Santa Barbara Tax Products Group

[redacted]

size="3">
[redacted]
 
RE:          Case
[redacted]
 
 
03.03.2015
 
Dear [redacted],
 
This is in response to the complaint filed against
Santa Barbara Tax Products Group to the Revdex.com on February 28,
2015 regarding wrong account information.
 
Upon review of your record, a Refund Transfer
(RT) was chosen when your taxes were prepared through Turbo Tax. On February 9,
2015 the IRS funded your federal return; fees were deducted to pay your Turbo
Tax user fees and an additional Bank deposit product fee. The balance was
deposited to the account instructed on The Citizens Banking Company Refund
Processing Agreement. Your Bank rejected the funds and declared the account an
R03 “no account/unable to locate account”. The funds were returned to TPG on
February 11, 2015. According to your contract, TPG issued a Cashier’s Check on
February 12, 2015 and mailed to the address on record.
 
You stated in your complaint that you have
not received the Cashier’s Check mailed on February 12, 2015.  We apologize for the inconvenience this has
caused you and the manner in which your inquiry was handled by our Customer
Service agents.  Please fill out and
submit the Indemnity Bond attached along with the required IDs so that we can
place a stop payment on the lost check and reissue a new one for you. You may
forward these items directly to me so that I can assist in processing them.  I will ensure you have tracking information
for this item to allow you to trace en route.
 
Please feel free to contact me at
[redacted], Monday through Friday 7 am to 4 pm if you have any further
concerns or questions regarding this complaint.
 
