Complaint Review: Netspend Pre Paid All Access Visa - netspend.com

They've used that excuse a number of times with me as well.  "We didn't get the fax."  Seems to be a recurring theme with this company.  I believe it is a delaying tactic so they can keep your money as long as they can while causing their customers total and utter grief.  I will never use netspend again, because I still haven't gotten my direct deposit from them they they received LAST WEEK! 

Hi Brandy,

I am sorry you had to go through all of that and I know first hand that getting the wrong information can be disconcerting.  But blocking your card on NetSpend's part was the right move.  Since the deposit belonged to your mother, they were trying to verify that it was ok to deposit it on your account.  You would not want your deposit going to someone elses account and have that person spend all of it.  This is a common practice among banks. 

I'm glad to hear that it was finally resolved.  But as a long time customer with NetSpend I can assure you that you should not have problems like this again.

Thanks!

I have been using Netspend for over 5 years and only had a problem once, when their system was down. It came back on within the hour. Their customer service is the only negative. They don't speak very good English and don't have very good answers to issues that may come up, but I think it's more a lack of communication than that they are trying to do harm.

In response the report Brandy of Georgia wrote, I think it's a good thing that they were trying to protect her money by being suspicious. Her situation seems a bit confusing with the mom's name and PayPal account being directly linked to her own Netspend account. Netspend is diligent about unauthorized charges or even deposits.

They actually saved me from identity theft, when I got a text message saying my card had been used while I was at home on a Sunday, they cancelled the charge and reversed it. Another time my deposit was late causing a bill to be late and they actually reversed the late fees from my car loan issuer.

I have direct deposit and always get my money 2 or 3 days earlier than my co-workers who use banks. My 3 grown children all have Netspend cards and the only problem was that my youngest, who had never worked before, had a bit of an issue getting his card at first because he had no employment history. 6 months after he started working they gave him one without a hitch. I recommend them to anyone who needs a debit card and can't get a bank account.

Pamela

Medford, Oregon, USA

I had problems with Netspend twice. Money was taken from my account without my authorization. I was told to contact the company to request a refund and my money was returned to my account. The second time some electronic computer software company took money off my netspend account without my authorization. This company could not be reach and I informed Netspend and filled out a complaint and Netspend reimbursed me. I believe some site you visit steal personal information off your computer and therefore take money off your card. I had Netspend for a about four or five years and so far, it has been pretty good with their service.

I feel so bad because I have had great luck with NetSpend for 7 years. I have signed up many of my friends and they have had no problems. I have lost my cards and have had nothing but good customer service. I will say the one thing I hate most is the inability to get a hold of them in person. And my sister had problems getting her account set up but has not had problems since. I dont think NetSpend is a rip off or bad company. I think they pay low wages, hire incompentent people and deal with a lot of unethical people, so they have to be extremely careful.
But I just want to say it is a case by case thing.

I feel so bad because I have had great luck with NetSpend for 7 years. I have signed up many of my friends and they have had no problems. I have lost my cards and have had nothing but good customer service. I will say the one thing I hate most is the inability to get a hold of them in person. And my sister had problems getting her account set up but has not had problems since. I dont think NetSpend is a rip off or bad company. I think they pay low wages, hire incompentent people and deal with a lot of unethical people, so they have to be extremely careful.
But I just want to say it is a case by case thing.

I feel so bad because I have had great luck with NetSpend for 7 years. I have signed up many of my friends and they have had no problems. I have lost my cards and have had nothing but good customer service. I will say the one thing I hate most is the inability to get a hold of them in person. And my sister had problems getting her account set up but has not had problems since. I dont think NetSpend is a rip off or bad company. I think they pay low wages, hire incompentent people and deal with a lot of unethical people, so they have to be extremely careful.
But I just want to say it is a case by case thing.

I feel so bad because I have had great luck with NetSpend for 7 years. I have signed up many of my friends and they have had no problems. I have lost my cards and have had nothing but good customer service. I will say the one thing I hate most is the inability to get a hold of them in person. And my sister had problems getting her account set up but has not had problems since. I dont think NetSpend is a rip off or bad company. I think they pay low wages, hire incompentent people and deal with a lot of unethical people, so they have to be extremely careful.
But I just want to say it is a case by case thing.

must have been blowing smoke, trying to get you to apply for a cc or bank with some really strange rules.

