Horrible Customer Service by Insight Card. Part 1.
Are you looking for prepaid card? If yes, do not make the mistake and do not fall a victim of advertisement of Insight Card, sold by Republic Bank of Chicago.
There is a story what happened with me.
Almost 3 months ago I have planned trip to Europe and have decided the prepaid card is a good and secure option to bring some money abroad. So, I found in Internet the "Insight Card". I have visited Tax office ( I believe they are agents of Insight Card) filled up all docs necessary to get a debit card, have paid the funds and thought that it.
No!
They have asked me to come to the same tax office to bring additional docs to activate the card. I did this the same day. The tax office employee has copied my ID and gave me the card itself. She also assured me the card will be accepted abroad and it is already activated and ready to be used!
So, I left to Europe just to discover, the card is not accepted in Belgium, simply because retailers in the country have already forgotten how to use cards with magnetic stripe (POS devices do not even get the mag stripe readers here). The Insight Card doesn’t holds chip, it got only mag stripe.
I returned to US two month later and have tried to login to Insight Card web site. I got a message, my account is not activated and I must to call the customer service phone. I did this, waiting time was 22 min and the girl on the other side told me my card was not activated due to the fact the copy of my ID was "unreadable". She asked me to come to the same tax office and ask its employee to send the ID copy once more time. I did this again, was really surprised they are still using fax (!!!) to transfer the copy of documents.
After some time I have tried to login into Insight Card web side just to learn about my card still is not activated!
I have called the customer service again; they again have charged me $1 for a call (yes, they are charging you every time you try to access them by phone!). The guy of customer center told me, the copy of ID was again "unreadable"! He has recommended me to make the snapshot of my driving license by my smartphone and send to Insight Card by e-mail. I did this and ... o God, I have managed to login in my Insight Card account on the Insight Card web site.
But... this isn’t the end of the story!
I have learned my card balance is still "negative" because funds I have paid 3 months ago to the Bank were not transferred to my Insight Card account (but they didn’t forget to charge me for my calls!!!).
As additional confuse I got two SMS messages, one saying the PIN of my card was changed (I never asked them to do this!) and ... my card was send to my home address by US Post service (I haven't asked them to replace my card!).
The summary of my try to save my money using Insight Card service:
1. 3 months my money have been used by the Bank "free" without paying me any interest!
2. I lost almost 1,5 h time calling the customer service of Insight Card (they do not left you any other option to reach them). The waiting time of response of customer center never been less than 16 min, but one time it has reached 32 minutes!!! Just imagine you are somewhere abroad and local mobile communication provider is charging you $3 a minute!
3. I have been charged $5 for 5 "empty" calls that haven't solved anything!
Currently I am sitting with my phone connected to customer service waiting for the explanation of the custom service girl ! It is already 36 min I am on the phone! I hope they will solve the problem this time!
If you are interested to hear the end of this story search for my second part of the story!
#2Author of original report
Wed, August 30, 2017
As promised in Part 1, there is the second part of the story of trying to use Insight Card!
Today’s call to Insight Cards customer service has been answered within 16 minutes. The girl on the phone has asked me to wait and ... disappeared for next almost half an hour. The connection was disconnected after 40 minutes waiting time without getting and an answer.
I have called again. This time I got a connection within 5 minutes and the girl on other side just asked me if I really got my card? I have confirmed and she has promised me I will see my funds within next hour! Let's see if this will really happen?
#3Author of original report
Wed, August 30, 2017
I am sorry to wrongly mention the Insignt Card is realted with Republic Bank of Chikago. It is my mistake.