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My check for $249.63 was denied today for a purchase I was making at Sears by Certegy. Sears gave me the phone number to contact of Certegy who is their check service. My first call to the said number contacted me with a computer voice who took my information and advised that the denial was not because of insufficient funds or my personal history but that something triggered a factor that lay "outside their guidelines". A second computer voice invited me to provide more of my private financial information in order to enroll in their free "Certegy Gold" program to help prevent this from happening again. When I finally was able to speak to an actual person - they advised that they were not privy to exactly what it was about my check that caused it to be denied. No further information could be gleaned despite going up the chain to several supervisors. The incident was embarassing and an affront to my integrity. From reading these complaints I see that I am not alone. I intend to inform Sears that I will no longer do business with them because of this and am sharing my experience with my family and friends to warn them to avoid any business that uses "Certegy". They need to be reported to the FTC.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
8/16/08 Macy's check could not be authorized - called and they said my ID didn't match my check - it does but not on their system - they wanted me to get a copy of my driving record and send it to them so they could put in their records - I said why and they don't know no one can tell you and they don't have anyone in charge - they are all stepford wives babbling the same crap...they were Equifax in another life...wonder why they reinvented themselves...they are evil
Certegy has denied a number of my wife's checcks over the past 6 months or so, DESPITE the fact that we have an almost stainless steel clean record for checks. When she called, they told her that there was no reason for the decline other than that we fit the profile they look for, and it did not matter that we have plenty of money in our account, and have never welched on a check. This company needs to go out of business...talk about a helpless feeling! You do everything you can to keep your credit good, pay all your bills, etc etc, and then this!
Certegy has denied a number of my wife's checks over the past 6 months or so, DESPITE the fact that we have an almost stainless steel clean record for checks. When she called, they told her that there was no reason for the decline other than that we fit the profile they look for, and it did not matter that we have plenty of money in our account, and have never welched on a check. This company needs to go out of business... talk about a helpless feeling! You do everything you can to keep your credit good, pay all your bills, etc etc, and then this!
I went to our local Kmart today. I have shopped there and paid by check on numerous occasions. Until today I had never had a problem. They told me that certegy had declined my check. i called the number only to recieve an automated service, no real person to speak to at all. The only thing it said was that I was not declined because of bad check writing but instead it was due to prevenative measures for fraud. Prevenative measures my foot. When the automated service asked if I recieved enough information and I said no, they told me to apply for a gold standard and it would never happen again. Do i look stupid, you denied me for no good reason and think I am going to give you more personal information about myself. GET REAL!
I was at Craker Barrel and decided to make a surprise purchase for my husband's birthday. In order to keep it a surprise, I attemped to write a $32 check. Certegy denied my check. The next day, I contacted Cracker Barrel's Corporate Office - they gave me the contact number for Certegy - after 10 minutes on the phone with a mechanical man I finally reached a live human being. The only explaination he had for my check being denied was that they (Certegy) had not had "business" with my account before. He indicated that they were just trying to "protect me from fraud" - well and good, but a simple "I'm sorry this happened to you" would have done a great deal to make me feel more like a decent human (which I am) and less like a criminal!
My check was denied by the Certegy check clearing system at Midas. I knew there was enough money in the account to cover it and called the toll-free number to find out what a Code 2 denial meant. The lady on the phone left me on hold for another 10 minutes (after waiting 20 to get a person to begin with) to check out the situation. Turns out the check was not denied because of any bad checks or anything, but because it resembled a fraudulent check number pattern (or some stupid thing). The lady said I could upgrade to "Gold Status "and then I wouldn't have a problem cashing checks. I was too angry to think clearly as I should have asked her how much this "status" would cost me. I asked her if her company was legitimate? If this was a scam? She assured me it wasn't but I am concerned that she and the company she represents has a lot of my personal information such as license number and checking account number. I'd like to know how to proceed with a complaint against them.
I went to make a transaction at BEST BUY who uses this Certegy company for clearing checks. I called Certegy to find out why my check was declined. I was told this line about my check fitting a certain pattern the computer was screening for at that particular time...PROFILING YOUR CHECK. Of course, they can't tell you what the criteria the computer was profiling that made your check a match and not approved. It was a long established account, funds were present and verified by my bank but still I was refused my transaction. The next phase it this abundance of apologies from all this employees who can't do anything to override this COMPUTER decision--- that is bogus! And all of this is based on the premise or disguise of risk management and identity protection. Personally, I think legitimate consumers need to have an avenue of making companies get their act together or get sued in class action lawsuits. This is comparable to defamation of character. If I weren't a law abiding citizen this could be something that pushes a person over the edge if this checking account was their only way of transacting business. Suppose Walgreen used this company and I needed to buy life saving medication with a check from this account...why stress people in these economic times and desperate situations unnecessarily. Certegy and any other company needs to always keep the human in the chain of final decisions not some machine. What happens when this computer system goes nuts and declines every one are merchants willing to loose customers to this. After this experience I am incline to ask a business do you use Certegy for clearing checks and if told yes to just boycott and encourage all my friends to do likewise. Merchants who use this company should cancel their contract and go with a company that can state the criteria that the computer uses to decline a check and give customers legitimate reasons for decline or be overridden.
I purchased a refrigerator and freezer at Home Depot. My check was denied because of the "transaction". I have enough money in my account. Certegy verified my identity by my drivers license number, name, DOB, address and account information but still refused me. This is ridicilous. How can they legally do this? I'm an honest person and could not complete my purchase do to these idiots. They should be shut down.
Tried to use checks a two different retail places and my checks were denied even though I had over $500 more in my account than the purchase price of what I was buying. After calling Certegy, they told me they couldn't give me the reason because the item/reason was already archived meaning it was that old. They said it would take 42 hours to pull the information. I told them that I wanted it sent to me in writing. That was over 2 weeks ago! Still haven't heard from them. Tonight, went to write a check from a newer account that had never had an insufficient funds and the same store would not even take a check from that account either. What's the deal! I'm soooo mad!
My husband and I went to TARGET today to purchase clothes and some things for Christmas. We opened a new checking account about a month ago and unfortunately didn't have our debit cards yet due to them being sent to the wrong address. My hubby was writing the check and, per protocol gave them his drivers license (which the address on the check matches). The check was denied. We have NEVER had a check denied by any other retailer. Keep in mind, my hubby just got home from the Navy and lived off of a debit card for 4 years. He never even USED checks in the military or ever had a bounced one in his life for that matter. Anyway, I called Certegy and asked what the problem was. They told me that he fit the "profile" of a person that would bounce a check. Keep in mind, we have over $8000 in the account! This whole situation is preposterous! I was embarrassed and very very furious! We needed diapers for our baby and other things for him. I can understand if we had bounced a check previously, or even if they verified it and the funds weren't there. However, that is not the case. A computer decided if we were worthy enough to write a check and obviously we aren't. I will not boycott Target because I do love the store. I do however wish that they would use a more reliable system for check verification because I can imagine that they would loose some business over this type of situation. I am filing a complaint with them and Certegy though.
I had the same experience today when i went to target to purchase somethings and i was declined. I got the same crap when i called and then i talked with a supervisor and she gave me the same crap...and then i said let me have your supervisor "sorry she is gone for the day"..ok give me her vm. Left a heated remark..doubt i will get any return phone call. I will walk a mile before i go to target again and if they decline me again i will pursue legal action. It's one of the most humilitating things ever! And for no frickin reason!
i see i am not alone in my frustration and humilation. I had the exact same experience..i ask the lady who was not helping me.."your job sucks!"..she said i feel lucky to have a job...i said that is no job. You are screwing all the wrong people. I will take my business to "mom and pop" places who really need our help anyways. Certegy you suck!
I have been shopping at Kroger for twenty years, often paying by check. I got sick and became disabled. I was unable to walk and could not go to the store for a few months. When I was able to walk, I went shopping. Certegy denied my check because I had written too few checks. Certegy sucks and I will not give them anymore personal information. I simply will not shop anywhere they are used. I intend to report them to the FTC and the BBB. I doubt it will help. A class action needs to be bought against them.