Express Scripts SUCKS
Warning: Raging Vent Follows
Our health insurance changed at the beginning of the year, which wasn't unexpected and that's fine. We were notified that our prescriptions now have to be filled by Express Scripts, which is also fine. I like the convenience of my local Walgreens, but whatever. Insurance is insurance and it's cheaper to go that route, so I'm okay with it. Per the mailings we received, I went on-line and tried to set up my internet account. About half a dozen times. Something was messed up with their system, so I called the toll-free number on my insurance card. This is when I discovered the most jacked-up voice prompt system in the world.
Our insurance ID number has letters in it. For instance, it looks like XYZ123456789. The prompt system, of course, doesn't know what letters you're trying to type, so it instructs you to push the star button for the letters. This means you enter ***123456789. Then it says, "You entered the star button for the first letter. Push the number on your telephone keypad that corresponds to the letter you want to enter." In this case, I'd press 2. The system then says, "Press 1 for A, 2 for B, 3 for C." I have to do this three times, as there are three letters at the beginning of our ID number. Nice.
I finally get through all that and get to a person, who then asks for the all the information I just took two minutes to type into the system. Grrrrr. She admits that there's something wrong with the Express Scripts web site, which is why I couldn't set up my account on-line, and takes down all my information for my prescription. Okay, cool.
My prescription is now due, and I've heard nothing from Express Scripts. I called this morning to check. I go through voiceprompt hell again, and get a woman who says, "Ah, yes. We couldn't fill your prescription because your doctor's fax number is incorrect in our system." Um, okay. You never asked me for his fax number. You asked me for his phone number and I gave it to you, and that's all you said you needed. And if you needed his fax number, why didn't you a.) call me to tell me that or, better yet, b.) actually conduct GOOD customer service and call him yourself? She responds, "We gave you an automated call. It sounds like you didn't receive that." Yeah, no shit, Einstein.
So I had to hang up, wait for my doctor's office to open, call him and get the fax number, and then call back Express Scripts again to give it to them. No freakin' way was I wasting any more time on the damn voiceprompt system so I hit zero. I got a person who verified all my information, AGAIN, and then told me that he had to transfer me to a different department to handle the prescription/fax number issue. He transferred me, and I verified my information for the THIRD time this morning.
During the numerous times I was on-hold, I went to the Express Scripts web site to lodge a complaint via e-mail. The Contact Us page has several ways to communicate. I clicked on the link for members, and was instructed to log in, which I cannot do because I couldn't set up my account to begin with, so I went to a general submit form. I typed my complaint, which I'll give you here because I'm rather proud of the vitriol:
I AM AN EXTREMELY UNHAPPY CUSTOMER. When our insurance switched at the first of the year, I learned I MUST get my scripts from your company. Fine. I tried multiple times to set up my account on-line. Something was wrong with the site, which an employee confirmed later. I went through voiceprompt HELL just to get to a person, who then took all my information. That was a MONTH ago. I have had NO calls, NO notification at all, and NO medication. I finally called back, only to learn that my prescription cannot be filled b/c my doctor's fax number is incorrect in your system. I was never asked for his fax number, only his phone number. I never got notification that I needed to contact him to get his fax number, and I do NOT understand why one of YOUR employees couldn't pick up the phone and call the doctor as I was told would happen to start my prescription. Your company has now cost me MORE money b/c I have to get my prescription filled at a local pharmacy, PLUS the added aggravation of having to call my doctor, get his fax number, and call your asinine phone system back to give it to someone. This is NOT a great way to introduce a new customer to your company. Fix your web site, fix your phone system, and for Pete's sake, actually DO SOMETHING for your customer and make lives EASIER instead of harder.
As expected, I received an instant automatic response that I figured would say, "We've received your inquiry and are working on it." I opened the e-mail to find this message, "You have received an important delivery from questions at Express Scripts or one of its companies. Please pick up the mail message (package) at your earliest convenience by clicking this button:" I click on the link and it opens a new window that says...wait for it..."We've received your inquiry and are working on it."
Let me get this straight. You sent me an e-mail that directed me to a new Web site just to say "We're working on it." You couldn't put that in the original e-mail? Really? I mean, how difficult can you people possibly make it for your customers to do business with you?
