Netspend - Page 8

On 7/15/2011 I received a text message by phone stating that a refund had been deposited into my account. I just got my direct deposit 2 days prior this refund. This refund was from a credit from a dentist office. Yes, I paid in January 2011 for services and used a different debit card and in April 2011 had to report the debit card I used for services lost or stolen so the credit could not be applied to the card used in January, so I requested to have my credit applied to my NetSpend account - went through no problem. This took place on 7/13/2011 and on 7/15/11 the funds went through.

OK, on 7/16/11 I go to store to make purchases and my card was denied at checkout x2 times. I checked ATM for balance and the balance was well more than enough to cover purchase and I tried to withdraw, I was denied access to account. I went to the car hoping to get a positive response but instead I was told that since I didn't use the NetSpend card for the services that my card was blocked and that I would have to provide documentation to support the credit/refund on my account.

I explained that I needed at least the money that was from my paycheck at least because that my mother had cancer and I was needing money for the trip and also my daughter was due any day to have her baby and I had gotten things for her household that she would be needing and I needed gas money. I was put on hold for well over an hour and another representative answered the call and I had to explain again what happen and what could be done and they were not trying to hear my concerns - the necessity for the funds from at least from my payroll check. I was told that they unfortunately could not do anything.

I never got to speak with management nor was I able to get my card unblocked not until I can provide NetSpend with what I feel like personal documentation. None of their business information or the other choice is to have the merchant reverse the credit and once it's off my NetSpend account then they can release the funds. What am I to do? Meantime my account is blocked. My mind is made up that I will close the account with NetSpend. They charge too much hidden charges and I don't like the fact that when you call in for a concern it's no concern to them.

The only good thing I can say is that the getting a check 2 days faster was the only plus, but now look at the picture it may be 2 more weeks before this issue is resolved and still no money. But on Monday my plans will be to notify my payroll department and have my future funds re-routed to another provider and once I get my issue resolved never refer this company to anyone ever again.

Certain situations in life pushed me to open a prepaid card with NetSpend, which I immediately regretted due to the ridiculous unnecessary fee charges here and there that most legitimate financial institutions/crooks don't charge. You're looking at 3 dollars to upload money, 5 to 10 dollars monthly fee for allowing you to use your debit card anytime, anywhere (accept for at an ATM), without incurring extra charges, you're again looking at fees for removing more than a certain amount of money from your account each day, meaning if you have to pay rent and need to withdraw a large amount, you better plan ahead and so on and so forth.

After a while I became used to the fees and learned how to make my card work for me. Yes, it's not going to be as convenient as an account with a legitimate bank (no atms, can't withdraw money whenever you want unless you go to another provider's ATM and allow yourself to be subject to their fees, can't transfer money as easily etc), but if you pay attention and stay one step ahead then your NetSpend account can work in your favor (which is way more work than a card is worth). For a while I didn't have any issues... until...

This past month on 06/30/2011, for the first time in two years, I received an overdraft fee. I have text alerts, and was not alerted that my account was in the overdraft zone. I couldn't believe it, so I contacted customer service and explained my stance on the issue, and let the agent know that I do not regularly have this problem, so I should receive a convenience refund. Yes, I do feel that I am entitled to receiving my fee back. Well, this agent immediately started with the "I'm sorry Ms. **, but we cannot refund the fee as we can prove the text was sent".

I was infuriated because instead of understanding my stance, this little mind warped customer service agent was treating me like I was trying to rob the company, when in fact the company had robbed me. I explained to her that I have not received an overdraft fee charge to date, and have been a loyal customer, so I should be refunded this charge, which again led the agent to apologize and say I shouldn't receive the refund. I asked for a supervisor, and guess what folks, I was on the line waiting for 40 minutes before one came on. I think their game is to drag you out and frustrate you into submission.

Once a supervisor came on, I again explained my issue and said I was not notified. See, my logic isn't that I should receive a refund because I was not notified. My logic is, and I explained this, that I have been paying ridiculous, absurd fees to this parody of a legitimate company for about 2 years, and have not complained once, and now that I am requested the service be returned to me as a loyal customer, these people, whose paychecks my fees pay, are holding onto my money and making it theirs without a second thought.

The supervisor said she would place me on hold and contact some other department to check if I could get the refund... about 20 minutes later she came back and said "Ms. **, I apologize but we have decided not to give you the refund because we feel too many customers call and take advantage of our policies by asking for refunds." OH, I am SO glad we were not face to face, I would have given her the look to end all looks. I couldn't believe the hypocrisy in her statement. I reminded her that she worked for the company and did not own it, and that in all actuality the company robs its customers.

