Higher One, Inc.

Review: I have a bank account with Higher One Inc. with number [redacted] since my school requires me due to my Financial Aid refunds being processed by them. I've been having billing issues with [redacted] and [redacted] trying to charge my account with recurring payments even after I spoke to them to cancel my memberships and thus the automatic payments. Since I know people that have had the same situation I had and they keep billing them, I contacted Higher One on or about 01/20 to advise them not to allow any transactions from the mentioned institutions and the agent assured me that a note was placed on the account so I didn't have to worry. To my surprise, on 02/01/2016, two transactions were authorized, one for $46 from [redacted] and the second for $41.73 from [redacted] Club. They did reverse the charges, but since my account had a $0 balance because I only use it to get my refunds I got charged two insufficient funds fees for $29 each totaling $58 in negative charges. I called to close the account and they wouldn't let me do so since I have a negative balance but they wouldn't waive the fee either. I've been going through so much with this company, including an issue with a check I sent through mail to be deposited and they tried to deposit it over a month after I sent it, so the way they handle people's money is ridiculous. I just want to get the fee waived and have the account closed and end up all business I have with this company.Desired Settlement: I want the $58 insufficient funds fees to be waived and have my account closed.

Business

Response:

This response is to acknowledge receipt of our

cardholders communications received from the Revdex.com, regarding

case # [redacted] Higher One is committed to stellar service and takes

complaints very seriously.

In the interest of protecting our customer's

confidentiality, we have contacted Mr. [redacted] via separate notification to

address his concerns.

If Mr. [redacted] has any further questions, he may

contact us by calling the number on the back of his card Monday - Friday

between the hours of 8:00am - 11:00pm EST.

Sincerely,

Tami T[redacted]Vice

President, Customer Care

Review: My school, [redacted], runs its tuition refund service through Higher One. In November I made a payment for my [redacted] credit card using the refund I received from my school. This was intended to be a one time payment and the account was not suppose to be linked to my Credit Cards payment system. About four weeks ago another payment was made to my Credit Card for $1100.00; which was suppose to be made from another account I have with [redacted], however, [redacted] mistakenly took the money from the Higher one account. The account at that time had no money in it because it is a Tuition refund account and that money was distributed to me weeks earlier. Due to this my account was over-drafted by $1100.00. Higher one alerted my promptly to this overdraft which confused me at the time because I believed that money was taken from my [redacted] account. I called their customer service office immediately after receiving the email, while in school, in order to resolve this issue. I explained to the woman I spoke to that this was an error and [redacted] shouldn't have charged that account the money and I requested the fee be waived it was the Banks mistake, not mine. The woman claimed she could not assist me at that time and that I would have to call back another time. I attempted to reach Higher One over a four week period and was unable to reach them due to conflicts with my school/work schedule and their customer service business hours. Additionally I attempted to email them in regards to my issue which they seemed to disregard. When I finally was able to reach them today (12/28/15). They first told me that I owed them the full $1100 and the $29 fee, even though [redacted] refunded the 1100 back to Higher One four weeks earlier. After that was resolved they stated that the fee could not be waived because it has been in effect for too long. I feel I was taken advantage by Higher One I attempted to contact them for three weeks in order to resolve this issue and was unable to. whenever I reached them they claimed they could not assist me. Although I cannot control their business hours the fact that they Ignored my customer support email entirely leads me to believe that they wanted to draw this rather minor issue out so they could charge me the fee.Desired Settlement: I feel I shouldn't have to pay the $29.00 overdraft fee to Higher One. Since Higher One Representatives where unable to assist me with the issue immediately after it happened. I feel I should not be penalized for their incompetence.