Respectfully,
 
 
[redacted]
Compliance Analyst

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
This business has done nothing but lie from very beginning. I contacted them on March 24, 2016 whereby they instructed me to contact my bank of deposit to obtain date refund would be returned so business could then explain precisely when my refund would be sent to me as per agreement. I was then advised to contact business on March 28 & 29th only to get definitive answer confirming refund is sent out and to my address of record. Business then began to DEMAND that I provide to them copy of my driver's license in order to receive my refund. I was advised that if I did not comply to these demands then business would purposely hold on to my refund for lengthy period of time then send refund back to IRS whereby another severe lengthy delay would ensue. I told business this was illegal and breach of agreement and that I was very uncomfortable providing them with essentially remaining personal identifying information that completes my make-up. 
I also advised business that they are only allowed to verify information that IRS and Intuit possess and that neither of those parties possess or requested copy of driver's license and that business is holding my money and authorized by me to become a party to transaction and thus they agreed to accept my money from one party with instructions by me to deposit my money into deposit account and agreement is clear that they were only opening a TEMPORARY ACCOUNT (without acct number or normal deposit account capabilities) and that upon possible return of my money from designated account to business they are instructed to immediately place my money into form of cashiers check and mail check to my address of record. Business is not authorized to make demands to me, dictate new terms, illegally and unnecessarily hold my money delaying my receipt of funds, and only if certain prongs exist may they return money to IRS. Those prongs are as follows:
1. Designated deposit account returns refund;
2. Upon mailing of check it is returned to business as unable to complete delivery;
3. and I do not claim money and am unable to locate and/or contact thus leaving business with only one avenue at that point to return money to IRS.
Business never attempted to execute obligated delivery by mail as business refused to do so unless I complied with term and condition never contained in agreement and in violation of my rights and laws. Business was not a party to agreement, and only involved as alleged acting agent for [redacted] Bank. However, business makes representations in day-to-day activities suggesting that these parties are actually one in the same and business is conducting bank business and transactions from location they conduct primary business at and whereby are not licensed or authorized to transact as a bank or financial institution. 
Business then blackmailed me into executing another agreement releasing them of liability for their conduct. Upon execution business would immediately send out my refund to address of record by priority mail. Business then sent me alleged tracking number which to this day shows no movement, portrayed to be via certified mail (not new agreed provision of priority mail), allegedly on a form severely outdated and not in use by USPS any longer and lacking data that would normally accompany form 3800 outdated or not, and which I ultimately never received and waited many days suffering damages and hardships. 
Business then fabricates additional documents and correspondence attempting to cover-up their deceit before offering me issuance of another check immediately upon execution of very short form indemnity bond agreement. I then draft a declaration containing substantially more details and declaring under penalty of perjury to its contents. However, business then proceeds to rescind offer to immediately send another check due to my providing declaration in lieu of their insignificant bond agreement. I am told that a review by their legal team is required to make sure business is covered and they are within their STANDARD POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. I explain that under the law I have no responsibility for indemnity bond since they allegedly sent check via certified mail and I then did not receive check, they never legally relinquished possession of check (certified mail), business received alleged confirmation that mailing never reached me, and I pointed out the strange notarized provision bond agreement contained whereby I would be forced to provide my driver's license to execute bond. 
Business then (in many ways) reveal their entire plan which was creating this elaborate ruse to first portray attempted mailing of refund (whereby they believe would legally cover them should they carry out their illegal threats to return refund to IRS should I fail to comply with additional illegal demands), causing me further delay in receiving my money (due to refusing to meet their illegal demands and opposing them), then ultimately forcing me into providing my drivers license the very thing that caused this matter to escalate. Business then delays another two days portraying legal review over my declaration. I was irate and advised them that nobody would require this amount of time to review simple document as a substitute for their less than one page bond agreement. I also advised them that they have no set policies and regardless their policies and procedures are frivolous here as they are not a party nor are their policies incorporated into any agreement that governs this matter. Business then admits their tactics whereby they speak freely as to the rare opposition they see with other customers they conduct exact same transactions with as is evident in the many complaints submitted against this business. 
At this point business has caused me substantial damages and hardships committing many acts and substantial evidence has been gathered and is still being accumulated supporting the details listed herein and much more. This business attempted to justify their acts as safeguard protocols but they are the party that has committed fraud and displays fraud like tendencies. Business also has no right to implement any safeguards or policies they may normally conduct since they did not participate in drafting agreement for this transaction, were merely acting agents for participating bank (allegedly), and with all their banter and raving about policies and procedures they revised these many times but always with business creating the terms and conditions a fact that is comical as upon receipt of my money they are under my directive not other way around. Business at no time possesses legal or ownership rights to money and since I was in constant contact with them the true owner was being illegally denied right to his money (theft by business) and caused to accrue substantial costs to receive money, expenses that were never contained in agreement or mentioned as possibilities. Business may execute their safeguards only before temporary account is opened (which is substantial period of time before they received money) and even with these patriot act safeguards business may only (at most) request information from drivers license not copy of it. But this would not apply as terms clearly provide business right to "other information sources" which refers to same data IRS and Intuit possessed throughout and completed their own safeguards as actual participants to transaction entire time. Business and myself actually have no business relationship and business acting as agent should have received directives and referred to [redacted] Bank not delegate matters and revise, change, and create terms and conditions they are not legally empowered to complete. 
I am in receipt of check and it has been deposited but business has caused me severe hardships and damages and the pain and suffering forced upon me to simply receive money that is mine and surely not that of business is beyond comprehension or justification. Their acts are criminal, unprofessional, malicious, and outside the parameters outlined in documents I reviewed and agreed to before entering into this mess. Business is apparently committing similar acts and believe that because consumers ultimately comply with their illegal demands and blackmail submitting drivers licenses and other private information it must be legally sufficient and appropriate. They even used this explanation as a means of slandering me whereby I was told that since many consumers ultimately comply then why would I have problem with doing so UNLESS? I advised that by no means should they rest upon this inference as a means of supporting any illegal acts carried out as I have a right to protect my privacy and considering I do not conduct business with this party nor will I how can they expect me to provide them with every personal identifying and meaningful profile detail leaving myself exposed and naked to someone I am unfamiliar with, unprofessional, and doing the types of things they have done? 
I want business to pay for their treatment of me and acts committed and make sure they do not terrorize other consumers as apparently is occurring on regular basis. Revdex.com is here o protect consumers and we definitely require protection against the likes of this company. There is a lot of evidence here against these companies and it needs to be forwarded to proper departments and agencies. I have contacted several but would love assistance of Revdex.com. 
 
 
Regards,
[redacted]

