DFAS Customer Service Complaints - page 2

Can't get into mypay. I have talked to support. They blind transfer you to non working #s. They hang up.10 times and no resolution. Worst ever customer support. Discusting.

Nothin but the run around, they kept telling me to keep trying to log in and it kicked me out of the system and suspended my account than the representative hung up on me. Disgusting service

DFAS is the absolute worst. All these Reps do is talk in circles and give you wrong info just to get off the phone. How about you hire people that know what their doing. I have never in my life dealt with such incompetence. NO one should ever have to wait hours on hold. I am being told the garnishment office has been closed since COVID.. are you kidding me, then get another department to handle. I have mailed docs to them 3 times always being told we haven't received it, well it hasn't come back to me. It has SS#'s on them but they don't care. Have you tried to fax, yes for hours on end only to hear a busy signal. Well, were not sure what to do.. HOW ABOUT FIX YOUR CRAP SYSTEM FOR STARTERS!!!!!!!! Something needs to be done about this. I don't have all day to waste trying to get ahold of someone that has no clue!!! Also, while waiting on hold calls are disconnected all the time and you have to call back

DFAS has got the be the worst CS ever. No one is on the same page. You get a different answer every time you call. Hold time is outrageous. Not a way to treat Military Members who have served this Country!!!!!!

Horrible - DFAS run by idiots.

Disclaimer: This is an email I sent to their complaint hotline, but editing it and putting her, as well.

Good evening,

Let me begin this correspondence by stating something I find to be very, very important concerning this matter:

Firstly, I served 20 years and 2 weeks in the Air Force. I deplyed to two wars five times during my career. I retired honorably in November. During this time, I never once, ever, filed a formal complaint towards anyone or any agency. I firmly believe that ANYTHING can be resolved with communication on the phone or email.

That being said...

I am, absolutely, BEYOND frustrated with the ENTIRE DFAS system. All of it, the whole thing. It is wholly convoluted, every single time I've had an issue ( where I, as a person who DOES NOT HAVE A FINANCIAL OR WEBSITE DESIGN BACKGROUND needs to speak to a real person), the one and only thing I'm EVER told is is either:

"Go to MyPay and figure it out"

Or

"I'm sorry, but we can't help you. You can go to MyPay and figure it out"

This is BEYOND ridiculous and entirely unacceptable.

I retired on November 1st of 2021. Since then I have attempted to log into MyPay no less than 20 times, each time unsuccessfully. It could be an incorrect log in ID, or my password is wrong, or my email is outdated, or my security quotations are incorrect... But I wouldn't know, because your system won't tell me which one it is. That isn't helpful, AT ALL. This ridiculous practice on MyPay is your organization's equivalent of someone doing push-ups incorrectly during a PT Test and, instead of the proctor correcting the member on his form, tells them "One... one... one... one..." In other words, I can't correct the problem if I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.

Since the DFAS website is, quite literally, a broken trainwreck of a mess and noting to be proud of, I've also called your Customer Support line no less than four times since November of 2021. I did this after trying every single permutation of Login IDs and passwords I've ever had in my entire career... which have been two, total.

I usually don't call someone for stuff like this because, well, every other time in my life that I've run into an ID or password issue with an online site (Google, my bank, Amazon, GMAIL or LITERALLY EVERY OTHER WEBSITE IN EXISTENCE), it's been a fairly simple process. It's so simple that I will take the two minutes of extra typing to give you an example.

NOTE: READ THIS, DFAS. THIS is how you run a website for customers:

*Any Website On The Internet*

1. "Incorrect Login" - No problem, I'll hit the "forgot login".

2. "We will send you a code to reset your login ID. Please verify your email or phone number." - Kind've a hassle but I do so. Within about a minute I've updated one or both of my contacts, and I get a code.

3. "Code verified. Once you login, reset your password and update all personal information."

And that's it. I've never, ever run into anything more complicated than this on ANY website for ANY organization in my entire 43 years of life.

That is, until yours.

Here is where we get to my frustration. If you've read this far and you're rolling your eyes, believe me when I say this: I don't care. You've read a few paragraphs of an issue that I have taken the time to condense to make it more digestible. This has been a real, life-altering issue for ME that has, now, lasted almost six infuriating months. You'll be fine.