Business

Response:

Review: For several years Higher One will not resolve a simple refund issue. Basically years ago I was in school and Higher One was the payment center. While I was out of town, my son stole my id and checks from Higher One. Upon return I found this out and had my son arrested for theft. There were a total of three checks that do not total 300.00.. I paid these checks off here in town including the fees and charges. For some reason Higher One claims they paid these checks and has charged my account 560.00. I have sent to them by fax four different times the police report and stubs that I paid these checks off. They still want to file a claim then within a few hours the investigation is closed???. I agree that I do owe Higher One the three NSF fess but that is all. I have repeatedly tried and tried and no one will respond. It is a simple issue that checks were written and Higher One returned them back to the store,then the store calls me and I paid them,seems simple but Higher One can not get it thru that these checks have been paid by me and I owe them just the return fees. Higher One says for me to pay off the balance THEN Higher One will refund the amount back.. How stupid is that....Desired Settlement: Reduce the amount on record (That has already been paid)and tell me how much 3 returned checks charges are and I will correct it. Also for Higher One to take this off my credit bureau report

Business

Response:

Dear Mr. [redacted],

Review: On November 1, 2013 I went to the ATM machine at my school campus to make a withdraw, then the screen on ATM machine stated the transaction is being processed. Minutes later the screen displayed the main screen, so I repeated the steps to make a withdraw and still no money was released from the ATM machine. I went to my car and I called Higher one phone number and I have to give my card number before I can be transfer to an operator, and after I put in my card number the balanced was five-hundred dollars lesser. I spoken with a supervisor name [redacted] and he said I will be credited the five-hundred, but I never received the money. Since November 4th to 5th I have been going through a turmoil trying to get my money back from Higher One company.Desired Settlement: I would like to get back my five hundred dollars that the ATM machine took from me.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

Review: I started school in August 2009 under my maiden name, got married in September 2009. Provided my name change with my University in 2009 and they said they would give my information to Higher One and have them send me a new card with my new name, they even said I would have to pay a fee to get a new card. Here we are in 2015, I just enrolled again with my University for the Master's program. I received an e-mail from [redacted] on October 2, 2015 (Reference ID: [redacted]) saying that they have mailed me a refund check and is expected to arrive in 5-7 days by [redacted] at the following address: (MY CORRECT ADDRESS). The refund check was never received, so I tried to login on [redacted].com and was unable to login because after I graduated in 2013 I cancelled my service with them. So, I called Higher One, and the lady I spoke with was extremely rude, I gave her all my information, and she said she could not find me in the system. I gave her my full social security number, and she yelled at me and said I gave her an incorrect name! As a solution, I had to send in a copy of my marriage license and government issued ID to them. I have yet to received closure with this issue, I received an email saying that if my issue has not been resolved, please reply, and it gave me lines to put the reply in, but the format is set up so you cannot alter the email at all. It also gave a link "To access your question from our support site, click here." I clicked, and it said: Permission denied, you do not have permission to access this document." As of November 15, 2015 I do not have my refund, nor any confirmation that anything is being resolved.Desired Settlement: I need my name changed, and the refund that is legally mine.

Business

Response:

Review: I attend [redacted] University. I use higher one for my financial aid disbursements. I have not received my second disbursement from higher one. They are keeping my money for their own financial gain.. They claim they are holding my money until January. They have no right to do so...I need my money I have obligations to take care of... January is another semester for [redacted].. What's suppose to happen when next semester comes and they tell me they need to hold that money until next semester or they hope I forget about it.... Last year they took 500 dollars from my sister.. They would not investigate because they no they took that money.. and she's not the only student where money has been taken from their higher one account...They are trying to take my money not acceptable anymore for them to get away with this.....Desired Settlement: I want my money due to me right away

Business

Response:

Review: On 9/27/13 I had blocked a e-check from a company called [redacted] and I had to pay a $24.00 fee. Well that day [redacted] took $403.40 from my checking account#[redacted] and HIGHER ONE refused to help me and told me that they (the company) can keep the money. I paid a $24 stop payment fee for nothing because Higher One refused to help me and instead gave the money to this [redacted] place. When I asked a supervisor for help at 9:15 a.m. cst on 9/27/13 at the phone # for Higher One they told me that I had an agreement with [redacted] and too bad, so sad. I don't understand how a company can charge a $24 stop ach payment fee and then NOT stop the payment?Desired Settlement: I want my $403.40 back and now I want the $24 ach stop payment fee I paid refunded too, Higher One didn't provide the service!

Business

Response:

Dear Mr. [redacted]

We have received your letter from the Revdex.com regarding your Higher One account. Higher One is committed to Stellar Service and we appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.