So, here I am, one month into my new relationship with Express Scripts, and I'm so pissed I could scream. And I still don't have my medication and now have to pay more money to get it at a local pharmacy.
No, you know what? I'm not doin' it. I'm callin' 'em back and demanding they send my script out overnight at no extra charge to me. F***ers.
OMG, I've become one of those customers I hate.
Our health insurance changed at the beginning of the year, which wasn't unexpected and that's fine. We were notified that our prescriptions now have to be filled by Express Scripts, which is also fine. I like the convenience of my local Walgreens, but whatever. Insurance is insurance and it's cheaper to go that route, so I'm okay with it. Per the mailings we received, I went on-line and tried to set up my internet account. About half a dozen times. Something was messed up with their system, so I called the toll-free number on my insurance card. This is when I discovered the most jacked-up voice prompt system in the world.
Our insurance ID number has letters in it. For instance, it looks like XYZ123456789. The prompt system, of course, doesn't know what letters you're trying to type, so it instructs you to push the star button for the letters. This means you enter ***123456789. Then it says, "You entered the star button for the first letter. Push the number on your telephone keypad that corresponds to the letter you want to enter." In this case, I'd press 2. The system then says, "Press 1 for A, 2 for B, 3 for C." I have to do this three times, as there are three letters at the beginning of our ID number. Nice.
I finally get through all that and get to a person, who then asks for the all the information I just took two minutes to type into the system. Grrrrr. She admits that there's something wrong with the Express Scripts web site, which is why I couldn't set up my account on-line, and takes down all my information for my prescription. Okay, cool.
My prescription is now due, and I've heard nothing from Express Scripts. I called this morning to check. I go through voiceprompt hell again, and get a woman who says, "Ah, yes. We couldn't fill your prescription because your doctor's fax number is incorrect in our system." Um, okay. You never asked me for his fax number. You asked me for his phone number and I gave it to you, and that's all you said you needed. And if you needed his fax number, why didn't you a.) call me to tell me that or, better yet, b.) actually conduct GOOD customer service and call him yourself? She responds, "We gave you an automated call. It sounds like you didn't receive that." Yeah, no shit, Einstein.
So I had to hang up, wait for my doctor's office to open, call him and get the fax number, and then call back Express Scripts again to give it to them. No freakin' way was I wasting any more time on the damn voiceprompt system so I hit zero. I got a person who verified all my information, AGAIN, and then told me that he had to transfer me to a different department to handle the prescription/fax number issue. He transferred me, and I verified my information for the THIRD time this morning.
During the numerous times I was on-hold, I went to the Express Scripts web site to lodge a complaint via e-mail. The Contact Us page has several ways to communicate. I clicked on the link for members, and was instructed to log in, which I cannot do because I couldn't set up my account to begin with, so I went to a general submit form. I typed my complaint, which I'll give you here because I'm rather proud of the vitriol:
I AM AN EXTREMELY UNHAPPY CUSTOMER. When our insurance switched at the first of the year, I learned I MUST get my scripts from your company. Fine. I tried multiple times to set up my account on-line. Something was wrong with the site, which an employee confirmed later. I went through voiceprompt HELL just to get to a person, who then took all my information. That was a MONTH ago. I have had NO calls, NO notification at all, and NO medication. I finally called back, only to learn that my prescription cannot be filled b/c my doctor's fax number is incorrect in your system. I was never asked for his fax number, only his phone number. I never got notification that I needed to contact him to get his fax number, and I do NOT understand why one of YOUR employees couldn't pick up the phone and call the doctor as I was told would happen to start my prescription. Your company has now cost me MORE money b/c I have to get my prescription filled at a local pharmacy, PLUS the added aggravation of having to call my doctor, get his fax number, and call your asinine phone system back to give it to someone. This is NOT a great way to introduce a new customer to your company. Fix your web site, fix your phone system, and for Pete's sake, actually DO SOMETHING for your customer and make lives EASIER instead of harder.
As expected, I received an instant automatic response that I figured would say, "We've received your inquiry and are working on it." I opened the e-mail to find this message, "You have received an important delivery from questions at Express Scripts or one of its companies. Please pick up the mail message (package) at your earliest convenience by clicking this button:" I click on the link and it opens a new window that says...wait for it..."We've received your inquiry and are working on it."
