Wtf is going on? This $#*! is supposed to work not making it harder for the elderly and people with disabilities. Yall are making it so $#*!ing hard like $#*! $#*! biden $#*! this. Let me find out. Idgaf who reads this i don't care. I just want my money and to use my money the way I want too. Now I cant pay my bills using this card. $#*!ing $#*!s... Steer the rest $#*! seriously puto.Soy mexicano-estadounidense y estoy harto de esta puta mierda con el gobierno estadounidense gravando a los ancianos y discapacitados como si no fuéramos de la tierra de los libres. Como si no sirviera a mi condado... Como lo que pasó? Esta mierda nunca ha sucedido antes... Ahora tenemos una perra como presidente, esta mierda se jode... Trump funcionó muy bien, Obama funcionó muy bien. $#*! chupando biden todo jode... English: I'm an Mexican American and I'm sick of this $#*!ing bull$#*! with the American government taxing the elderly and disabled like we are not from the land of the free. Like I didn't serve my county... Like what happened? This $#*! has never happened before... Now we got a $#*! as president this $#*! $#*!s up... Trump it worked great, Obama it worked great. $#*! sucking biden it all $#*!s up... I was $#*!ing born here fix this $#*! I swear 🤬... I don't give a $#*!. I'm not afraid of jail or prison been there. So fix it or watch... GUESS... FREEDOM OF SPEECH $#*!... That is what is wrong with our country everybody is now oh he or she threatened me because of words... Get of the gas... This is against the law for one if you can't accept negative criticism or bad reviews about your card $#*! you and what. You want my number you want me $#*! come on come get me... I'm waiting... Pictures of what scamming $#*! $#*!es $#*! you...

$#*! $#*!s complete $#*!s and really suck $#*! mother$#*!ers and I'm being nice!

I contacted direct express on 7/4/2023. I noticed 2 FRAUD CHARGES. The charges were for the next day, 7/5/2023. The very first service representative, informed me that because the charges were pending on 7/4/2023 they couldn't do anything about it, until the charges ACTUALLY went through my account. So they cleared my account on either the 5th or 6th. I called them as soon as I got confirmation that they cleared my account. The service ryI called, kept getting flustered. Asked me my TELEPHONE NUMBER, AND ADDRESS, OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I asked her if she was flustered and she said YES! I ASKED to talk with a SUPERVISOR! Because of this, I have had to jump through ring's to attempt to get my money. Out of the 10 or so service representatives... ONLY 2 COULD SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH!
MY name is Richard... NOT RECHARD!
If you can't SPEAK good ENGLISH... YOU should NOT have a job representing an AMERICAN COMPANY!
Because of ALL this bull$#*! on DIRECT EXPRESS'S incompetent service representative ( the flustered one)
NOW I HAVE BEEN JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS, trying to PROVE MY IDENTITY TO DIRECT EXPRESS.
I faxed the documents THEY told me to send. I live in HUD HOUSING...ON RETIREMENT. The management here FAXED the documents for me.
DIRECT EXPRESS THEN, informed me that was UNEXCEPTIONABLE!
THEY then told me that they would ONLY except an EMAIL... WITH a picture of my ID, FRONT AND BACK.
SO I sent them an email with what they asked for.
UNEXCEPTIONABLE! THEY COULDN'T USE WHAT I SENT THEM.
I am 63 and LIVE ON MY EARLY RETIREMENT. The total of the 2 FRAUDULENT CHARGES was just over $170.00 plus change.
SO they made my card unexceptable. Turned it off.
This was on the 6th of July, 2023. THEN THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO SEND ME A NEW CARD. I received correspondence from them, saying that there was QUESTIONABLE ACTIVITY ON MY NEW CARD.
I HAVEN'T EVEN GOT MY NEW CARD!
The gal today told me it was because I had CHANGED MY ADDRESS. NOOOOOOOOO, I HAVE LIVED IN THIS HUD HOUSING APARTMENT FOR 4 YEARS. I was told that I had changed my CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER! Remember the SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WHO GOT SO FLUSTERED THAT I HAD TO ASK FOR A MANAGER?
I have now lost my LIFE INSURANCE and if I CAN'T pay rent, in approximately 2 weeks...I AM HOMELESS
DO NOT DEAL WITH THIS COMPANY!
IT WOULD BE EASIER TO OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT.
VERY BAD SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES!

