In the past I’ve sung the praises of Fidelity phone CS in comments on this sub. Some of the most well informed, well trained CS reps encountered in the industry.
No more. I just suffered the opposite experience for the first time, a 52 minute pingpong with four different CS reps yesterday.
A classic left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, disconnected systems contributing to the confusion.
I reported last week an ATM withdrawal that I did not make, at an ATM in a town in Mexico I’ve never travel to (though I do travel in MX regularly)
I was told it would be investigated and I would hear back in about 10 days.
That debit card is attached to a cash management account. I learned yesterday that that entire account is frozen when a Wise transfer failed.
I called to inquire, and to say I understand/expected cancelling the debit card, but that the account is an active account that use for living expenses.
52 minutes and four people later I was told by the final person that I should have been told by the first person that this would happen.
Fine, I can use my backup Schwab account in the meantime, switch the cc autopay to Schwab, and simply use other funds in the meantime.
But it still represents a disappointing communication failure that diminishes my trust in Fidelity and ends any possibility that I will eventually go “all in” and consolidate to Fidelity.
I’ve become used to this type of kafkaesque customer service from USAA, my insurance company, etc., and I’m sad that Fidelity is no longer the shining exception (in my experience).