Frequent Miler's latest team challenge, Million Mile Madness, is almost done! The last two weeks Greg, Nick, and Stephen competed to earn 1 Million SAS miles by flying 15 airlines. But who completed the challenge with the most Speed, Affordability, and Style?
Wow. That didn’t take long. In September I reported that my Mio card was being converted to a MyVanilla card and I was afraid that the changeover would lead to my account getting shut down (see “Bye bye Mio“). The Mio and MyVanilla debit cards were already nearly identical. Both could be loaded with Vanilla Reload cards. Both had similar transaction fees. Both could be used as true debit cards. What made my Mio card special, though, was that my account was never shut down. Ever since they added fees for every transaction, I stopped using the card for day to day spend and, instead, used it exclusively as a way to liquidate Vanilla Reload cards. With most prepaid cards, that’s a sure way to get shut down, but my Mio kept chugging along… until it was converted to MyVanilla.
On Monday, I tried loading a Vanilla Reload card to my Mio card, but received an error. My first thought was that my Mio account might be in limbo during the switchover to MyVanilla. I looked at the MyVanilla website and saw a new banner that read as follows:
Welcome Mio Money Cardholders, your Mio Money Card will be upgraded to a MyVanilla Prepaid MasterCard. Set up your Online Account now to check your balance, see transactions, and more.
That seemed to confirm my suspicion that my Mio card was in limbo during the switchover. I thought that, maybe, if I setup my MyVanilla account I would be good to go. So, I tried, but the website told me that something was wrong and that I should call. So, I did.
The phone number on the back of my Mio card redirected me to MyVanilla customer support. Apparently, the switchover already occurred. A customer service representative told me that my account was frozen pending review. In order to complete the review and unfreeze my account, I was told that I would have to fax or email the following:
- ID
- Social security card
- Proof of address
- Load receipts
No thanks! I didn’t mind having my account closed altogether, so I asked the rep to just close my account and send me a check for the balance. That’s where things got really bad…
The rep told me that as long as my account was frozen, they couldn’t cancel my account to release my funds. What!? I had never heard of anything like that before. Isn’t there a law against them holding my funds hostage like that? After complaining a bit (in a nice way), but getting nowhere, I asked the rep to tell me again what I would need to send them to complete the review. After she listed the items again, the ensuing conversation went something like this:
Me: What are load receipts?
Rep: How did you load money onto the card?
Me: I bought Vanilla Reload cards and used them to load money.
Rep: Then you’ll need to send us the receipts showing the purchase of the Vanilla Reload cards as well as scans of the front and back of the reload cards.
Me: But… after successfully loading money to my card, I always toss out the receipts.
Rep: You can go to the store where you bought them and request copies of the receipts.
Me: But… I use Vanilla Reload cards to load other cards besides the Mio card, and I buy cards from lots of different stores. I would have no way to know which particular stores or receipts or reload cards were used to reload my Mio card.
Rep: I’m sorry sir, but that’s the only way for us to release your funds.
Me: You can’t hold my funds without giving me a way to get my money back!
Rep: You do have a way. Just send in the info requested including the load receipts.
I demanded to speak with her supervisor. Her supervisor told me the exact same story. I then demanded to speak with the supervisor’s manager. He also told me the same story. He did add one additional idea, though. He suggested that I send in everything I could and also attach a document explaining why I couldn’t produce the load receipts.
Trying to comply
I scanned in everything I could and wrote a letter as the manager suggested. I attached all of it to an email and sent the bundle to the email address they gave me (premium_fax@incomm.com). The manager also told me to call the next day to check to make sure that the documents were received. I gave them an extra day and called on Wednesday instead of Tuesday. After waiting on hold for an eternity I was told that they hadn’t received the email. Please re-send it. So, I re-sent it.
Looking for other solutions
My next step was to search FlyerTalk to see if others had experienced the same problem. In the MyVanilla forum, I did find a couple of similar incidents. Through a recommendation from another FlyerTalk member, one person reported that their account was re-opened the day after they submitted a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). I figured that it couldn’t hurt, so I submitted my own complaint on Wednesday afternoon. There didn’t seem to be a category for prepaid cards, so I listed my account as a savings account. Under “company name,” I listed Bancorp Bank since they issue the card (but maybe I should have listed InComm? I don’t know). In the text of the complaint I described the situation and the fact that I wasn’t being offered a reasonable way to access my funds.