Please accept our apologies for the frustrations you experienced regarding the stop payment on your account.

Please rest assured that the stop payment you requested was successful. An ACH stop payment is designed to prevent ACH debits/withdrawals from being paid and unfortunately is unable to prevent a merchant from making an attempt to collect payment on an account. However, the stop payment ensures that the transaction is not paid and is typically returned to the merchant in question on the next business day after the posted date. In addition, any fees triggered by the event are reversed on the same business day as the returned transaction(s).

A single ACH stop payment will block attempts as long as the merchant name and amount entered is a match. You may review your active stop payments online by selecting the Service Requests sub menu located under the Customer Service tab from your homepage. Simply click on the "View Stop Payment History" link on the page that unfolds.

Another option to consider is to change your account number. There is no fee for this request. If you wish to change your account number, please contact Customer Care for assistance.

We apologize for any confusion and hope this information is helpful.

We value your business and want to ensure that you have a positive experience with Higher One. Our Senior Customer Care Manager [redacted] has attempted to call you in an effort to personally review and resolve your inquiry. We understand the importance of your concern and welcome the opportunity to speak with you should you have any unresolved questions.

Please feel free to contact [redacted] directly at [redacted] extension [redacted]. She is available Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time and will be happy to assist you. If more convenient, you may speak with a Supervisor anytime during our normal business hours by calling [redacted] ext. [redacted]. Customer Care is available Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Sincerely,

Sr. Director of Customer Care

Review: On 08/03/15, I tried to pull money out of a Higher One ATM machine, so as not to incur a fee for using a non affiliated machine. The machine froze and did not disburse the cash, but the money was deducted from my account. I called Higher One and they told me to wait 24 hours and it would clear off. I waited, and it didn't. I called Higher One again and they told me I had to submit a claim and it would "only" take ten business days to investigate it. The refund would take a few more days. The refund, however, is contingent upon what their "investigation" finds. I used to work at a bank, and it was common practice when something like this happened, to give the customer a provisional credit in the meantime. Higher One has refused to do so. Initially, I had wanted to transfer my funds to my personal checking account at my local bank. I went through the whole process of entering my bank information and Higher One said I would receive three small deposits to verify my account. Those deposits never came, which is why I had to use their ATM to withdraw cash.Desired Settlement: I would like to receive a provision credit to my account while Higher One conducts their investigation.

Business

Response:

This response is to acknowledge receipt of our cardholders communications received from the Revdex.com, regarding case # [redacted]. Higher One is committed to stellar service and takes complaints very seriously.

Review: I have a debit card that declines whenever I try to use it for the last three years. Every time I call they tell me that they don't see any declined transactions on the account. I'm tired of their lies and just want my money out of the account.Desired Settlement: Send me the balance of my account.

Business

Response:

This response is to acknowledge receipt of our cardholders communications received from the Revdex.com, regarding case # [redacted]. Higher One is committed to stellar service and takes complaints very seriously.

In the interest of protecting our customer’s confidentiality, we have contacted [redacted] via separate notification to address her concerns.

If [redacted] has any further questions, she may contact our Customer Care Management team by calling [redacted] Monday - Friday between 8:00 AM and 11:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Sincerely,

SVP, Chief Compliance Officer

<

Review: On February 5th 2015 I paid Higher One 20.00 to replace my wife debit card. I then realized after checking my bank account that I was in fact charged two times for this service resulting in a charge of 40.00 in total. I then notified my wife who attempted various methods to contact Higher One about this charge. All emails were met with canned responses and stated that an "investigation" would be conducted. When attempting to call she was told that someone would call her back, both of these things have not materialized and I am still out my 20.00.Desired Settlement: All I want is my 20.00 returned promptly to my bank account. I understand mistakes happen, but no business has ever taken this long to process a refund. If a resolution cannot be reached I will contact the proper banking authorities.

Business

Response:

This response is to acknowledge receipt of our cardholders communications received from the Revdex.com, regarding case # [redacted]. Higher One is committed to stellar service and takes complaints very seriously.

