The WORST Direct Express Complaints [Do You Know About These?]

If you are here to learn a little about complaints associated with the Direct Express Card or wondering what number to call or what the details are all about and how to use this card to the best extent possible, then perfect, you have found the right article.

In this article, I’m going to give you all the Direct Express facts that you need to know about your card so that I can help you out with using your card and benefiting the most.

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Two Ways To File A Complaint Against Direct Express

File A Complaint Directly To The Department Of The Treasury

Comerica Bank, as you know, issues and is the contractor of your Direct Express card, but the owner of the Direct Express card program in the United States Department of the Treasury. 

If you are tired of waiting concerning your problem about your card and are not getting a solution to your complaint or are unable to, then you can file a complaint directly to the Department of the Treasury by emailing them at

directexpress@fiscal.treasury.gov

Remember never to leave your personal information because the Department of the Treasury can’t help with specific questions about your card, and stick to the facts of the complaint as best you can.

File A Complaint Directly To The Social Security Association

Write a complaint about your experience with Direct Express directly with the Social Security Association at

https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/

Other cardholders who see your review and have experienced the same issue will add their own complaint, showing a pattern and getting the attention of a news reporter or journalist.

Remember never to leave your personal information because the Department of the Treasury can’t help with specific questions about your card, and stick to the facts of the complaint as best you can.

Top Complaints Against Direct Express  

It’s Very Hard To Speak To A Live Person

Speaking to a live customer service representative is the most complained about the Direct Express Card.

When you contact customer service, the hold times to speak with someone can be very long, or the call dropped—even trying several different times within a month with the same no contact results.

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Issues Of Fraudulent Activity

The Direct Express debit card is a target of fraudsters to obtain a cardholder’s personal information illegally. 

They use the information to call Direct Express to get account information and change the information or order a new card to the new address they changed and drain the funds from the owners’ accounts at an ATM.

Another everyday fraudulent activity reported by cardholders is the unauthorized use of their account.

In most cases, unauthorized transactions occur out of state and also use this information to make unauthorized purchases online.

It has become so prevalent that a class-action suit was filed.

Dispute Resolution Process Is Too Long

If you find suspicious or unauthorized transactions on your account, Direct Express wants you to call as soon as possible Customer Service.

However, contacting Customer Service is very hard to get a hold of and speak about the issue. Hence, deactivating the card is delayed, which gives the fraudster more time to drain the account.

Once you can reach a customer service representative, they will provide you with instructions on the paperwork you need to complete for the dispute process.

This paperwork must be completed and sent via standard mail within 10 days. There is no way to file a dispute online or via fax.

There is also a timeframe within which this dispute report must be filed in order to limit your potential risk of any losses on your account.

The entire process to file a dispute could take up to 90 days.

This 90 days for Direct Express to complete its investigation is a major complaint of many cardholders. 

This is especially problematic for cardholders on a fixed income – like Social Security, Disability, or Supplemental Security Income.

That’s because their benefit payment is usually their only source of income resulting in their funds being held for a long time and puts them in a very difficult financial position.

Time-Consuming Lost Card Process To Replace The Card 

If your Direct Express card is lost or stolen, you are instructed to call the Direct Express Customer Service Department at 1-888-741-1115 immediately.

The replacement card usually arrives within 7 to 10 business days by standard mail. 

Again the problem is increased by having to contact Customer Service, and even if you are successful in speaking to a representative and your replacement card is mailed, the replacement card does not usually arrive within the 7 to 10-day window.

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RELATED:

  • Discover more on how to Access Direct Express Cardless Benefit.
  • Learn more on what to do when your Direct Express Card is Lost.
  • Get all the facts here about your Direct Express Routing Number.

No Warning When Your Card Is Cancelled 

Direct Express is canceling cards without notice due to suspected fraudulent activity or when automatic bill payments are declined.

Since Direct Express does not alert customers of this action in a timely manner and if the money on your 

Direct Express card is your only source of income, then the cardholder finds themself in a very frustrating and embarrassing situation. 

International Use Of The Card Is Problematic  

The Direct Express website states that you can use the card outside the United States wherever Debit MasterCards are accepted.

However, customers have complained about their inability to use the card outside the United States.

Sometimes cardholders have been stranded or left in impossible situations abroad due to their lack of access to money.

Even notifying Direct Express ahead of time about the travel, the card was still flagged, and transactions declined.

The only way to try and resolve this while traveling is to call Direct Express customer service from a foreign country, which can be frustrating since it’s tough to speak to a live person.

Bill Pay Process Causes Problems For Users

One of the benefits advertised by Direct Express is to pay bills online or by phone. 

You can only use the card to pay bills if the company processing the payment can charge your card as a credit card, which means that they have to use your Direct Express card number, expiration date, and 3-digit code to process the payment.

There is no option to set up online bill pay using your account number and routing number with your card.

This causes a huge inconvenience for cardholders – forcing them to mail in their payment or pay their bill directly at a bank or credit union.

Inability To Add Funds To A Direct Express Account

If you have income from other sources, you cannot add those funds to your Direct Express debit card because only the Federal Benefits are allowed on the card.

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You can’t add funds from another source and need a regular account or credit union for the additional income than the Direct Express Card.

Thus, you can have your federal deposit payments sent to the bank or credit union account instead.

Withdrawing Funds At ATMs Also Has Problems.

The most common problem occurs when cardholders encounter an error while trying to withdraw from an ATM.

The ATM error stops the cardholder from receiving the money they were attempting to take out but still reduces their balance by that amount.

Then the cardholder again needs to file a dispute with Direct Express for the missing funds and again taking up to 90 days to complete.

Having to wait up to 90 days to get your money back from an ATM error is not only frustrating but extremely stressful for those Direct Express card customers on a fixed income.

Problems With Using Mobile App

Direct Express has a mobile app for cardholders. The app works for either your Apple or Android.  

The app was designed to allow cardholders to perform functions such as checking their card balance, reviewing recent transactions, setting up low balance alerts, setting up deposit alerts, and locating the nearest in-network ATMs.

The most common complaint about the mobile app is that it stops working after a few months of using it.

Cardholders have indicated that they can no longer log into the app, even after repeated tries.

Others have also said that they are unable to register their card account on the mobile app.

This problem can be highly frustrating for cardholders who are trying to access their account information.

What To Do If You Don’t Want A Direct Express Card Anymore

If you don’t like your card, you can close your account at no charge by simply calling 1 (888) 741-1115, and customer service will assist you.

And it is recommended to enroll in the direct deposit program for future payments if you decide to close your account by simply calling 1 (800) 772-1213 and the Treasury’s GoDirect Hotline will assist you or by internet at   www.godirect.org