Is ePassporte always this rude?

[MissGrim]

So, realizing that I would need a way for people to conveniently pay me for illustration services once my portfolio was up, I decided to sign up for ePassporte this evening. This was on a long list of other things I had to, including picking up my drugs at the pharmacy and grocery shopping. I didn't realize at first that I would have to start out by loading $50 on my ePassporte card, but that was all right since I had $90 in my account (a lot for me, with my rampant medical expenses, but it was there). I went through the sign-up process, where they:

1. Put a $50 hold on my debit card
2. Put a small verifying charge on my debit card
3. After I verified, put a *separate* $50 charge on my debit card

This, of course, brought me to a negative balance of approximately $10, which meant that I could not pick up my drugs or any groceries (which I sort of consider to be essential for survival). I called my bank, and they informed me that the two $50 amounts were indeed separate (even if one is only a hold, they have separate transaction numbers) and the only way the first amount could be removed is if ePassporte called them and informed them that that would be all right (my bank support staff cannot make outside calls, and it wasn't their fault anyway).

I called ePassporte then, to request that they call my bank and authorize the removal of the hold, and this is when I got the worst customer service that I have ever received in my life. Jamel (the service agent who "helped" me) was very short with me and interrupted me many times. He refused to let me speak with anyone else there and didn't accept that there might be anything wrong with authorizing as a separate transaction from charging. He was unwilling to call my bank (claiming to also be unable to call out, but since the overdraft was their fault I believe an exception could have been made). He also said there was no way for me to cancel my sign-up if I was dissatisfied... my money was there, so I could either leave it there or spend it through their service. He said I could call back in the morning, but this doesn't really help me tonight when I have no food and no medication (food and medication that I had the money to buy until I signed up with ePassporte).

Is this what my potential customers are going to go through if I ask them to pay me through ePassporte and they try to sign up for an account? I explained to Jamel that I intended to use ePassporte to do business and that this didn't make a very good impression, and from the start he was rude and treated me like a "problem customer" even though I clearly stated my case the entire time without profanity or attitude. I also explained that this might be considered a special circumstance, as I am disabled and in need of medication, and he wouldn't even reply. Has anyone else had this sort of experience with ePassporte? If they don't remedy this in the morning (and politely, too) I'm going to report them to the Better Business Bureau, and give them a none to nice review on any consumer sites I can access.

I am aware that the hold charge will fall off in 3-5 business days, but to tie up a new customer's money without warning (and to be so rude about it when a simple phone call would have solved the whole thing) seems unacceptable to me.

[MissGrim]

Well, I've just emailed the customer service department:

I signed up this evening for an ePassporte account on the recommendation of some business associates. I was thoroughly disgusted at the way the process ended up, and unless the situation is remedied I will not only never use ePassporte again, but I will also inform everyone I know of my decision and the reasoning behind it. Tonight I have posted my experience on some frequently visited professional boards (for artists, webmasters, etc.) to see if anyone has had similar experiences... I figured this would help me decide how to deal with this. Because I do not want to re-type the whole situation, and because I feel ePassporte should know exactly what's being said, here is what I posted:

*QUOTE ABOVE POST*

As I said in my post, I don't think this is an acceptable way to do business, and if even one of *my* clients had to go through this to pay me then my reputation would suffer as well. I will be phoning in the morning, and I expect things to be resolved swiftly and politely (well, based on Jamel's customer service skills I expect things to be ignored and worked around instead of solved, but I *hope* things will be resolved swiftly and politely). This whole thing could have been solved with a five minute phone call to my bank, and I could be back from the pharmacy already with my medication (that I paid for with the money that should be in my account). I find it hard to believe there are no outgoing telephones in the entire building and no exceptions are made under any circumstances... what do your employees do in the event of a fire or emergency, hope that the fire department phones in?

I don't know what their turnaround time is on complaints, or what kind of service I'll get in the morning, but I hope they do something for me as I can't get by without my medication for "3-5 business days" - especially with a weekend coming up!

[JDog]

Damn, that sucks, I had a problem with my address, and they wanted me to send them a fax of everything just to change from apartment 32h or something to 32c. Which I have yet to do in the past 6 months. And infact, I haven't used their service at all!

jDoG

[EviLGuY]

You have been having a good week with this payment processor stuff huh?

[MissGrim]

Originally posted by EviLGuY
You have been having a good week with this payment processor stuff huh?