In the interest of protecting our customer’s confidentiality, we have contacted [redacted] via separate notification to address his concerns.

If [redacted] has any further questions, he may contact our Customer Care Management team by calling [redacted] extension [redacted] Monday - Friday between 8:00 AM and 11:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Sincerely,

SVP, Chief Compliance Officer

Review: I went through this company for school. I had an account through them and cancelled once I found that they charge you for fees just to check your balance. I was going to go through them for an account until I found a better local bank. I ordered a card and they did tell me that the card was 20.00 I sent in an email telling them I no longer wished to receive this I was told this card was cancelled I never received the card and now [redacted] is charging me 20.00 for the card that I never received. I am filing the complaint because I shouldnt have to pay for something that I never received. Neither place will take this charge off. I am sick of being ripped off by places.Desired Settlement: I have to pay the 20.00 to get my transcripts from [redacted] one of these places needs to give me the money back.

Business

Response:

This response is to acknowledge receipt of our cardholders communications received from the Revdex.com, regarding case # [redacted]. Higher One is committed to stellar service and takes complaints very seriously.

In the interest of protecting our customer’s confidentiality, we have contacted Ms. [redacted] via separate notification to address her concerns.

If Ms. [redacted] has any further questions, she may contact our Supervisor line directly at [redacted] Ext. [redacted] Monday- Friday between 8:00am and 11:00pm EST.

Sincerely,

SVP, Chief Compliance Officer

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Sincerely,

Review: This company is forcing me to select their debit card with all their fees. They make it hard for you to receive your monies and are very unclear as to when the monies will be available to you or released. They re state that the better faster option was to have gone with their card and all of their fees, you would atleast have some of your money available. Why is this company allowed to prey on students and student loan applicants? Their customer service is terrible and unable to assist you with anything. This is not a service center, every rep you speak with is a supervisor and a manager. They forget that their title and then offer to escalate you to another supervisor and another manager. And on and on...I still do not have my monies, I did not agree to do business with this company at all. I am being coerced into doing business with this company. We should not be forced to do business with companies. I have the right to choose who I wan to do business withDesired Settlement: I want my student loan monies released to my bank account. I want this complaint forwarded to [redacted] and Higher One so that they are aware that they are making life harder and preying on students. There are hundreds if not thousands of complaints on social media regarding Higher One. Any college institution that is in business with this company is actively hurting and robbing their students. They obviously have a business deal that is in their best interest and not the students. They advertise that they care and are all about options but if you read the fine print and go through the process this is all just one bait and switch operation

Business

Response:

Dear Ms. [redacted],

Review: I changed my email address on my account online and when I confirmed it I tried to sign in again and it did not work. I got locked out and I called them and they emailed me a password reset. Well it did not work . I was transferred 5 times and everyone is not helping me. Also awhile ago I wrote them to change my birth date and they have not. First I called and sent them documentation of my drivers license and they told me they fixed it . Which they have not and one lady asked what birth date do they have and I said I have no clue since I opened the account with my birth date. someone there must have put it in wrong because I know when I was born. they talked to me like a crook and I do not appreciate it. And still to this day I cannot get my password fixed. I also want my premiere account to go back to just the normal student account .Desired Settlement: I want my birth date changed to what it should be 12/12/1960

I want my account unlocked

I want my account changed back to the student account. I am still a student at central [redacted] college in Charlotte NC.

I want all this done ASAP

Business

Response:

This response is to acknowledge receipt of our cardholders communications received from the Revdex.com, regarding case #[redacted]. Higher One is committed to stellar service and takes complaints very seriously.

In the interest of protecting our customer’s confidentiality, we have contacted Ms.[redacted] via separate notification to address her concerns.

If Ms. [redacted] has any further questions, she may contact our Customer Care Management team by calling ###-###-#### Ext. [redacted] Monday - Friday between 8:00 AM and 11:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Sincerely,

Review: My university (University of [redacted]) has partnered with Higher One to process student loans. After 2 semesters of using them, I and many students I know are very dissatisfied with their outrageous fees. Higher One charges a fee everytime you use their card at a non Higher One ATMs or non Higher One institutions. The only ATM I can use to avoid fees are available on Campus Union Building and they are closed on weekends. Please go to Higher One website higherone.com and look at their outrageous Fee Schedule, it is a ripoff for students because many of them struggle to make ends meet. Also, please look at Higher One reviews on the internet and you'll see how dissatisfied customers are with their services. All the reviews I read gave only 1 star out of 5 and some wished there were a negative star to choose.