As I said, here is where we get to the real crux of the problem. I'm going to go into detail and, this is important for you to know, you reading this is STILL not as bad as having to deal with the absolutely insane process I'm about to retell in the following paragraphs.

*DFAS*

1. "Your Login ID or Password are incorrect." - That's it. Your site can't tell me which one it is, so I don't know if it's one or the other, or both. So, let's start with login ID. I click "forgot login".

2. (No joke, this is what comes up) "If you have established a Login ID and have forgotten it, there are two methods to retrieve this information:

You may enter your previously registered email address and your Social Security Number and we will email your Login ID to you. To ensure the email is not filtered into your Spam, Junk or Bulk Mail folder, add [email protected] to your safe senders list before submitting your request.
You may enter your Social Security Number and Password and we will display your Login ID.
TIP: If you do not have enough information to complete this request, you should click Forgot your Password on the Home Page and request a temporary Password. When you get your temporary Password, come back to this screen to retrieve your Login ID using your SSN and the temporary Password."
3. So...I enter both my SSN and my email. I click "Email Login ID"

4. "Your request has been processed and your Login ID will be emailed to you if the information provided matches the account information on record." - Guess what? No email. Ever. So, I quickly realize that there's an old email on record. So, I've done all of this and STILL haven't made ANY progress whatsoever. So, I hit FAQ on your Frankenstein website and find "How Do I Access Mypay" under "Retirees".

5. "If you see the following message in red: "The combination you entered is incorrect. You have already created a LOGIN ID and should not be using your SSN to log in. Please try again" this means you already have a login ID. By now you've probably forgotten it, so you'll need to go back to the myPay home page and click "Forgot your Login ID?" Enter your SSN and temporary password to have your Login ID displayed on screen. Then, return to the home page to login.


If you have trouble, call myPay at 888-332-7411 to speak to a Customer Service Representative." - This tells me to do exactly what I did, and then tells me exactly what I already knew. No new information, here. EXCEPT, for that part about calling a Customer Service Represenative. It's highlighted, so I click that, aaand...

6. "There are several ways to contact DFAS Retired and Annuitant Pay: online, via mail or fax, or by calling our Customer Care Center. Please note: DFAS does not have in-person service centers at any of our locations. Retirees and annuitants are encouraged to contact your branch of service retiree service organization for in-person assistance." - So... Your ratmaze of a website instructs me to call a CSR, but then IMMEDIATELY says after that that, if I DO call, there won't actually be anyone there to help me and that I should call a THIRD FREAKIN PARTY to help me if i want to speak to someone?! Are you for real?!

Note - At this point I am quite sure that you, the reader of this message, are already sick to death of reading this. That's good, because youre JUST NOW starting to get a sense of what I've been dealing with for half a year, except it only took about 15 minutes of your life to this point. Also, if you're the one who's reading this, you're getting paid to, so, sorry not sorry.

At this point, I find a phone number. Its for Customer Support. In fact, your nightmare of a website says these very words: "DFAS Centralized Customer Support can provide assistance on how to use the options available to you in myPay. Centralized Customer Support will also provide support for establishing and changing your Password." So, I call the number.

7. After a few rounds of "If you would like to do this or that, press 3", I finally get someone on the phone. I calmly, respectfully explain what I've been dealing with the past month at this point (A month?!) and finish by saying "So, what I'm trying to do is just be able to get into MyPay so I can make sure the right amount of money is going to my mortgage and bills now that I'm retired. If you could, I don't know, email me a temp password then that would take care of everything."

At this point, I spend about ten minutes answering a bunch of questions from the costumer service rep. I can tell they're questions that the reps have been trained to ask and I understand that. The PROBLEM is that literally everything hes asking me about was addressed when I explained all the steps I had taken up to this point. Which means that, after now being on the phone for about 20 minutes, the only thing I've accomplished is explaining my situation. Twice. In a row.

(I think it's also imperative to note that this entire, preposterous ordeal has taken a month, multiple log in attempts, days of negotiating multiple websites, reading countless FAQs, and 2 useless phone calls... And has produced zero, ZERO results.)