April 21, 2016
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
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Dear Mr. [redacted],
This is in response to your complaint filed against Santa
Barbara Tax Products Group (TPG) through the Revdex.com on April
12, 2016.
In your complaint you stated that after filing your taxes
you learned your refund was returned to TPG and charged $20 for a reprocessing
fee. You were opposed to TPG requesting a copy of your identification in order
to verify you were the rightful owner of the account. After executing a
Settlement Agreement and Release between both parties, you asked that your
refund be sent as a Cashier’s Check to your address on record. You have not
received your check as of yet.
Upon review of your record, a Refund Transfer (RT) was
chosen when your taxes were prepared through [redacted]. On March 22, 2016 the IRS funded your federal
return; fees were deducted to pay your [redacted] user fees. The balance was
deposited to the account instructed on the [redacted] Bank Refund Processing
Agreement. Your financial institution rejected the funds and declared the
account an R16 / “Account Frozen”. You may contact the ACH department for your
financial institution and provide them with trace number: [redacted] for further details regarding the
rejection of funds. The funds were returned to TPG on March 24, 2016.
On March 29, 2016 you contacted TPG to inquire on the status
of your refund. TPG requested that you submit a photo of your government issued
identification for verification, which you declined to complete. As explained in
earlier conversations, we admit the CIP rule does not apply to an entity that
limits its services to check cashing, funds transfer or the sale of a check or
money order. You seem to believe that your relationship with [redacted] Bank
and Santa Barbara Tax Products Group, as the bank’s processor, is a funds
transfer. An actual account is established with [redacted] Bank. This is
a deposit and transaction account established to receive an IRS refund. The
account is FDIC insured. An account was established for you and the IRS
did deposit your refund into this account. There was an attempt to then
transfer funds to a separate account as you requested, but as you admitted, you
inserted an incorrect account number into the tax preparation
software. The transfer was rejected and a check issuance process was
begun. As part of the process, TPG initiated an identity verification
process to ensure it was submitting the check to the appropriate person. 
Even without the CIP rule, TPG would be required to take
reasonable steps to ensure it is sending a check to the appropriate person to
ensure that the process is not part of a fraudulent scheme. Asking for
identification is a reasonable and necessary step to limit identity theft. Most
taxpayers appreciate knowing that reasonable safeguards are in place to prevent
someone from committing identity theft and stealing a taxpayer’s refund in this
manner. You were also directed to reference the Application and Agreement
you electronically signed through [redacted]. Additionally, you were given the
option to have your funds returned to the IRS if you were uncomfortable
providing your personal and confidential information to TPG. We apologize if
our attempts at obtaining your personal information were perceived as intrusive,
but please understand it is our obligation to investigate these matters
thoroughly to ensure the money is forwarded to the lawful owner.
On April 1, 2016, TPG received your Demand Notice which was
forwarded to our Legal Team.  After legal
review, both parties agreed to the terms of the Settlement Agreement and
Release. You choose the option to have your refund mailed to your address as a
Cashier’s Check via USPS Certified Ground delivery. Unfortunately, you have not
received your check since it was mailed on April 7, 2016. As evidenced on the
USPS website, the check arrived at the USPS facility but the post office is
unable to locate it. Thank you for notifying TPG that the labels which were
used for the package were outdated. This was confirmed on our last visit to the
USPS where they updated our supplies but they indicated that this should not
have initiated an issue with the shipment. The letter from USPS is enclosed for
reference on the mishandling of the shipment. 
On April 12, 2016, you called TPG and spoke with [redacted]
[redacted] who informed you to fill out the attached Indemnity Bond sent in an email
and forward back via fax or email. An Indemnity Bond will authorize a stop
payment on the first Cashier’s Check sent to you and allow TPG to reissue a new
check. You stated that you were not satisfied with the resolution as it would
require you to have the Indemnity Bond notarized. In lieu of the Indemnity
Bond, you submitted a Declaration Notice which required TPG Legal team to
review the form since this was outside our standard practices. On April 20,
2016 you complied with our request and provided the Indemnity Bond form.  A new check was reissued to the address you
submitted on the Indemnity Bond.  The
shipment went out USPS Priority Mail Express. 
You were provided the tracking and delivery date via email.   
Thank you for taking the time to communicate to us why our
service did not meet your expectations. TPG is very sorry for any inconvenience
you have experienced.  If you have any
other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 877-908-7228,
Monday through Friday, 7am to 4pm.
Sincerely, 
[redacted]
Compliance Analyst

April 7, 2016
[redacted]
Dear Mr....

[redacted],
This is in response to your complaint filed against Santa
Barbara Tax Products Group (TPG) through the Revdex.com on March
29, 2016.
In your complaint you stated that you filed your tax return
through [redacted] and elected to have a Refund Transfer (RT). The IRS notified
you that your return was approved on March 23 but the funds were not deposited
into your designated account. After learning that your refund went through TPG,
you were asked to upload your identification. After following those procedures,
you were told it would take over a week to process your documents.
Due to the amount of compromised SSNs along with non-public
personal information (NPPI) throughout the country, we have put controls in
place to prevent identity theft and fraud. TPG feels this is the most prudent
course of action to protect taxpayers given the current environment. TPG is
committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that only you can access your
funds.
After TPG contacted you and verified your personal
information, TPG was able to release the hold on your account. On March 31,
your return was direct deposited into the account you provided when filing your
taxes.
Thank you for taking the time to communicate to us why our
service did not meet your expectations. If you have any other questions or
concerns, please feel free to contact me at 877-908-7228, Monday through
Friday, 7am to 4pm.
 
