Consumer complaint received 2023-03-07
Company: FISERV INC.
State: CA
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Account status incorrect

Complaint:
Telecheck is not allowing any of my check transactions at the merchants in which they provide their check screening services to ever go through regardless of the amount of the check or the fact that I have absolutely no negative information in their database to date. Every time I attempt to write a check from my XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX account ending in XXXX, they always decline my check at the point of sale, mainly at XXXX stores with a reason code of : 3. I found out that this reason code is given based on when a consumer falls outside of their " Risk Guidelines '' but has nothing to do with a consumer having any negative check writing activity in their files. When I call telecheck 's customer service, I get absolutely nowhere with them. First they tell me to write a check for a smaller amount so that I can establish check writing history, so I do just that. I wrote a check for like {$5.00} at XXXX and wouldn't you know it? It gets declined. So then I call back and they tell me that they need more information about my bank account and myself. So I spend a good 45 minutes answering their questions while they associate me with my bank account and while they call the bank to verify that I am indeed the owner of this account. When everything is finished, they tell me to go back in and try to write another check as it should go through now that they have verified my bank account, and guess what? It gets declined once again. I am beyond fed up with dealing with this company and their discriminatory screening practices. I jump through all of their hoops just to get declined each and every time with them. It does not matter what the check amount is, or whether my account is verified, or how I have no negative check writing activity in their files. None of that matters because no matter what, I always seem to land in their High risk category and then get a decline and have to deal with the embarrassment at the check out line as others stand there and watch everything happen as my check gets declined once again and without any real reason or justification. It is frustrating and I am genuinely sick and tired of this company repeatedly flagging my checks and never allowing a single one to go through because of their ridiculous risk algorithm that they use and are so proud of. This risk model is absolutely garbage and it singles out good, normal, and honest consumers like myself just because it feels like it. They honestly should be investigated for acting like they are God when decent humans try to use their perfectly good checking accounts with plenty of money in it just to write a check because it is convenient and so that we don't have to risk carrying around with us a lot of cash so that we become victims to being robbed or for whatever other reason that we might have to not want to have to carry around extra cash like that or may not have access to our debit cards for whatever our reasons might be. This is why banks issue checks to go along with our checking accounts but then we can not even use them like normal humans when we decide that we need to use it as a form of payment. This needs to be put to rest and they need to be more lenient in their check screening models for consumers that have no bad checks outstanding in their database. Simple as that. I am sure that I speak for millions of other consumers out there when it comes to dealing with this company and getting declined for no apparent reason.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation