H&R Block / HRB Digital

I have used H&R Block for the past three years and at this point, I will never use this company again. I was charged $275 for an in-person tax preparation because the employee assigned to my account was on vacation. I was never once notified that my taxes were not going to be submitted on time. The website said Vanessa Duncan was in the process of reviewing my tax return. On Oct. 14 I started to panic so I called the office three times to ask about the status of my online return. I was repeatedly told that my assigned tax adviser was busy and would call me back, when in reality she wasn’t even in town. When I finally got ahold of someone (Sandra), she told me that my taxes wouldn’t be submitted on time because Vanessa Duncan was the only person who knew how to navigate the Best of Both product. Sandra told me that I had to come in to the H&R Block office to re-do my taxes in person, which I was then charged SEVEN TIMES the amount I was quoted originally. AFTER I signed all of the paperwork, the tax preparer (Rita Cummings) told me that I didn’t even need to submit my taxes within the Oct. 15 deadline because I didn’t owe the IRS money. Meaning I could have waited until Vanessa Duncan was back from vacation, and avoided paying $275 for an in-person tax adviser to RE-SUBMIT my taxes that I already prepared online. Rita could have easily told me to wait until Vanessa returned, but instead she took my money and broke the news to me once it was too late to change my mind. I am absolutely furious. The same thing happened to another customer who was in the office at the same time as me. She wasn't notified of Vanessa's absence and wouldn't have known her taxes weren't going to be filed on time. She also called numerous times and was given the same excuses I heard. Sandra, the receptionist, asked Rita to give me a discount for my troubles. Rita lazily looked through her emails for a coupon code. After ten seconds of looking she said, “sorry I can’t find anything.” I am so furious with the customer service I received, especially since I am being penalized for H&R Block’s mistake.