Waiting for resolution
As of Thursday morning, I haven’t heard back from the CFPB other than an automated confirmation email. I called MyVanilla to check whether they had received my second email. After a long wait on hold, they surprised me by telling me that yes they had received it. Then they went on to tell me that they had everything they needed from me except for load receipts. As soon as I send those, they can process the review. Sigh.
At this point, I don’t know what the final solution will be. I’m sure I’ll get my money back eventually but I don’t know when or how. I’ll publish again once I learn more.
Use caution
I decided to publish the details of my experience as a cautionary tale for others. It used to be the case that a prepaid card shut-down was not a big deal if you had enough funds to float the balance for a while. You would simply call and demand your money back, and they would send a check typically in 2 to 6 weeks. I know that some people have had trouble getting that promised check, but at least it was promised and so with a little perseverance I think it has always been possible to get your money back (often minus a fee for sending a paper check). This situation is different, though. The MyVanilla organization (InComm) is now saying that, in this situation, you cannot have your funds back unless you comply with their demands. If, like me, you have no practical way to meet the demands, then your money is seemingly out of reach forever.
I’m sure that this will get resolved eventually, but for now this is not a situation I would wish for anyone to get stuck in. If you use MyVanilla cards, be careful!
Related posts
- Vanilla Reloadables (where I list details about prepaid cards that can be loaded with Vanilla Reload cards)
- Bye bye Mio (where I reported the changeover of my Mio card to MyVanilla)
- We’re sorry, there is a problem with your account (where I detailed the experience of having my NetSpend card shut down)
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Very same issue except my card was stolen like immediately. Was told to present same documents ID, proof of address and purchase receipt , but no social. Send email to Premium_fax@income.com try replace second m in incomm to income and that worked. Got this email replying they received it and please allow time depending on what happened with the card.
InComm Financial Services MyVanilla Card. The worst reloadable debit card on the market, I put a hundred dollars on a card. I went online to activate, answered all questions correctly. They asked overbearing questions for identity verification. After forty-five minutes of this ridiculous circular questioning, we finally decided to call them on the phone. The first person on the phone could barely comprehend the English language, after a half-hour of incompetence and them not being able to solve the problem we got the next person up the chain. We were informed that they could not verify who we were with their identity system, even after all questions were answered correctly. I asked what would be necessary to use the debit card that I had put one-hundred dollars on. Another half-hour pf phone time they informed me that I had to send them a color picture of my social security card, my driver’s license, a bank statement or a utility bill, and a copy of the receipt from when the debit card was purchased. I emailed them the requested information but they could not confirm receipt of said information after another half-hour on the phone. I have to wait three to five business days for them to process the information this is unacceptable! #MyVanillaCard sucks!
Where do you find where to send copy of my stuff on this site to get my money or us my card ?
I havent heard from them I purchased a card for my under age Daughter she wanted to purchased a item on line so i got her a card told me to send receipt & carx front & back did it & haven’t gotten no respond since then this is bullshit were can i get help or what can i do????
[…] Frequent Miler recently had something very similar happen to him and has included a list of appropriate government and non-government agencies you can contact if the company you’re doing business with isn’t timely about releasing your funds. If need be, use this as a last resort. A company does of course reserve the right to decide who they do business with, but that doesn’t entitle them to steal. […]
My check arrived today. I finally have my money back! I’m happy to see that they didn’t charge me a mail check fee.
[…] Frequent Miler recently had something very similar happen to him and has included a list of appropriate government and non-government agencies you can contact if the company you’re doing business with isn’t timely about releasing your funds. If need be, use this as a last resort. A company does of course reserve the right to decide who they do business with, but that doesn’t entitle them to steal. […]
[…] card and my account was promptly frozen. I reported my predicament in the post “MyVanilla grabs my money and won’t let go.” Its not unusual to have a prepaid card account forcibly closed, but in those […]
gl. and keep us updated on this one. i started off saving everything, but it became unmangeable. i have 2 mvd’s in play- i think i’m going to drop off the radar til i see how this plays out. too many other ms options to deal with this stuff. as long as gc->mo is working, it’s low stress than dealing with the Gdot’s and incomms…
@ aby: This is why i have mostly been touting the thinking that it is not necessarily a great idea to let CVS scan you over $1k VR. Who gets the data? They say the govt. I say Bancorp/Incomm. And those two are worse. The govt would just wanna verify that you are just making a transaction that is not laundering or against any law or tax issue. And it’s not. But bancorp/incomm, they are pure evil man. Stay anonymous! If you must go over $1k, do it rarely/in a pinch.
