When Social Security sent a letter last year stating that they were doing away with paper checks I decided to go with the preloaded card they recommended. Big mistake! First, I never received my card and they said it got "lost in the mail" so I ended up paying $13.50 to have that card replaced and expedited. I had to pay to replace a card I never received!
So, I start using my card, and every time I went to an ATM, I was charged $3.00 to withdraw money. Then, all of a sudden I would notice my balance wasn't correct and looked on the website at my charges and I had a charge to a company in Kansas and one in Alabama. (I live in California) I called immediately and was told to wait 5 days while the charges were still pending and they closed my card and reissued a new one, which was to arrive in 5-10- days. Well guess what? That card got "LOST IN THE MAIL" also. So, once again I had to pay $13.50 to have my card expedited.
In the meantime, I asked if they could give me a provisional credit while the fraud department researched it (that's what a REAL Bank would do) but of course they said no and they would send paperwork, which I never received (What a surprise!) Did that get lost in the mail too?!
I start using my new card, and guess what? Another fraudulent charge! This one is in Texas... Hmmm. I called Social Security immediately and requested to go back to paper checks, and the lady said they have been inundated with complaints about Direct Express. I am on a fixed income and I can't afford to have people steal my money, that I obviously will never see again.
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