TreasuryDirect has a rating of 1.4 stars from 150 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about TreasuryDirect most frequently mention customer service, bank account, and hour wait problems. TreasuryDirect ranks 211th among Government sites.
If you want to buy treasury bonds, bills, notes, etc. directly from the US Government, this is the place to do it. The fees are the lowest and you can trust them as much as you can trust any thing I suppose. The bad news is, as of May 3,2013 you essentially are paying the government to borrow your money since most (all?) real yields are currently negative and if interest rates rise as they one day will, all us bond holders will probably lose even more money. That said, what other assets look more attractive these days? I wish I knew...
I am Personal Rep for my aunt who passed this past February. While still alive, I had her move her savings bonds into Treasury Direct, thinking it would be easier to address payout after she died. In May, when I submitted the paperwork, the wait time was estimated at 4 months. I waited and called in September and was told the wait time had increased to 'expect it to take 12 months' due to high processing activity. Wow. Don't die holding savings bonds. If the wait time is as advertised, this estate will have extra expenses for tax and estate filing due to the delay. If NASA has to rely on Elon to bring back its own astronauts, perhaps TreasuryDirect can turn to him as well to introduce some technology and some AI into the process to aid the overburdened staff.
Cannot believe the requirements for this site. From login process (if you misspell the answer to a security question, the account locks and you spend several hours waiting on the phone for unlock).
Their proprietary keyboard is useless on a small screen.
Use treasury direct if you want to use a website built in 1965 and probably not updated since. Only way to get information or support is to call. The hold time is hours long and there is no hold music, just a really annoying loud consistent ring and no call back option.
I was on site making a purchase when I got kicked out. I'm locked out and there's no access to live help or a reset link on the site. They're not answering the help line because they're backed up until at least the end of business today.
Tip for consumers:
Don't
Products used:
The TreasuryDirect website. It's a US Treasury private party purchasing agent.
Even when you properly navigate the cumbersome website, it frequently fails to function properly and "becomes unavailable." When you try to talk to a customer service person it's nearly impossible. Just another dysfunctional Federal agency.
My daughter and I have experienced every bad issue reported below, with no resolution. I have sent a detailed account of my experiences to my congressperson, but have had no response. There must be an institution that oversees this catastrophe, all I can find is the Bureau of Fiscal Service (part of Treasury). Does anyone have suggestions of where to go next? I eventually had the issue resolved by sending documentation to my Senator.
When I signed up for an account, I was told there was a security issue with my bank account. I got locked out, which was OK as I no longer wish to purchase T-bills. But after I was locked out, they took $1000 out of my bank. I merely want the $1000 re-deposited in my bank account. They will NOT respond to any emails! Finally got ahold of Andrea and was told nothing she can do? I only tried to purchase a treasury bill as was suggested by AARP magazine. Fixed income and tried everything to recover. I am at wits end!
Tip for consumers:
Stay away
I submitted 5 savings bonds for reissue to a trust and opened a new Treasury Direct account in December 2021. It has been over six weeks and the transfer has still not been made. I inquired online as to the status, and to their credit, received a prompt response that the bonds have been received, but it takes 6-8 WEEKS to process a transaction. I couldn't believe it! I worked in the highly regulated securities industry, and we have very Strickland on the turn around times on processing transactions - many as quickly as 24 hours. I'm shocked Treasury Direct in this modern era can casually say that it takes up to 8 weeks to process a simple transaction. I have additional savings bonds with a surrender value of $250+ that I'm afraid to send them for transfer.
