Leadership - customer quality stinks- ABN AMRO customer data found. Then how come I just got another letter from a different company (# 3) - 2/12/06

ABN Amro Mortgage Group, a US subsidiary of the Dutch banking giant, says a computer tape containing the confidential data for two million customers was lost while being transported to a credit bureau.
The tape was lost sometime after Nov. 18 in transit with shipping company DHL from Chicago, which was delivering it to the Experian credit bureau in Allen, Texas.

The company says the tape contains names, account information, payment histories and social security numbers for residential mortgage customers.

ABN Amro has begun an internal investigation into the matter and has notified the appropriate regulatory agencies. It has also asked DHL to conduct an investigation.

Thomas M. Goldstein, chairman and chief executive officer of ABN AMRO Mortgage Group in Chicago, said the lender deeply regrets the mix-up but has seen no signs of identity theft or misuse of the information at this point.

"I regret that this has occurred. I feel terrible for the customers that this impacts," Goldstein said. He noted that his name and his wife's name are on that tape as well, because they, too, have mortgages through the bank.

qualityg says … needless to say my name and social security number are on the missing tape. I called my mortgage company yesterday as I learned about the missing data. Hoping the company would have a sense of urgency I was immediately transferred to their normal voice mail announcements with no prompt about the missing data.

I zeroed out until I got a live person who was very kind and took my information and confirmed I was on the list. She tried to assure me everything was OK and I was going to get a 90-day free trial with True Credit Check Company. When I asked if there was anything special I must do at True Credit’s site I was informed I would need to put in a code that was mailed out Thursday. I asked for it now, I did not want to waste anymore time since the tape has been missing since NOVEMBER 18 and it is now DECEMBER 17th. She politely asked me to wait until I received the letter; I politely asked for her supervisor and received my code.

Mr. Goldstein, you don’t make me feel any better that you and your wife’s name is also on the missing tape. I bet you knew since 11/18/05. You also said you were answering Emails and contacting customers yourself who were complaining. It's obvious you don't understand customer satisfaction, most of us don't complain, we just tell other people, and sometimes we tell the potential Internet customers.

Let me give you a Process Improvement Tip – when transferring tapes with CUSTOMERS private information and financial amounts how about using a “Security” Transferring Company or an armored car.

You know what else is going to make me switch mortgage companies is the fact that when I went to your home page I was expecting to get some up to date information. I COULD NOT EVEN FIND A HEADING ABOUT THIS FIASCO.

http://www.abnamro.com/com/homepage.jsp

Update 12/20/05

More than a month after the tape containing names, addresses, Social Security Numbers, account numbers and payment histories failed to reach its destination at a credit-reporting bureau in Texas, it turned up Sunday at courier DHL's main shipping facility in Wilmington, Ohio.

ABN AMRO Mortgage customers started receiving letters ( I have not recieved one as of yet) Monday informing them of the incident and the steps put in place to protect them. Customers started flooding the Web site and phone lines of TransUnion, a credit-reporting service ABN AMRO referred them to.

"Tens of thousands" of ABN AMRO customers have registered with TransUnion, according to ABN's CEO, Thomas Goldstein. But untold numbers have been unable to navigate the Web site or get through on the phone.

Goldstein said the Web site, which was expected to be the primary source of registering, had been overwhelmed by the volume of people trying to enroll, and that had spilled over to the phone service, which also was overrun.

"I feel terrible at the frustration our customers are having on top of getting this letter," Goldstein said in a media conference call Tuesday.

He said TransUnion has installed a gateway on its Web site that will control volume to the site and advise visitors to try later when capacity is reached. Some phone capacity has been added as well. Goldstein urged customers to keep trying.

qualityg says... you had a month to plan, you knew how many names were on the tape and you did not forecast the bandwidth that would be required. Like I said above, when I called it went through a normal day-to-day prompts with no mention of the lost data.

You must not feel too terrible, your home page still has no statement or announcement concerning the tapes.

updated 1/15/06

Ok Goldstein how come I received a letter from 1-877-810-EASY asking me to redo my mortgage debts by 50%. HOW COME THEY HAD MY ADDRESS, MORTGAGE INFORMATION AND EQUITY DEBT.

Hey I can even apply on-line via their "secure" site: www.solsticecapital.com

You will be hearing from me tomorrow.


updated 1/24/06

ABN AMRO Complaint
Personal Finance Information Lost - Financial Information Posted By: qualityg on 1/24/2006

http://www.my3cents.com/


updated 2/1/06

Guess what i got in the mail today. Yes another mortgage company named Ameri Mortgage that has my current mortgage with ABN AMRO. They said ABN AMRO has authorized them to offer me an Interest Rate Reduction that would save me thousands of dollars. They even put in one of those bogus checks for $35,000 dollars.


Attention Mr Goldstein (didn't you used to act in the "White Shadow" TV show) ceo of ABN AMRO. When is this going to stop. Never you say. Never is a long time so I think I will hang around too.

I wonder how much you will lose on my mortgage now that I have changed banks.

p/s - Ameri - is that a word? I will be calling the 888 number for my interest rate reduction. Please have a supervisor or manager ready to take my call. Have a nice day.

updated 2/12/06

Thank you APEX for sending me another letter offering me new rates on my current mortgage balance (exact amount).

Guess What - I hate any mortgage compnay that starts with an "A"

1. ABN AMRO
2. AMERI
3. APEX

You are all "A" Holes!