Complaint Review: AmericanExpress Prepaid Blubird Card

July 16, 2013 

I purchased your Bluebird card at Walmart several weeks ago as a gift for my granddaughter so she could buy her own school cloths.  I considered other cards but Am Express appeared to be the best choice.  I could not have been more wrong.

First, it claims to have no hidden fees & no activation fee but when I  put the first $25 cash on it I was required to pay an additional $5 with no explaination as to why.  When I spoke to your customer service rep she had no idea what it was for.either. 

Two weeks later I added $25 more to my Bluebird account using a different debit card (I have attached my bank statement showing this charge).  I also set it up so that $25 would be automatically deducted from this card every 2 weeks & added to my Bluebird account.

A few days later I got a call from Am Express informing me that I could not do this since my debit card was also a prepaid card.  She advised me the only way I could use my debit card to add funds to my Bluebird account was manually online or at any Walmart.

The next day I received the card I requested as a sub-account with my granddaughter's name on it.  I attempted to log onto my Blurbird account in order to activate the card but could not log on for some reason.  I called customer service to find out why and was told that my account had been locked because "I had been given several warnings not to use my prepaid card to add funds to my account therefore my account had been closed permanently".

From that moment on I have been treated as if I had done something fraudulent.  When I asked why the $25 I just added to my account went through she offered no answer accept to say I had the option of wriiting the corporate office for further information.  In the course of this conversation which went on for more than 10 minutes, she kept repeating that I received several warnings not to use my prepaid card.

I asked her to please refrain from talking to me as if I had intensionally done something wrong.  I finally had had enough and told her to refund the $50 I have in my account.  She tried telling me that once the cancellation fees were deducted from my account a refund would be issued for the remaining balance in the form of a check.

I had her put a supervisor on the phone and he too continued saying a check would be issued to me for the remaining balance.  I told him I expected a full refund since I did not initiate the closure of my account.  I made several attempts at getting him to acknowledge the full amount of my refund to no avail.  He simply kept saying my refund would be in the form of a check and I should receive it by mail within 7-10 business days.  He then hung up on me.

After 2 weeks I still hadn't received my refund so I called customer service once again.  In fact, I have continued to call about it and each time I am told something different.  I was told the check went out the day before but for some reason was stopped.  I was put on hold while the rep tried to find out why.  When she came back she began a series of excuses  that simply made no sense.  I sympathized with her and suggested she put a supervisor on the phone since she clearly did not know what to tell me.

Once the supervisor got on the phone she refused to address my question regarding the status of my refund.  Instead she continued saying that my account had been closed because I ignored the several warnings not to use my prepaid card to add funds to my account.  I repeatedly asked her to refrain from treating me as if I had done something fraudulent and just tell me the status of my refund.  She too hung up on me.

The 3rd time I called customer service I was told I would have to file a dispute with my bank so the charges could be reversed before a refund could be issued.  And each time when I remind your reps that I paid $25 cash when I got the card and paid $25 on my prepaid card 2 weeks later, I get no response.  As with every other call I have made to date, I get no response when I ask about the amount of my refund.

This whole experience has been nothing short of a nightmare and quite frankly it’s beginning to look as if the only thing fraudulent is your Bluebird program.  I have spent countless hours on the phone with your customer service department without a resolution.  I have endured extreme stress and enormous disappointment and I have had enough. 

If I do not receive a full refund in the amount of $50 within the next 10 days I along with several friends will gladly stand outside of Walmart to inform people about this whole ordeal in hopes of sparing them the same unprofessional treatment I have received from your company.

In addition, I intend to contact the Better Business Bureau as well as the Federal Trade Commission.  If necessary I am prepared to set up a blog to expose your unethical practices pertaining to your Bluebird Prepaid program.   In addition, I will enlist the help of our local television networks.2013-07-16

Your customer service department has gone to great lengths to avoid issuing a mere $50 refund.      A company the size of American Express should be ashamed of how their customers are treated and I assure you I’m not the only person who has had to endure such un professionalism and downright rude behavior.  Perhaps that energy would be best applied to improving their customer service skills.