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Pastimes : ETRADE Sucks! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: pete2 who wrote (2843)	7/23/1999 9:54:00 PM
From: pete2	Respond to of 3262

The following message I just posted on the NDB thread. The other side may offer the same fine service that ETRADE does. pete2 from: pete2 Friday, Jul 23 1999 9:51PM ET Reply # of 946 For several years I bent over and accepted my abuse from ETRADE. And oh did I ever suffer. Well, I finally took the time and the courage to dump ETRADE. I thought that I would find happiness with National Discount Broker. At the present time I have not decided whether my new choice was a wise move. It was wise leaving ETRADE, but I don't know if it was wise selecting NDB. I sent my application into NDB accompanied by a personal letter explaining my intentions. Everything was to take place on 21 July. It was rather important for these rather simple instructions to be followed since I was on vacation out of state. Well on the morning of 22 July I was all set to make my first big trade on NDB. I was working from a pay phone in the hot sun. I called in and got my account number and password without any trouble. Asked for some basic instructions on placing an order by phone and tried to place my order. I was attempting to buy a BB stock and the price was less than a buck so I had to call back to find out how to put it in. The person on the phone failed to tell me to put a "0" in for the whole number. By luck, I figured this out. So here I am, ready to put that order in. Just a small one, since I planned to put in multiple orders during the day. Put my order in, and darned if it didn't get rejected because of a lack of funds. I immediately called NDB and the person that answered asked if I put my social security account number on my check. Here I am on a road-trip, a thousand miles from home, been in the hot sun for an hour now and I have someone asking me if I put my SSAN on my check. I replied that I didn't know and he explained to me that it was my fault then, because when applications come in, the checks are taken out and put in another pile. I then attempted to explain that I had sent a letter of instructions with my application. He was quite irritated since I was unable to quote to him what I had put in the letter. I tried to explain that I did not have a copy of the letter with me, but it basically stated that I closed an ETRADE account and the proceeds were wired to my bank account on 21 July 99 which is the same day I requested that my account be opened with the check which I sent. This person finally checked a little further and came back and told me that my check was being sent back to me because they had checked with my bank twice and sufficient funds were not available in my account. At this point I gave up and let the guy know that I did not appreciate him telling me everything was my fault and this was the exact reason I was leaving ETRADE was because of poor customer service and here I am experiencing the same with NDB. He finally decided to apologize, but it was too late for me by this time after being on the phone for an hour in the hot sun. I had already told him by this time that he could read my experience with him on SI. I think this is when the apology came. It seems like when I first inquired and was given my account number, someone should have told me that I had no money in the account. It is rather odd, that an account with no money in it would be opened and pass the account number on to me. I called back a little later and got the mailing address and sent another check in Federal Express. This cost me $16.95. This morning, 23 July I called NDB about 11:30 a.m. The person who answered the phone checked and I had no money in my account. I explained that a Federal Express envelope was to have arrived by 10:30 a.m. He then volunteered to check with the mail room, and several minutes later said yes, they had it and he would put me in touch with a broker. I then placed my trade without any problem. So, my bad experience turned out okay, but I still have my reservations. I did explain to the jerk who told me it was all my fault that he would be able to read about his treatment to me on SI.... so yeah I am following up and hope that he is referred to some customer relations refresher training..... Pete2 See the letter below: National Discount Brokers 7 Hanover Square, Fourth Floor New York, NY 10004 Hello, Please open my account on 21 July 1999. Yesterday, I sold most of the stock in my ETRADE account and they are wiring the funds to my checking account on 21 July 1999. Please send me the necessary forms to transfer the stock I have left in my account to my new NDB Account. Thanks for your help. Sincerely, Message 10637481