They Refuse to Delete Your Information Even Though You Are NOT THEIR CUSTOMER
ETA: After my contact with this company, they contacted the friend who referred me to them & told her they were closing down their business which they knew even before they took my personal, confidential info. They are STILL accepting applications. __ This is a financial services company incorporated in Delaware. It is not a bank, & it violates the DTPA. This is a WARNING to anyone who may be considering opening an account with them. An old friend recommended Charlie for seniors 62+. No fees, & you receive SS 3-4 days earlier than you otherwise would. Sounded good. The site said all it needed was my legal name, SSN, address, telephone number, an email address, etc. I provided all of this information. They sent codes to my phone & to my email. I parroted back the codes. I did not know it then, but IT WAS ALREADY TOO LATE FOR ME. It would be too late for you, too. Then they asked me to call them. I called them & asked, "what do you want?" I could not get an answer. This literally went on for 30 minutes. I kept saying, I gave you all the information you wanted to open an account. You then asked me to call you, so I am calling you. WHAT DO YOU WANT??? I was speaking to a woman in the Philippines. There would be LONG, LONG, LONG pauses between what I said & her response which was hardly anything. I believe they were getting as much of my voice on recording as possible---30 minutes worth of my voice. Finally, I was asked to email them a photo of a bill sent to me at my address. I FOOLISHLY did so. Still not enough. Next, they demanded I send them photos of my license front & back AND a "selfie" holding my driver's license. I said ENOUGH!!!! I have never taken a "selfie" in my life, & I am not going to do it now. I gave you all the information you said you needed to open my account; then you asked for a lot more. THAT IS DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICE. If I had known that you were going to demand all of this other stuff, I NEVER WOULD HAVE BEGUN THE APPLICATION. They are harvesting & storing your personally identifiable information including a long record of your voice. They refused to open the account & they refused to delete my information. They said the are obliged to keep my info for 5 years, but they will keep it longer than that. I am NOT their customer. They have no need to keep my name, address, phone number, email address, SSN, DoB, etc. This is dishonest and a violation of my privacy. I have filed complaints against them with the BBB & the attorney general's office in both California & my state. I am looking into what other agencies may oversee them. If they were a bank, then the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency would oversee them, but they are not a bank. I am going to have to file a lawsuit against them just to get them to delete my private information. In this day & age of identity theft, hacked computers, etc., the fewer the companies that have your information, the better. If you have not yet started an application with them, please BE AWARE OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU. Not only will they take your name, address, phone number, SSN, DoB, & email address as they claim at the start, but then they will tell you that is not enough and demand FAR, FAR more information. Just with the initial information, you will have provided enough information for them to steal your identity. If you give them all the rest of what they want, you are even worse off. Not even the FBI or any other law enforcement agency has a right to demand this information from you. Not even SS demands a "selfie" with your driver's license & copies of your utility bills, passport, etc. PLEASE DO NOT BE A FOOL LIKE I WAS. Brick & mortar banks are a misery to deal with anymore, but no brick & mortar bank is going to ask you to give them the stuff that Charlie demands. Now, they have personally identifiable information on me & they refuse to delete it. If that sounds scary to you, then I urge you to protect yourself & your information & DO NOT START AN APPLICATION WITH CHARLIE. Warn your family, friends, & co-workers if you still work. They are compiling ALL of your personal information, even LONG, LONG recordings of your voice. These people are BAD. I would not refer an enemy to them much less a friend. I since discovered SS will send your benefit directly to U.S. Direct Express debit card each month. Google them. You do NOT need a bank account to get your SS. Pay with this SS approved debit card. Buy money orders with the debit card for payees that need paper. Keep your info out of the hands of lowlife companies like Charlie. Check with SS. They will verify this debit card is a great way to get direct deposit of your SS each month. ETA: They are still emailing me long after they refused to open an account unless I sent them my license & a "a selfie." I told them I would NEVER do business with with them & to get stuffed. Yet, they are still harassing me with emails.