Hehehe... I have been having the awesomest week ever. My lupus (www.lupus.org if you don't know) is flaring up again, so I'm racking up some medical bills, my car broke, my camera broke, my microwave broke, my fingernail broke (okay, that part wasn't so important), Verotel made a mistake and didn't pay me for three weeks, CCBill hadn't processed me yet to start paying me, PayPal froze me (ooo... my whole 82 cents =P), and now I'm overdrawn thanks to ePassporte, when I was just about to go pick up my medication and my groceries.

Luckily, I have a wicked sense of humor and find all of this hilarious. Sometimes I think I must have spent my entire past life kicking puppies, though. Raaarrrrr. =P

[Digipimp]

hell if i were you i would have just created a new paypal account before going through the drama with them. i think everday there's a new epassporte screwed me story at near the same rate as paypal screwed me on here. the only thing is paypal has 100 times the users at the least. so you figure that one out.

epassporte is convienient and adult friendly but i wouldn't rely on it as your main broker.

[boneprone]

sucks..

we should talk sometime..

what part of town you live in??

YOu pay your meds with cash? No Insurance I assume??

I read your bio and found it very intresting the other day.. With that condition yeah I can see how your meds can get expensive..

But being a webmaster and if things are that tight you really should consider seeing if medicaid can help you one way or another with your meds..

They probably wont pay for it out right, but go to AFS and see what they can do, they can probably set you up on a spend down program, where you pay a certain dollar amont per year out of pocket and then after you reach that dollar amount they assist with the rest..

Being an adult webmaster verification of income or lack there of may be to your advantge..

Or if you pay 100% out of pocket for your meds and have no spend down and cant qualify, let me know what part of town you live in..

I can get you really good cash prices at some pharmacies.. Prices at cost.. I know some people.. Pharmacy managers..

I was a big person in helathcare before I went to adult. I still have very tight social networks with people in health care and pharmacy being that I have no social network with people in adult here in Portland I have stayed close to the old profession of friends.


just let me know.

[Mefo]

Originally posted by JDog
Damn, that sucks, I had a problem with my address, and they wanted me to send them a fax of everything just to change from apartment 32h or something to 32c. Which I have yet to do in the past 6 months. And infact, I haven't used their service at all!

jDoG

yeah same her, there was an error when I signed up, so I have to fax them all my shit...

[Digipimp]

Originally posted by boneprone
sucks..

we should talk sometime..

what part of town you live in??

YOu pay your meds with cash? No Insurance I assume??

I read your bio and found it very intresting the other day.. With that condition yeah I can see how your meds can get expensive..

But being a webmaster and if things are that tight you really should consider seeing if medicaid can help you one way or another with your meds..

They probably wont pay for it out right, but go to AFS and see what they can do, they can probably set you up on a spend down program, where you pay a certain dollar amont per year out of pocket and then after you reach that dollar amount they assist with the rest..

Being an adult webmaster verification of income or lack there of may be to your advantge..

Or if you pay 100% out of pocket for your meds and have no spend down and cant qualify, let me know what part of town you live in..

I can get you really good cash prices at some pharmacies.. Prices at cost.. I know some people.. Pharmacy managers..

I was a big person in helathcare before I went to adult. I still have very tight social networks with people in health care and pharmacy being that I have no social network with people in adult here in Portland I have stayed close to the old profession of friends.


just let me know.

she seems like good family material and good looking out there bro.

[tolik]

never have any problem with epassporte.

[MissGrim]

Originally posted by boneprone
sucks..

we should talk sometime..

what part of town you live in??

I live pretty close to the Acropolis (the naked one, not the Greek restaurant one). I'm actually legally disabled, so I keep very careful records of my online income, because while it's not a large amount I don't want to do anything to jeopardize my Social Security income (since that comes in even when I'm too ill to work). Being legally disabled, I'm on Medicare, which to my understanding covers most of my office visits, x-rays, labwork, etc. but no medication.

If you're experienced in healthcare maybe you could do me a *really* big favor sometime and help explain Medicare supplements to me and help me pick one out. For some reason, even though I'm fairly knowledgeable on a number of subjects, I turn into an utter retard the minute I try to research health insurance options. It's like they're written in a foreign language.

I'm managing to scrape by as it is with medication samples from my doctor and over-the-counter alternatives, but if I could find a Medicare supplement, and if I finish my online portfolio and get some freelance work going, then I think I'll be doing pretty well. For me, anyway. =P

[boneprone]

Originally posted by MissGrim
I live pretty close to the Acropolis (the naked one, not the Greek restaurant one). I'm actually legally disabled, so I keep very careful records of my online income, because while it's not a large amount I don't want to do anything to jeopardize my Social Security income (since that comes in even when I'm too ill to work). Being legally disabled, I'm on Medicare, which to my understanding covers most of my office visits, x-rays, labwork, etc. but no medication.