Thank you for your time.Desired Settlement: Just normal fees like all other known banks have. Or better yet, do away with Higher One all together and use a better rating bank such as Arvest, Bank of America, First security. There are so many good banks out there and I don't understand why our university has made this poor choice in selecting this bank.

Business

Response:

This response is to acknowledge receipt of our cardholders communications received from the Revdex.com, regarding case # [redacted]. Higher One is committed to stellar service and takes complaints very seriously.

Review: I am writing to you as I have a complaint about the service I have had with your institution recently. It began in November as I lost my job; therefore lost my internet. I recently was able to get my internet back. As a result I was bomb barded with emails from you because of an overdraft/delinquent account fee. I called the customer service number to explain why I not paid this fee only to find out that you do not send letter as you are an electronic bank only. However the CSR informed me that I had to request the fee to be reversed as a one- time courtesy. The lady had mentioned also that the fee would be waived it just had to be approved by a supervisor. Within a couple of days I had a response saying that it would not be waived. I was very surprised! Therefore, I am requesting that my account be closed as I can no longer be associated with a company that is dishonest with their customers. I will also be talking with [redacted] Community College about this policy of no letters. I have always thought before a fee can be applied that I must be notified. If I was allowed to receive a letter; this fee would have never gone this far and I would not be a unsatisfied former customer. I understand the purpose of the card; however, I find it to be unfair practices to be charged a fee that I am not aware of. I felt as a business you would send a letter to inform me so that this matter would be resolved. I did contact you for assistance and was given the wrong information stating that my fee would be refunded. I am still asking for a refund by the way. I thought that we have to be notified in writing of any fees by law.Since I lost my job and therefore lost my internet I would have expected- as a good business practice- a letter of some sort alerting me to the fee. Since this is part of my college refunds and every penny counts as a college student, this would have been taking care much sooner had I know. I was also not aware of your policy to sent emails and not letters for issues such as this.

Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Refund

I would like my $50.00 fee refunded.

Business

Response:

Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2013/04/05) */

Dear Mr. [redacted],

Thank you for your letter regarding the Delinquent Account fee. Higher One is committed to stellar service and we appreciate the opportunity to make the following response.

I apologize for any miscommunication when contacting Customer Care for assistance. We do send electronic communication via email as well as phone call attempts to customers with an overdrawn balance.

The $50.00 Delinquent Account fee is incurred when an account is negative 45 consecutive days and for $5.00 or more.

However, we understand your concerns and have credited back the fee to your account as a one-time courtesy. Your account has also been closed as requested and an official check for the remaining balance, $50.44, mailed to your primary address on file.

We hope this is helpful. Should you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to call the Supervisor line directly at XXX-XXX-XXXX ext. 5031. Customer Care is available Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and is always happy to assist you.

We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.

Sincerely,

Sr. Director of Customer Care

Review: I have been trying for the past 2 weeks to come to a resolution with this company. They have put a security lock on my checking account to where I can not do mobile deposits. They claim that sometime on July 2014 I attempted a transfer of money. I know for a long time from July-aug of 2014 I was in the hospital with my dying mother I remember attempting a transfer and calling them because I put in the wrong account number by mistake the agent said no problem and told me she would fix the problem. Months later there was no known problem on my behalf. Until 2 weeks ago I attempted to do a mobile deposit and was not able to do so I called and was told that there was a security probleem I did everything I could to help them but the information they gave me was not correct. I asked what bank and they gave me a bank that I have never heard of nor used. I asked them how can I give bank statements for a account or bank that I dont recognize nor have. I was told the matter would be fixed and as of today it has still not been fixed. They have came up with another reason as to why I cant do a mobile deposit. They stated that my account had an overdraft but the overdraft came from the store I was at did a credit instead of debit when I put my debit information in the charged me a excessively high credit charge along with the bank charging me made my account go into negative I deposited money into the account to correct this. So I was told do to the overdraft that it started the security lock over from day 1. I don't think this is fair because these are 3 2 separated bank issues one is a transfer the other is a deposit then we have the overdraft from a store I feel like I should have the option to deposit money.Desired Settlement: For the security lock to be lifted and I am allowed to make mobile deposits.

