Vanilla Visa Gift Card

My sister bought me a $25 Vanilla Visa gift card for my birthday, and I wouldn't have thought the thing would have been so much trouble. I made my first purchase at a nearby post office. I took the card with me immediately afterward to do some grocery shopping. I must have been distracted because I wound up losing the card while I was in the store. I reported the issue to the customer service desk at the store, but definitely didn't expect to get the card back.

I called the Vanilla Visa customer service center immediately afterward to report the card missing, and I was told that I couldn't get a replacement card without knowing my original card number. I never had it locked away in my head. I even told the rep that while I didn't know the card number, I could tell her the one purchase that was made on the card! She still said that wasn't enough, and that the only way I could officially request a replacement card or report my old one lost is to get a receipt from the store at which the card was purchased. Of course, that was a birthday gift. So how odd was I going to look telling the sister who gave the card to me that I needed her to go back to the store she bought it from and request a receipt?! But my sister was understanding and got a copy of the receipt. She called the Vanilla Visa reps the next day and requested a new card for me. I figured my problems would be over after that.

I got my replacement card in the mail a few days later, only to find out that someone had made some purchases with the card! And strangely enough, those purchases were made at the exact same grocery store I lost it at! Couldn't have been more than 10 minutes after I reported it lost too! I called the grocery store and inquired about the purchases. The billing manager made me a copy of the receipt of the purchases made. I called the Vanilla Visa reps again and reported the problem. I was told that I'd need to file a formal report in order to get the credit back to my gift card, but that even if I filed a report with all my proof, that there was no guarantee that I'd get my refund. Apparently, there was some big investigation that would need to happen. The rep gave me a ticket number and said to include that with my report. She said that she would email me the documents I'd need to fill out in order to start the investigation, but I received nothing in my email. She'd told me that it would be something I'd receive within an hour.

I called the reps again the next day and went through the whole stupid process again. I got a new ticket number and got another promise that I'd get my documents emailed to. About two hours later, I received an email attachment. I filled out my report and included a copy of the grocery store receipt, as well as a detailed account of the events that had taken place. I expected the case to be air tight. Open and close. I expected to get my refund. I got two emails from customer service, one telling me that I needed to resend a copy of my driver's license since the image was too dark when it got faxed to the department. And then I got another email asking for an additional detail about my account. A detail that seemed pretty irrelevant to me, but I didn't care. At least, someone was looking at the report I'd sent.

I got a letter in the mail about a week later, and I expected to read about my restored account. Instead, I got told that because I didn't officially report my card missing until after the alleged unauthorized charges had been made on it, that Vanilla Visa did not feel that I'd proven my case. So they basically said that I was being shady and just trying to get out of my own buy. It's aggravating to me because they had record of my initial call about reporting the card stolen. They have record of when I called. They had record of when these grocery store purchases happened. So, it just didn't seem that my story was that shaky. But basically, because of the technicality of not having a gift card's ID number stamped into my brain, I could not successfully prove that I didn't make these charges myself. I was really, really heated. Because there was less than a day between the day the charge was made and the time the card was reported missing, I was SOL. I realize that it's my own stupid fault for losing my card in the first place, but the policies at Vanilla Visa are just completely unrealistic.

I bought two cards for purchases online. First discovered can't use up to max because has to be under the balance i.e. you can't use two cards to pay for one purchase. Then I went to a conference with a $250 card and would not accept a payment over $200. It took my association much frustration and work to process the card. A very rude Vanilla rep told me it was because they make sure you have 25% more on the card than the balance. How can that be when they won't let you process more than the maximum and leave a balance to pay? Never would I buy one of these piece of junk cards again and I will tell everyone and anyone not to.

My daughter bought a $50.00 card for Christmas. She paid $4.95 plus tax for this card. I went to go use it and they only gave me $41.00. I called the number on the back of the card and they told me that they took 20% off for a tip. I did not authorize a tip because it was not a service that was provided to me. I bought some shampoo and conditioner at a beauty supply store. They actually owe me $9.00 that was left on the card.

Now, I have to go on the internet and check or call if they have put the money back on the card. What a rip off and a scam.

I have purchased a Vanilla card gift card $500. It got stolen. I called the Vanilla card customer service and they were very efficient in cancelling the card. I was told they would send a new card between 7 and 14 business days. It's been 46 days. Every time I called they give me a different date from they have sent the card. Now they recognize my voice, leave on the line for 20 minutes then they hung up. I have the receipt. They are a scam and that has to stop.

I put $250.00 on this card so I could buy a few things online. What a mistake! It is denied every time I try to use it online. I think it is a scam. I called customer care. The lady I spoke with barely spoke English. She said that the problem was with my zip code (?). I was not real sure because I could hardly understand her. She said that she had the problem fixed. But I tried to use the card again and it was denied once again.

My daughter received a Vanilla Visa gift card for Christmas in 2009. She mislaid the card and forgot about it. We found it today and the entire balance has been eaten away with fees! The reason I am writing is to complain that VISA gift cards, as well as some other gift cards, charge excessive fees for non-use. First, they should not charge a fee at all. They are using other people's money, so why are they allowed to charge for it? Also, if allowed, it shouldn't be $2.50 a month starting six months after purchase. That eats up an entire gift card in a short time. When is someone going to do something to stop this travesty? They are not just businessmen, they are crooks.