Let me get this straight. You sent me an e-mail that directed me to a new Web site just to say "We're working on it." You couldn't put that in the original e-mail? Really? I mean, how difficult can you people possibly make it for your customers to do business with you?
So, here I am, one month into my new relationship with Express Scripts, and I'm so pissed I could scream. And I still don't have my medication and now have to pay more money to get it at a local pharmacy.
No, you know what? I'm not doin' it. I'm callin' 'em back and demanding they send my script out overnight at no extra charge to me. F***ers.
OMG, I've become one of those customers I hate.
posted by Amy at 9:29 AM
22 Comments:
I utterly and completely agree with you. Express Scripts does SUCK. I have gone through something similar as a new customer. I have been waiting for more than 2 months now for them to resolve an issue which was their fault many times over. I kept asking for a supervisor and then the next supervisor, who actually told them that if I went any further up the food chain no one would do anything for me at all. Great. You probably don't want to know that CEO George Paz makes $.94 million, and actually took home almost $9 million in the last year with added bonuses and "other" compensation. Why does someone who is in charge of such a poorly-functioning company deserve that kind of compensation? I don't get it.
Well said.
Just dropped Express Sucks.
Luckily I have the option to go local, although at double the cost.
They received a one month prescription from my wife's doctor (instead of 3 months), and instead of contacting me, my wife, or the doctor, sent my wife one month of pills. Problem is I get to pay the $50 copay no matter what size the order. When I called to discuss the problem, I was given no way to remedy the situation. They didn't offer to send more. They didn't admit that even the worst local Pharmacy would have not screwed me like that. I just had to live with the results. It was, after all, my doctors fault for not writing the prescription right. Right?
I was talked downed to by call center specialists and Pharmacy, who repeatedly explained that it was clear in their contract with my insurance company that this it how they should be doing business. Fine. Since I am completely caught up on the agreement between Express Sucks and my insurance company, I can see why I should have known this would happen. I should give the call center folks a break, since this kind of discussion requires they stop reading their scripts and think for a moment. Instead, I asked to talk to the supervisor. This guy was not only fake, but even more ridiculous that the first call center lackey. I understand why he was promoted. The Pharmacy has no excuse.
If the call center was in India, they would probably understand the problem, since they haven't detached their brains from their mouths. So yes, I give the call center a break: There is a reason why they work in a call center.
I disputed the charge with Visa, since, in fact, I requested a 3 month prescription from Express Sucks and only received 1 month of product. Visa agreed to run the dispute through their arbitration process, which Express Sucks did not dispute.
So it was over, right? No.
When I went to renew my own prescriptions, I was told there was a charge on my account. When I told them what happened, they threatened me with sending my bill to collections if I didn't pay it. I went ahead and paid the bill, closed all my accounts, and complained to my insurance company. Even my insurance company thought the situation was strange. I reminded them that they should know this is how Express Sucks does business. It is, after all, how their contract stipulates the process is done. Sure.
Now that I know what Express Sucks really is, I would strongly suggest you use your local pharmacy if you can, and pay the extra to honest folks, instead of getting involved with crooks. Don't turn your back on these folks, they will knife you!
I'm glad I had a reason to contact them again. If I hadn't, I would have had Guido calling me, threatening to break my legs if I didn't pay him $300 for the $50 disputed charge.
My only comfort now is, based on the hour or so I spent arguing with the chimps at Express Sucks, their labor and fixed costs for my call had to be at least $50. When they are done explaining it to my insurance company, it will have cost them more to fight my request for a remedy then to just keep a customer. Crooks are not necessarily smart.
Don't think that if you could register your problems would be over, because they wouldn't be. I managed to get myself and my wife signed up on February 10 of this year, and even logged in. Today I went to log in, order refills for my wife, and enter payment methods via credit cards. I got a message saying that either the username didn't exist, or the password was incorrect. When I got the confirmation email from them, I clicked the 'confirm' link (which obviously worked since I was able to log in after that) and then forwarded the message to myself with the passwords and usernames written in by me so I wouldn't be able to forget them. Now, a month later, it wants me to register again. So I call the number on my Anthem card, and I get a 'press one if you're a pharmacy, press two if you're a member'. Simple, right? I press two....and I get 'you are at the pharmacy line, if you are a member please hang up and dial the number on your benefits card'. GRRRR, I did that!
Finally I get smart and hit '0' and get a person, who apologizes for any problems I'm having and transfers me to the place where you have to do all the crap with 'press the number key with your letter on it, then press one two or three for that letter'. After all that, I"m on hold for a half hour. At that point I hung up, since I was home alone and I figured I was at extreme risk of a stroke because of my blood pressure. I found a spot on their website for comments from people who want to do business with them, etc. so since I can't log in, and nobody will answer the phones, I vented with a nice long message telling whoever reads it that they SUCK. Probably will do no good at all, but it made me feel better. What's stupid is that Express Scripts took over Next Rx which is what we had; Next Rx had an easy to use website, it was easy to set up automatic shipments of your refills, easy to set up payment options, just an all around good experience. So Express Scripts buys them out and is is bigger and better....so everything should be an improvement? Not even close. Next step is to contact Anthem and my insurance committee at work and complain about them, maybe if we make enough noise they'll get somebody besides the janitor's kid in to set up the website....
Amy,
Good luck with Excuse Scripts. In my three years with Excuse Scripts, EVERY transaction I've had was scripted by the Three Stooges!
I first enrolled on-line, but after filling out my details I got a message that they were not now accepting on-line enrolment. Next day I got an e-mail welcoming me to their program! Never did get any drugs.
My list of Excuse Scripts' insane business practices could go on for hours. Let's just say my 11 year-old neighbor exhibits more business sense when selling lemonade.
Excuse Scripts' main office is near UMSL. Why don't you mosey over and give 'em a piece of our mind?
Paz gets paid how much for all of this aggravation? 9 MIL? Nice gig, Paz. Try using your own system once and a while to see IF IT EVEN WORKS! Lost faxes, late orders or no orders and Dude...get a phone menu that works!! The web site is a joke, enter a doctors number and the error is "missing doctors number". You mean the one that's been on file for 2 years??
Paz needs to be on merit pay, give back the bonuses, get off the corp jet and get his butt into the business of servicing PAYING customers. So just to be fair, I've contacted my HR dept, Medical insurance carrier and told my very angry co-workers to do the same. This is saving someone money and time? I could go on, but I'll just keep sending emails to the execs of Express Scripts until they block me. I suggest you do the same!
Ditto - this company is HORRIBLE. I am NEVER going to use the mail in service again. Wal-mart pharmacy just got a new customer for life. Sure it will cost more, but at least I will get my meds and save myself the stress and aggravation of dealing with the bozos at "anything -but-express" scripts
I have an almost identical story. My script gets put on hold, never delivered. Then the prescription expires and express scripts solution? It's all on my shoulders. I cannot wait to bail ass out of them at the earliest possible moment. BIG TIME. With ya all the way on it.
They are the worst, Could Maricopa Community Colleges please drop them????
I have the same lousy service. I will pay the price of going to a local pharmacist who will give real customer service. Express Scripts is unworkable.
I am too enraged to regurgitate the details of my own debacle with this dreadful company. Suffice to say all that I have read on this board makes me feel only SLIGHTLY better about my own situation. The part that really kills me though is that the problems are ONGOING. One gets solved, another starts. And each one has cost me a LOT of money. This company is a total disgrace and is a strong example of why people are marching on Wall Street against organizations like this that make millions by ripping off people, in this case those people are sick and often desperate. Wonder how long before we find out they're cooking the books too and the top management all go to jail. It's inevitable. A fish stinks from the head down.
Well i just got porked as well, but i am just gonna kick someones ass in Tempe instead of complaining. We will settle this the old fashioned way.
Why does Fedex hate us so that they would turn express scripts loose on us. They send drugs I didnt ask for,with directions that are wrong. They refuse to ask a dr. office for refills. They raised are prices and dropped the service. No customer service. I wouldnt wish express scripts on my worse enemy.Well come to think of it I would.
If you are a nurse, do NOT ever work for this company (Express or CURAscripts)!!! Orlando branch is horrible. Mandatory overtime and much more. Pay also sucks!!