After I explain even a 2nd time, the service rep asks for my mailing address. I give it, and he assures me a paper with a temp password will be mailed to my house within 10 days. I ask why it will be mailed, and he mentions some scripted thing about it being best for MY security. My first thought was that this is one of the stupidest things I'd ever heard. First, it's 2021 (At this point), we're WELL into the Information Age where internet security is absolutely safer than traditional mail. Secondly, the idea that mailing me something is more secure just doesn't make sense anyway. But... that's yalls policy, which means you literally don't give me any other option. So, I wait for the paper.

A month goes by and I give up the hope that a paper with my temp password is ever going to show. So...I call your costumer service number again.

8. Everything from step 7 is repeated, verbatum. Except, this time, it's a different person. So we get to the point where he tells me that DFAS is going to mark me another paper. He then asks, as the previous one did "Is your address still 1001 N. Bedell Ave, Del Rio Texas?"

I tell him "No, it isn't. Yall asked me that a month ago and I gave you my current address. Why wasn't it updated then?"

He hems and haws about "the system" and "procedural errors"... all of which is not supposed to be MY d**n problem but, for some reason, is being MADE my problem. We finally get my address ironed out, I directly ask this person to MAKE SURE my address is current. He assured me it is, and that a paper with a temp password will be mailed out within 7 to 10 days and arrive shortly. (SPOILER: It doesn't.)

Another month goes by, I get a job and start working. Around March (yes, we're four...FOUR... months into this and I've still made absolutely ZERO DAMN PROGRESS ON LOGGING INTO MYPAY) I decide to call again.

9. Same as the previous two phone calls, again a different person. After repeating everything, AGAIN, his first questuon is, no s**t:

"So, let me ask you this... have you tried updating your information on MyPay?"

Have you ever heard someone say something so infuriatingly ridiculous that you had to take a minute and process what you just heard because, if you didn't, you'd black out into a blind rage and lose your mind on that person? That's what I had to do. I didn't say anything for about 10 seconds, because I was doing my d**ndest to not tear this guy a new one over the phone.

I take a breath and say "Alright, look... this is past the point of frustrating. I'm not angry at you, personally... but I am pretty g*d d**n irate at how convoluted, user unfriendly and illogical this whole process is. This is the most ridiculously insane thing I have ever had to go through to simply CHECK MY PAY. I am NOT a criminal, I am NOT a hacker and I am not posing as someone else. I am JOSHUA... MICHAEL... LEWIS. Ive verified that I don't know HOW MANY times with yall by your own admission, yet you won't do something as simple as help me access MyPay. Why is that? Just tell me why that is."

He says "Sir, we don't actually do that as costumer service reps."

Imagine my surprise upon hearing this. The whole reason I called that number in the first place is because, when you read the blurb next to the number its self, it says

"DFAS Centralized Customer Support can provide assistance on how to use the options available to you in myPay. Centralized Customer Support will also provide support for establishing and changing your Password."

That's directly from your website. Word for word from your nauseatingly useless, broken website.

I then ask the guy if he can, AGAIN, send me a temp password through the mail. He says "Yes sir, just let me verify your address", then he hung up on me. I'm not kidding.

That brings us to this past Friday, April 1st of 2022. In case you weren't keeping count, we're now five months TO THE DAY from my retirement date. After five months, countless attempts at changing my password, answering security questions that I never came to with, 3 phone calls lasting hours verifying my identity over and over and over again AND being promised that is get a PIECE OF PAPER IN THE MAIL with a temp password, absolutely nothing... read that again... NOTHING... has been accomplished on concerning my issue. NOT. ONE. THING.

So, on the 1st of April, my wife texts me asking why the allotment for our mortgage didn't get to the bank. So, I check my account where my retirement check has been going for last half a year and... guess what?

I didn't get paid.

That's right. Yall didn't pay me. At all. Nothing. Now, my first thought was "I could easily figure out what's going on in MyPay", but I think we've covered that fairly well at this point. This left me with the only other alternative, and that alternative was *sigh* another phone call to you.

So, I called.

10. I get someone on the phone, repeat steps 7 through 9 above, and then at last says she can actually help me with a temp password over the phone.

Wait, what?!