Business

Response:

This response is

to acknowledge receipt of our cardholders communications received from the

Revdex.com, regarding case # [redacted]. Higher One is

committed to stellar service and takes complaints very seriously.

In the interest of

protecting our customer's confidentiality, we have contacted Ms. [redacted] via

separate notification to address her concerns.

If Ms. [redacted] has

any further questions, she may contact our Supervisor line directly at

###-###-#### Ext. [redacted] Monday - Friday between the hours of 8:00am - 11:00pm

EDT.

Sincerely,

Tami T[redacted]

Senior Director, Call Center Operations

Review: I had a big refund deposited onto their Card, my school assured me it was safe. When I tried to use the funds or withdraw them the company denied me the right. When I tried contacting customer service, I was hung up on four times. When I asked for a supervisor, their service agents hung up on me twice. I have yet to have had this issue resolved, and have no way of communicating with anyone in their company. They have completely high-jacked my student funds. The representatives all argued with me even called me a liar, and continue telling me the card works fine. I went to my school's ATM and retained receipts showing my card transactions were not allowed.Desired Settlement: I would like to be able to withdraw the money from this account, without being hung up on when I ask for assistance.

Business

Response:

This response is to acknowledge receipt of our cardholders communications received from the Revdex.com, regarding case # [redacted]. Higher One is committed to stellar service and takes complaints very seriously.

Review: I have over 5,000 dollars in student loans issued to me by the federal government. The money was issued to me in August, it is still not here October 17th. I know Higher One waits for you not to ask for your money before they will send it. They told me they wait for you to "default" before they send out a check. They were ordered by the federal government to return 11 million dollars to students and pay fines for unlawful business practices. Yet they they have an A on your website. They are thieves who try to charge you money for their services, if you do not use their services, They hold your money for as long as they can. The fees where determined by the government to be illegal.Desired Settlement: I would like my money, and I would like their grade to be lowered. Illegally charging money is wrong, withholding money from an individual is wrong.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

Review: I have been sending them documents that were on there list on approve documents and they have not processed my account or released my money.Desired Settlement: I would like my account to be process so I can get my money

Business

Response:

This response is to acknowledge receipt of our cardholders communications received from the Revdex.com, regarding case # [redacted]. Higher One is committed to stellar service and takes complaints very seriously.

Review: I've had this account for 4 years, since 2011. All of a sudden, they closed my account. They have no excuse or reason which is a breach in the terms and conditions of the account. This account has been used the same way the entire time I've had it except for recently. I'm now temporarily disabled and receive social security direct deposit. They closed my account 2 days before my deposit hit. And now it's just sitting there and no one can tell me any definite answer. I feel discriminated due to my disability. I think if I never start getting it deposited then my account would never been closed. They keep telling me someone will call me from management and I have yet to receive a call.Desired Settlement: I would like to be able to receive my $1813.00 social security check. I offered the representative to wire it to one of my other accounts and I'll pay the fee, they declined. No one is telling me for sure how I will get my money.

Business

Response:

This response is to acknowledge receipt of our cardholders communications received from the Revdex.com, regarding case # [redacted]. Higher One is committed to stellar service and takes complaints very seriously.

In the interest of protecting our customer’s confidentiality, we have contacted Ms. [redacted] via separate notification to address her concerns.

If Ms. [redacted] has any further questions, she may contact our Supervisor line directly at [redacted] Ext. [redacted] Monday- Friday between 8:00am and 11:00pm EST.

Sincerely,

SVP, Chief Compliance Officer

Consumer

Response:

No one still has explained why the account is being closed. No one can explain what was done different that's considered high risk. I need to know what's the new issue that has came up. This account has been used the same way for 4 years.