Wow, I felt like I was being crushed by some weird totalitarian company that just didn't care. The nerve of her response, wow. I said, yet again, that I had been loyal to the company and could not believe the way they were treating this issue. Of course, the company's defense was their terms and conditions... how convenient. While still trying to reason with this woman, she abruptly interrupted me and said she was sending me to another supervisor. So I waited AGAIN for 30 minutes for this new supervisor.

So, let me wrap this up by saying nothing happened in my favor. Also, they misinformed me about how the overdraft fees work. Before my check came in, a company went into my account and took a 17 dollar payment. My check went in two hours later, and NetSpend also refused to credit me that overdraft fee, which is complete and absolute robbery. They said this was because I never paid the other overdraft fee (the one this story is about), so they charged me another overdraft fee despite the fact that my check came in two hours later, which meets their "less than 24 hours" guidelines.

This company may seem all la-di-da because they give you a 10 dollar leeway when your funds run out, and because their overdraft fees are only 15 bucks, but really, they compensate by charging millions of customers ridiculous and unnecessary fees here and there, and refuse credits left and right.

So, basically they did not honor me as a customer, despite all the ** fees I have paid in the past, they did not make me feel appreciated, they robbed me again by misinforming me and charging me another overdraft fee, even though the charge was covered less than 2 hours later, they kept me on hold for a total of an hour and a half, and discouraged me completely. How is that for customer service? Overdraft fees are not this black and white problem. I am a human being who is giving my money, time and energy to this card. I use it everyday and put my trust in it, how dare they treat me the way they did. It makes me sick.

This simply isn't a good company, hence the outsourcing and the miscellaneous fees all over the place. No bank is a saint, but there are banks out there that will not charge overdraft fees, and will prevent their customers from being debited while their accounts are vulnerable. Use Google to locate banks without overdraft fees. Unfortunately for me, until I find something new that doesn't mind my credit I am stuck with this creepy company. I will keep my eye on my account so I can avoid ever having to communicate with customer service again.

This company keeps a thick wall between the customer and it's true financial implications, meaning you as the customer is on one end, and their true priorities are on the other. This company is capable of functioning as your bank, but it is by no means trustworthy. I can't imagine what you people with unauthorized transactions go through. Bless your hearts.

AUSTIN, TX -- On 1/19 I received a text message stating that my paycheck had been direct deposited into my account. An hour later I received a text message saying that my pin number had changed and if I had not requested this change to contact them. I contacted them within seconds of getting this text message and reported this to the customer service agent who insisted that no changes to my pin had occurred and said to ignore it, that it was an obvious error that he was looking at my account and that I had NOTHING to worry about.

I was on the phone with this agent for about ten minutes freaking out and questioning why I was getting this message if NO change had occurred. Despite that he was assuring me that everything was fine I requested to change my pin number anyway and was transferred and then the line disconnected. I then checked the balance and learned that it was $1,000 less than what should have been in it and called right back obviously upset since I was just told to not worry about it.

The next representative told me YES there had been a change in my pin number followed by 4 transactions that equaled $1,000 not including the p2p charges and balance inquiry fees. I was left with a little over $30 in my account. I was told that the change to my pin number and fund transfers had occurred through their automated system WHILE I WAS ON THE PHONE with the 1st customer service agent who assured me to IGNORE IT.

My question was why did it not flag the first representative since I was telling him that I had received a text message stating my pin number had changed and reported at that time that someone was obviously accessing my account. The representative was unhelpful almost reading from a script. I reported the fraudulent transactions within minutes of when they occurred and was given the run around, no one wanted to help me.

I requested to have the funds held and stopped and was told repeatedly that there was NOTHING that they could do. That they had NO WAY of knowing whose account the funds where transferred to. I kept asking how can you not know whose account they went to if they were transferred through the automated system it went to another NetSpend members account. After an hour and talking to several customer service reps. floor supervisors and even the dispute department, they all concluded that they could do NOTHING to help me, that I needed to write a dispute letter and fax it over which I did do.

My question was HOW could they change my pin number without having my security questions and no one would answer me. What I did learn is that going through the automated system to change the pin number it does prompt you to put in your current pin in order to change it. HOWEVER, if you don't know your pin number you can choose an option stating that you don't know it and it will prompt you to put in your social security number and bingo you can change it and have FULL ACCESS… Not much security there is there.