Sincerely,
Melissa Gaines
Compliance Analyst

The IRS has sent my refund to SBTPG on 02/18/2015, until now, they still have the money. According to SBTPG they have to send back the money to IRS and they did not provide any reason why, and said it could take 15-30days to process. I checked the status online and it states the funds was sent to my financial institution on 2/19/15, but when you click on disbursement details it says the funds are on hold and to call the number they provided. But when you call, they say it has to be sent back to the IRS and for what reason!? Again they cant explain. They did collect their processing fees and other fees was applied and now that the money is still sitting in their account, they are making money from the interests its accruing... While they are making money off from my refund, here I am trying to figure out how to pay the bills piling up. I hope they return those fees they have collected, along with the whole refund. Never ever going to use their service again and must warn other customers about their wrong doing and practice.

March 8, 2016
[redacted]
class="MsoNormal">
Dear Ms. [redacted],
This is in response to your complaint against Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (TPG) through the Revdex.com on February 27, 2016.
Your complaint stated Santa Barbara has had your money for 3 weeks because they claim that you had an incorrect account number, requested you to verify your identity and charged you 54.99 for services.  You tried calling TPG to inquire about your refund, but unable to speak to anyone. You also requested a refund for the $54.99.
In the scenario you have described in your complaint, you have chosen a do-it-yourself (DIY) tax preparation software package such as [redacted]’s popular [redacted] product. The taxpayer is entirely responsible for the information provided to the software including the disbursement account where the refund will be deposited. 
If a taxpayer enters a bank account that will not accept the refund deposit, the transaction is rejected by the receiving bank. Often times, this occurs because the taxpayer has entered incorrect bank account information or the account is closed. In these cases, the receiving bank “rejects” the transaction and returns the funds to the sender, in this case, TPG.
Upon review of your record, a Refund Transfer (RT) was chosen when your taxes were prepared through [redacted] Tax. On February 9,2016 the IRS funded your federal return; fees were deducted to pay your [redacted] Tax user fees of $71.98 and an additional $34.99 Bank processing fee for the RT. The balance was deposited to the account instructed on the [redacted] Refund Processing Agreement. M&T Bank rejected the funds and declared the account number as “Invalid”. The deposit to the above account was confirmed by the outgoing trace# [redacted]. You may contact the ACH Department for your financial institution at [redacted] and provide them with trace number: [redacted], date of disbursement and amount for further details regarding the rejection of funds. The funds were returned to TPG on February 10,2016.
Please note, as a risk control, rejected transactions are placed on hold until TPG can verify the taxpayer’s identity, at which time a Cashier’s Check is issued.  On February 29, TPG was able to verify your information, released the hold from your account and mailed a cashier’s check to your address on record. TPG confirmed that the check was negotiated on March 4, 2016.
The $34.99 that was charged from your refund is a processing fee that you agreed upon prior to using our refund transfer services. This processing fee is clearly described in the payment section on the [redacted] Tax site titled “How would you like to pay for [redacted] Tax?” (please see page 1 of attachment).  The next page
on the [redacted] Tax website takes you to “Read and accept this Refund Processing Agreement” (page 2 of attachment) where the [redacted] Refund Processing Agreement is disclosed including the service charge of $34.99.  Please note that you are also given the option of “I Don’t Agree” at the bottom of the page, where it would redirect you to pay with your credit card.  Additionally, the scroll box containing our agreement also has multiple sections disclosing each fee, please reference below:
1.  NOTICE: No Requirement To Have BANK Process Your Refund In Order To File Electronically.
YOU UNDERSTAND THAT A REFUND PROCESSING FEE OF $34.99 IS CHARGED TO ESTABLISH A TEMPORARY ACCOUNT TO RECEIVE YOUR FEDERAL TAX REFUND, TO PROCESS IT, TO DEDUCT YOUR [redacted] FEES FROM THAT ACCOUNT, AND TO FORWARD FUNDS TO YOU.  THE REFUND PROCESSING FEE IS NOT A LOAN; IT IS DUE TO BANK WHETHER OR NOT THE REFUND PROCESSING SERVICE OCCURS.  THIS FEE IS COLLECTED AT THE TIME THE REFUND OCCURS.  YOU CAN AVOID THIS FEE AND NOT USE THE REFUND PROCESSING SERVICE BY INSTEAD PAYING THE APPLICABLE [redacted] FEES TO [redacted] BY CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD AT THE TIME YOU FILE YOUR 2015 FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURN AND ELECTING TO HAVE YOUR REFUND DIRECTLY DEPOSITED IN YOUR OWN BANK ACCOUNT OR MAILED TO YOU.  IF YOU DO USE THE REFUND PROCESSING SERVICE, YOU CAN EXPECT TO RECEIVE THE PROCEEDS FROM YOUR FEDERAL TAX REFUND WITHIN 21 DAYS FROM WHEN THE IRS ACCEPTS YOUR RETURN UNLESS THERE ARE PROCESSING DELAYS BY THE IRS.  THE REFUND PROCESSING SERVICE WILL NEITHER SPEED UP NOR DELAY YOUR FEDERAL TAX REFUND. THE COST OF PREPARING YOUR TAX RETURN IS NOT ANY MORE OR LESS IF YOU PURCHASE THE REFUND PROCESSING SERVICE.
The $20 reprocessing fee was deducted when your refund was returned back to TPG after it was rejected by you bank. This process along with the associated fees are clearly described in the 3 different sections of the application as identified below:
Section 4: “You authorize BANK or Servicer to deduct from your Deposit Account the following amounts: (i) the refund processing fee; (ii) the fees and charges related to the preparation, processing and transmission of your tax return ([redacted] Tax Fees); and (iii) amounts to pay for additional products and services purchased plus applicable taxes. You also authorize BANK to deduct twenty dollars ($20) as a returned item processing fee from your Deposit Account in the event that your deposit is returned or you provide incorrect bank account or routing information, as set forth in the Note below paragraph 7 below.”
Section 6: “We will also charge a Return Item Fee of $20 if the refund cannot be delivered as directed in Section 4 of this application. An Account Research and Legal Processing fee of $25 may be charged if we are required to provide additional processing to return the funds to the IRS.”Section 7: “If you or your representative enter your account information incorrectly and your deposit is returned to BANK, the Deposit Account balance minus a $20 returned item processing fee will be disbursed to you via a cashier’s check mailed to your physical address of record. Additional return item and processing fees may be deducted from the Deposit Account for federal tax refunds that continue to be undeliverable and unclaimed and must be returned to the IRS or State. The amount of additional processing fees will be determined by the efforts required and the complexity of the transaction but will not exceed $25. Processing fees will be paid by BANK to Processor. 
We experienced extremely large call volumes which correlated to an extremely large, and unexpected, funding from the IRS. This unexpected spike in business caused extreme demand on our resources. We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced. 
If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at [redacted], Monday through Friday, 7am to 4pm.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Compliance Analyst