Lets clear somethings up. You will get hung up on if you use foul language. If your card is locked send in your ID for ID verification. We run it throw a system and it has to be approved through the system not a person! If its denied resend it or use another for of ID. Social Security card and birth certificate is the best way to be approved fast. IDS CAN NOT BE FAXED NO MATTER WHAT WILL BE DENIED OF TOP! Birth certificate and social security card can be faxes. ID can not be expired or have a different last name. Majority of the time if your card is on hold the system did because of your error. We dont call anyone if we expect fraud. We send out letters! Nobody sits behind a computer watching yall every transaction. Disputes are done by investigators they do a full inspection. The paperwork does come slow as hell HOWEVER you can submit your own paperwork ask your rep. WE CAN NOT CHANGE DUE DATES NOBODY CAN INCLUDING SUPERVISORS! The provisional credit is never promised when you turn your paperwork in it gets you eligible for it. ITS NOT PROMISED TO KEEP. If your claim is denied the money will be chargedback. IF YOU DONT HAVE MONEY TO COVER IT YOU WILL GO IN THE NEGATIVE. If you have had multiple ppl you receive money for and had a bunch of cards sent out over the years YES ITS HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CARD TO REPLACE BECAUSE YOU CANT HOLD ON TO A CARD! When it comes to declined transactions we do whitelist card unless you are across seas. WE ARE NOT SUPPORTED BY CASHAPP PAYPAL VENMO GOOGLE PAY APPLE PAY OR FACEBOOK/META PAY. If it works cool. If it declines we can not do nothing about it. Use another payment option. If you dont have one get one. YOU WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH HIGH VERIFICATION THIS IS GOVERNMENT MONEY! If we would just say okay i will unlock your account or whitelist your card to anyone who calls in yall would be mad because someone is lying saying they are you. We need to make sure you are who you say you are. Fraudulent transactions is common on any card. Download the direct express app and keep your card locked. Being locked through the app is for your safety and you can unlock it at anytime. You can also lock your card through the automated system. WE HAVE HIGH CALL VOLUME! Do you know how many people have ssa or ssi? Not only that we just dont deal with ssa and ssi. We deal with ALL STATE BENEFITS. We as reps understand your not mad at us but the yelling and foul language that yall give is very uncalled for. Thats why majority of yall get hung up on. PER OUR POLICY AT DIRECT EXPRESS WE AS CALL CENTER REPS DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE ANY TYPE OF VERBAL ABUSE! YOU WILL GET HUNG UP ON! IF YOU CALL IN WITH AN ISSUE AND WE GIVE YOU A SOLUTION BUT ITS NOT THE ONE YOU DONT LIKE NOT OUR FAULT IF YOUR NOT ACCEPTING IT OR WILL NOT ALLOW A REP TO SPEAK YOU WILL GET HUNG UP ON! We are here to help the best we can! We are doing our job just like some of yall did. WE ARE NOT A BANK WE ARE A PREPAID CARD SERVICE! Yall complain about how bad the customer service is but yall as customers are ridiculous! Thinking we can hit a button and things will appear on our screen. We are not going to go against policy and lose our job because you can't verify or want your money back from a dispute. BE MORE RESPONSIBLE. If you cant get a representative payee and have someone else in charge of your money or again GET ANOTHER PAYMENT OPTION.

I work for a public housing agency in Washtenaw county Michigan. I
Assist my previously homeless clients with maintaining their housing
And ensuring they can pay their bills and afford their other expenses.
Recently, a client of mine who receives SSDI experienced a seriously
Troubling process of proving their identity and restarting service of
Their Direct Express debit card through which they receive their SSDI
Benefit.

The issue began with Direct Express contacting my client over the
Phone, not indicating what issue had occurred with the card, only that
It was no longer functioning and that in order to restore it, they
Would have to call the customer service line. As I am sure you are
Already aware, the customer service line for Direct Express includes
An inordinate wait time, however this is not where the issue is. The
True problem was that when my client called, they were treated rudely,
Hung up on several times, and only after several attempts, given a
Case number and told to email Direct Express documentation which my
Client does not currently have (an in-date state Identification card).
In lieu of this, they were told to send in a copy of their birth
Certificate and social security card. My client does not know how to
Even work a computer, much less use an email address; this is when
They contacted me.

I supplied Direct express with the necessary documentation
Immediately, sent to the email (*******@usdirectexpress.com) within an hour
Of being informed of the situation. For 3 days, Direct Express refused
To admit to my client that they had received the documentation,
Despite me sending it on their behalf no less than 6 times. After
These 72 hours had passed, they then informed my client that they HAD
In fact received the documentation, but due to 72 hours having passed,
Their "window" had closed and their claim had been denied. I sent the
Documentation to them again, several times, and attempted to call
While with my client in person. We were ignored, hung up on several
Times, and had to wait hours to call again to get in touch with
Someone to help us.