I have since filed a report with the police department who tried to contact them and the customer service agents REFUSED to speak to them or transfer them to a supervisor because they wanted me to be there and I had already left the police station. I called to verify that they received the fax and was informed by the dispute department that it can take up to 4 days to receive it. Yes you read that right, FOUR DAYS???

I have filed a complaint for identity theft and against the company for their practices with the Federal Trade Commission and a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. At this point I am still being told there is NOTHING that they can do and that even though they can see that the funds went to another NetSpend members account that they cannot give me any information that it's protected out of confidentially to protect the other member.My response... "That's right protect the THIEF that stole my money while I was on the phone with the representative being told to ignore it that everything is fine."

I have since reported this to several friends that have used NetSpend who have ALL closed their accounts for fear that this will happen to them and it's obvious that they don't care about their customers, otherwise they would be doing something to help retrieve the money that was fraudulently stolen and yet they are doing NOTHING. I don't recommend this company. There is NO security or protection, you have more security carrying large wads of cash in your wallet.

AUSTIN, TEXAS -- My name is **. I work for the Federal Trade Commission and the goal of my company is to take class action against companies whom we deem as fraudulent or who seem to misrepresent themselves or who are crafty with their deceptive business practices in scamming consumers unknowingly. However, multiple consumers must call and make claims as we do not act on individual complaints, we rather look for trends and patterns in law violations and report them to our investigators and detectives who then take action against the company in question.

I have reviewed all the complaints on this website and they are all about the same issue regarding NetSpend. I defended this company on numerous occasions when filing complaints for consumers across the country telling them that it is the merchants fault when in actuality it is NetSpend's wrong doings. I have recently found this out the hard way.

I am sorry for everyone who sees this that has at least attempted to contact the FTC in regards to your debit cards being wiped clean for no apparent reason or having your funds disappear in a matter of hours. For example I checked my account at 9:30 in the morning and by lunch which is at 2:00 Pm Eastern Time my $100 + dollars had been taken off. They said that I had used it at a gas station for 5 Dollars and an ATM withdrawal for $80. If I'm not mistaken 80 + 5 = $85, so where the hell are my remaining funds.

Also I have attempted to provide them with Timecard records for the day in question to show that I did not make those transactions and they denied them. NetSpend corporation has repeatedly made unauthorized transactions that I did not approve or in some cases did not even have the funds available for.

Upon calling the institution in which they inform you that they will transfer you to their supervisor only to place you on hold for a lengthy amount of time and come back on the line only to try to deceive you with a different dialect than the previous agent. (The same person who said he would transfer you to a supervisor is the same agent even after he states that he is the supervisor.) I have caught several agents trying to dupe me into thinking I'm speaking with a higher authority and I am not. They had little to say after they were caught.

Although my disputes only amount to about 200-250 dollars, the times that they have made these unauthorized transactions came costly as I was taken to court for bills that were not paid due to their negligence. I have read some claims on here where people have lost hundreds or in some cases thousands of dollars.

I urge everyone to contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-438-4338 and report this company so we can take action against them. The purported purpose of class action lawsuits is to give the common man the ability to take on the largest corporate or private entities (who can afford the very best legal services) and have a chance of redressing the wrong done by these entities. It is important to remember that even though the actual damage or cost to the individual class member may be small, the illicit gain to the corporate entity can be huge if done to hundreds or even hundreds of thousands of class members.

AUSTIN, TEXAS -- I don't believe it is safe for anyone to use NetSpend for any of their direct deposits such as employer paychecks, SSI/SSDI, state or government disability checks, or retirement checks; nor do I believe it is safe to deposit large sums of cash to be used for purchases with the use of a NetSpend card, as you may not have money credited back into your account for up to 3-4 months once you have reported a theft or unauthorized transaction(s) from your account to NetSpend.

I also do not believe that NetSpend operates like other large credit card carriers or banking institutions, such as providers like Wells Fargo, which immediately replaces stolen funds back into your account while they investigate a theft or fraud that has occurred with your account. NetSpend leaves you hanging with no monies left in your account at all while they do their own investigation, and then pass it off to another company like Visa who can then take up to 30-90 days after NetSpend has strung you along.

Mortgage companies, landlords, car payment companies, and utility companies don't care about your personal lose of funds, and apparently neither does NetSpend. NetSpend also doesn't care if you are unable to feed yourself, as once your funds are stolen you have to wait for up to possibly 4 months before funds may ever be returned to your account. You could end up on the street and/or without a car and food before the matter is resolved.