[…] Speaking of real risks with these techniques, Frequent Miler wrote about his troubles getting his money back on “MyVanilla grabs my money and won’t let go“. […]
I see a lot people here telling you to complain to the states AG office, consumer helplines, etc. The bottom line is, once a local ON YOUR SIDE tv station reporter gets a hold of this, it will be blasted all over the news, and you the rest is history. See if you can quietly resolve this w/o cracking any vases in the shop.
The media angle will not work for a ton of reasons
Yep, I think that Ozaer N was trying to say that I should avoid media attention regarding this. I agree.
FM…don’t you ever get tired of all the hassles dealing with manufactured spending? It really appears the inconvenience of chasing down points and all the follow up you appear to go through just isn’t worth it. Granted it leads to fascinating commentary on your blog…but I have to believe at some point you just have to say enough is enough…
FM chose to be a blogger, and is doing am awesome job at it. As long as you and others enjoy reading about manufactured spending, it’s a reasonable judgment call for him to provide more reading material.
Remember- what’s a hobby to most of us. FM has managed to turn in to a full time job.
Don’t you wish you actually did something you loved a full time?
Certified letter demanding the funds be returned works.
I had a zombie MVD (had been frozen, then released, so I re-loaded about $9k) that was re-frozen. I gave them 15 minutes and one phone call- gave them the choice to mail me a check or allow me to cash out. They said they preferred to mail a check.
I gave them exactly thirty days, then mailed a certified letter with notes from the telephone call, and a deadline of two weeks to deliver a check, or I would contact the FDIC, CFPB, and the AG.
Check arrived the following week.
Did you send a certified letter to Incomm or Bancorp?
This makes me feel a little better about my bulging “empty gift cards file”. It’s a bit of a mess, but in a pinch I could *probably* find old receipts and empty gift cards. In future I think I’ll keep it a little more organized. Not that it isn’t ridiculous what this company is doing, but it can’t hurt to be prepared.
Has anyone has a similar experience with the Vanilla Gift Cards from Office Depot? I’ve had a gift card that was “not activated correctly.” InComm is demanding to see the original receipt and package in order to remedy the problem. For similar reasons, obtaining the exact receipt is impossible
I keep track of all receipts i can on ms runs so people should too. FDIC incomm to get results anyway.
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They do this to try and scoff your money. Green dot is even worse. If need be, sue them
I’ve gone through hundreds of VR cards since I first started buying them about 18 months ago. Keeping track of them would be almost impossible.
I have a couple MVDs in play and the money on them came from VRs whose receipts and cards I already threw away. Good lesson to keep those VRs/receipts handy for the future …
Sending in all that data to Bancorp/Incomm aint gonna do nothing special. That’s a smoke screen, scare tactic and means to make you jump through hoops and give up more data about yourself than you really ought to. They have you by the bawlzaque unless you fight back like zee lion!
As I said–and I’ll say it again:
FDIC them!
Not that the FDIC doesn’t have its head up its arse sometimes too, but the fact is, the moment you do, good ole scammy Bancorp/Incomm will be needing to send your funds forthright.
That said, it is paramount that people doing MS stay very organized and detailed. Do not misplace GCs or VRs and keep receipts! I have bins and boxes for older ones, but the ones in play–for the entire month, with cut out dates I have for my own accounting needs–are relatively easy to find and present if and when needed.
THIS IS THE KIND OF STUFF I WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT AT THE DC DO last April but despite my continued efforts to talk there–for no compensation whatsoever, mind you, I was not allowed to because apparently I aint part of some “club.”
Well, FM, having met you in person and figuring you are a half decent bloke, I think you should take this to your leaders: If that club really wants to do a service to those who financially support it, they oughta wake up and smell the coffee!
I have been doing MS for 14 years and have seen so much I have forgotten most of it! I’ve been shut down from many things before some here even knew they existed. I’ve invented new methods and workarounds too and I’m still kickin with standard and alternative methods that do allow me to persist in this game with no financial losses and only gains. I hate comin’ off as though I’m tootin’ my own horn or anything but I know WTH I’m talking about and so when I see this kind of blog post or read all these replies it kinda sickens me. Some people out there seem to just not want to learn. No one thinks for themselves. And people love to just follow what someone else tells them to do ONLY and never go out and do the hard work themselves, and then they get all upset when it falls apart on em.
Ya’ll do what you think is right, but them’s me thoughts. I hope nobody loses nuthin to MVD/Bacorp/Inscamm.
Good advice, marathon man. If you give in and send them more personal info, it will only prolong the scam. That’s what folks with the “PayPal Scam” experience reported.