After all of this effort, we still were not given any helpful
Information and were hung up on by representatives multiple times;
Each time meaning we had to wait in the queue again. One particularly
Problematic call was after giving the representative all necessary
Identifying documentation and being put on hold 3 times, the
Representative came back to the call only to tell us that her "system
Was not working" and to call back later before hanging up on us when
We asked to speak to a supervisor.

We only received assistance once calling "*******435", a complaint
Line which I only found by digging through the internet; something my
Client could never have done on their own. The individual who we
Reached informed us that the case would be escalated and to await a
Call. We informed this representative of the time-sensitivity of the
Issue as my client's phone was about to be shut off due to
Non-payment, medications could not be purchased and their other bills
Could not be paid.

After several more hours, I was called by Direct Express, NOT my
Client, and they told me that they had received the escalation but
Could not speak to me. Luckily, I was near my client and ensured they
Spoke to the representative. This representative who identified
Herself as "Pauline" was combative, rude, and made my client very
Uncomfortable. She asked first for the social security card and birth
Certificate of my client (What I had already sent) and we resent these
Documents. She then said that the picture of the social security card
Had to be in color. Again, we resent the documentation to her
Specifications. Then she stated that we had to take pictures of the
Documents, front and back on a table, and would no longer accept the
High-detail scans I had sent her. Each time she came back to us from
Being on hold, she asked for something new which was conflicting with
What had been previously asked for.

I was unable to stay with my client at this time due to another
Appointment. While in my absence, Pauline called back once again and
Asked my client "security questions" which they had never set and did
Not know the answer to. Pauline then summarily denied the application.

Now desperate and exhausted, my client asked what they could possibly
Do to regain their social security benefit. Pauline stated that only
New pictures of the two documents and questions answered correctly
From my client's birth certificate would work. At this time, I was
Able to return and although Pauline refused to speak to me on my
Client's behalf, we were able to, once again, send them new pictures
Of the documents to prove their identity.

Only after this final time did something seem to work and Pauline
Confirmed the card was once again active.

This is a system that without me being there to help my client, would
Have provided no way at all for them to regain the use of their debit
Card. It was a life-threatening emergency which could have been
Avoided by Direct Express having offices where client's could meet in
Person, or for my client to be able to set up their own security
Questions, or even improved contact with the Social Security
Administration to confirm their identity from their benefit letter.

I am sincerely concerned for how many people this must be happening to
Across our nation. Direct Express has proven through this situation
And countless other missteps, some of them currently pending in
Litigation, that they are either incapable or unwilling to uphold
Their obligations as partner with Social security. They have failed
Social security recipients, they have failed their clients, and thus
They have failed the American people. We all deserve better treatment
Than how my client was treated.

I ask that it be made more of a priority to investigate the extent to
Which Direct Express is abusing their position as card servicer for
The elderly and disabled. I cannot stress enough how exhausting and
Frustrating of a process this was even to a trained professional like
Myself. I can hardly imagine trying to traverse the minefield of
Expectations, changing requirements, and outright unprofessionalism
Which are all commonly displayed by Direct Express.

*Comercia Bank DBA Direct Express*
DE has to be the most Unscrupulous and Worst Financial Institutions to be allowed to operate and remain open.

First, approx. 5M Customers with SSDI and SSI Debit Cards.
2nd, One (1) incoming telephone line and (1) Fax line.
3rd, Approx wait times 90 minutes -2 HRS.
4th, Pre-recorded 24/7 Message: "We are experiencing heavier than normal call volume." (On a Continuous Basis).
*5th, DE is not able to explain why and how so many debit cards are hit with Fraudulent Charges. The dollar figures in the tens of Millions of dollars.
6th, No dispute forms are available for download.
7th, You may as well swim in shark-infested water!
8th, DE Reps and Fraud Division personnel are arrogant, inexperienced and should be working elsewhere, like Dollar General or Cicis Pizza.

*9th, In 2019/20, Approx. $600M from the US Dept of Treasury went to Comerica Bank DBA Direct Express for payments to SSI, SSDI recipients. However; the monies have Never been accounted for as though the funds decided to walk away on their own accord!

My card has been compromised 2X and funds not returned; despite sending all documentation to DE. The first time, twenty seven (27) fraudulent charges; all from Nigeria, Laos. I can provide documentation.

