Fidelity Investments

I asked the service agent, **, to help me close these accounts. She called the transition services and after a while I was finally told the accounts would be closed and I would receive a check for the few dollars remaining in the accounts. I thanked her and asked for a confirmation statement, email or letter showing our discussion of the accounts, so I would have proof the conversation occurred. I did this for 2 reasons, first, I have tried months ago and the accounts are still active after being told they would be closed, and secondly, I have been told before by Fidelity that I would need to do transactions in person at a local branch and I wanted to document the transaction before leaving the branch. She said she could not help me with this as she was not a licensed agent. I then asked to speak to her boss or someone who could help me with this documentation.

A few minutes later, her boss came out and we discussed what I needed. He said he could not help, so I asked him to call someone who could help me with my request as he refused to give me any documentation. He finally made a call after I told him I needed something before I left the branch for my documentation. I did not want to leave and not have some proof of my request, much as I would not leave a bank without a receipt for a deposit. He called what I was told was the transition team with my request to close the accounts, send me a check and send me a receipt of the action. He told me I would get an email confirmation. I asked him when and he said the next day, then after further discussion he said by 5 PM. If was 3:30 PM at that time. He said as soon as the accounts were processed I would receive this confirmation.

I asked for an email stating the accounts were being processed as I could receive this immediately and he said he could not help. I asked again if he would call and he said I could call the transition services and showed me the 800 number. I called and was waiting for customer service (3:45 PM). He asked me to leave the building and I told him I needed the confirmation before leaving as I did not want to leave with no proof of the conversation to close the accounts. He asked me to leave again stating Covid was the reason I had to go. I was the only one in the office and the office was set up with at least 10 feet between us. I told him this was ridiculous as no one was even in the building beside the 3 of us. After a few minutes he said I had to leave or he would call the police. I said I would leave as soon as I had some proof of the request to close the accounts.

After about 30 minutes waiting on the phone I finally was able to reach the transition services specialist, (**). She put me on hold for a few minutes while she was looking up the information on the accounts. At this point the Durham police arrived and after a few minutes discussion with the officer, and the (manager?) I was asked to leave. I walked outside the office and finished my discussion with **. Within a minute, I had the email I requested. This outrageous behavior from a manager(?), person supposedly there to help customers is totally absurd. If this is how customers are treated at Fidelity, I told him I would take my business elsewhere. As I have considerable funds with Fidelity, his actions have cost the company well over a million dollars. Maybe someone at Fidelity with half a brain will see this and realize how terrible a person they have in charge at this location.

Sincerely,

A former client.

Our first two submissions were "lost". We switched to registered mail. We even changed notaries. Most recently we used a U.S. Govt Notary. We had a notary notarise our IRS Tax Returns and our Estate Executor declarations. Still Fidelity continues to send us the same form with the sole explanation "unfortunately we are unable to process your request at this time." The amount of money is not large, relatively speaking. And yet we have spent many hundreds of dollars visiting notaries and sending registered mail. We've called perhaps fifteen times. At this point we can only conclude wilful obstruction, incompetence, or both.