GL Blows!
Had an absolute nightmare with GL and PayPal. I registered as an individual but it came out as a business (first problem). I registered with PayPal and wanted to use my credit card and the purchase went through to my checking account. 99% of businesses send a payment request with invoice, not GL (second problem with many more to come). They sent a straight charge on a friday at 5Pm and I had no choice in payment method. Called GL because money wasn't in my checking account and they told me politely too bad. I explained I would put a stop payment on it at bank and they told me to call PayPal and it wouldn't be a problem to arrange payment another way when transaction was stopped. Called PayPal and they said nothing could be done. Paid the bank $60 to stop any charge from PayPal ($30) or GL (another $30).
On Monday, I called GL and spoke to Mike Eisler (a total D I C K). Asked for credit card and when I gave him information, he asked me and I quote, "are you the primary card holder"? My response was, "no, Susan is". I then got a lecture about how GL couldn't take the card because it would be a "third-party purchase" and blah, blah, blah. I told him I will check into and get back to him shortly. He told me if I didn't call him by COB the next day with payment I would be banned by GL. I call bank, and they tell me that since I am a card holder I am not making a third-party purchase. I call back and get told, "he is gone for the day", yeah right, it is 2PM their time, I ask to speak to someone else and get told there is nobody else to help me. I remind them they are a government contractor and the government doesn't stop working because one person is gone. A customer representative takes my information.
Overnight, I decide to call GL's Contracting Officer or KO and give them a head's up on the problem. I work for the government and have been a Contracting Officer's Representative and to KO school and know full well the government does not want its contractors treating the public like I am being treated. I call GL and ask for their KO's name and number. I get a run around and am told the only person who has that information is Mr. Steven Wise, I ask to speak with him and of course, "he is not in", right it is 10AM their time. I ask for his voice mail and leave a polite message and get transferred back to a customer service rep. I get the ninth degree about why I want to speak to the KO. I finally ask if this is Steven and I get, "do I sound like a Steven" and realize it is a woman. I respond, "are you going to tell me there are no women named Steven", like that isn't the case today. I get yelled at for being rude and a number of other things and she hangs up on me without my saying a word.
I call back and ask to speak with Isler who immediately starts off by laughing at me and telling me I have no business speaking with anyone else at GL and demanding to know why I want to speak with the KO. I respond that is between me and the KO and he starts yelling at me for being rude and blah, blah, blah. I respond, "I don't like your tone" and he hangs up on me. I call back and he starts lecturing me about how I better do as he says and blah, blah, blah. I respond again, "I don't like your tone" and he hangs up on me again.
I then file a DoD IG complaint for fraud, abuse, and retaliation. The next day I get an e-mail from Isler stating I have been "banned and permanently suspended" from GL for violating their terms. I reply to him with the facts and CC GL's leadership. I get another e-mail from Isler stating the use of my wife's credit card makes it a third party purchase and that I committed fraud by saying my name was on the credit card. Again, I respond that Susan is not my wife and I am a credit card holder and they better have more solid justification than that or GL is about to get embarassed.
I finally get a call from Wise asking what is going on. I explain it to him and he says he will get back to me. He calls me back a few days later and says they may need proof I am a credit card holder. I send him a screen shot of my PayPal account showing the credit card I was going to use. I get a call asking for a copy of the card. I send a copy then I get a call saying my purchase will be honored and my suspension lifted.
I get a paid invoice and call to arrange pick-up and I find out my order has been cancelled because GL cancelled my approved EUC. I call Wise and congratulate him on a masterful move. A day or so later my EUC is approved again and I arrange pick-up. At the appointed time and place I show up. I wait for an hour until I am helped and get my vehicle.
I still haven't received my Certificate of Title (SF 97) and under Maryland Law, the MVA tells me I wasn't supposed to take possession of the vehicle without it. That should negate GL's required ten day pick-up within receipt of a paid invoice policy. It has been four weeks and I am still waiting. GL says it could take over 30 days.
Now that I see the problems here, I will call the KO and speak with her. I will leave the name and number as a reply to this post later in case anyone else has problems with GL and/or PayPal. The sad part is GL has their hooks in a $26 billion contract and it will be hard to do anything about them given the dollar value to the DoD of this contract.
Tom
