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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
Human error leads to
DUI surprise on recordsQuestion: I encountered a big problem when I tried to renew my license. The clerk checked the computer and stated that I could not renew it because I had received a suspension in April. I was scared because I knew this wasn't true.
The clerk called his co-worker to look at my record and she asked, "Did you get a DUI in April?" I was still very scared and basically freaking out because I didn't get one.
The clerk checked and found that the person responsible for typing in this information on people's records didn't double-check, and mistakenly put this suspension on my record! I was told the person whose license should have been suspended had a similar Social Security number. That was their justification for doing this! As a result, this suspension was on MY record since April.
To make a long story short, to find out what happened and to lodge a complaint, I kept being transferred to different departments. I finally called Financial Responsibility, but a recording came on stating that they were closed. The recording stated that the office was open until 4:15 p.m. and it was 3:45 p.m. when I called, and they were closed already? What else can I do in order for this to not happen again?!
I am very upset, and very upset that people who work for the State of Hawaii do not know what they are doing.
Answer: Your record was cleared on Oct. 30, the day you went in to renew your driver's license, according to both city and state officials.
The problem was traced to human error, one which was described as an unfortunate, but rare occurrence. Because of it, however, procedures have been tightened to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Although you dealt with employees of the city Motor Vehicle and Licensing Division, the mistake was made with a worker in the state Judiciary's Administrative Driver License Revocation Office.
"No one from the Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing has the capability of putting on or taking off data concerning administrative revocation of a driver's license," said Dennis Kamimura, administrator of the division.
He said that "field" in the records is protected and only the Administrative Driver's License Revocation Office is able to input or delete information.
Kamimura said this was the first such mistake he was aware of in all the years he's been with the motor vehicles office.
Ronald Sakata has been chief adjudicator of the Administrative Driver's License Revocation Office since it was opened 12 1/2 years ago and in all those years, "this is the first time we've had a transposition (of social security numbers) that created this kind of problem," he said.
His office handles 3,000 to 4,000 cases a year.
The Social Security number was typed in by a clerk, Sakata confirmed, and the mistake was "purely and simply" the transposition of numbers.
Everything is done manually, he explained, "because we have to review each file. We don't have any electronic scanning. At the input stage, we have a double-check. When we assemble the files, themselves, we have double-checks."
Sakata said he couldn't say for sure "at what point we dropped the ball," but he's taken steps to make sure "that the double-checks are more carefully paid attention to. I wouldn't say it was a fluke because we admit the mistake, but it certainly was an extraordinary thing."
As for your unanswered call to the city's Financial Responsibility Office, Kamimura said yours was the first such complaint he's received.
After receiving it, he called the office to make sure the telephone system "clock" was working and said he got an answer after one ring.
Kamimura said the only times that the recording would come on saying that the office is closed are if the telephone computer clock "thinks" it is after 4:30 p.m.; if it is a weekend or holiday; or all staff have signed off their instruments, which "has never happened before."
Q: Is there any agency in our state government that handles complaints about credit card companies? I have a consumer fraud complaint about a major credit card company issuing airline miles.
I already sent two certified letters to this company. It answered my first letter, saying I "misunderstood" a promotion. It ignored my second letter. My complaint deals with only 10,000 airline miles. However, I feel that it is important that large well-known companies should not ignore their customers' complaints and should work to resolve the problem for me and other consumers.
A: You can file a complaint with the Office of Consumer Protection and "we'll evaluate it. If we can handle it, we will," said spokesman Stephen Levins. "If another agency is more appropriate, we'll refer it."
The Office of Consumer Protection is part of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
Among the kinds of complaints it investigates are unfair or deceptive acts or practices, deceptive advertising, door-to-door sales, mail-order purchases, health clubs, refunds and exchanges, motor vehicle rentals and charitable solicitations.
Not all complaints are investigated.
Complaints are reviewed to determine whether three is a possible violation of the law. If so, then the complaint is investigated. If there is evidence that a violation has occurred, the complaint then may be referred to the office's legal section for possible legal action.
Call 587-3222 to file a complaint or to get more information.
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