I get excited, elated even. Finally, someone who can help me!

So she says "All I need to do is verify that it is actually you, so I'm going to ask some security questions"

No problem, I say. So she asks me where i lived during this time, if I claimed married on my taxes, the name of my last unit, etc. I answered all the questions, honestly and accurately.

I bet you can guess where this is going, huh?

She says "Im sorry sir, but according to our system you provided erroneous information. It doesn't tell us which part wasnt true, just that it was false information."

I don't think I need to explain why a system that operates in such a way is ridiculous, nor should I feel the need to rant about the policy that allows it.

But I will, anyway.

The thing is this: Those security questions were NOT selected by me, the member. I didn't approve them, hence I didn't verify the informatuon they're checked against. Even if I DID, what could I have done to update that information after being locked out of MyPay? Using THAT logic, that means the information you're trying to verify is either out of date at best, or just plain wrong at worst. How does this thinking benefit the member that DFAS is claiming to protect? (HINT: It doesn't)

I then ask if there's a way i can update my personal info over the phone with her and she says "I'm sorry, we don't have that capability"

Seriously, DFAS? You don't HAVE that capability? It's the year 2022. We have a branch of the military called the g*d d**n SPACE FORCE, I can personally contact anyone in the world instantaneously, private entertainment venues can bring Tupac back to life via hologram and YOU, people responsible for paying members of the world's most technologically advanced military in the history of human kind don't have the capability to reset my password using an operating system that you, yourself, own and operate with absolutely zero oversight.

But, I digress.

The lady then tells me the ONLY thing i can do now is meet with an approved Trusted Agent, IN PERSON, who can then verify I am who I say I , and that the ONLY Trusted Agents in the entire state of Georgia you will allow me to go to are 3.5 hours away at the closest, and 6 at the farthest.

In case you're wondering why this is a huge pain in my a**, let me explain it to you:

Im a full time, permanent substitute teacher at a high school. That means I get paid by the day. If I work 21 straight school days, I get a bonus. If I work 20 days, but miss the 21st, the countdown to 21 restarts. I also don't get paid for days I take off. So, because YOU, DFAS, refuse to do things using common sense and logic, I have to drive 9 hours both ways so i can meet a Trusted Agent who's never met me before, to verify that I'm me, and that information to you, and then I have to trust you'll do what I need you to do with that info.

But, before I can do all that, I have to tell the school I won't be available for that day, which means ANOTHER SUBSTITUTE (which were laughably short on) has to pick up my slack. This also means I don't get paid for that day, so I lose $120.00 right off the bat. And, since my bonus window will reset, I lose an additional $200.00 a week for THREE WEEKS. Additionally, it'll be whatever it'll cost to drive 9 hours in gas. My gas tank, from empty to full on cheap gas, is $98.00. So, lets recap what this one day will cost me:

- $720.00 in lost wages

- Burdening an already strained-to-the-limit teaching staff at a high school

- $100.00 in gas

- A day of my life I'll never get back

All because DFAS is an incompetently run "organization".

It gets even better. At the end of the call the lady asks if theres anything else she can help me with (which was ballsy, considering she assumed she was helping me to begin with), and I mentioned I havn't gotten paid that day. So she said "My department doesn't handle that (shocker) but I'll patch you through to Retirement Pay personnel". So, she patches me through and I hear

"Thank you for calling the DFAS Retirement and Annuities Section. We are currently closed."

Honestly, at this point, I think yall are just f*cking with me. I mean, am I to the point where I have to contact my Congress Representative? Seriously? All I want is to log into MyPay, that's it. And get paid now, too. But, for whatever reason, DFAS has made the process so indescribably difficult and stupid that it's making me wonder what the function of DFAS truly is.

Look at the point that we're at, now. It's been almost half a year. I still can't log in. I'm, literally, no closer to gaining access to MyPay now than I was before I even ATTEMPTED anything. And look at what's been done between then and now. I bought my house four years ago. I've never, EVER been late on a mortgage payment until yesterday, because I didn't get paid. And, now that I'm late on my mortgage, I can't even find out why because...I can't access MyPay. And I can't access MyPay because, frankly, DFAS is worthless.

