Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/01/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Very poor customer service and product. Repeated failures to escalate when lower/untrained customer service agents were unable to solve problems. Then, when I sought a higher level source for service, instead of reviewing calls and their own service levels, they ceased responding to me. I made attempts to contact the *** (***********************) to resolve the issues. He refused to call me back, as I was told he would. They continued to encourage me to renew with them over and over again. Then, at the "****" of the new tax season, when I decided to give them another chance, instead of renewing my service, they declined causing me to do a complete over-haul of my system at a crucial time. Then, they declined to continue offering critical functions to the service and software I had already fully paid for (for prior tax years). Again, I tried to resolve with higher authorities. They would not let me talk to anyone but the receptionist, "****." She said, "(she) was only the receptionist." Then she hung up on me instead of transferring me to a higher up authority so that I could try to resolve. Repeated call backs were met with a long hold and then a transfer to a line and recording stating to call back during working hours, although all calls were made during working hours. The management and executives of this company have continually failed to take responsibility and communicate like professional people to resolve issues. They put receptionists and untrained techs in charge of **** issues and leave them unable to render solutions.The time & timing of cancellation, unwillingness to "face me" and resolve issues professionally after my many attempts on my part are failures worst than the software and customer service level problems, all of which have cost me many, many hours of time at the most crucial part of my business (at the very beginning of tax season). They hide from responsibility & have cost me far more time and money than I paid them. Don't engage them.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/15/2024

  ***************************,
  
  Due to many factors **************** was not extended a renewal of his customer service contract which expired December of 2023. Even though **************** continually asked for tax advice, which we do not offer for liability and other reasons, he was treated in a competent professional manner. While he was a client, myself and many others, did field his telephone calls. In the calendar year 2023 that included over 85 logged customer service telephone calls of which many did not involve our tax software. He is short tempered, can be rude to our staff, and is known for just hanging up on them in the middle of a customer service call.
  
  Why he is upset currently is because he called about a week ago asking for customer support to file a ************************************************************************************** access to our server. That said, he was directed that he could file the 2022 tax return via printed return or by accessing the IRSs IFA system. He then demanded to speak to me, yelled at my receptionist for a while, and after that went on for a long time, she discontinued the phone call.
  
  Again **************** is welcome to continue to use the 2022 software and file those tax returns to the **** His customer service contract is expired.
  
  I wish him well in his future endeavors.
  
  Warm Regards,
  ***********************
  Taxware Systems Inc
  
  FYI This is the customer feedback for this last tax season that we have received this week. Forgive the client that typed in all caps. I have also removed the names.
  
  I have been using Taxware Software since 1980 or 81 when the *** I was working for during college signed up (XXXX, ***). I was so happy that I could throw away my whiteout as we did everything by hand and there were always changes.After college, working for a *** firm getting my license and a stint in the corporate world I started my own practice and of course became a Taxware Client in 1991.
  In my professional career Taxware is absolutely #1. Excellent product, amazing support and great staff.!!!
  Thank YOU for all the hard work you all do to make our tax seasons flow smoothly.
  
  XXX,***
  
  I HAVE BEEN A PROFESSIONAL PREPARER FOR 35 YEARS. NOT EXACTLY SURE WHEN I STARTED USING YOUR SOFTWARE, BUT, I KNOW IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME (MOST OF MY CAREER).YOUR STAFF HAS ALWAYS BEEN PROMPT, KNOWLEDGEABLE, COURTEOUS, FRIENDLY AND JUST OVERALL TOP NOTCH. ANY ONE WHO WOULD EVER COMPLAIN WOULD JUST BE SOMEONE WHO IS NEVER HAPPY OR SATISFIED.
  KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU FOR MANY MORE YEARS.
  
  
  I want to record my sincere gratitude for the exceptional support you provided me in my Spanish language during this tax season. Special mention to Ms. ****** (I do not have the spelling of her name present), and to ******************** and ****************.
  Thank you so much

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/15/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:

  1.  It does not address the issue at hand.  They stopped service at a critical juncture and unnecessarily stopped a "CRITICAL" element of the software that I had purchased for that "tax year" not for the "calendar year."  This caused the software to be effectively unusable. 

  2.  They could have given me a "warning" if they actually had "proof" of what they say.  But they never did, because it actually happened the other way around.  They were the ones who would hang up after providing rudeness and poor service. Instead of listening to poor performing customer service, they could have just done oversight and reviewed the calls to see  that I was NOT getting served. 

  3.  I never yelled at anyone, called anyone a name or anything such as they describe.  If that is the case, send us/me a "COMPLETE"  audio file of any such service request (meaning, all calls for any particular service request).  The reason for this is because I was constantly put on hold, not served by level one, required call-backs which came in late or not at all, etc...  They claim there are many such phone calls.  Then it should be easy to provide a full service ticket (all calls) for any such service request.  If they can do that, I will c ease and desist.  However, any such call will show that they are the ones NOT serving the customer, not returning calls, not doing quality assurance with their service agents and NOT being prompt with their many, many "fixes" required by the poorly designed software. 

  4.  A CRITICAL ELEMENT of tax software is the ability to **File returns.  There was no need to shut that down on me.  It was an act of malice.  So, it's like they are letting me drive their truck, but not on the road.  Stopping the **Filing was unnecessary - they did not need to do that and they need to pay me back.  They  could have let me continue filing returns, but out of spite, they ended efiling, which is a key element of the "truck" I purchased.   I will cease and desist when they give me a refund for ending a critical service that was paid for, for tax year 2022 (NOT "Calendar Year" 2022).  Everyone in the tax business knows that tax software is purchased for "tax years" not "calendar years."  This just shows more ineptness and lack of business understanding by the industry, itself.  I am asking that BBB give me a call and I will provide proof of what I am saying, but am saving it for the legal case.

  I have proof that they were being rude and hanging up on my calls, not the other way around.  They are twisting the issue and projecting their problems onto me.  Either way, they ended full service to the software, as was promised, so they can simply pay me back as anyone would do who did so, especially in such a malicious way... right at the very beginning of the tax season and also unnecessarily eliminating crucial services to services already paid for.  Instead, they are trying to fight me.  They were not required to provide anything for tax year 2023.  But they were required to allow me full usage of my tax year 2022 purchase.

   

  Plus, I can show that they constantly requested that I purchase 2023 tax software.  They repeatedly marketed me and gave me EVERY impression that they would continue service for tax yaer 2023.  Then, in an act of spite and more lack of customer service and professionalism, they did NOT renew me on the very eve of the tax season.  So, they forced me to completely re-tool my entire tax database at the very beginning of the tax year, when time was of the essence.  Another VERY POOR business ethic.  Who does that??  Tells someone they want their business, over and over again, then when timing is crucial for that customer, cut them off and also cut-off services for previous contracts?  This is poor business.  The VERY LEAST they can do is pay me back.

  BTW - Almost all of my "customer service calls" were due to glitches in the software.  If they don't want so many calls, they need to build software which does not require a call.  And, they need to train employees and have them call back in a timely manner or they will get numerous calls, requiring numerous levels of reps in order to service if the software is fragile and requires constant updates and "repairs."