Complaint Review: Vanilla Visa

Earlier this year I received a $100 Vanilla Visa Gift Card as a gift. Today I visited the Vanilla Visa website to verify my balance. I was shocked to see that the balance was only $90 instead of $100. I have pasted the account history from the website below. As you can see, monthly maintenance fees began being charged on 7/17/2008.

However according to the Vanilla Visa website FAQ "A Service Fee of $2.50 per month beginning with the seventh (7th) month from the day of activation will be applied to the remaining balance except where otherwise required to comply with, or prohibited by, applicable law." According to the account history on their website, the account was activated on 4/29/2008 so I should not have been charged on 7/17/2008.

Vanilla Visa Gift Card Customer Service
PO Box 826 Fortson, GA 31808
1-800-571-1376
Transaction Date Transaction Debit Credit
04/29/2008 06:03 AM INCOMM
990400 Visa Gift Card Activation Visa Gift Card Activation:Credit $100.00
07/17/2008 04:41 AM INCOMM
990100 Monthly Maintenance Fee Monthly Maintenance Fee:Fees:NoAccount $1.50
08/13/2008 08:44 AM INCOMM-Fee correction
990100 Monthly Maintenance Fee Monthly Maintenance Fee:Fees:NoAccount $1.00
08/17/2008 04:18 AM INCOMM
990100 Monthly Maintenance Fee Monthly Maintenance Fee:Fees:NoAccount $2.50
09/17/2008 04:16 AM INCOMM
990100 Monthly Maintenance Fee Monthly Maintenance Fee:Fees:NoAccount $2.50
10/17/2008 04:15 AM INCOMM
990100 Monthly Maintenance Fee Monthly Maintenance Fee:Fees:NoAccount $2.50

I called and spoke with their customer service who told me that I had been charged correctly. I explained that their website says 7 months from the time of activation and that my account history shows activation in April. They claimed that the card was activated upon purchase in December 2007. I asked them how customers were supposed to know this since the account history on 4/29/2008 specifically uses the word "activation". They did not have an answer but offered to e-mail me information showing that the actual activation occurred 12/17/2007.

In this e-mail they also pointed out that the terms and conditions regarding fees had been changed in April 2008. During the phone call the customer representative supervisor "Richard" charged that I had not properly read the terms and conditions that came with the card. However, the terms and conditions that came with the card actually indicate that no fees will be charged prior to 12 months after the purchase date.

Additionally, they say that any changes to the terms and conditions will be posted at www.myfastcard.com. Today I visited https://www.myfastcard.com/gcreports/t&c.htm and the terms and conditions STILL indicate that no fees will be applied until 12 months after activation.

Faizal
Kirkland, Washington
U.S.A.