I'm gonna leave my contact info. I have zero expectations from you as an organization to help me (everything that you've done prior mentioned in this complaint is not help. Its been hindrance), but at least I'll know I've done all I can do to this point. In the meantime, please know that you, DFAS, have done nothing for me concerning this issue. I have not found you, your costumer service or your website helpful in any way, and I truly believe you are an organization that is bred from ineptitude and lack of empathy or caring for the people who depend on you to not f*ck their paycheck up as consistantly as you do. To be honest, I have no idea how congress hasn't abolished you completely and started from scratch.

To whomever has to read and vet these complaints, Id offer you a drink or something for making it this far, but I didn't get paid Friday, so you're on your own.


J. M. LEWIS

Why is it when there is a pay question it takes three weeks and multiple phone calls to even get the beginning of an answer?
I have wasted hours trying to fight both DFAS and the VA over disability, and my question could have been answered in 30 seconds instead of the standard "Contact VA/Contact DFAS" crap.
And the "We are experiencing a large volume of callers" would work maybe if you didn't play it EVERY TIME someone calls the number. Translates to "We are lazy Gov workers who don't want to do our jobs and we don't care about you".

DFAS is unreachable for customers, us, the soldiers. They don't even have an email to send questions too, all that ever happens is a 500 Internal Server Error, no tech support. The California State Government is requesting documents NOW, and DFAS MyPay is all like HAHAHA screw you man, looks like you're F'ed.

Antiquated policies and procedures, they tie everything to their damn website which has errors, and if there is something wrong, it takes an act of congress to get the worthless bastards to fix anything. I think they all work of Valddy Putin and Trumpo! Worthless communist-fascists somehow at the same time. Compost em all!

The rep I spoke to on 3/4/22, at 0459, was rude when answering the phone. He specifically used foul language while speaking with me. Immediately after requesting a copy of my 2021 W2, he clearly exclaimed "This m0therf*cker here! God d@mn!"

He later stated that I have to explain the reason why it requested to speak to a supervisor citing "we don't just call a supervisor unless you have a question." He then stated I would be able to leave comments on a survey after disconnecting the call, but there was no such option.

Please address the issue that's not professional at all.

DFAS falsifying documents in their computer system, including year end military 1099-R retirement pension for 2021.
They did not pay retirement for 6 months after retirement in June 2021. After fighting for payment for months, we finally got one months pay on December 29th (for the month of Dec) and a second large sum (for the previous 5 months) deposited in our account on Dec 31st.
Getting our paperwork together for 2021 taxes and that second deposit in not included in 1099-R retirement end of year statement for 2021, only that one month payment from Dec 29th. Reached out to DFAS and was told they didn't pay out that second sum until Jan 3, 2022, They refused to change our end of year statement to reflect what we actually received in December 2021.
If they do not change the 1099-R, (due to their incompetence) we will get hammered in 2022 taxes, possibly being put into a higher tax bracket.
We have bank records to show money was deposited in December, and not January
Incompetent

Worst site ever. Force to use 2-step authentication and make users wait up to 10 minutes for code. Force password change and then lock users out that try to use new password immediately. Can only use security questions for self-service if the timing is correct for the system. (More waiting while the system accepts changes)

Absolutely useless. I can not get a hold of a single human being and I go in circles getting nowhere. DFAS is about to cost me $20,000 because they won't answer the phone. I can barely think straight because of how furious I am that there is no help whatsoever.

Service at DFAS does not exist. I have a pending action 2 months waiting and have yet to receive payment. I contact DFAS daily only to find out nothing has been done. Why should agencies pay for this service? The level of service is unacceptable and frankly, it is time find a replacement because DFAS does not fit the needs of customers in a timely manner.

MyPay account was hacked in September. We fixed it the day after and reported it. They still sent the pay check to the wrong account. Then they blamed finance. Then, with two CMS tickets filled out, they said it was up to us to request funds from the wrong bank. Then they said it was up to finance. Then they started hanging up on us. Finally got ahold of executive relations at said bank and they said if DFAS sent a hold harmless form or letter of indemnity to a specified email they could refund the money and we could receive our paycheck. They faxed it, and the bank has no record of it. Asked for it to be emailed and they said it's against policy. Asked them to fax it again and they said policy only allows it to be faxed once. Then they refused to give us the fax number it was sent to (we hoped to let the bank know to see if they could track it down). It's been almost 10 weeks without a paycheck and they don't care. The supervisor was supposed to call us and didn't. Now they won't answer us or they just hang up. I've spent more then 60 hours on the phone between DFAS and the bank and still going circles. They can't even give us the same answer twice on what to do.

