ComplaintsforZapMyTax

• Initial Complaint

  01/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I was pleasantly surprised to read another property owner experienced an identical situation us us with Zap My Tax (see initial complaint filed 02/07/2023). Although we have used them in the past we did not authorize them to appeal year 2023/2024 tax grievance. In fact, it seems they conveniently copied and cropped ***************************************** signature from an old record. Also, why is a 2023/2024 grievance authorization dated September 2021? The printed name and signature aren't even on the correct lines. We expect them to cancel this invoice ASAP and remove our address from their records permanently. If not resolved, Zap My Tax should be prepared to govern themselves accordingly. We have two lawyers in the family. Thank you, ***************************** (POA).

  Business response

  02/15/2024

  **********************, thank you for your comments.  ********************** has been a client of ZapMyTax dating back to the 2012/2013 Property Tax Year. Over the years, ZapMyTax has saved ********************** approximately $5,000 on her Property Taxes.  I would like to address the issues raised in your complaint to help alleviate any confusion.  

  You state that we conveniently copied and cropped ***************************** signature from an old record. ZapMyTax has never filed a Property Tax Grievance without a clients signed authorization.  We require a new signed authorization each year.  There are absolutely no exceptions to this practice. We have the original signed authorization ********************** signed for the 2023/24 Property Tax Year in our office and you are welcome to visit us again to view the original document. Next, you state Also, why is a 2023/2024 grievance authorization dated September 2021?. Please note that in accordance with ****** Countys filing deadlines,Property Tax Grievances are submitted approximately 2 years in advance.  We recognize and we understand that this timing can be confusing at times.  Unless an extension is granted, the annual filing period runs from September 1st through March 1st.  The filing period for the 2023/2024 Property Tax Year was open from September 1, 2021 through May 2, 2022*.  *** ********** 2023/2024 authorization was dated September 8, 2021, which falls within the allowable filing timeframe.  *Nassau County granted a 60 day extension, filing deadline was May 2, 2022 for the 2023/24 tax year.  You note that the printed name and signature arent even on the correct lines.  Yes, you are correct, ********************** printed her name on the line designated for the signature and signed her name on the line designated for the home phone number.  This happens on occasion, but the mis-match of the name/signature lines does not invalidate the authorization. We are unable to cancel the invoice as a Property Tax Reduction was granted for the property for the 2023/2024 Property Tax Year.  Nassau County will not allow ** to withdraw the reduction at this point.  Lastly, I would like to clarify that each of the complaints filed with the BBB, including the 02/07/2023 one you reference, was resolved.  ZapMyTax has been filing Property Tax Grievances on behalf of our clients for over 35 years and we take allegations of fraud very seriously.  I trust that this will help clarify, but if any further information is required, please contact us to set up a call or an appointment.  Thank you.  Sincerely, *******************

  Customer response

  02/22/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because: 

  1. Her signature was CLEARLY photoshopped from a previous doc signed.

  2. The owner has dementia for the past 5+ years and hasn't signed anything in years.

  3. Our lawyer will be requesting copies of your records IF any invoice should reach a collection agency.

  4. Your company has a history of doing this as others have reported. 

  5. Remove our name and address from your records.

   

  *****************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business response

  02/29/2024

  ********************** Your comments are noted, however there are inaccuracies in your response that I would like to address.    With regards to your response, please be advised of the following:
  Your Response:  Her signature was CLEARLY photoshopped from a previous doc signed.
  I want to reiterate that we NEVER file a Property Tax Grievance without a signed authorization.  We require a NEW signed authorization each year we file on behalf of any homeowner.  In addition, we NEVER cut and paste signatures.  As previously offered,please visit our office to view the ORIGINAL signed Authorization you will see that nothing was copied and pasted.  I have attached *** ********** signed authorizations for both 2022/23 &2023/24 for your information.
  Your Response:  The owner has dementia for the past 5+ years and hasnt signed anything in years.
  It is worth noting that ********************** physically came in to our office on April 16, 2021 to sign her 2022/2023 Authorization.  Ultimately, we did not file on her behalf that year though because ********************** actually submitted 2022/23 Property Tax Grievances authorizations with a total of three different companies that year so we had to withdraw our grievance.  In addition, ********************* has been a client of ZapMyTax dating back to the 2012/13 Property Tax Year.  We had a long standing relationship with her. 
  Your Response:  Our lawyer will be requesting copies of your records IF any invoice should reach a collection agency.
  Considering that our office is in the town ********************** lives in and that we are a part of the small community here, combined with the fact that she has dementia, we will zero out her record and not pursue collecting the money she owes us for the property tax reduction we obtained for her property.  We have closed her account.  However, you are more than welcome to request any records for the account. All of the documentation to support the reduction we obtained for the property has been sent to ********************** and is also readily available.
  Your Response:   Your company has a history of doing this as others have reported.
  This is absolutely NOT factual **********************.  There are ZERO instances proving this.  Any complaints have been proven unfounded.  While we welcome inquires directly and always do our best to respond clearly, we take accusations of wrongdoing very seriously and we do not tolerate libel and slander.  We reserve our rights to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law. 
  I trust that this will resolve your complaint, but if there is anything further, please let me know.
  Thank you.
  Sincerely,
  *******************