Products used:
Savings Bonds
Attempted to purchase Ibonds 4 months ago. After i completed all of the online paperwork and submitted the same on their site my application was rejected. The AI was not able to identify me? Really? I was unable to contact anyone to find out why, what, where, when. Zippo. No one will answer a phone. There is no email to speak of unless you have an account that works. Contacted my Congressperson and they could do nothing. I was directed to print out a form and have my bank verify my ID? Did it, sent it in and still nothing. Is someone using my identification? Social? Or related? Who knows cause Brandon and the Treasury department could care less. Do not put any information into the Treasury Direct system if you want to know where it went or who is using it. Bata Bing
Phone support is nonexistant (2 + hr holds). They don't answer emails and it takes months to respond to mail communication. They don't let you edit your own information to correct it. Need to send in Form 5512 and it takes months. Useless! Of course there are no other options so they have no reason to provide reasonable service. Stinks!
I waited 40 minutes to speak to an agent. Finally, the recording stopped and there was a ring tone. Oh, good, I thought, I'm being connected with an agent. WRONG. Nothing but dead air time and then nothing. It was getting close to quitting time. I guess the agent wasn't taking any chances. My account has been locked and I must speak with an agent to access it. But how? This was Friday. I have to wait until Monday to try again. Although this is a good investment, I'm going to redeem all funds because Treasury Direct is so difficult to deal with.
I gave Treasury Direct my Savings account number instead of my Checking account number. My financial institution requires these types of transactions be done from the Checking Account. They wouldn't let me change it on-line and required a form be completed in front of a "Medalion" level person from my bank and then submit it by mail. It took over 10 days for them to respond and their letter said it might take up to 15 weeks. What bozo runs this place. I tried to call the support number and they said I would be on hold for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Customer Service never has less than a 1.5 - 2 hour wait time, so you are never able to reach a person. Email responses to your questions are never answered and you are not permitted to make changes to your account information. Not sure why we have two and three-step authentication if we are not permitted to make changes to our account information once in the system AND we have to snail-mail updates, which cannot confirm or authenticate the sender. Sometimes too much security is a deterrent as well.
Terrible, terrible, terrible.
When you call - the wait is over 2 hours. The wait ringing and the voice is obnoxious. Nearly unbearable.
When you send an email - it takes over 3 weeks to respond, and the response is useless (screen shot attached). The email response says they will not respond to email.
This is a complete waste of time - it took over a YEAR to get my daughter's savings bonds out. They require a "medallion" certificate... one bank wouldn't provide a "medallion" certificate... the other bank required a statement from Treasury Direct... and guess what? Treasury Direct doesn't provide statements...
This is a waste of valuable, precious time. I thought it would be a great idea to buy savings bonds for my nieces and nephews. Now it is taking me hours and hours (and taking months to resolve...) to try to get the funds out of the gift boxes back into my account so I can cash everything out and never have to deal with them again.
Tip for consumers:
I wish I would have known the amount of time and effort required to deal with this establishment. Also the website is terrible.
Products used:
Savings bonds
Want to give zero star if there is an option. Here is my story.
I waited about two hours and finally got connected to an agent. I need her help to unlock my account. She was asking me about my phone number. I told her that I have two numbers, one is the working number that I was using and calling her and the other one is the one linked to my locked account, and which one did she want. But it seemed that she did not fully understand my question because I am not a native speaker. Then she kept asking me about my phone number and complained that I have not told her any information yet, and then hung up my phone. I was so disappointed and angry about it. I need to waiting another two hours and maybe more two hours. Now I just want my money back.
I either mistyped of forgot my password. After 3 attempts it locked my account. It is tax time and I need my tax form. I have been sending emails, trying to call (up to 61 minutes on hold) to no avail. Any combination of numbers you try, will never get you a person to talk with. I was on hold and the recording kept giving me longer and longer estimates of my wait time. I will probably file my taxes without the form I need.
Two months ago I applied for an account and was given an account number but the account remains locked. I mailed the required FS5444E to treasury direct when I opened the account. I have sent four emails to inquire of the status of my account and I have received only the standard reply, not a reply that answers my question of whether the form has been received & processed. They need a new business model and staff who actually respond to inquiries.
