Stuart A. Bronstein wrote:

- quote -

Thanks, but I finally solved it.

I did a reverse search on the address in Virginia that they
gave me, and found a phone number for their offices. When
you call that number, they won't connect you to any
department, you must give a name, or dial by name or number.
So I found the name of their chief legal counsel, and
dialed that name, and reached a secretary. I told her that
the customer service person gave me the number!

She actually helped me. I faxed her the information, and
that afternoon someone from the proper department called me
and left a message, and I faxed him the same information.
By this morning, he had contacted the FTB, and he lifted the
hold....only about a year or so late.

What's ironic is that it took only a few minutes for them to
solve the problem, once it was explained to them, but
without being able to talk to someone there, I'd never have
gotten it solved. The customer service people are forbidden
from putting you in contact with the proper department. You
have to resort to other means to actually get anything done.
My accountant should have taken care of this, but they were
not creative enough to find a way to contact E-Trade.

Today I'll go open an account somewhere else, and pay the
rip-off E-Trade transfer fee.

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SMS <scharf.steven[at]geemail.com> wrote:

- quote -

It may not help, but you could try contacting the SIPC with
a complaint.

Steve

<< ================================================== ===== > << The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, > << nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties > << that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. > << > << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts > << to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy > << are at www.asktax.org. > << Copyright (2006) - All rights reserved. > << ================================================== ===== >

SMS <scharf.steven[at]geemail.com> wrote:

- quote -

You're right, it's like pulling teeth to get in contact with
their legal department. But I have able to get a phone
number for someone in their California legal department for
a case I'm working on.

If you want to email me directly, I will be able either to
give you a number or make a call for you: stu (at) lexregia
(dot) com.

Stu

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SMS wrote:

- quote -

I suggest you ask your new broker for a suggestion. I am
thinking when the ACAT order came thru to E-trade, that
would shake things loose.

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SMS <scharf.steven[at]geemail.com> wrote:

- quote -

Have you filed a complaint with NASD?

Seth

<< ================================================== ===== > << The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, > << nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties > << that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. > << > << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts > << to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy > << are at www.asktax.org. > << Copyright (2006) - All rights reserved. > << ================================================== ===== >

In 2005, the state of California put a 10 day hold on one of
my E-Trade accounts in a dispute about taxes. The hold
expired, back in 2005, but E-Trade has still not made the
account available to me. I didn't even realize there was a
hold until I went to check my positions in the account, and
couldn't. The positions show up properly in my monthly
statements, and since I wasn't going to sell anything, I
never logged on to my account.

There is no one to talk to at E-Trade. They will not allow
customers to talk to anyone in the legal department, you
must contact them by mail. The Franchise Tax Board has
already sent them three letters explaining that there is no
hold (they did this even though they told my attorney that
the hold expired automatically, after ten days, more than a
year ago).

I don't know what to do next. I suppose that I could sue
e-Trade for the value of the stocks in the account, but this
seems ludicrous to have to resort to this. I wonder if I can
sue for court costs as well as the value of the securities.

As soon as this is resolved, it's the end of my relationship
with E-Trade, I've already closed my money market checking
account with them in frustration.

<< ================================================== ===== > << The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, > << nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties > << that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. > << > << The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts > << to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy > << are at www.asktax.org. > << Copyright (2006) - All rights reserved. > << ================================================== ===== >