relates to a tax service fee charged to both his and his wife’s accounts, each held at Equity Trust Company (“Equity”). On December 30, 2014, [redacted] completed a 2014-Other Engagement Form for 990-T tax return preparation. Through completion of this form, he verified that he engaged a firm to prepare his 2014 tax return, and confirmed he would provide a copy of the return, and any related extension, to Equity by the filing deadline, or be subject to a $50 non-refundable non-compliance fee. The same form was also filled out for his wife’s account. This fee was clearly disclosed and brought to his attention through the mailings sent in November and December in regard to this matter. As of May 20, 2015, neither the return, nor an extension, was received for either account, and the non-compliance fee was assessed to each account. On June 2, 2015, [redacted] contacted Equity indicating his displeasure with the fees charged. As a gesture of good will, the fee charged in [redacted]’s account was waived. [redacted] was informed of Equity’s decision, and he indicated he wanted to other fee to be waived. We stand by our decision as Equity was not notified of the activity relating to the filing of the tax return as requested, and the fact that we did waive the fee charged to one account. If we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter, please feel free to contact me at 440-[redacted], or by email at [redacted].   Very truly yours, Michael D** President