I bought over $200 worth of Visa gift cards as presents for my family abroad. They are now all worth $0 because they didn't use them right away. The cards don't expire until 2012, but hidden fees of $2.50 per month were deducted from the value of the gift cards and ultimately, Vanilla Visa gets 100% profit. When I called them, they were rude and basically told me that I should have read the small print. This is a scam!

I went into my local pavilion's market to purchase with a Visa gift card to pay for an online purchase. I bought my gift card from a pavilion stand inside the store, there were many other gift cards but the one that I chose was a Visa gift card for $100.00. I paid cash and was charged an activation fee of $5.95, I came home went online to make my purchase and I was declined. I called the 800 number on the back of the envelope that the card came in and the people who answered the phone barely spoke English and much less understand my question as to the activation of my card . I was told that they do not handle the type of card that I bought.

Well I asked for a supervisor or a manager, I was on hold for 10 min, a lady answered but just the same, she barely spoke or understood anything in English. All I got was "I'm sorry!", I quickly called pavilions and spoke to the store manager, Tom **. He asked to see the card and receipt, I provided both at my arrival. He took the card showed it to his supervisor, he came back with a face and showed me that the card was counterfeit and apparently it was not the first time that this has happened, and said the same, "I am sorry, there is nothing we can do". He told me to call **, I said to him I have my receipt, that I bought this 4 hours ago and I paid cash, and I want my cash back. He said he apologized and all he could do is file a complaint. I asked to call the police to file a report but they said it's not necessary. I did all they asked and it's been 2 weeks and I called to follow up and the rep I spoke to said I would not get my money back. That I should come to the store and show once again the card and have the manager Tom ** fax a photocopy of my fake Visa card and my receipt.

We thought we were purchasing a visa gift card for someone only to find out that it wasn't. It required registration with personal information, to include SSN and there is a recurring $5.99 charge for every month there is a balance on the card. It is unrefundable once you discover this. The explanation that it isn't a gift card is in small print at the very bottom of the package the card comes in.

I believe that the Truth in Advertising Law needs to make them put that print in print as big as the rest of the print on the front and put it at the top of the card next to their visa name. Pus, it doesn't say anywhere that it cannot be registered by a business owner but it can't be. This smells like a scam!

I recently purchased a Vanilla Visa Gift card for my own use in the amount of $200. My first transaction was online, with a reputable company for a purchase amount of $77.07. The order was shipped, less one item, for an adjusted purchase price of $74.14. Later, a $2.93 charge was entered to prepay the backordered item with my approval. Vanilla Visa however deducted each transaction from my balance as though each was a different purchase. Instead of a single purchase with one item backordered, they documented these as three totally different transactions. Instead of taking the $77.07 I authorized, they took $144.28 from my balance, claiming it was the merchant who had a hold on these funds.

My son purchased a Vanilla Gift card for me at Christmas I went to use it at Boscov's on 01/01/2010 and was told that it expired 12/09. I called the number on the back of the card and spoke to Don on 01/01/10 @4:10pm. He said he had about 10 calls for expired cards and I would receive my new card in about 7-10 business days. It is now 01/21/10 & still no card. I have called several time and was told it was on its way.

On 01/21/10 at 10:10 pm I called and asked to speak to a supervisor. They gave me Blake I told him my problem and all he could do for me is to cancel out the card that supposedly on its way and now I am going to have to wait another 7-14 days for my $100.00. All the good sales in January and I can't even use my Christmas present.

I suggested that Vanilla Gift Card send out a bulletin to all the store who sell their cards and tell them to take all cards off the shelf that are ready to expire. Blake told me they don't know when they are going to expire and I told him it's right on the back in small print. My son didn't even think to look for an expiration date. He purchased this card from Rite Aid in Sicklerville NJ and the managers were very helpful there. If I had known to take it back to Rite Aid, I would have but they said they would have given me another card but they couldn't now since it was ordered through Visa Vanilla Card. I need your help.

Visa has assessed my $50 Vanilla Visa gift card a $2.50 monthly maintenance. This is in addition to the $4.95 activation fee that I was charged when I purchased the gift card. The Visa customer service representative that I spoke to today (12/22/08) stated that Massachusetts law allows Visa to assess this monthly fee. I was under the impression that Massachusetts law prohibited this practice. Therefore, I am requesting your assistance to resolve what I believe to be a violation of Massachusetts law.

I have in my possession twelve $50 Vanilla Visa giftcards. At this time, I do not know on all of them how much has been charged for monthly maintenance fees by Visa. I do know they have have charged those fees on several of these cards.

I was given a Vanilla Visa Gift card for the amount of $25. When I attempted to use it, it was rejected over and over again. When I tired calling them, the computer was always down.

Finally, the representative told me they charge a $2.50 monthly charge and I have 7 months to use the card before my balance is reduced to a ZERO blance by their monthly charge. I just think this Vanilla Visa Gift card company is a scam company and ripping cosummers.

i spent 25 dollars on a vanilla visa card and cvv numbers on the back were bad when i got it, cvs refused to give me a replacement or refund back on it. they ripped me off 25 dollars on this stupid card!

I want my $100 back.