First and for most thanks for trying to help. I have 2 letters from the IRS Advocate for taxpayers, one dated May 2, 2015 the other dated May 22, 2015 both letters state clearly that they gave not received a returned check of any amount from the bank. I'm not giving into this line if crap and will make sure this scamming company shuts down. Thus will be broadcasted over the internet via every social network available to me. I'm also going to ccontact a lawyer
Better Business Bure:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Regards,
[redacted]

Filed my Income Tax using the TurboTax Online program like I have for the past 6 years or so. Received information that it had been reviewed, accepted and approved on January 28, 2016. Next information I received from TurboTax by email AND text was that it was to be deposited into my bank account by Direct Deposit on February 10, 2016. It is now February 26 and nothing. Checked with my Bank and they advised me that nothing has ever been sent. I called and spoke to an IRS representative and was advised that my Income Tax information had been received, reviewed and approved and they had sent my refund to TurboTax's bank, Santa Barbara Tax Products which was bought out and owned by [redacted], where they would take out their fees, then forward it on to my bank to be direct deposited. I finally spoke to a human with TurboTax after getting the run around and forwarded to 15+ numbers to call, being put on hold so many times I lost count, then to be disconnected and was finally told that a hold had been placed on MY MONEY because of some "suspicious activity" on my account. I was then directed to fax or upload my DRIVER'S LICENSE (front and back) to show proof of my identity.
Well SANTA BARBARA TAX GROUP is sitting like proud [redacted] peacocks, gaining interest on my hard earned money and will not release it to be deposited into my account.
This company ALONG with TurboTax is a scam, fraud, thieves and I will NEVER do business with this company again.
I WARN all to be aware of this scamming company and go elsewhere if you WANT your money!!!!!

Dear [redacted],
TPG has returned funds associated with your tax return filing back to the Internal Revenue Service, specifically the RISC/IVO Division of the IRS in Fresno, CA on March 9, 2016. The funds were sent back via Cashier’s Check; please use USPS certified tracking number: [redacted] to confirm delivery of funds. It is recommended that you contact the IRS at [redacted] for further details. You may also log onto [redacted] to seek assistance from a Taxpayer Advocate in your State.
Respectfully,
[redacted]
Senior Compliance Analyst

size="3">
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
 
RE:       Case [redacted]
 
 
02.24.2015
 
Dear [redacted],
 
This is in response to the complaint filed
against Santa Barbara Tax Products Group to the Revdex.com on
February 20, 2015 regarding funds never received.
 
