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H&R Block - Refund Anticipation Loans

H&R Block • Charges • Electronic Filing • Errors • "Free" Filing • Online • Refund Anticipation Loans • Taxcut • Option One Mortgage Corp. -- News • American Home Mortgage Servicing Agrees To 8200 Modifications • Massachusetts Court Stops H&R Block, Option One Foreclosures • Massachusetts Blocks H&R Block, Option One Foreclosures • New York Stops H&R Block's Deceptive Sweepstakes Ads • California Sues H&R Block • H&R Block Sells Subprime Mortgage Unit • H&R Block Launching Its Bank • H&R Block Threatened Employees, Spitzer Charges • H&R Block Settles Tax Refund Loan Suit • H&R Block Readies New Bank as Business Soars • NY Accuses H&R Block of IRA Marketing Fraud • H&R Block Goofs on Its Own Taxes • Children's Defense Fund: Tax Refund Loans "Indefensible" • California Sues H&R Block Over Its "Instant Refund" Loans • H&R Block Doesn't Block Identity Theft • H&R Block Will Settle More Payday Loan Suits • Option One Agrees to Clean Up Its Lending Practices in PA • H&R Blocked: Consumer Groups Oppose Tax Giant's Proposed Bank • Tentative Settlement in Tax Loan Class Action • Class Action Challenges Electronic Filing Fee • Supreme Court Rejects Block Appeal in Class Action • Judge Upholds Racketeering Complaints Against H&R Block, Household • Court Clears Class-Action Suit • Tax Loans Victimize Consumers --- • All About HSBC

Sharmel of Suitland, MD April 18, 2006

I went and did my taxes at H & R block in 2000 and I was told that I could get my loan back in five days with a ral loan. So I signed the papers for the loan. and then the IRS didnt pay the loan, so I have to pay 4,560. the next year. The IRS took my refund and paid the loan to Household Bank. It was on my credit as bad credit, and I still was out of my refund. What can i do to get my money back from my 2000 tax return?I was waiting for my money and I got behind in my bills. My Car was repoed, and I just got behind in my bills.

Phillip of Shirley, NY March 6, 2006

We applied for an RAL loan and was told to come in the next day; the next day we were told that we had been deined for the loan (we had been told when we filed the parers that it was already approved). Now after checking with the IRS I found that our refund has been deposited into their (H&R Block) account. I called H&R Block and asked about getting our money, the woman told me that it wouldn't be available until 3/9 and we would have to pay 25 for the check.

I stated that I could have had my money already if it had been deposited into my account and she told me no it would take an additional 2 weeks...I checked with the IRS to see if this is true and they just said no, a direct deposit is just that. Don't know what to do about it....just extremely annoyed.

Fred of Saint Thomas, PA March 6, 2006

I decided to file my Federal taxes with H & R Block this year (2006) in order to get a rapid refund. I went to their local branch on February 3rd, 2006. I dropped off the paperwork, and told them I wanted to file "Rapid Refund". I was told that it would be a week or more before they could get to them, but they said "leave the paperwork, and as soon as we can, we'll do it and give you a call. On February 9th they called me, and I came into the office to sign everything.

I was to get 465 back. The fee was to be 75 for the paperwork preparation and 29 if I wanted direct deposit of the refund, the amount of the refund would be about 360. I told them that I did not want to have the funds direct deposited, just have the check sent to the office and I would pick it up. By March the 3rd I had not heard anything from them. I went on-line to IRS.gov and looked up the status of my refund. It said that the funds had been direct deposited on February 24th, and that the amount deposited was only 70.

I did some quick math, and realized that the IRS had withheld an amount that I had previously owed, and that the net remainder was 70. I immediately called the Block office and spoke with the manager. I explained to him that it had been over a month since I filled for a "Rapid Refund", and had not heard anything from them, and that the IRS says my refund had already been "deposited". I told him that I had never provided a routing number for any deposit, so how did they direct deposit it, and where was my money?

He said that by "deposited", that meant it had been deposited in THEIR account, and that I was responsible for the fee (29), and that rather than receiving a refund of 70, I actually owed THEM 45! I told him that first of all, I was verbally told by two of the preparers that had worked on my taxes, that since it had taken soooo long for them to do my paperwork (was just a standard return), that there would ONLY be a 25 charge for everything.

