I saw in a CVS circular: Buy a Green Dot reloadable prepaid card and get a $15 credit on your card when you use it at CVS/pharmacy.
It also said in a footnote in the circular: Green Dot will credit $15 to your new Green Dot Card when you use it to make any purchase at a participating CVS/pharmacy before December 31. Offer valid with cards purchased from November 22 to November 24. Limit one $15 credit per Card. Please allow 5 days from date of qualifying purchase for credit to appear on your card. Card is issued by Columbus Bank and Trust Company.
I bought a card on November 22 and put $20 on it. It cost me a $9.95 Activation Fee. I figured I would use it and make $5 profit because of the $15 credit from CVS. When I got home I read in the fine print that there is a $1 service charge each time it is used. Because I would need to use it at CVS to get the $15 credit and then use up the balance, it would cost me $2 more so my profit would be only $3. I decided to continue with the plan anyway.
On December 31 I made a purchase of $8.50 at CVS with the card and was charged a $1 service charge. I waited and waited after 5 days but my $15 credit didn't show up. I contacted CVS and they said that Green Dot Corporation had asked that all inquiries be directed to them.
Meanwhile, I studied and studied what could have gone wrong and the only thing I could come up with was that it said "before December 31" and meant "by December 30" whereas I'm used to thinking the date spelled out is the date of expiration.
By this time it was too late to get a refund on the card. I read more fine print and discovered that it costs $1 to contact their customer service by phone so I wrote them. I haven't yet heard back.
All in all this experience will cost me $12.95 (including the $1 service charge to use up the $10.50 balance) rather than make me $5.
I'm sure CVS is happy with the money they make off this card but I think it is an inferior product in that there is not adequate disclosure when you buy it from CVS.
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