Upon review of your record, a Refund Transfer
(RT) was chosen when your taxes were prepared through Turbo Tax. On February 3,
2015 the IRS funded your federal return; fees were deducted to pay your Turbo
Tax user fees. The balance was deposited to the account instructed on the
Sunrise Banks, N.A. Refund Processing Agreement. Your Bank rejected the funds
and declared the account an R04 “invalid account number”. The funds were
returned to TPG on February 5, 2015.  Our
regulators require that we follow Customer Identification Program (CIP) and
Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures, which are part of the statute of the USA
Patriot Act. Once you were verified as the lawful owner of the funds, your
refund was released.  TPG provided the
service which we were contracted to provide in deducting the applicable fees
and depositing the money into the account which you directed on the online
agreement. TPG charges a processing fee of $20.00 to process the rejected of
funds. Your electronic signature on the return authorized the deduction of all
applicable fees and processing of the Cashier’s Check. TPG issued a Cashier’s
Check on February 23, 2015 and mailed to the address on record. Please allow 10
business days for receipt of your check.
 
Please feel free to contact me at
[redacted], Monday through Friday 7 am to 4 pm if you have any further
concerns or questions regarding this complaint.
 
Respectfully,
 
 
[redacted]
Compliance Analyst

Dear Ms. [redacted],
0pt;">This email is in response to the complaint filed against Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (TPG) to the Revdex.com of San Diego on May 2, 2014 regarding delivery issues.
Thank you for bringing this issue to my attention.  I’m sorry that you had that experience and have yet to receive your refund.  We contacted the IRS and they confirmed that the funds have been posted to your account and are ready to be released.  Your Tax Advocate should be able to see this in their system as your account has been notated.  Please contact the IRS Customer Service line at 800-829-1040 or your Tax Advocate to receive further information. 
If you have any further concerns or questions regarding this complaint, please feel free to contact me at 877-908-7228, Monday through Friday 8 am to 4 pm PST.   
Respectfully,
[redacted]
Compliance Assistant
Santa Barbara Tax Products Group
[redacted]

scam company used by turbo tax to steel refund money no information given in dollar and cents on tax application given after you after purchase.used turbo tax for years. never had this problem before will never use again.

My taxes were done falsely and fraudently for the 2014 tax seasons. I was charged $444.90 for the tax preparers fee and $34.95 for the banking fee. The Bank has agreed, as a courtesy, to refund the $34.95 banking fee as I requested through the Revdex.com. I appreciate and accepted the offer of returning the fee of $34.95 so I may return that to the IRS. In their response statement, the Bank stated that "the Bank makes deductions from the refund to pay the tax preparation fees". I am requested that the other fee taken out of my 2014 tax refund for tax preparation of $444.90 be reimbursed since the Bank originally deducted that amount as well. All monies have to be returned to the IRS, as the preparation and documents submitted were done falsely and fraudently.I am requesting that the Bank refund the remaining fee that was originally deducted upon their behalf of $444.90 for the tax preparation fee due to the fact that the documents that were prepared and submitted were done falsely and fraudently. All monies are having to be returned to the IRS with an ammended tax return showing the correct information.

I'm totally and utterly traumatized by my experience with this company thus far and REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE! Customer# O26135500808

My check was sent to the wrong address last month on 3/15, it was stolen and fraudulently cashed by an unknown person. In order to resolve this error quickly I’ve provided TPG with ALL requested documents in order to verify my identity (valid personal ID) to verify timely that I’m in fact the account holder. I pray that TPG will process a new check and prosecute the unknown person and send my funds to the correct address. I spoke with a customer service rep yesterday 4/11 in order to update my mailing address per the (ADDRESS CHANGE FORM (FORGERIES ONLY) form but the email address provided was incorrect.
Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups:
[email protected]
A problem occurred during the delivery of this message to this e-mail address. Try sending this message again. If the problem continues, please contact your helpdesk.
The following organization rejected your message: mx1.greendot.com.
Whenever I attempt to reach someone via the multitude of numbers, I’m always disconnected or transferred to another person. It’s quite sad to me that I’m unable to find some resolve to this error.