This Parasite of a Financial Institution has taken advantage of the Disabled and Mentally Challenged customers that are not able to hold and wait for two hours or the elderly customers that just plain give up. A Class Action Law Suit Must be initiated, so that, the customers whom have been taken advantage of/ have their funds rightfully returned and the Culprits from DE be exposed and spend the next millennium behind bars while making the DE Debit Cards!

*Furthermore; Senator Elizabeth Warren did a probe on this company 2 years ago and found there is "widespread fraud".

"The Consumer Protection Laws under the FTC were to protect the Rights of those individuals. Comerica Bank and Direct Express has violated those Rights thousands of times it swore to protect!.

For a company that is supposed to protect payees from fraud they are first to commit like have license to do so. Have replaced many cards but when new card is activated at 9pm and the following morning at 7am $800 has varnished. Again have lost my place to live for them not paying me as supposed to but feel they take my money to spend on them self. Almost every month have to call because money is gone then about every 3 or 4 months can't pay rent. Now November homeless in the snow trying not ti freeze to death because they spent my money and who what next month brings as balance still shows red. Direct Express needs help accountable for fraud COMMITED with federal money to not only pay back what was taken but pay damages for lives put in jeopardy. Can not count times have been homeless and had to prove and fight to get my money back but last week was told they "INVESTIGATED" and no fraud was commited so will not return what I didn't spend. I feel Direct Express commited the fraud, that people in the company hack accounts with no concern for us that paid all our lives to have now that disabled unable to work. My research shows Direct Express has been stealing from people that need their money just to survive with no luxury. When I called SSI they didn't want to hear about it. Have to wonder what else these FRAUD MASTERS are doing and what other scams are going on besides stealing from retired disabled AMERICANS. Having the ability to RUIN LIVES forcing people to loose their homes needs STOPPED. Restitution made for damage and hardship caused by those entrusted to pay and protect us fraud. Would rate Direct FRAUD Express negative 10

This is a recurring problem that keeps getting worse as time goes by. I live in the Philippines and have been using direct express here for almost 6 years. For the first few years I used ATM to get cash for my needs here. ATM withdrawals here are expensive so I was paying somewhere from 50 to 80 usd a month on atm charges plus foreign currency exchanges plus percentage on money withdrawn et al. I know, not the wisest choice but it worked for the most part. I had to call D EX to get my card what they call white listed because im not in the states. Thats all well and good except at times it involves long queues and dealing with rude agents but mostly manageable. At the beginning of last year my old card expired i had a new one issued. I had told them to expedite it cuz i knew the mail here is so slow that I wouldn't have money for bills etc in time. They told me i had to wait til old card was expired? Ok so instead of it arriving on the 1st it took 10 days for it to arrive then had to go to city to pick it up the delivery compan they handed it off to here said their driver couldn't find our home. We live in the province. Or country in us terms. Anyway i finally got the card but it took 2 days to get it activated... problems of 3rd world country i guess. We have no toll free here so i used skype... finally got cust service they told me i couldn't use skype for that so i got load for phone finally cost me 50 usd but i finally got it activated.
Ok so they told me the white listing for the card lasted 6 months. Oh and btw i finally got the card they had mailed to me in Jan didn't arrive here til early April.
Sometimes the whitelist would last a few months sometimes only one month recently it could be a few days until i was unable to use ATM
I started using western union last year sometimes it went smoothly and saved me some $,
To make a long story short i got paid by SS around 72 hours ago and i've been on the phone off and on since then unable to use my card so i can pay bills.
Finally got someone who said my card would be ready in 2 hours after i was in queue over and hour and a half... i was happy but doubtful. They lied... no cigar,. Most of the last 72 hours was dialing in going thru their idiotic menu only to get a message sorry but call back again then they hangup.,. Finally got a nother agent. She told me no not 2 hours its now between 3 and 5 hours and you'll be good to go... she lied
At least she didn't ask me 3 times to repeat my info name ss number blah blah blah like the first one. I wish they would select agents whose first language is english when you select english.
Any way not for the last 24 hours all i get is busy signal or go thru menu only to get hung up on
Bottom Line. Eveyone pls for god's sake avoid this company like the pandemic.
Customer service agents are rude for the most part. Had one agent tell me he's hanging up on me if i don't turn my speaker phone off. Explained to him Im hard o hearing and unable to hear anything with it off... asked him to get me supervisor he refused 5 times. I reported him to a supervisor i don't know what if anything they did to him but he said they would listen to the call.
To everyone else who've experienced the direct express treatment I feel your pain and hope you do as i am going to do asap and get direct deposit in my Ph bank

