I am a pilot/photograher based in Springfield Vermont. I need a convenient way to keep money in the plane and not carry money around. I purchased a GreenDot MAsterCard to use for this purpose. I could leave it in the plane and not worry too much if it got stolen. There's only $100 on the card at any one time and it's not tied into any of my regular banking cards.
I stopped at Rutlan Airport one day to gas the plane and everything went fine I gased the plane and went on my way. Most FBO's use the card slider for after hours gas dispensing. It also saves some money oiver the attendant feuling the plane. Avgas is now at $4.65 if the attendant fills the plane. So if I can save $0.65 per gallon on a 10 gallon fillup that is good thing. Most FBO's use a card slider for 24/7 service so no attendants mean easy access.
I stopped at Rutland Airport this week to fill up and the card failed to work. I flew down to an airport (Clarement NH) nearer my home base airport and tried to use the card and it still didn't work. Gas there is $4.09 / gallon so they sell a lot of avgas to some of the more itinerant pilots like me. I called the 'no help' desk for Green dot. It is located in the Philippines so no real help there.
Next I called the issuer of the card, Columbus Bank and Trust of Columbus GA (columbusbankandtrust.com/) 800 334 9007 (706 649 4900) and picked customer service. I was then referred directly to a company in Monrovia CA (Green Dot Corporation P.O. Box P.O. Box 1187 Monrovia, CA 91017) whi said that there is a problem and that they are aware of it and that they are trying to fix. I've tried to use the card several times and it has been declined several times. There is no human help available at the 877 434 3578 help line number unless you blunder on to it by mistake. The 'refill' bar code on the card is wearing off after only filling the card once, it has bcome useless or at best marginal. The amount of shuffeling around would suggest that neither Greendot, Columbus Bank or anyone else wants anything to do with this. BUT, they have my money and I don't. They don't seem too interested in helping get the problem resolved and their attitude is so totally cavaier it is astonishing. A total ripoff if you ask me.
Greendot Mastercard. Worthless.
FBO's or Fixed Base Operators are the people that fuel, and otherwise service aircraft. From the
Very smallest like the Cessna 150 that I fly to the very largest corporate and commercial jets. Some of the more remote regions of Vermont have 24/7 fuel service but are not attended more than 8/5 or 8/6.
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