February 24, 2016
[redacted]
[redacted]
class="MsoNormal">Dear [redacted],
This is in response to your complaint filed against Santa
Barbara Tax Products Group (TPG) through the Revdex.com on February
16, 2016.
Your complaint stated that you have been in contact with TPG
trying to get updated on your refund timeframe. Since February 3, you were
unable to receive the answers you wanted regarding your refund.
Our sincere apologies, I agree that this should not have
happened.  The information you were given
should have been consistent and your refund should have been issued in a timely
manner. I reviewed your case with the Manager and the team in order to clarify
procedures and provide further training. 
We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and thank you for your
input and feedback.
Upon review of your record, TPG was able to verify your
information and mailed your check on February 5, 2016. Your account shows that the
check was cashed on February 20, 2016.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to
contact me at [redacted], Monday through Friday, 7am to 4pm.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Compliance Analyst

March 14, 2016
 
[redacted], [redacted]
[redacted]...

[redacted]
 
Dear Mr. [redacted],
This is in response to your complaint filed against Santa
Barbara Tax Products Group (TPG) through the Revdex.com on March 4,
2016.
In your complaint, you stated that you filed your taxes
through [redacted]. Under unfortunate circumstances, your wife passed away and
TPG required you to send your identification and her death certificate. You
have not heard about your refund since you sent TPG your information.
Thank you for forwarding your information to TPG. On March 9,
2016, TPG was able to verify the information you provided and released the hold
on the account. The refund was reissued as a Cashier’s Check on March 10, 2016.
As a courtesy, TPG also remitted the processing fee via check. The refund is
currently processing and is in pending status. Please allow up to 7 days for
the check to reach your address on record. 
Thank you for taking the time to communicate to us why our
service did not meet your expectations. We hope we were able to offer a fair
solution to your complaint. If you have any other questions or concerns, please
feel free to contact me at [redacted], Monday through Friday, 7am to 4pm.
 
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Compliance Analyst

We have forwarded our response directly to the taxpayer via email.  Our processes were explained,  sample bank application and screen shots were attached to our response to help clarify the disclosure of fees.  TPG is also remitting the $20 reprocessing fee as a...

courtesy.
 
Thank you,
[redacted]
Dear Mr. [redacted],
 
This email is in response to the complaint filed against Santa Barbara Tax Products Group to the
Revdex.com on March 8, 2014 regarding advertising issues. 
 
When your taxes were prepared through Turbo Tax, you chose to deduct your fees from your
refund. When the taxpayer selects our bank product, they direct the IRS to deposit their tax refund
into a temporary account at the Bank. When the Bank receives the IRS refund (usually 10 to 21
days from the filing date), the Bank makes deductions from the refund to pay the tax preparation
fees and Bank fee. The balance of the refund is then disbursed to the taxpayer by way of deposit
to an account designated by the taxpayer (either a personal bank account or prepaid card). The
“Sample” screen shots and Application attached will establish that our fees and references to the
Bank are adequately displayed on the Turbo Tax application for 2014 as required by banking
regulations. 
 
Upon review of your record, a Refund Transfer (RT) was chosen when your taxes were prepared
through Turbo Tax. On March 4, 2014 the IRS funded your federal return; fees were deducted to
pay your Turbo Tax user fees of $27.99 and an additional Bank processing fee of $29.99 for the
RT. The balance was deposited to the account instructed on the Sunrise Banks N.A. Refund
Processing Agreement. Your Bank rejected the funds and declared the account an R04/“Invalid
Account Number”. You may contact your bank and provide them with trace number:
[redacted] for further details regarding the rejection of funds. It is notated on your record
that you stated the last two digits of the account number were wrong, which could be the cause of
the rejection. The funds were returned to TPG on March 6, 2014. According to your contract,
TPG issued a Cashier’s Check on March 6, 2014 and mailed it to the address on record.
 
TPG has nothing to with the receiving bank’s decision to reject the funds. Once TPG receives the
rejected refund, our company has the option of making another attempt to disburse funds to the
customer or simply returning the funds to the IRS. When the rejected refund was returned, TPG
made a good faith attempt to deliver the refund to you through an alternative delivery method,
which was a Cashier’s check. TPG charges a commercially reasonable processing fee to cover the
expenses associated with reprocessing these items. Most banks typically charge between $25 and
$35 for return item fees. In this case, you were charged a $20.00 reprocessing fee for the rejection
of funds. This fee is disclosed in your online agreement; please review the sample application
attached for details. 
 
As a courtesy, the reprocessing fee of $20.00 will be remitted via cashier’s check to your address
on record since it appears it was a mistake on your part to input the correct account information. 
For future reference, please verify your banking information for the deposit of your refund. For
direct deposit, the taxpayer’s name must be on the account. For a joint return, some banks require
both names on the account. Please note that Turbo Tax is responsible for communicating via
email all activities regarding your tax refund. 
 