If you're experienced in healthcare maybe you could do me a *really* big favor sometime and help explain Medicare supplements to me and help me pick one out. For some reason, even though I'm fairly knowledgeable on a number of subjects, I turn into an utter retard the minute I try to research health insurance options. It's like they're written in a foreign language.

I'm managing to scrape by as it is with medication samples from my doctor and over-the-counter alternatives, but if I could find a Medicare supplement, and if I finish my online portfolio and get some freelance work going, then I think I'll be doing pretty well. For me, anyway. =P

Ok.. There is a difference between Medicare and Medicaid...

Medicare is a Federally Funded program.. It is for the elderly and disabled.. It covers Medical, but not RX....

Now Medicaid is a State Funded Program. Varries state to state.
It is dependent on Income and need..

Two very different programs.. And yes people do qualify for both..

Medicare as I said will not cover RX.. One of the reasons the whole elderly and Prescription cost issue is so big in the political fourms...

But Medicaid will cover it.. If you qualify.. It is income dependent..

I suggest you apply..

Like I said, you will either qualify 100% where they flat out pay for it all, or most likely since you do have some income will qualify for a spend down program.. That is they work out a formula for you depending on your income and RX cost and come up with a figure they think you should fairly pay and how much they should assist...

Say for example you qualify for a spend down of $1000.00

That means for 1 year, you have to pay the first 1,000.00 of your RX.. Once that 1,000.00 is met then Medicaid will kick in and cover the rest.. Either at a discount or most likely cover it 100% past your spend down figure..

But then at the end of the year, it ends.. The new year you have to start over again.. Paying out of pocket to reach that 1,000.00 before they kick in..

Also they will review you every year to see what your spend down should and will be..

Im willing to bet you qualify...

Until then I can hook you up with some cheaper cash prices im sure..

Where do you go?? Safeway? Fredmyer?? Rite Aid??

[boneprone]

Also, Southeast Portland is my old hood..

My buddies family owns the Accroplis, and I went to Middle school at Sellwood right up the street there.

[boneprone]

I have a person in N. Portland at a Pharmacy who can most likely give you a huge discount...

contact me icq..

I already hook dank up with his herpes meds..

Get em 60% off the cash price for em.

[Ironhorse]

Sorry to hear that Julia, I applied for an epassporte account this week also but after reading the requirements for the personal account I decided to opt for the business account which I am still waiting for the application but my understanding is there will not be any withdrawals from my accounts since I intend to receive money not spend any. We'll see. Hope things get better for you, I'm sure with your skill you will get regular business

[MissGrim]

Originally posted by boneprone
I have a person in N. Portland at a Pharmacy who can most likely give you a huge discount...

contact me icq..

I'm okay for a while, because my dad takes some of the same meds that I do and he's going to share with me until I can get my bank account straightened out. Maybe it's because it's late, or maybe I'm just mentally challenged tonight (wouldn't be the first time), but I can't find a post with your ICQ#? I think I need to go to sleep. =P

[boneprone]

here's my icq..

hit me up anytime..


66883099

[MissGrim]

Well, I received an email reply from ePassporte this morning to call them back and they would rectify the situation (which I just did - we'll see if the hold gets released). They have just explained to me that the first time you sign up and start with a certain monetary amount on the card, it always holds and charges as separate transactions. So, if any of you are having someone sign up with ePassporte in order to pay you, advise them to start out with only $50 on the card and then load the rest of what they're paying you separately, because it's going to hold double their initial amount for 3-5 business days (for example, if someone started by loading $500 on their card because that's what they owed you, it would hold $1000 from their account). Apparently it only does this this the first time and not when adding funds to an already existing card.

[BradM]

Grim: Let me know if you need anything. Just ask. Seriously.

[Doctor Dre]

Originally posted by Digipimp
hell if i were you i would have just created a new paypal account before going through the drama with them. i think everday there's a new epassporte screwed me story at near the same rate as paypal screwed me on here. the only thing is paypal has 100 times the users at the least. so you figure that one out.

epassporte is convienient and adult friendly but i wouldn't rely on it as your main broker.

Paypal will close it again in matter of days ... that's what they did for me at least .