Complaint Review: readydebit - Internet

This is about the readydebit prepaid debit card.

A business partner transferred me around $900 from their readydebit card to mine. Upon trying to sign on to their website to check the balance of my card, I was informed that I could not sign into my account. No reason was given. At no point did the company contact me to tell me about this situation.

I called the company to find out what was going on and was informed that my money had been frozen and that to un-freeze it I would have to provide them a faxed copy of my ID, my Social Security card and a utility bill. I asked and asked, but no one could tell me why the money was frozen, only that it would stay that way until I provided that information, at which point the "risk department" would look it over and contact me.

Before faxing the information, I tried repeatedly to get on the phone with the risk department because my utility bill is not under my name - I live with my girlfriend. I'm sure this will be an issue, but I was informed, after forcing my way to a supervisor, that I would have to wait for them to review my paperwork and then they would call me if there was an issue. The fact that I knew that there would be an issue didn't matter - I was refused access to this department.

After faxing the information, I waited a few hours and then called to see if I could speak to the risk department. My car insurance is about to lapse, I haven't bought groceries, I'm running out of gas and this is my only income. I informed them of all of this but despite the fact that I had faxed the information and I knew they would be getting back to me because of the utility bill issue, they still completely refused to connect me to the risk department.

Throughout the process, no one was consistent about anything but refusing to tell me anything. Sometimes representatives would tell me that the review process would take one to three days, sometimes they would tell me that it would be three to five days. When I first called after faxing the documents, I was told that the risk department would be open at 7:00AM PST and I could call back after that to be connected to them. Upon calling after that time, I was informed that I could not speak to them by the representative and the supervisor who I spoke to for over an hour.

If you can avoid this company, do it. I'm shocked that it's legal for a company to freeze money like that, not only without warning, but without even telling you why the funds have been frozen. And not even THAT, but they are freezing money traveling from one of their own cards to another one of their own cards. They are also requiring the sender to provide all of the information I've stated, and they're having all of the same problems.

Avoid them if you can. I had an American Express prepaid debit card before this and didn't have a single problem. If it worked for what I'm trying to do now, I would go back in a heartbeat. That is, of course, if readydebit ever gives me my money back. As it stands, they're basically holding it hostage.