We thank you for the inquiry. If you have any further concerns or questions regarding this
complaint, please feel free to contact me at [redacted], Monday through Friday 8 am to 4 pm
PST.  
Respectfully,
[redacted]

[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]...

[redacted]
 
Re: Case[redacted]
 
03.17.2016
 
Dear [redacted],
 
This is in
response to the complaint filed against Santa Barbara Tax Products Group to the
Revdex.com of San Diego on March 13, 2015 regarding advertising.
 
Please allow
me to explain the role of TPG in this matter and clarify the information
provided to you by Taxslayer.com. TPG, on behalf of the Bank, offers tax
related financial products through a network of tax preparation franchises,
independent tax professionals and online tax preparation providers such as
Taxslayer.com.  These products provide the taxpayer a method of having their tax
preparation fees deducted from their tax refund without paying any
out-of-pocket costs.  When your taxes were prepared through
Taxslayer.com, you chose a Refund Transfer (RT) product.  When the
taxpayer selects an RT, they direct the IRS to deposit their tax refund into a
temporary account at the Bank.  When the Bank receives the IRS refund
(usually less than 21 days from the filing date), the Bank makes deductions
from the refund to pay the tax preparation fees.  The balance of the
refund is then disbursed to the taxpayer by way of deposit to an account
designated by the taxpayer.
 
If a taxpayer
enters a bank account that will not accept the refund deposit, the transaction
is rejected by the receiving bank.  Often
times this occurs because the taxpayer has entered incorrect bank account
information or the account is closed.  In
these cases the receiving bank “rejects” the transaction, and returns the funds
to the sender, in this case TPG. TPG has nothing to do with incorrect account
information entered by the taxpayer or the receiving bank’s decision to reject
the funds. 
 
Controls are
in place to protect our customers from identity theft and fraud. Before you can
make any changes to your original record, you are required to answer a few
questions which are meant to be difficult. You may even need your records to
answer them. They are used to ensure that nobody but you can change your
personal and confidential information. Because we were unable to obtain the
personal information from you in order to verify your identity, we couldn’t
proceed any further in our efforts. Please understand it is our obligation to
investigate these matters thoroughly to ensure the money is forwarded to the
lawful owner.
 
TPG has
returned your funds to the IRS. Please be advised that the IRS can take several
weeks before they acknowledge receipt and post to your account. It is
recommended that you contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 for further details.
 
A SAMPLE
online agreement has been attached for your review.
 
Please feel free to contact me at 877-908-7228, Monday
through Friday 7 am to 3 pm, if you have any further questions or concerns
regarding this complaint.
 
Respectfully,
 
[redacted]
Compliance Analyst

March 31, 2016
[redacted]
Dear Ms[redacted]
TPG has
returned funds associated with your tax return filing back to the Internal
Revenue Service, specifically the RISC/IVO Division of the IRS in Fresno, CA on
March 30, 2016.  The funds were sent back via Cashier’s Check; please use
USPS certified tracking number[redacted] to confirm delivery of funds.  It is recommended
that you contact the IRS at 800-829-0922 for further details. You may also log
onto IRS.gov to seek assistance from a Taxpayer Advocate in your State. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Compliance Analyst

February 18, 2016
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]...

[redacted]
Dear Mr. [redacted],
This is in response to your complaint filed
against Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (TPG) through the RevDex.com on February 12, 2016.
Your complaint stated that you were unable to
receive adequate answers regarding the hold on your account. You also stated
that you had an unpleasant encounter with one of TPG’s Customer Service agents.
Upon review of your record, a Refund Transfer (RT) was
chosen when your taxes were prepared through Turbo Tax.  On February 9, 2016 the IRS funded your
federal return.  Your bank rejected the
funds and declared the account “No Account / Unable to Locate Account”.  You may contact your bank and provide them
with trace number: [redacted] for further details regarding the rejection
of funds. 
If a taxpayer enters a bank account that will not
accept the refund, the transaction is rejected by the receiving bank. Often
times this occurs because the taxpayer has entered the wrong account
information or the account is closed. In these cases, the receiving bank
“rejects” the transaction, and returns the funds to the sender, in this case,
TPG. On February 18, 2016 the rejected funds were reprocessed and converted
into a check. The check will be issued within the next 24 hours. Please allow
up to 7 days for the check to be received at your address of record.
On behalf of TPG, I would like to formally
apologize for the manner in which your inquiry was handled by our Customer
Service agents. The customer agent you named has been reminded of their
obligation to always process customer inquiries in a respectful manner.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel
free to contact me at [redacted], Monday through Friday, 7am to 4pm.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Compliance Analyst