It is a pity that the U.S. Government requires social security recipients to have their much needed social security benefits that they worked and paid for deposited with Direct Express that will often deprive access to the funds. Often cards are canceled for no reason without any notice leaving many with no way to pay for food, electricity, and other necessities required to live. If the card holder survives an extremely long wait on the phone, he or she will be told the only solution is issuance of a new card that will take two weeks to receive. Often a merchant regularly paid by the SS recipient with the Direct Express Card, all of a sudden without notice, will not be honored depriving the card holder access to the typical goods or services. A call to Direct Express will result in a very long hold period after which the company cannot provide a reason for the inconvenience. Only if pressed Direct Express will finally state the merchant, for no stated reason, was black listed. Only if pressed Direct Express will advise that a temporary whitelist can be issued to allow payment to the merchant (who must not have been so bad after all) for a period of three to four days after which the blacklist will go back in place. Just when the needy card holder thinks he can make a purchase, he or she is told it will take two hours for the whitelist to go into effect. After waiting much more than two hours the card holder will call back and wait for a longer period on the phone until being told that the process will have to start again with no explanation of why the first promise failed. After waiting much longer than another two hous the card holder will discover his card can still not be used. He wait on the third call is even longer than the others. The cardholder will go through the same lengthy process and, again, furnish a lot of verifying information only to listen to the same worthless speech; when he or she tries to inform that this has been done to no avail two times before, he or she will be told that he or she tries to interrupt the call will be ended. The call will result in the same promises that will not take place. The fourth phone call wait is longer still evidencing a common problem. For card holders. The representative on the fourth call is even ruder that one of the prior three (two out of the four actually tried to be cordial). This representative will listen to nothing and require the same lengthy nonsense; she will never respond to, "will Direct Express can get it right this time." By this time the card holder if overwhelmed and has no faith has or her card can be used. By this time it is past bedtime of the second night since this started. The card holder assumes the card will be useless when he awakes.

On 6/29/2022 All my ID documents and my bank card were stolen by an abuser. I have a police report.
Between 7/1/2022 to 7/5/2022 It took many calls and 22 hours on hold get Direct Express to answer the phone.
I told them of the card and ID theft. They claimed they would cancel the stolen card and would send me a new card.
A Direct Express Fraud Department agent 'verified' me by sending a code to my email.
The Agent said he would debit my account $18 for the new card and it would arrive in 2 days.
Direct Express had NO hesitation sending a new card to my mom's address in another state using an email verification code.
The card arrived 4 days later.

On 7/8/2022 I called the Direct Express number to activate the new card - after over 5 hours on hold - my call was transferred to the Fraud Dept.
Direct Express Fraud Dept REFUSED activate the new card.
A Direct express agent (and a "supervisor" Melanie) Demanded front and back copies of my driver license, birth certificate and social security card. <<-- ALL THE ID THAT THEY KNEW WAS STOLEN BEFORE THEY SENT A NEW CARD.
They refused to accept a copy of the police report.
They refused to verify me using any security questions.
They refused to verify me using the same email verification code method they've been using for the 3 years I've had DirectExpress.
MY ABUSER/ID THIEF COULD FAX ALL MY STOLEN DOCS TO DIRECT EXPRESS AS THE "PROOF" THEY WERE DEMANDING.
ONLY MY EMAIL IS SECURE OR SAFE!

Direct Express has KNOWINGLY left a domestic abuse victim stranded, with no access to my own money, food or shelter, and KNOWING my phone wil be shut off any minute.
I can not even call for help if my abuser finds me.
Direct Express "supervisor" Melanie told me: "Too bad. It's not my problem. If you don't like it have your money deposited somewhere else."
When I informed her I absolutely intended to make that happen, Direct Express "supervisor" Melanie said: "Go ahead but if you cancel Direct Express, we're keeping the money in your account and there's nothing you can do about it."

I tried calling back two days later on 7/10/2022. Direct Express has voided the card number they sent me and removed my social security number from their system. I now have no way to contact them and no way to get the money they've stolen from my account.

Even after Direct Express has taken my money and locked me out of my account, they keep sending my personal and contact info to an abusive stalker in another state. They have even given him my mom's address and phone number - enabling him to Harass and Threaten an 80 Year Old Lady. And I have no way to make them Stop endangering me or my mom.