Consumer complaint received 2022-09-13
Company: Block, Inc.
State: CA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
I am XXXX XXXX XXXX and an XXXX. A client wanted to use a credit card to pay some fees and to place money in an XXXX account that was attached to Square. I added another account to my Square account because some of the funds did not need to be in the XXXX account. I received confirmation that the new account was verified by Square. ( XXXX ) On XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I processed a transaction for {$9500.00} using the credit card information provided by the client for that purpose. The {$9500.00} payment was received by Square ( XXXX XXXX ). The following day, XXXX withdrew its fee of {$330.00} from the funds ( XXXX. XXXX ). I responded to an unrequested series of emails from Square offering to expedite the transfer of the remaining funds if I would open a checking account and order a debit card from XXXX XXXX XXXX ( " XXXX '' ) immediately. I started the process but was met with message indicating that the immediate transfer of {$2000.00} could not be processed. I contacted Square on XXXX XXXX and got conflicting stories. One story was that the 2-Step Verification Process was not enabled and the another story was about " unusual activity. '' I looked at my end and found not " unusual activity '' except that I learned that Square had disconnected the XXXX account and only the new account was active. Note : I never asked for the new account to replace the XXXX account ; only to add another bank account to more easily track client funds. After several attempts that were unsuccessful, I asked to clarification. I received an email from XXXX XXXX from Square Account Services inquiring about the 2-Step Verification and asking me to enable it. ( XXXX. XXXX ) This email was a response to my request for information about the delay in transferring funds. I called Square and explained that the 2-Step Verification was enabled in XXXX- when I first became a Square customer. Nothing had changed and the Dashboard that was part of my account and a Square portal clearly indicated in green that the 2-Step Verification was enabled. I became suspicious. 

Many telephone calls, chat messages, and several emails then followed. XXXX reached out on XXXX XXXX via email ( XXXX. XXXX ) but offered nothing in the way of issue identification or resolution ; only that I could respond to the email. On XXXX XXXX, I responded to XXXX in an email ( XXXX ) that detailed the numerous inconsistencies from XXXX person to the next at Square and the run around and the reasons why I sensed that there was something amiss especially because the XXXX Verification was always enabled but NEVER used and Square still had XXXX the money minus their fee. I heard nothing back from XXXX despite the fact that she wrote that she would " address [ my concerns ] promptly '' in XXXX. XXXX. 

On XXXX XXXX, having heard nothing from Square, I contacted them. Once again, I spoke with Customer Support ( see, XXXX. XXXX ) and once again received inconsistent statements and asked for someone with supervisorial/managerial authority. XXXX responded on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, I sent an email ( XXXX. XXXX ) to XXXX to inform him/her that reliance on the fact that a prior email should not be relied upon because I had still not heard back from XXXX. Then, I wrote again to XXXX ( XXXX. XXXX ) indicating a high level of frustration at the lack of customer support from Square 's " Customer Support '' department. 

I attempted to reach the legal department of Block Inc and Square Inc in XXXX XXXX, California where I know that some of the attorneys are working on XXXX XXXX. There is no reasonable method of determining a telephone number or email address for their general counsel ( XXXX XXXX ) or any of the scores of attorneys that are associated with or employed by Block Inc and Square Inc . Even the telephone number listed on 10Q 's and other SEC filings are pointed to the computerized telephone answering tree through which there is little that can be accomplished except to speak with other customer support people who did nothing to address the issues. ( See, transcript Ex. 17 ). 

I became compelled to do something immediately because client funds are involved. I simply could not sit back and wait while client funds were being converted and stolen by Block Inc and Square Inc . I began to formulate a lawsuit that, among other things, would allow me to petition the Court for a prejudgment writ to seize the money from Block/Square and to seek attorney fees. I have provided the same 6 pages of the draft to Square as appear in Ex. 16 with no response whatsoever. I provided the first copy on XXXX XXXX and incredulously, an internet company like Block/Square apparently does not provide technology to its so-called Customer Support team to open a regular pdf formatted document. ( See, Ex. 17, pg 5 of 6 wherein XXXX states : " I do apologize I am not able to open that document. '' ) In short, Block/Sqaure clearly blocks all reasonable attempts to get customer issues resolved in an amicable and expeditious manner. Nothing gets accomplished and no relevant and reliable information is provided. In some instances, they claim that the issue will take 1-2 days while on the same date with regard to the same issue, the representation is 3-5 days. Today, under any analysis of their shifting process, it had been longer than even their convoluted and inaccurate customer service team has allowed. 

I can not play this game with Block/Square any longer. I must take action because client funds are involved. I am XXXX and no longer in the same good health as I was when I was younger. Block/Square is playing games and doing whatever is necessary to avoid resolving the issue. I would like the CFPB to investigate the customer support policies and procedures in use at Block/Square . They are counterintuitive and specifically designed to prevent consumers from getting an expeditious resolution to legitimate concerns.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation