As someone who was an unabashed Vanguard fan, I have to say that I've not been impressed with their customer support as of lately. I filed paperwork ten weeks ago to transfer money to Vanguard; four weeks later, I discovered that Vanguard hadn't initiated the transfer. Everything was correct with the paperwork.
Then, three weeks later, I discovered that Vanguard had my check from the other institution. The customer service representative on the phone told me that Vanguard couldn't deposit the check because my middle name was on the check but not the account. No one at Vanguard had bothered to call me, even though the check arrived six or seven days prior to that. The representative said that she would send me a form to change my name at Vanguard, a form that had to be mailed back. I was so flustered that I said okay and ended the call.
However, I was irritated enough to call back that night and ask if there wasn't some way for me to prove that I were I. The new customer service representative checked and said that my name on the check was all right but that a supporting document the other institution sent had my middle name. I have no idea why this mattered; Vanguard has every bit of identifying information about me, as did the other institution.
However, I had to call back in the morning so Vanguard could call the other institution and verify my identity. All said, it took about eight weeks and six or seven phone calls. My enthusiasm for the company has cooled somewhat.