  Customer response

  03/07/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  This matter has been resolved. Thank you for your assistance. 
  *****************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Zap my tax claims I have authorized them to file a tax grievance for 2023/24 and 2024/25. I called them in 2021 to tell them I might be selling my house and I did not want to file. I received a bill in the mail with a copy of my authorization for 2023/24. And I also received a 2023/24 authorization in which the years were crossed out and changed to 2024/25 and initialed by zap my tax. Both documents had signatures and dates that were crudely doctored with copied and pasted from previous authorizations. It is easily seen. I will get lawyers and prosecute them for fraud if I have to. What they are doing is illegal and immoral.

  Business response

  02/10/2023

  **********,thank you for sharing your feedback.  We are sorry to hear that you had a negative experience with our company as we sincerely strive to deliver the best service to our clients.  

  
  I know you had recently been in communication with our office concerning the legitimacy of the signature on your 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 applications.  We provided you with copies of each of the signed authorizations, fully acknowledging the low resolution quality of the scan we sent you.  To comply with ****** Countys file size limitations when we upload images, the scan quality is not always the clearest.  However, we have the original signed authorizations in our office, and we welcome you to visit our office to view the original applications at your convenience.  Upon viewing the original applications, you will likely agree that we have not copied and pasted your signature.  We take allegations of fraud very seriously.

  
  Upon reviewing your account, I note that you have been a client of ZMTs since 2019.  Further, I note that since 2019, we were able to save you approximately $17.5k on your property taxes.

  
  Ultimately,in order to alleviate any concerns you have, we have withdrawn your 2023/2024 & 2024/2025 property tax grievances from Nassau County as per your written request to us dated December 12, 2022. Therefore, the current 2022/2023 property tax year is the last year that we grieved your property taxes.  We are hopeful that this will be satisfactory to you, but please let us know if you have any further questions or concerns. 

  Thank you.
  *******************

  Customer response

  02/13/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up with ******** in 2018 (I believe). I was then sent invoices (although it was difficult to understand when I got the rebate). I paid them on 9/11/2020 $2084.48 on my AMEX bill. I told them I didn't want their services anymore. They claim I still owe them $1225.96. Once I paid the $2084 I never wanted their service again. They have my signature from 2019 that I don't recall ever signing because I didn't want the service after the first experience. I am very upset and now they are sending me to a collection agency. I feel like they were deceitful in their practices and I signed this without realizing it was a different year possibly. They are not transparent and I explicitly stated I never wanted their service again but yet they have produced what looks like my signature but I think it's for the years I already paid. Please help. They must stop scamming consumers. I do not understand why I still owe them for 2021 and 2022. I emailed them about my payment but they state I still owe them. I don't owe them since I didn't sign up. I want them to zero out these balances. Thank you.

  Business response

  08/23/2022

  **************************, thank you for sharing your feedback.  We are sorry to hear you were not satisfied with our services as we have been successfully grieving property taxes for our clients for over 30 years.
  Upon reviewing your account, I note that you submitted signed authorizations for us to file property tax grievances on your behalf for 2019, 2020 and 2021.  At your request, copies of these signed authorizations were provided to you on 07/08/2022.  Please note that over the course of those 3 years, we saved you over $7k in property taxes.  Proof of the reduction from Nassau County was included with each invoice we sent you.
  To meet ****** Countys filing deadlines, your 2021 authorization was signed on 09/27/2019.  The outstanding balance you reference in your complaint is in line with the contract you signed with us for 2021 as we were able to successfully reduce your propertys Assessed Value by ****% that year. 
  We are very transparent with our fees and any amount that is invoiced is in line with our contracts Terms & Conditions.  Our contract clearly details the year and the fees for our services.
  We never file for a client without his/her signed authorization.  We never automatically renew contracts either.  We have no record of you requesting that we withdraw your application.  If you had requested us to withdraw your application during the window where this is permissible,we would have accommodated your request.  We also have no record of you contacting us in the past to express you were not satisfied as we would have welcomed the opportunity to address your concerns at the time.                              
  We have not sent your account to a collections agency as you stated.  However, please note that our expertise is filing property tax grievances, not collections.  Therefore, there are instances where we may send delinquent accounts to a collections agency. 
  We take allegations of fraud very seriously.  We are licensed, bonded and insured and take great care with regards to verifying all assessments, tax rates and reductions.  Please contact our office to complete an affidavit of fraud and we will investigate fully.