Terrible. They do not answer phones, recording. Says its a two hour plus wait. After a two hour on hold, I got disconnected. They do not respond to email... I got a msg saying they will not respond unless you have a pending case! I want my account unlocked! Who can I contact? Worst service ever
I opened my TD account in 2003. The bank I used to link to the account closed and I have another account at another bank. I need to change (add) my present bank account to TD. I printed and filled out Form 5512 (Redemption and Bank Change Request) from the TD website to change the bank and brought it to Chase and Wells Fargo banks (I have accounts at both banks), and both say they do not have a seal or stamp and can't sign this form. Both banks said "do not provide this service" and "no one in my area offers medallion, stamp, or signature guarantee. I brought this form to 4 different bank branches with no success. I can't even access my Treasury Direct account or my money there. I've emailed, and their response is to fill out the form, which I did. Calling is impossible; I've tried several times and they cut me off. Today the outgoing message said, "We are closed today due to technical difficulties. I don't know what to do!
Tip for consumers:
Don't use this site.
I had a problem accessing my online account and waited hours on their customer service line - the wait time went fr 45 mins -then 60 mins and the 1 hour and 15 mins -the longer I waited the longer the wait time stretched out. Finally had to give up for the day...
Tip for consumers:
do not use the treasury.gov website -if you can't buy a paper bond don't fall for the electronic bonds, the website doesn't work and you'll never get a human being to assist on the phone
My husband and I recently tried to create accounts to purchase I-bonds. My husband went first and succeeded. I went next and succeded in only creating a "locked" account because TD supposedly could not "verify" my information. TD provided me no reason for this, and I have screen shots that prove I entered the correct information. TD also advised me it would not address this matter by phone or email - by any means until I submitted and it reviews form FS 5444, which I have submitted but which TD advises it might not review for several months. Meanwhile, the rate of interest earned on an I-bond has already dropped significantly.
Products used:
TreasuryDirect
Account asked security question because I haven't logged in for a long time. The security questions displayed weren't the ones I chose. My account got locked, and I have reason to believe that the customer service number is fake because the call doesn't go thru!
Terrible customer service when trying to get account unlocked. Used the correct account number and system refused to prompt me for a password. Tried a password reset but apparently failed to answer my security questions correctly. When phoning in for customer service wait time is 1 to 2 hours long. Finally called and was told a 30 minute wait time. After being on hold for 10 minutes I was told it was now a 45 minuute wait time. 10 minutes later it was a hour wait time still. Terrible customer service!
I can't help but have to write this. The website is absolute garbage. It took me a week to open an account. It repeatedly giving me error messages about failing on verfication even though the information I provided was 100% accurate. I finally was able to reach the page to create my password after trying for several times a day for one whole week. Then it took several hours for me to sit infront of my computer hitting the refresh button waiting for my temporary password to show up in my mailbox. After I received my temp password, I was able to login for the first time but when I clicked on a link in my account page, I got locked out for no reason and not able to log back in again. Why is this kind of crap website still exist in 2022 and its maintained by the US government.
Tip for consumers:
Only if you have a lot of free time and patient.
This worked fine for years to calculate value of my I bonds. Since November the calcuated values are wrong, shows that my bonds lost $5,000 in value from October 2021 to November 2021. Bonds were issues in 11/2001. If I enter issue date of 10/2001 or earlier the values are correct. Issue date 11/2001 or later values are not correct, cumulative interest rate is now $5,000 less than last month when it was calculated when it worked correctly.
When i tried to access my account i was locked out. I was directed to call a number. I was on hold for over an hour and a half listening to recording saying "Your call is very important to us" over and over.
I finally hung up.
I guess i will never be able to access my account.
We're a new Bureau of the Treasury Department formed from the consolidation of the Financial Management Service and the Bureau of the Public Debt. Our mission is to promote the financial integrity and operational efficiency of the U.S. government throu...
Is this your business?
Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and manage your listing.