You as a NetSpend customer will not receive funds that have been stolen from your account for a very long time, period. Consumer Beware. Especially, in these hard economic times where people have lost their credit cards and are now relying on companies like NetSpend to fill the void.

We all seem to lull ourselves into a false sense of security where large credit card companies are concerned, and believe me when I tell you that companies like NetSpend will NOT do the right thing while your life is turned upside down. This may be because the company doesn't have to follow the same rules that major credit card carriers have to, but the then again NetSpend preys on persons who may not be able to get a bank account for one reason or another, and I believe that they have a niche market with disabled, and low income persons.

Yes, I think NetSpend targets (preys on) the customer most in need of credit card services and/or check cashing services, but they fail to tell the customer (except perhaps in tiny-tiny print) that their monies from SSI/SSDI or any other income source will not be immediately credited back to their account once they have been stolen from their NetSpend account, until the matter is investigated by NetSpend, and then Visa.

The recovery process with NetSpend is very long and you need to have other income sources to pay for faxing services (if you don't have a computer and fax machine), and a Public Notary fees along with any fees associated with mailing documents to NetSpend.

I don't believe that NetSpend has the proper safeguards in place to protect your funds, which you may have entrusted with them. So be careful… your money could disappear for a very long time before any matter is resolved with NetSpend. For persons with no other income source once your SSI/SSDI or other paycheck is deposited, and then stolen from your NetSpend account you may be facing a situation that does not include a home, food or vehicle in your future.

Please read what is happening to me before you make the same mistake as I did. NetSpend is not repaying $1,500 of my funds, which I had deposited in cash into my now canceled NetSpend account (card). This all started well over a month ago, and NetSpend has been dragging their feet with their Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) by requesting documents about two-and-half-weeks had elapsed from my initial report regarding my card number theft (not the card itself).

They requested a signed affidavit stating that I did not participate in any of the unauthorized charges; and did not authorize the use of my card number by anyone else to use for stolen purchases I had reported to them back in February. They also wanted a police report filed. NetSpend should have asked for these documents the same day that I reported the theft, not weeks later.

Now I have been told that they will turn the matter over to Visa who will conduct their own investigation, which will take anywhere from 30-90 days in order for them to respond to the theft/fraud that occurred. This means that if I ever see my money ($1,500) again, it could be well over three-months and maybe up to four-months since I first reported the theft on February 26, 2010.

On March 19 I sent the documents that NetSpend had requested, which was a notarized affidavit (cost me $10.00, plus a $2.85 for delivery with proof of receipt of delivery confirmation) and the police report. They received this on March 23, 2010, however when I spoke with them on March 24 I was told that they had not received the documents even though I had proof of delivery.

I have been told that I may still be charged a $50.00 fee if I ever get my stolen money back. I don't know what this fee is for as I reported the theft in less than 12 hours while the charges were still pending. NetSpend monies may be given back to me once Visa has resolved the case on their end, and maybe not or at least that is what I was told by NetSpend. I wasn't told how long NetSpend had to submit the documents to Visa, which I sent to them over a week ago, as they claim even though I have proof of delivery from UPS, that these documents were not received at the Dispute Resolution Center (DRC).

I am beginning to believe that even though the personnel at the NetSpend DRC are very polite and nice on the phone that their job is to ensure that matters like this do not take priority. What does take priority is recruiting new customers and making persons like me sit through prerecorded messages that encourage me to sign-up for direct deposit of all my paycheck or government checks and thus use NetSpend for all of my banking needs, and transactions.

Trust me when I say I want to vomit, and I have contemplated the possibility of placing a loaded gun in my mouth for entrusting such a large sum of money to a company like NetSpend, but at least I still consider myself fortunate enough to have a working phone in order to call NetSpend every few days to hear these nauseating prerecorded messages. These messages help remind me what an idiot I was for depositing $1,500 cash on a NetSpend card to begin with.

To date I have now incurred a total $1,522.80 in lost monies. I also had to pay $9.95 for a new card at NetSpend as I had monies being charged back to the stolen, (now canceled card) from stores that owed credit back to me. The funny thing is, is that one of the customer service persons at NetSpend actually suggested that she lift the cancellation on my stolen card number and deposit these funds owed back to me on that stolen card number, as I had expressed an extreme lack of trust in use of my old card, or any NetSpend card ever again.

