Seneca One Finance, Inc

Review: I received a letter on May 16 and a check from this company in the amount of 249.99 stating it was a bonus check and I had to call to activate. I called the 800 number and spoke with Sarah and answered her questions and was told to give it 48 hrs before cashing the check and to call back to ensure it was activated. I called back after 72 hrs and spoke with Sarah again and was told the check was activated and to go ahead and cash it. I deposited it into my account and was given the money. After two days I was notified by my bank that the check had bounced and they withdrew the amount out of my account and charged me a service fee of 17.00. I tried to reach Sarah several times and was told that she was looking into it. I waited one week before trying again to contact her and she told me that they would be sending me a new check and this one would be activated and ready to go. She advised me they could not do anything about the service fee and that was my problem. I waited a week and a half and nothing came. I called and spoke with a supervisor named Ari who informed me that everything Sarah told me was wrong and that it was my banks fault for cashing the check not theirs. I spoke with my bank and they told me it was an active check and they were doing their normal procedures. I spoke again with Ari who told me that he could not refund my money and the best he could do was provide me a 0% loan worth the amount of the check. He also told me he would need personal information about my annuity from a car accident to even process it. I told him that was unacceptable and I would not provide this information because a loan was not the original agreement in the letter I received. No where in it does it say I need to provide this info. I still have the letter and a copy of the check from my bank and will provide you with it if you would like it.Desired Settlement: I want 249.99 and the 17.00 bank fee replaced because I do not feel this is mine nor the banks fault.

Business

Response:

August 14,2014Dear [redacted]:Thank you for the notice of the complaint filed by [redacted] on or about July 8, 2014.[redacted] responded to a marketing piece that contained a bonus check that could be activated upon his entering into a new business transaction with Seneca One. On or about May 19,2014, [redacted] called and spoke to a representative named Sarah. During this call, [redacted] notified Sarah that he did not wish to enter into a new business transaction with Seneca One. As a result, Sarah notified [redacted] that he did not qualify to have the check activated. Nonetheless, [redacted] chose to deposit the check into his account. Because the check was not activated prior to deposit, it was returned and his account was charged a fee. Although our records indicate that [redacted] refused to enter into a new business transaction with Seneca One that would have qualified him to have the check activated, I am happy to report that a check in the amount of$266.99 is being sent via [redacted] to [redacted] at the address listed on his complaint.I trust that this letter has adequately addressed the concerns raised by [redacted]s's complaint. Please feel free to call me directly at ###-###-#### if you have any questions or need any additional information about this matter. Thank you.Sincerely,Doyle *. C[redacted] Associate General Counsel

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

I accept the check but the response they gave about what the conversation was about is completely incorrect. Never once was I informed that the check was only under the condition of entering into a contract. As a matter of fact I made sure to ask to clarify that specific detail. I believe you record the phone conversations. I challenge you to provide a copy of the recorded call where myself or Sarah spoke about this detail. I was told the check would be active in 48 hrs and when I called back after 72 hrs I was told by Sarah it was active. Why else would I deposit a check into my account and take the chance of costing myself money? I guess the lying employee and the lie in this response is indicative of the type of business they run.

Regards,

Review: Company is advertising a sweepstakes that the fine print states no purchase or settlement required for entry, But when entering sweepstakes a structured settlement file is required. Here is a copy o the rules: Structured Settlement Sweepstakes. NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Starts on 11/1/14 at 12:00:01 a.m. ET and ends on 4/1/15 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C. who are structured settlement annuitants and 18 years of age and older. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. For complete Official Rules click here. Sponsor: Seneca One Finance, Inc., [redacted], Bethesda MD [redacted].

It can be found at [redacted]Desired Settlement: The company needs to remove the REQUIRED upload of a file lonk if the rules are true.

Business

Response:

December 11, 2014Dear [redacted]:Thank you for the notice ofthe complaint filed by Mr. Timothy Todd on or about December 10, 2014.Seneca One disagrees with [redacted]'s characterization of Seneca One's sweepstakes advertising needs to be modified in some way. Seneca One had the sweepstakes materials vetted by outside counsel that specializes in such contests. Seneca One takes exception to the notion that its sweepstakes materials are misleading in any way. For your reference, I have included copies of both the landing page for the sweepstakes as well as a copy of the official rules.As you can see in the materials, Seneca One has made it abundantly clear that an entrant must be a structured settlement recipient in order to enter and win the sweepstakes. Here are a few examples:• Title of the contest - "Structured Settlement Sweepstakes"• Clear qualifying statement on landing page - "If you have a Structured Settlement you could win the $100,000 Grand Prize!" (emphasis added)• Statement in short rules on landing page - "Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. and D.C. who are structured settlement annuitants ... " (emphasis added)• From the Official Rules o Section I - "ELIGIBILITY: Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and D.C., who are 18 years of age or older, and currently receiving payments from a structured settlement annuity ... " (emphasis added) o Section 3 - "TO ENTER: You may enter the Sweepstakes during the Sweepstakes Period by submitting documentation that evidences your right to receive structured settlement payments ... (emphasis added)[redacted] seems to have misread the copy associated with the sweepstakes. [redacted] states that "Company is advertising a sweepstakes that the fine print states no purchase or settlement required for entry, But when entering sweepstakes a structured settlement is required". (emphasis added) The statement that [redacted] attempts to quote actually reads "NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN." Perhaps [redacted] simply misread the statement and thought it said "settlement" instead of "payment". However, [redacted] himself includes the same language further in his complaint - "Here is a copy o[t] the rules: Structured Settlement Sweepstakes. NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN ... " In any event, the rules simply do not say what [redacted] indicates.Since [redacted]'s "complaint" is based on his misreading of the sweepstakes rules and the rules are abundantly clear as to what is necessary to enter, Seneca One requests that [redacted]'s "complaint" be stricken from the files of the Revdex.com ("Revdex.com") altogether. Seneca One has worked hard to earn an "A+" rating from the Revdex.com. Seneca One understands that one factor in the rating is the number of actual complaints filed. Because [redacted]'s "complaint" is based on his own misreading of the clear language, it is not really a complaint at all and should not be treated as such by the Revdex.com. Please confirm in writing that the Revdex.com will strike this "complaint" from its records and that the "complaint" not be factored in Seneca One's rating in any way.I trust that his letter has adequately addressed the concerns raised by [redacted]. Please feel free to call me directly at ###-###-#### if you have any questions or need any additional information about this matter. Thank you.Sincerely,Doyle CAssociate General Counsel

Review: In February they starting calling and have not stopped since then and continue to send advertisements in the mail offering free perks. We are assuming that this has something to do with lottery winning of my father. They even called the day of my father's funeral asking for him, when we informed them that he had died. One would think that, at that point they would stop.... but they have not. They called again a few days later with the same sales pitch, asking my mother, 'Don't you want the money?" Now they are sending stuff to my mother, calling the land line, and today even calling her cell phone. I called the number back today ###-###-#### since we are getting annoyed at this point and [redacted] (who clai** to be with [redacted] which apparently has relations with SenecaOne, which is where all the mailed adds come from) refused to speak to me or tell me what the call was regarding. This is very unethical business practices, no other words to describe what they are doing but rude. My father just died, they should have stopped at that point, instead they are now pestering a grieving widow who even informed them the first time they called that she had no interest in their services.Desired Settlement: They just need to stop. Maybe karma will catch up with them, one day and when their spouse or parent dies someone will do the same to them.

Business

Response:

April 22, 2014Dear **. [redacted]:I write in response to the consumer complaint directed to Seneca One, LLC. Let me start by extending our sympathies to **. [redacted] s family on the news of the passing of her father, [redacted] (“**. [redacted]). Seneca One takes all consumer complaints seriously and has investigated the matter at hand.As means of background, Seneca One purchases lottery receivables from individuals in exchange for lump sum payments. **. [redacted] s information was included in our marketing database because he won a state lottery prize. From the notes in our database, it appears that Seneca One had some limited telephone contacts with **. [redacted] prior to his passing. Seneca One sincerely apologizes to **. [redacted] and her entire family.Pursuant to **. [redacted] s request, Seneca One has removed the names of **. [redacted] and **. [redacted] from its telephone lists so that no further telephone contact will be initiated by Seneca One. Additionally, Seneca One has removed the names of **. [redacted] and **. [redacted] from its mailing list so no new mail pieces will go out to their attention. However, it is possible that a few additional marketing pieces are currently in circulation and may be delivered to their attention in the next 30 days or so, but thereafter, no more marketing pieces will be sent from Seneca One or its affiliates.We trust that this letter fully resolves the matter. Please contact me at ###-###-#### if you have any questions or need any additional information. Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the complaint.Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

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

--Please note that removing a dead person from your contact list and replacing their name with the spouse's is not a good business practice, just in case you happen to ever come across this again. Regards, [redacted]

Review: I received a $100 check in the mail and it said to call and answer a few questions and they would activate the check. When I called I answered the questions and they still refused to activate the check.Desired Settlement: I want to receive the money I was promised.

Business

Response:

July 29, 2014Dear [redacted]:Thank you for the notice of the complaint filed by [redacted] on or about July 22, 2014.[redacted] responded to a marketing piece that contained a callback number to complete a phone survey. In exchange for completing the survey, the responder would be entitled to a $100 check. As you can imagine, the marketing piece was very popular and effective resulting in a large influx of survey responders. Although our records indicate that [redacted] refused to provide responses to the survey questions, I am happy to report that a $100 check is being sent via [redacted] today to [redacted] at the address listed on bis complaint.I trust that this letter has adequately addressed the concerns raised by [redacted]'s complaint. Please feel free to call me directly at ###-###-#### if you have any questions or need any additional information about this matter. Thank you.Sincerely,Doyle *. C[redacted] Associate General Counsel