I told this to the manager, and he basically called me a liar, since he "knows" his employees would never have told me that. My wife and I had BOTH heard the same thing from both preparers! I asked him how he could possibly be charging me 75 for a "Rapid Refund" also, when it took over a month to get a resolution from the IRS, and then had never bothered to call me? This is HARDLY RAPID!!! He got very nasty with me, and said "Sir, we WILL bill you for this 45, and you WILL pay it. You are wrong and WE are right".  So much for their "Complete Customer Satisfaction Guarantee"!

Sally of New Port Richey, FL February 24, 2006

My husband and I went in to do our taxes on the 3rd of February. We had had a problem last year, but thought it was a one time thing. Anyhow, we opted for the 1 day, they said they saw no problem , to call back the next day. Needless to say, the next day they gave us 1/2 check and almost 11 days later, the rest, less the 2 day fee. I think this is ridiculous. If I had even gotten it in 4 days I wouldn't have complained, but to pay 229 for 12 day service is absurd.

Sarah of Mohawk, NY February 12, 2006

I had my taxes prepaired at H&R Block.  I needed my money quickly to pay a few bills so I opted to get my money in 1-3 days. I didn't get my money until 5 days - that's not what I paid for.

The H&R Block associates are very rude and put you on hold and then hang up on you when you call.  I called the district office and the woman said she would have a representative get ahold of me in a couple of days. It has now been two weeks and no respoonse.

I will never go to H&R Block ever again.

Stacey of East Boston, MA January 31, 2006

I went to H&R Block to get my taxes filed. I did get the 1-2 day RAL which i have been getting for the last 4 years. i have never had a problem. However this year I have been calling the office to chck to see if my check has come because this is the 3rd day and they said it hasen't. so i called their bank thats on the form they gave me. The bank in turn told me that my information was missing something and they rejected my request.

I called the east boston h&R block office and was told by the receptionist that she gave my file to the mgr and he is lookiing at it. I now have to wait another couple days and i think that i deserve some kind of credit for them not taking care of my information when the hbsc bank returned that file they should get right on the phone and called me to let me know what had happened.

Ruth of Milwaukee, WI January 27, 2006

I've used the online tax services with H&R Block. I prepared the taxes and went ahead and e-filed. I was never prompted for an option for receiving my expected refund. The only option given was to print out and mail in the forms or to e-file. I went ahead and e-filed. Only after it was filed do I find out that due to my financial situation, I was automatically being offered a Refund Anticipation Loan (RAL) through H&R Block's own HSBC Bank. I was not given the option to refuse this loan. Now my taxes have been e filed and the bank routing and account numbers that appear on my 1040 (automatically filled in and filed by H&R) is not my own account number. At this point I have no idea whose, what, how, this account number appears as the recipient of my refund.

H&R BLock's online chat help with "Christina V." was no help. Her response was: don't worry about the loan, if you don't qualify you will simply be charged the bank fee and the remainder of your refund will be forwarded to your account. (Mind you at this point I have not submitted an account to which they will forward the "remaining" refund amount).

Gabriella of Nashville, TN January 19, 2006

I always file my taxes myself electronically and have my refund within 10 days using Turbotax, which costs only a few dollars. This year I decided to get the rapid refund, so filed with H&R Block. Big mistake! The guy who was helping me prepare my taxes continually made errors while entering my information into the computer, so had to keep correcting him so my return would be filed correctly. This company charges outrageous fees to just file a basic return, and even more so when you want your refund fast.

Well, as it turns out, when I called to find out the status of my return, I had been denied for the rapid refund after I had been assured by the representative that I had been approved, because I specifically asked him what would happen if I weren't since I was paying so much extra money for this service. His exact words were "Oh no, you're already approved. There won't be a problem. Hmmmmm. So much for their guarantee of accuracy.

Well, needless to say, I wasn't and when I asked the reason, I was told by a manager "That they weren't privy to bank information and couldn't tell me anything". Interesting since they had no problem collecting the money for the service of which I was denied, but could give me any further information, nor the information of the bank which denied me. To make a long story very short, I am basically out 139.00 for virtually nothing. I gained absolutely no benefit from filing with them because the end result is the same, except alot more costly.

Tricia of Grand Rapids, MI January 10, 2006

My husband and I went in on January 7th to have our taxes done. Needing the money asap, we paid to have a refund anticipation loan so we would have our money in 2 days. On the 9th we called H&R Block to see if our check was in to find out that we paid for a 2 day service, however the 2 days didn't apply until the IRS started accepting efiling. That was not told to us at the time we did our taxes, in fact we verified with our tax preparer more than once that it was going to be in on the 9th because we desperately needed that extra money. Everytime we asked we were assured it would be in on the 9th. Well here it is the 10th no check and of coarse "nothing H&R Block can do"

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