Express Scripts are Crooks. I got out of the do-nut hole in Sept., all was well until Dec.19th. The pharmacy said I was back in the hole. Seems ES reversed 4 scripts I paid $207 apiece for from when I was in the hole. My insurance sent them my receipts, so then they said the pharmacy didn't have my doctors DEA number on them. On the 28th, I went to fill this same medicine, and the pharmacy said now I don't have insurance! So I paid $492 and customer service at Blue Cross won't return a call. Now it's the new year so they cheated me and the Feds out of a couple thousand. Taxpayers are making them a $40 billion a year, all by cheating folks with Part D coverage. You got to sue them to get their Attention, but they know most of use folks on Medicare can't afford an attorney. I'll sue them myself, it will take a judge 5 minutes to look at my receipts. This all happened over Christmas, which make them the ultimate in assholes. They are crooks preying on the poor. Karma's a bitch!
Express scripts is horrible and I firmly believe they do this on purpose so that people paying in insurance premiums to them WILL get disgruntled and JUST PAY for their prescriptions at the local pharmacy. That leaves Express scripts raking in the premiums and NOT paying out the benefits!! I have not at all enjoyed the constant screwing I have received from Express scripts since having no CHOICE but to use them because that is who my employer uses. I think what they do to people should be illegal!
At least this string of complaints made me realize that there are others out there who are having as great an experience with Excuse Sucks as I am. This outfit is brutal. We have no choice but to use them, though I did tell my employer that it is a good thing that they don't treat their customers the way Express Scripts does, because our customers, unlike our employees, have a choice.
Currently having another issue with them on a screwed up refill....because once again, they are trying to cheap out and send something other than what was prescribed.
All I can say is dealing with them on the latest issue has got my blood pressure as high as my blood sugar numbers are from having run out of meds. I hate Express Scripts
Like everyone else I too have had a horrible experience with Express-Scripts. I think there business model is to make it too difficult for people to actually use them....they suck!
I used their request a renewal feature to have my insulin and needles prescription filled. 3 weeks later it still says they are trying to contact my doctor. So i went to my doctor and they said they received no such request. So I had them fax a new prescription to them which they did receive. Then I notice they are only filling it for the insulin and no needles. So I call them and they say we only got a prescription for the insulin. I say no you got both since they were on one prescription and I seen it. So now they are telling me they will try to pull the prescription and check it out. So far it has been a week and they are still doing this. Now they are telling me to call back Tuesday May 1st. I just recently recieved some other prescription from them and told them they will not get payed for these ot the insulin until I receive the insulin and needles not just the insulin. They told me we can have you fill a prescription at a local pharmacy but I would have to get a new prescription to do that. I said I already have a new prescription and you screwed it up.
I am on 3 different medications for my heart....they're life saving meds and Express Scripts has ALWAYS gotten it right. They deliver in plenty of time and are always polite and easy to deal with.
I feel badly for all of you who have had a difficult time.
When you depend on your meds to keep you alive, it's important that they get it right....no matter how much $$$$ you're saving!
Wow. This page was posted in 2010. Right about the time I started hating these Customer DISservice jackals.
My wife got a new job recently, and got a new mail-order pharmacy, Medco. THEN I find out that they just merged with...wait for it...EXPRESS F*ing SCRIPTS!
I sent a new prescription which they received almost three weeks ago, and they only sent it out today. They initially estimated a 4-day turnaround. I've long since run out of my medication.
Local Pharmacy, here I come!
unfortunately I have been screwed by express scripts today june 17 2013. this will sound like nothing new, but they gave me the runaround for a 90 day supply on the wording of the quantity. which hasnt changed in 5 years, my dr prints it from a saved file for me to mail because it is a controlled substance, nothing on it has changed! all of a sudden I am told it was written for a 30 day supply, I asked for a copy of the script to be sent to me via email and I get silence on the phone, BS! funny thing is invoice shows a refill date of 8/1/13, today is 6/17/13, how the F can a 30 day supply be refilled roughly 45 days from now? WTF! I would love to vent on the phone to them but I'll just be put on hold while they pretend to call the pharmacy or have an imaginary supervisor on the line with us!!!!! not on blood pressure meds right now but this experience may put me on them!!
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