Consumer complaint received 2019-09-27
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card — Application denied
Company: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA (WA)

When the XXXX XXXX was in a trial-phase or " early access '' phase, I was invited on XX/XX/XXXX, via email ( attached below ). When I applied, it asked for my full legal name, address, and the last four digits of my SSN. It would then struggle to verify my identity and ask for further information. It would ask me for my full SSN and a picture of my " government-issued ID, '' which I provided. However, since I am under XXXX in the state of Washington, I am issued a vertical ID ; I also opted to have an enhanced driver 's license that complies with the Real ID Act. The XXXX XXXX Applications automated " Photo ID checker looks for a horizontal driver 's license and not a vertical one, and my most recent interaction with an XXXX XXXX Specialist ( attached below ) confirmed this as well. As a result, my XXXX XXXX application becomes denied because the automated ID checker " fail [ s ] to verify my identity '' ( email attached ). 

I had tried to work with their XXXX XXXX Specialists since their Preview phase - before this credit card was available to the general public - yet it seems to have fallen on deaf ears as this issue is still not fixed since composing this complaint and more than a month after the XXXX XXXX public release. During Preview phase, I have worked with multiple XXXX XXXX   Specialists to resolve this issue - as I know I am not the only person in the United States or Washington State that has a vertical ID for being under XXXX - yet the issue still exists today. I sent in a Feedback report through their feedback website ( email attached below ) ; called, XXXX, and emailed with XXXX  Support during their Preview period and after public release ( attached below ) ; and I even emailed XXXX XXXX about the urgency of my widespread problem ( attached below ). 

My Feedback and first email to XXXX XXXX were received, and I got a phone call from the executive team saying that, My vertical enhanced driver 's license issued in XX/XX/XXXX was not supported and getting a new one reissued for XX/XX/XXXX is supported. However, once the public release for the XXXX XXXX was done, not only was this verification issue not fixed even after getting a new WA EDL, I instead get an email saying I applied too many times. XXXX Support has told me that I must wait about 30 days from my last application to reapply again. I reapplied again after 31 days with my newly reissued XX/XX/XXXX WA enhanced driver 's license that is vertical, and to my ( not-so ) surprise the application still fails to verify my identity and rejects my application. 

I have gotten in touch with an XXXX XXXX Specialist via XXXX once again asking if my XXXX XXXX application can be reviewed manually, and I was told that my account would be marked for review and to expect a call from them within a few days ( XXXX conversation attached ).  However, I never got a call a week later. I followed up with an XXXX asking for the status of my application only to be told that they do not support vertical IDs, and my application can not be reviewed manually. 

I have tried to work with their support team in any way I can during the Preview period and after the public release of the XXXX XXXX  and even emailed XXXX   CEO to escalate and resolve this issue. People like myself that have a vertical ID are receiving rejection letters due to the XXXX XXXX application process lacking in manual reviews for circumstances like my own when their automated process fails at doing its job. What is worse is that I am not alone. This has only been documented by one press outlet, which is XXXX, ( XXXX : XXXX ) about vertical IDs not being able to verify an applicants identity. On XXXX, there is a subreddit for the XXXX XXXX where you can find several accounts of this vertical ID issue that remain unresolved with every application ending in rejection or a 30-day deferral due to too many application attempts ( XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX ). There is also a 14-page ( and counting ) forum on XXXX  where people have tried working with XXXX Support or an XXXX XXXX Specialist to have their identities verified due to having a vertical ID, yet none of them have been resolved. This issue has tarnished my perspective of XXXX as a credit card service due to their terrible XXXX XXXX support on this matter. I am forced to make this complaint because this vertical ID issue and automated system of verifying IDs have failed other people and myself, and XXXX has provided no other alternatives to apply. Since some states like Washington issue drivers licenses that are vertical for those under the age of XXXX, the XXXX XXXX application process has discriminately rejected my XXXX XXXX application based on my age. Their automated photographic algorithm that is supposed to verify my identity with my drivers license has systematically discriminated against me for being under XXXX with no manual review system set in place to override this error. My most recent interaction with an XXXX XXXX Specialist ( photo attached ) has made it very clear that they have no intent on helping people my age because they can not manually review our rejected applications triggered by our drivers license.