File an online complaint with YOUR (not their) State's Attorney's office and the problem might just clear up faster than you think.

Go to one of many 'genuine' (big name) banking institutions online or small local banking institutions. Many nowadays even offer free checks and even checking accounts free of monthly maintenance fees (though some require direct deposit, which is really the way to bank nowadays.) Some even offer no or low risk shopping both online, and brick and mortar retailers.

Any, or at least nearly all banks offer debit cards absolutely free of any charge. And guess what? They are ALL prepaid. The only type of 'prepaid' card you should have other than a debit card attached to a genuine checking or savings account and with a real banking institution is a pre-paid credit card if you need to build or repair a credit history or have trouble controlling your spending. BTW, incase you may be wondering, contrary to what we may hear constantly on the Internet and TV, no 'debit' card will help to build or repair a persons credit history.

Go online and check out the big name banks or in your own hometown and check out preferably small local banks. If one doesn't want your valuable business (and money, preferably on your terms), drop it like a hot rock and move on to the many others. Time these days is just too valuable to waste on banks that do not want to have the used of your money even if it is just for a day.

Sparkle's lack of professionalism reinforces the previous complaints about all contacts with Netspend's customer service. After reportedly working for Netspend "for over 3 years" but is now an "ex-employee," she still sees everybody as the enemy.

She asserts that "no one reads their terms and conditions which is given in the booklet as well as on line." That a booklet is required to enumerate them is the reason "no one" reads banking terms and conditions. In the wake of the recent banking meltdown, former Fed chief Alan Greenspan admitted that even he can't make heads or tails of the jargon banks use.

Further, I wish to challenge Sparkle to respond with the logical path a visitor to the Netspend website would take to find those terms and conditions. That is what tipped me that there likely were complaints on Ripoff Report about Netspend. In searching the Netspend website, it became apparent that they hide the fee details until after you sign up for an account. Sparkle can accuse people of filing stupid reports all she wants, but hiding the truth about fees is simply dishonest.

Also, Sparkle's assertion that, "Netspend is a financial inst, which is governed by the same laws as a regular bank," has proved to be laughable in the wake of the banking meltdown. Supposedly these institutions were so closely governed, but we now know the truth that there is virtually no government oversight of banking. Even now, banks continue to operate with impunity-- and then come running for taxpayer bailout money when they fail due to their own greed.

I have worked for the company for over 3 years, and the problem is no one reads their terms and conditions which is given in the booklet as well as on line. Netspend is a financial inst, which is governed by the same laws as a regular bank. Upon applying for the card this company is required by federal law to verify identity on all applicants through our third party data base, if this cannot be done we are also required to request certain documents be faxed in. This company is also auditied by the federal government at will. When a deposit comes in under any other name other that what is on the account we do block the account until we have verified all necessary information. We are not scammers and we do not committ fraud. We abide by the laws set upon us to prevent such things from happening. If people would rea the BSA(Bank Secrecy Act ) and the Patriot Act that President Bush sign we would not have such stupid reports filed on us all the time.

I read your message, and I felt your pain...I also have had some serious trouble with netspend...I've lost money because after I payed the check cashing store the money to post it...it never posted...and the store said it was netspend's fault...netspend NEVER REPLYED to any emails...(they said for security reasons)...and the customer service via phone is non existent...

i've NEVER called netspend and got a favorable resolution to any concern i voiced (this at a 1.00 per phone call!!)also...when you purchase anything...they put a hold for the same amount on your card...so if you have 100 dollars on the card...and you buy something online for 49...the charge the 1.00 fee...you'd think you have 50 dollars left on the card...NO!!!...

they put a hold on your card...in this case for 49 dollars...so after spending 50 of your 100 dollars...you have a ZERO balance...it takes up to a week...(and sometimes longer) for the "pending" transaction to clear...meanwhile the company you spent the 49 dollars with has recieved their money...delivered the product...and consider the transaction completed...

netspend will tell you they are waiting for the company to send them a request for the funds...but of course the company doesn't NEED to request anything...they have their money...(that's why you have the product/service they sell)...after a week...or so...netspend will "credit" your card with your own money....

all that being said...here's the way to use the netspend card...after one year of hell and frustration...i've had almost trouble free use of the card for the past five years or so....use netspend cards for ONLINE PURCHASES ONLY!!!...and wait till you decide EXACTLY what you wish to purchase and it's price...load your netspend card with an amount 1.50 OVER the cost of your desired purchase...and then use the card...the important thing is this...USE ALL THE MONEY ON YOUR CARD FOR EVERY PURCHASE!!!!

I enjoy online games...when I need to pay a subscription fee...etc....I use netspend with no problem...as long as I keep the amount on the card at a near ZERO balance...there is near ZERO netspend can take from you...of course...after you make the transaction you have to wait a week before you can use it again...if you spend 100 on monday...load your card with 100 on tuesday...you will get a reciept for your hundred dollars from the store you use to load your card...showing a netspend balance of anywhere from 0.00 to 0.50...depending on whether or not you left any spare change on the card...

good rule of thumb...if you get paid weekly...do your online "window shopping" during the week netspend is "waiting for the transaction to clear"...and then a week after you last used the card...go to the netspend site...check your pending transactions...if you see any pending transactions...don't put any money on the card...if you don't see any...go ahead and load EXACTLY THE AMOUNT YOU EXPECT TO SPEND ON ANY ONE PURCHASE...

why does this work for me????

why go through all that crazy hassle..just so netspend can earn a thousanth of a cent on my 50 dollars that they keep for a week??

because...it's BETTER THAN USING YOUR BANK CARDS ONLINE!!!!

if some hacker gets your netspend card number...so what?? it's not ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR ACTUAL BANK ACCOUNT OR YOUR ACTUAL CREDIT...
the trick to navigating netspend's usurious maze...is to avoid the maze altogether...I have a visa and a mc from netspend...i alternate between them...

i ALWAYS check the status before i load a card...if i have a problem with a card...(they suspended one once for security reasons) i didn't even ask why...i just threw it in the garbage can...and paid 9 bucks for another one...it is worth it to me for online spending...and that's IT!!!! If you attempt to use your netspend card for your daily needs...best case scenario netspend robs you blind...worse case...netspend robs you blind....

good luck guy, I hope I gave you some good pointers

Thanks for your comment! Everything has been pretty good with the company now.. I am still weary because one time I wanted to dispute a charge on my card and all they did was give me the number for the merchant and I could never get in touch with the merchant and the phone number was automated. I called Netspend back and they told me that I would HAVE to get a hold of the merchant. When I was with Bank Of America I only have two problems in all the years that I was with them. The first was that my card was stolen and I was negative $170 on my card, Bank Of America immediately issued a FULL refund the same day I called and it was investigated through fraud and I was awarded the money because it was not my fault.

The second time was a merchant and they could have disputed it but they just issued a credit because it was a small ammount. Netspend seems very strict, I called in several times to dispute a double charge on my account and they would not even file a dispute or credit me the measily $10. I would be way to afraid to lost my card or trust it online because they will not help me and I do not feel safe with this company at all. I will only keep money in my card when I know I am about to purchase something!! Netspend Customer Service is hardly opened and if you lose your card they make you report it online, if you don't have a computer than you are out of luck if someone steals your card when they are closed because you will have to call when they are opened to report it. They do not send out statements and charge like about 50 cent everytime you call to check your balance.. Checking the balance on there website is free though and so it is best if you have a computer to open a Netspend acct. The one thing that I can say good about this company is that they are the cheapest pre-paid company. Some companies charge monthly maintenance fees and pay per transaction and charge more for the initial set up. Netspend charges $9.99 the initial fee and that is it, you can pay a $9.99 monthly maintenance fee or $1.00 for every transaction or purchase that you place..

Since I don't use my card a lot I do the pay per transaction, most other companies require to charge a maintenance fee of $9.99 per month and if you don't have money to cover it they still charge you every month and if you try to put money in the card they will take out like $30 for 3 months of use even if you are not using it.. Not all companies but some and that is why Netspend is better than some. Also a lot of companies charge a set up f of $19.99-$29.99 to open the pre-paid card and Netspend is almost free at only $9.99. I know that I shouldn't complain but I would love the customer service to be just as good as a normal checking account or credit card, that way I would feel secure to leave money in the card and make purchases.

Most customers feel like prepaid cards are not secure, or that just because it is a prepaid card the company doesnt have to have much information from you and shouldnt be a big deal, a prepaid card company is as important like any other major credit card company because we are working with money,the only difference is that with prepaid card you use your own...before 9/11 prepaid cards were entirely different , anyone could open an account with false information,anyone could have money wired from anywhere, even worldwide...after 9/11 this has changed because what customers don't know is 9/11 events were financed through prepaid cards, that way terrorist couldnt be traced or questioned if money was wired from other countries.

That is why giving your social is important, this is protected by federal law, giving false information will result in the company to put a block on your account until you are able to verify your identity.

In your case Brandy your account was blocked because you received a deposit from someone not listed on your account, the company doesnt automatically know that because she is your mom she can have access to the account, even if you are listed in some of her credit cards Netspend doesnt know that, Netspend doesnt run a credit check with your social, just an ID verification to confirm the information given is accurate, that's why her information had to be faxed in to verify she is related to you and the deposit was indeed correct, your account was not blocked for no reason.

I understand the problem was with faxing the information, and i agree with you on this one


Best Regards

Thanks a lot for the information, I will definitely send a firm email to her. I haven't been able to find an email adress before now. thanks again

Brandy,

Email this lady.....

selena.sierra@ netspend.com

Be firm and stern & just explain all the issues u have been having. Even if everything is currently fixed for you, dont let them off the hook so easily and express your disgust with them. Also, mention this website. Perhaps she will be interested in reading comments but I seriously doubt it. But if she cares about having a job there at Netspend, she might. again, my prediction is Netspend wont be around in 2008.

Have a Wonderfull and safe holiday. Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year.

Thanks! Because this was such a scarry experience and you are so right about not being like a regular bank account I am only going to put money in my account if I want to buy something online and I know that I need a credit card for and If I put money in the account I will spend it that day so as not to risk having my card suspended again.

I mean because it is so hard getting the card un-blocked. I faxed them my id and ss# several times before they received it! Everytime I called to check on the status, they said that they never recieved it. One guy told me it would take 4 hours to get and to call hours later and they kept loosing it. Finally I called and I explained throughly how I sent it in so many times and he told me to call back 15 minutes after sending the fax so they will be sure and get it.

I did that and they eventually received it and they said the fax was too light or too dark and was hard to read. I was so so angry!!! They did not make me send a fax but just told me to verify some more information. I went through h*ll with this company, so far. I honestly don't think it would have happened if it would not have been for the paypal situation but I did feel ripped off by them because of what I had to go through. I spent so much money faxing them information and time as well that I was about to give up and let them keep my money. I just don't know if it was worth it!

Plus if I lose my card or it gets stollen I will probably not get my money back either, that is why I am not going to put much money in the card from now on because it is not like a regular bank account. I wish that I could trust them but I can't! If you are looking for a regular bank account DO NOT go to Netspend because it is dangerous to put hundreds of dollars in the card because they can suspend your card for basically no reason and if your card gets stollen you'll probably be out of money. Netspends customer service is horrible, I shouldn't have to call them dozens of times to get situations fixed. I have had two problems so far and I have spent hours calling them gettting problems fixed.

Some reps dont even know what they are doing and keep you on hold to go ask a supervisor, its rediculous, and most all of there reps do not speak clear English. Why can't they hire some good English speaking Customer Service Reps?!?!?

First of all I want to say that I'm glad you got your money back and everything worked out in the end (sort of). I know how you feel bro I live week to week also and I had a somewhat similar experience with netspend. That is when I went to pay for something with pay pal my account was blocked, similar to your situation this is soon after depositing the funds to create the account.

In defense of netspend however I will say that this is not a "rip-off". I'm sure netspend makes plenty off of the fees that they don't need to freeze people's accounts in an effort to steal their money. In my case a simple call to their customer service department did the trick. The customer service rep did say something to the effect that I may have to send a fax of a copy of my state id and social security card but this is only to confirm my identiy, however it turned out that this could be avoided by my simply giving the customer service rep the address that is on my state id.

I no longer live there but haven't since bothered to renew, and when they put my info into the computer there was the discrepancy in addresses - a red flag for identity theft so that's all that was about. Also netspend and all other bankers/money transfer companies are acting under new federal laws created in the wake of 9/11 that provide for the federal governments enhanced ability to ascertain where you receive your money - and how you spend it. This is done under the name of curtailing funding for terrorist organizations, rather you agree or disagree with that it's not netspend or any other banking companies fault, they are just following new federal laws.

Since the original freezing of my account I've had no problem with my netspend card, I've made literally dozens of purchases and had money transferred into my account numerous times and btw it does usually take 2-4 days for the funds to become available with almost any bank account, (even the pay pal website tells you that).

I will say however that all of us that use prepaid cards need to be *very careful* because they don't come with many (any?) of the protections of a "regular" bank account where you can usually be reimbursed for fraudulent purchases even if you didn't report the card stolen until after the fact. Not so with prepaid cards. If a scammer were to ascertain your account info to make payments online or over the phone with a regular account you should *eventually* be reimbursed but with a prepaid card I don't think that would be the case.

It's best only to use prepaid cards if you really have to (can't open a regular account because you're in check systems) and only keep enough in the card to do the things you need.

later :-)
Jeremy

I finally have my card un-blocked!!! This was so much trouble and I spent so much money faxing the information to them, it is rediculous. I am going to take all of my money out of my account in case they try to block my card again I wont be out of money. I have 2 pre paid cards and I have had trouble with both companies, is there a pre paid card company that is better then Netspend and account Now?

That don't try to block you and that actually listen and understand you when you call in. Another thing I don't understand is that netspend is not 24/7 and if you lose your card they make you go to the web site to report your card lost/stolen. I haven't had this problem but what if someone is out of town and don't have access to a computer they make you wait untill the next day to report your card, someone can still your money by then. At least Account Now has a 24/7 lost/stollen customer service number where you can call.

Thanks so much for reassuring me on this, I appreciate it. I have called again today to Netspend and they put me on hold for a while and told me that they cannot locate the fax that I sent and will not be able to close the acct and send me a check or they will not be able to take off the block untill they receive the fax. The guy told me to fax it and call back 30 minutes after and that way they will locate it. I just sent another fax and they have not got this one yet. I am so tired of waiting in line at the check cashing to have this faxed, and it's getting expensive too.


One of the first guys I talked to didn't want to transfer me to a different department because he said it takes 4 hours to receive the fax. I eventually got transfered and they can't find the fax that I sent. I have had credit cards in the past and I have never had my card blocked for any reason and I can't believe there doing this to me. I am now calling back to see if someone else can find the fax that I sent, I am beginning to lose hope and all I want is my money back. :(

Brandy, I read your comments regarding netspend and trust me when I tell u sweety, they cant just keep yuor money. Thats YOUR money and you will get it back.

Now I cant say with 100% certainty when you will get it back, but you will get it back so dont worry sweety. If that was the case, netspend and other credit card companys could just go around freezing and blocking any and everyones account when the feeling slapped them in the a** and they would be all the more richer and would also end up on the FBI's most wanted list.

I would call them and tell them that you mean business! I know first hand how unprofessional and rude netspend is to customers but you have to be firm and stern with them and if you speak fluent english and that is the language you specify when you call in, the insist you speak with someone who speaks fluent english because netspend is good for hiring employees who dont speak very good english.

You call them and you tell them that you have contacted this site and also, the Attorney General. You contact the Attorney General and have them send you paperwork to file a greivance against netspend. But sooner or later, you will get you money.

I mean its YOURS, not theirs!!! I know, they act like its theirs but you cant allow them to have that attitude. Unfortunantly, netspend is not big on customer satisfaction and are fearless when it comes to customer service. What I mean by this is they speak to you any way they wish to and they obviously have NO worries about penaltys or loosing their jobs!!

I am a small business owner and if I EVER heard of any of my employees speaking to a client of mine like how netspend does theirs,they would be terminated without early notice..... period end of story. Netspend operates on a different creed though. They simply dont care. Im willing to bet that netspend will not be around in 2009. I give it a few more years.

Anyways, you call them SOB back and you speak to them firm and stern!! Dont be docile or timid or even soft spoken.You cant with them! You can be polite and firm and stern at the same time and you absolutly insist they put you in contact with a fluent english speaking supervisor, tell them of your intentions with the Attorney General and mention this website (tell them to check all our complaints about them out) and you demand that you get ALLLLLLLLLLLLL your money back and an apology for your inconveinance.