ComplaintsforAlerus

• Initial Complaint

  04/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My previous employer contracted with Alerus for HSA accounts. If an employee wanted to participate in the employer-funded part of the **** there was no other option other than to use Alerus. (This is not an employee/employer dispute - my dispute is with Alerus).After changing employers, I received notice from Alerus that they would charge me $3.50/month to maintain my account or $15 to close my account and send a check to a different HSA provider. I immediately requested my other HSA provider to send over the required paperwork, and they did on March 20. Alerus said they received it on 3/28, but they did not process the account closure until 4/5, a day after my account was charged $3.50, and then they charged me another $15 for closing the account. There was no way for me to get my money without Alerus charging me for it, and there was no option to use another bank in order to get my employers HSA contributions.I am requesting a refund if $18.50 - $3.50 because they held off an extra day on closing my account and the $15 for actually closing the account because, as the consumer, I had to use their services for my HSA. Thats all I want - $18.50.

  Business response

  04/10/2024

  ***s are an employer offered benefit; however, they are individually owned accounts. This individual accepted the *** custodial agreement on 8.4.22, which outlines the *** fees. The custodial agreement is available online at **********************************************************************************************************;
  Our *** operations supervisor responded to an inquiry from this individual on 3.19.24. She explained the fees, provided a link to the custodial agreement, and explained her options for spending down her account. As a courtesy, the $3.50 fee was waived for the month of March, but she was informed that she would be charged $3.50 monthly beginning in April until her account is at a zero balance.

  Customer response

  04/10/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I sent paperwork in on 3/20. They received it 3/28 and instead of processing it upon receipt, they held it until a day after the $3.50 charge hit. Then I was charged another $15 fee for closing the account. I did absolutely everything I could to avoid another $3.50 charge. They charged $3.50 for ***** and then maintained my account for less than 24 hours after.

  No option is provided to customers to get their money with paying a fee of $3.50/month in addition to $15 to close it. If I wanted to do what was best for family, I needed to sign up for the *** through my employer, and I had no option as to the bank I utilized for those contributions. Telling me I shouldnt have made that choice, providing no options to get my money without being charged, and then hiding behind technicalities is a questionable business practice at best and arguably an unethical way to treat consumers.

   

• Initial Complaint

  02/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have had a car loan through Alerus Financial for about 2 years. I have NEVER received my loan number from them or payment history proving I've been on time with all my payments. On 02/14/23 I requested proof of payment/payment history. Alerus verified all my information, and I have yet to receive the paperwork. I've called twice asking for it and all I get is, "oh we are behind right now. Just be patient."

  Business response

  02/20/2023

  ******* loan is set up on automatic payment, which do not provide monthly statements. The information ***** requested was mailed to him on Friday, February 17. We apologize for the delay and if any additional information is needed, please contact our ********************* at ************.

  Customer response

  02/20/2023

   Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

• Initial Complaint

  01/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  6 months ago I left the employer using this company for our 401k. And for the last 6 months I've been trying to get my money out of this company and have been given the run around the entire time. Now they can't seem to figure out my address since the previous employer did not update my address. I feel like in the last 6 months I should be collecting Interest on MY MONEY. but yet this company refuses to return the money to me.

  Business response

  01/18/2022

  This employer's retirement plan is set up to automatically force out any former employees with balances below $5,000. As the plan indicates, ****** money was forced out of the plan and we processed his distribution on 12/14/21. The address for ***** was not updated and when he reached out to us on 12/30/21, we began the process of sending ***** his distribution. The check for ******* distribution was mailed to him on 1/4/22 at the new address he provided to us when he called on 12/30/21.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