  Customer response

  08/23/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I paid $2084.48.  They are showing that I owe more than that.  They have tacked on all these fees to their charges that are ridiculous.

  When I paid the $2k I said I didn't want their services anymore.  The signature they have from 2019  is for 2019 so I don't know why they continued to appeal our taxes for 2021.  I don't want these services anymore and never did after 2019.  So how can they charge for this.  And why is there an extra charge of $279 in 2022.  What is this for?  They are not transparent.  

  ***********************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Customer response

  09/06/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********* and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I am attaching another invoice I found from ********.  It shows all the fees they tack on to the invoices.  I am not paying that and their new invoices leave out the breakout of all the fees they tack on.  This is deceitful.  I have requested an invoice broken out but they continue to charge me $466 in late fees.  And for the 2021/22 charges I want to know how much is late fees and they will not give that to me.
  
  I am attaching the invoice from 2019 with the late fees itemized.  I paid them for the reductions and no more.  
  
  I want the 2021 and 2022 charges to be itemized as was done in 2019.  
  
  *** ***** ***********
  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business response

  09/09/2022

  *** ***********, as indicated in our previous response, we would like to come to an arrangement that is mutually agreeable. 
  Please note that on August 29th, our office replied to your email to clarify what documents you were requesting and how you would like them delivered to you.  As we have not received your reply to that email, we are mailing copies of the open invoices for the 2021/2022 property tax reduction to you via **** Certified mail.  The mailing to you also includes details of your outstanding balance, including the breakdown of fees you are requesting.  Note that we previously emailed you a statement of your account six times since we first invoiced you on November 2, 2021.
  Once you receive our mailing, you will note that our invoice format has not changed as you suggested in your response.  Our invoices always include details of the savings as well as proof of the reduction from Nassau County.  The document you attached most recently is a Statement, as indicated on the top of the page, not an invoice.  
  We would like to reiterate that our fees are fully transparent and are part of the Terms & Conditions of the contract you signed with us at the time you hired our services.  Any fees that have been charged to your account are in line with our agreed contract, which states that payment is due within 60 days, otherwise your account is subject to late fees and/or finance charges.  You were first invoiced about 310 days ago.  To date, we have not received any payment for our services, and we had not heard from you prior to your email of July 8th wherein you stated you didn’t recall signing the application.  There are no fees charged to your account that are not in accordance with the contract.  The $466 you reference is not late fees for 2021/2022, rather it is the amount of a courtesy credit we gave you for your 2019/2020 reduction since the payment was submitted late.
  Again, we would like to remind you that between the 2019/2020 & 2021/2022 property tax grievances we filed on your behalf, we saved you over $7k.  We performed a service for you, in good faith, and as such should be compensated for our work as per the contract. 
  Once you receive our mailing, please review the documentation we provided.  We will reach out to you in 1 to 2 weeks to settle this if we have not heard from you before then.  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  09/22/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  ZapMyTax sent me a late bill on May 25 2021 in the amount of $1,541.13 which included late fees and interest. However, i've never received the original bill neither via e-mail or regular mail and this happens the second year in a row and such a practice is confirmed by other customer reviews. When requested forwarding me the e-mail with the original bill they sent me a PDF that had modification date (Jul 21) which is in the future to the supposed e-mail date (Mar 13). When i pointed such a discrepancy to them, they sent me yet another PDF which is digitally different from the first one (different sizes and the content) which makes me believe the original bill has never existed or has never been sent and this business is involved in data manipulation to defraud their customers. Both PDF's are attached.