I didn't really want to activate the new NetSpend card, and then have monies stolen again, since we don't know how the original $1,500 was taken from my card to begin with. So, let's see… I guess we just add more funds back to the stolen card where the card number has already been reported as stolen, and reactivate it so that the thieves can take more of money from my account. WOW. I guess customer service is not aware of any anti-theft procedures or why it continues to happen. Did these persons in customer service at NetSpend go through any anti-fraud or theft avoidance training? I can't believe that they did, especially after that conversation. Frightening!

Here is the initial report filed with NetSpend. I noticed two unauthorized charges on my credit card account with NetSpend on the morning of 2/26/10 at approximately 3:30 AM (PST), and immediately canceled my VISA card ending in the numbers **. The VISA credit/debit card ending in ** was used twice in order to make unauthorized purchases in Seattle, WA (college area) on the evening of 2/25/10.

However, NetSpend reports the charges occurred at 18:06:09:0 on 2/26/10 at BEST BUY in Seattle, WA where an unauthorized charge for $900.00 was made with my credit card number, and 18:06:14:0 at TARGET in Seattle, WA where another unauthorized charged was made for $600.00 with my credit card number.

My credit card was in my physical possession when these unauthorized charges were made. At no time have I ever lost or misplaced my VISA credit card number ending in **. I did not lend nor allow the use of my VISA credit card (**) by another person nor authorize the use of my card number for someone else to make the aforementioned unauthorized purchases in Seattle, WA nor did duplicate or authorize the duplication of my NetSpend or any credit card.

Best Buy's Consumer Relations Department was able to tell me that the $900.00 charge placed on my NetSpend card at this Best Buy store (#470), which is located at 330 NE Northgate Way, Seattle, WA 98125, was used to purchase a total of three Best Buy gift cards for the amount of $300.00 each.

I attempted to call this store all day yesterday, but the circuits were busy according to an automated message from AT&T, and I was never allowed to reach this store so that they could possibly have these fraudulently purchased Best Buy cards canceled before they were billed to my account or at least hold the security tape for the police to review. I did not authorize nor allow any other person to make this purchase or transaction at Best Buy.

I was unable to find out anything about the other unauthorized transaction at Target for $600.00, as Target Consumer Relations Department said they would not deal with anyone who had a problem with a unauthorized third-party credit card transactions used at any of their store locations, and advised me to be contact my credit card company which I had already done.

My question is, who except thieves buy large amounts of gift cards in the spring? Best Buy employees and Target employees must have failed the same anti-fraud training (if any was provided) that the NetSpend personnel did. I have been told recently that cash cards are great for retailers, as they always get paid.

I have also been apprised that persons who want to sell stolen cards, apparently on websites like eBay benefit from the use of cash cards as well. Amazing, the slimy world we live in. Is there a special spring Christmas or Christmas type holiday that occurs in spring, which I am unaware of? NetSpend thought the purchases $300.00 each for gift cards in February was appropriate, so I guess so. Who knew.

TX, TEXAS -- These people are criminals, do not deal with them. Keep your money in a sock, it will be better. Absolute shame. These people prey on people who need some sort of debit card. I bought one for my wife to buy a Christmas gift with and, well lets say I got ugly with their representative. I'm sorry for that but if you work for criminals it's going to happen. If there was a zero star for gross I would use it.

BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND -- They owe me a remaining balance that I had inside my account before closing it. It's been over 4 months I have yet received my funds. Unacceptable. Everyone save the trouble and do not associate with NetSpend.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA -- The WU NetSpend card is OK, get your money fast. But when you call them they don't ever see a deposit than later on that day your money on your card. There isn't a certain time of day you can expect your money. The time you receive it is all over and is really an inconvenience especially when you need money. I'm going back to a bank, it's better. At least I know my money will be deposited a certain time a day and don't have to wait for them to deposit it at night, morning, afternoon.

TX -- You have encountered the following errors: "Sorry, this load request cannot be completed because you have reached a maximum load limit for this NetSpend account. Please try again later or refer to your other NetSpend load options." This is all this company is good for!

I like to give the NetSpend the worst possible rating. I have nothing but hate for this business. The reason is simple. After being a customer for a few years, these idiots put my social on their blacklist. Recently, I purchased a card without knowing who the issuer was. It was NetSpend. Now I am on the phone with customer service for 15 minutes and really angry. Card should have been activated but since my social is on their blacklist, they are not going to activate my card. Very displeased with this company. One star is very generous.