I purchased a "GreenDot" Visa Premier card some four months ago and had deposited funds periodically through out. Two months ago I pulled into a "Hess" gas station to put just $10.00 of fuel in Our car and was going to "pay at the pump" with the "Greendot Visa", however, there was a sign on the pump that stated that the card reader was un-available and to please come inside.
I went inside and asked the clerk to please put $10.00 in fuel at pump #2 on "Debit"... The clerk ran the "Greendot Visa" and stated that it did not go through. I asked if they would please check it again, as I knew that We had at least $35.00 on the card. The Manager came over and checked the transaction and realized that the clerk actually punched "Credit" rather than "Debit"... Which I did not know, automatically captures $75.00 until the transaction clears... Which can take two to three weeks.
Now there I sit with still no gas and a "Credit" hold for $75.00 on my "Greendot Visa" for two to three weeks, I called "Greendot Visa" and they explained that they could NOT and would NOT release the hold until the transaction cleared... I tried to explian that NO transaction had occurred... Yet that point to them was "Mute".
I returned to the "Hess" gas station and spoke with the manager that I had spoken with the day of the incident and explained the situation in full. I told the manager that "Greendot Visa" had put a hold on my account in the amount of $75.00 and would be accessing a service charge to my account for $20.00, due to insufficient funds for a transaction that never actually occured.
The manager was very apologenic and stated that because it was his employee that had initially caused this situation, asked if he could "Credit" my "Greendot Visa" for the amount that was to be held, as well as the service charge fee, so as not to lose us as customers and in good faith. I explained that I did not want anything more than what was mine and the manager again stated that due to his employee's error and the time that I would not be able to access any of my monies on the card, as well as the service fee, that he felt that it was "Good Business" in doing this. (Kudos to the "Hess" gas station!)
The manager asked for my "Greendot Visa" so that he could apply a credit to my card in the amount of $95.00. I gave the manager my "Greendot Visa" and he swiped the card and gave me a receipt which stated that a credit in the amount of $95.00 had been added to the card. I thanked the manager and he again apologized for any inconvenience that I may have incurred.
So, now I leave the store in thought that all is cleared up and that the "Hold" will be lifted and the "Insufficient Funds" fee would be taken care of as well... WRONG! Now it gets worse.
"Greendot Visa" did not release the "Hold"... in fact they had "Flagged" my account for "Fraud" and suspended my card. I called the "Greendot Visa" account line and asked what was going on? And explained what had transpired since the last time that I had called. They stated that I needed to Fax them the receipt from the store, as they believed that I had "Fraudulantly" placed funds on my card! (What!) Anyway, I did fax them the receipt and they stated that they could not read the receipt... So I faxed them again. (I do not have a fax machine at home, in fact I had to go to a store and pay for the store to fax it, not once... Yet, twice)
"Greendot Visa" still stated that they could not read the receipt, so I asked if they could just call the "hess" gas station and gave them the managers name that they could speak with to clear this up? They stated that they would not do that and that it was my responsibility!
I again returned to the store and spoke to the manager that I had initially and explained the situation to him in full. He stated that he would call because he was a "Greendot" vendor and that he could clear this up. He called the number that he retrieved from the office for his "Greendot" account and called them. However after several times explaining the situation to enumerous transfers, the manager looked at me and verbatim said "I am so sorry, I see now what you have been going through!"
Finally the manager had spoke with a Supervisor with "Greendot Visa" and they had stated to the manager that all he needed to do was to run my "Greendot Visa" card again and reverse the "Credit" and pay me out in cash... UH, what part of "We have tried that", but "Greendot Visa" has suspended the card and account, so that now nothing can be done to or with the card and account?
"Greendot Visa"s" response was "That is all that we can tell you". The manager hung up with "Greendot Visa" and stated that he was cancelling the vendor account with them as he felt that it was truly a SCAM! As now "Greendot Visa" not only had my initial $35.00 that was in my account, yet now they also have an additional $95.00 that he personally had put on the card, totaling $130.00. He said that he could only imagine how many people that "Greendot Visa" was doing this to and using their legal loopholes to sustain their business.
I could not believe this! I called "Greendot Visa' to ask what I needed to do now? They stated that I needed to "mail" them the receipt because they could not read the receiptand that in two weeks the error would be taken care of. I did so. I waited for two weeks in hopes that the situation was taken care of and just yesterday I treid to use my card at the grocery store for formula for my son and STILL nothing. I called "Greendot Visa" and spoke with a Customer Service Supervisor nammed "Candy" and explained the situation once again. Her response was that I needed to Fax the receipt, I explained that I mailed it as asked... Then she started to act rude and all but called me a liar by saying that I did not mail the receipt and that no-one there had received it.
I guess that she was pushing my buttons to enact a response in an attempt to confuse the situation. Well, folks... I had it... I cussed her out and told her that I would be seeking an Attorney and her response to me was very subtle... in fact almost like it had been rehearsed "Go ahead, you don't have an address for Us other than a P. O box and that litigation can not be served on P. O boxes... You also have to have a name, because a Corporation is an entity in itself, I told you that my name was "Candy" or was it "Mandy" or was it "Sandy"... Come on do you really think that we give out our names... But go ahead call an Attorney" and with that she hung up. I have tried several times to call back and get the address and in order for you to be put through to a human, you must enter your account number and every time that I do get through, the only thing that is stated over and over repeated to me is " I can not discuss this issue with you, the account states that an Attorney is involved" and then they hang up on me!
If ANYONE out there, is even thinking about purchasing a "Greendot Visa" account... All I have to say is "Don't", unless that is, that you have any amount of money to throw away... I myself do not have that luxury.
Thank-you All for taking time to read this and I hope that I may have helped anyone that might have been contemplating the purchase of a "Greendot Visa or Mastercard".
God Bless.
Mr. FSP
Frank
Clearwater, Florida
U.S.A.
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