I contacted them today and the seemed in different when I ask for a manager, the person hung up leaves me with a rate questions! I tried to tell them that my wife passed away but asking dum questions!

For over an hour tried to get a person on the phone, finally system transfers me and it tells me to leave a message?!? DFAS customer service SUCKS and online is even WORSE!!

Incredibly rude government employees. I called to ask basic questions about a letter I recieved in the mail from them. The customer service guy kept trying to be argumentive and I told him I'm trying to resolve the issue not argue. After asking a couple more simple questions the guy hung up on me. At no point in time was I being rude to this guy. I called back and spoke to lady who was more polite and helpful a d answered my questions. A government employee hanging up on someone who calls to ask questions about a letter they recieved is unacceptable.

I was trying to ask a simple question on how to properly withhold my state taxes on LES website, but I was having a hard time communicating with the customer service representative named "Angelic." I then asked to be transferred to speak with another representative, but she started questioning if I wanted to be transferred to her supervisor. I told her multiple times that I am fine speaking with another representative instead. She then started to talking to me at a very slow and scarcastic pace purposely delaying our conversation instead of transferring me to another agent. I then asked what her name and her employee ID number was, but she only stated her name as "Angelic" and refused to state her employee ID number. I asked her why she would refuse to provide her ID number and she stated she refused to do so because she believed I was a "fraudulent." This was after I had already verified my personal information and any other info associated with my LES account. So I then asked her to transfer me to her supervisor and she hung up on me after saying "goodbye." This was by far the most unprofessional and rude customer service encounter I have ever had with anybody.

Possibly the worst accounting service I have ever experienced in my entire life and I have worked with civilian federal agencies and private employers - how this agency gets away with it, I will never know, BUT they should be outsourced immediately and held accountable. THEY ARE A JOKE!

DFAS needs to be closed the the whole function contracted out. Horrible customer service who will not help you but pass you around, hang up on you and send you to computer generated phone lines who after several prompts hang up on you. Wasted Countless hours by do nothing federal workers in Cleveland office.

HARD TO REACH. Poor service.

Took over two month to get my Direct Deposit started, by this time my bank had closed my checking account out. Chase failed to deposit the money in my savings account and sent the money back. Contact DFAS October 2, 2019, talk with numerous phone operators and no help. I stated that I was unemployed at the moment and I need to pay my RENT. I was passed around for a few days and finally I got a response I did not expect which was I have to wait for 30 days. I opened another bank with NFCU, in few minutes it was set up. That is what I call professional. What is wrong with DFAS new system? It never took two months to get an Direct Deposit started. I PLAN TO TAKE THIS FURTHER IT I DO NOT HAVE MY MONEY DEPOSIT BEFORE OCTOBER 11, 2019. THIS IS THE START. I AM SURE THERE ARE MANY HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. DFAS caused this problem, I did what I was suppose to do when I mailed it to DFAS.

On hold for almost 3 hrs.. customer service answered every 30 mins or so to talk to me for less than 1 min then passed around 4 more times.. why is this called customer service for? I didn't fix anything, didn't help me at all, wasted time. Either fire these people or do better training to get us to the right person so we can actually get help! Have you seen your customer Service ratings lately? It's deplorable.

After filing for early retirement pay for my Reserve retirement I found out I was eligible to receive my AF Reserve retirement pay on 27 Feb 19. It was 3 March, so Immediately applied for my retirement. To my surprise I received a retirement order from ARPC dated 18 April. The order said DFAS would start processing my pay. I called DFAS in June to check on the status and they man told me they only received my package on 17 May and it could take 60-90 days. I called back in August and another guy told me they didn't receive it until 1 August. They are changing the date so I cannot request they accelerate my payment. I'm going to give them until the day after Labor Day and if I am still not paid, I will be filing a Congressional complaint.