Complaint Review: Netspend

I received a text alert indicating an a transaction had hit my account. I did not authorize this transaction, and had no knowledge of the vendor that applied it. I instantly called Netspend to dispute the charge, and although it was still showing as a pending transaction, they were unable to block it. In addition, while I was on the phone with Netspend, the very same vendor processed another transaction, draining my account of any remaining funds. They refused to reverse those charges, and after spending a total of 6 hours on the phone, between holding and being transferred,

I was told that I was not the first person that had been affected by this. Apparently there is a worm in their computer system that drafts funds under the name Moneygram. Although they are aware of the issue, and although I am not the first person this has happened to, they refuse to reverse the charges and give me my money back. I was told an investigation would have to take place, and I MAY be able to recover the funds once the investigation is complete. They claim to be FDIC insured, and as I understand it, are supposed to release those funds immediately.

I have contacted the mother company, Metabank, and am waiting for a return call. I have also filed a formal complaint with the FDIC, and when I'm done here, will be doing the same with the Better Business Bureau. In additon, their phone staff can barely speak English, and it appeared as though they would transfer me anytime they didn't understand what I was saying, or if they weren't sure how to handle it.