  Business response

  09/28/2021

  This homeowner has been a client since the 2019 property tax grievance filing year which means he first started doing business with ZapMyTax in 2018.  We have sent him numerous documents and have had points of contact via email and phone calls as well.  He has continually claimed to have not gotten our mail and was issued a courtesy credit in the past.  I, ****** *** personally mailed out the invoice on 3/12/2021 via mail AND email.  We mail all of our mail 1st Class and none of the mail sent to his address was returned undeliverable.  When the client called for an email of the copy of the pdf -it was sent via our proprietary software.  I, ****** *** can attest that the content is not modified in any way.  We would like to resolve the issue with the client as he is a client for the 2021/22 property tax year and we have gotten him another reduction however ZapMyTax takes improper accusations of fraud or misdeeds very seriously and will prosecute slander and libel to the maximum extent of the law. I look forward to hearing from you - thank you.  ****** *** 

  Customer response

  10/02/2021

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I would like a clear and rational answers to the following: 1) why the attached file, ostensibly sent to me on Mar 12, 2021 has a modification date: Wed 21 Jul 2021 06:11:44 PM UTC, which is in the future with respect to Mar 12, 2021? 2) Why the second file (attached previously) is digitally different from the one attached here and the two have different sizes: 306.6kb vs. 306.1kb?  3) Which one represents the original bill and what was the reason of creation the other one?

   

  
  
  
  
   
  

  Business response

  10/05/2021

  *** ***** - I ****** *** sent the original invoice via mail and email from our proprietary software.  We do not manipulate pdf(s) or any other documents.  I cannot 100% explain the differences in sizes OR why the date modified or the date created gets changed other than it is a function of adobe (the pdfing program) or an operating system.  I downloaded the document YOU uploaded and on my system it says it was created 10/5/2021 AND modified 10/5/2021.  I am also attaching the ORIGINAL pdf here again and it too says it was created 10/5/2021 and modified 10/5/2021.  I've named them so you can download them and see as well.  We also sent MAIL several times as documented in prior correspondence.

  I do not see that any of the content is different on the original bill.  We do however send different documents using different templates with the same information depending on how many times we need to contact the client to obtain payment. 

  It is never our intention to charge late fees or interest however when a client does not pay in a timely manner it is necessary for us to use more resources to try and collect our fees which in turn costs more money.  We are not a collections company. It is our goal to obtain the best possible property tax assessment reduction for our clients and get paid for our services.

  I see we saved you a lot of money and to see you have such distrust in our company is extremely upsetting to me.  I would like the opportunity to restore your faith in ZapMyTax if you feel you would like to move forward we can put you on an alert so that we can CALL you when the invoice is being sent.  

  We take accusations of wrongdoing very seriously, and we do not tolerate libel and slander.  

  As always I can be reached at ###-###-#### Mon-Friday.  

  Thank you - ****** *** 

  Customer response

  10/07/2021

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

  Yes, I would like to get notified via a phone call/e-mail when the next bill is due as the business' representative suggested in their response.

  On my side I'm going to setup a reminder on Mar 12, 2022 to check on the status of my account (there is no way to do that online for some reason - another peculiarity of this business).

  If I don't receive the original bill next year again, I reserve the right to reopen this or file a new complaint about their billing practices.
  
  Sincerely,
  **** *****  
  
  
   
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/03/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I received a statement on May 6 from Zap My Tax For $713.27. The statement included unpaid balances and penalty. This is the first statement I ever received from them. I called to resolve the statement and was told I had ignored previous statements. I told him I never received them I offered to pay the bill the $513.17 that they were awarded in my grievance on my school and town taxes. I checked my email, phone records and there was never any bills from them. I received one letter which was to renew for the following years to come. I did pay on my credit card, And MasterCard is disputing the penalties for me. At this point I have not heard back we are still in dispute.

  Business response

  07/15/2021

  we were successful in reducing her property taxes each year.
  I, Laurie F** - PERSONALLY mailed the invoice for the 2020 filing year.  The invoice was mailed from our Point Lookout office on 2/24/2021 via FIRST CLASS MAIL. The invoice was also emailed from our proprietary system.  
  We did not revoke her discount until 5/2/2021.
  The authorization clearly stated the discount period.  See attached.  
  
  I do see in her records that she claimed she didn't receive the invoice for the prior filing year.   She was credited a finance charge for that finance charge.
  
  The customer service representative she spoke with was not authorized to waive the late / undiscounted fees.
  
  If the client stands by the statement that she did not receive the mail OR the email I would be willing to refund her the late fee and undiscounted rate fee. 
  
  Please advise how you would like me to proceed?  Please email to ********************  Thank you. 
  
  
  
  
  

*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. ↩