Invalid Gift Card Information. Please Try Again in 24 Hours. Walmart
Tamara Wilhite is a technical writer, industrial engineer, mother of two, and published sci-fi and horror writer.
I review my experience trying to utilise a Vanilla Visa gift carte du jour and share some of the bug I encountered. I hope this information helps other consumers make informed decisions when buying prepaid gift cards.
Photo past Diana Akhmetianova on Unsplash
What Is a Vanilla Visa Card?
A Vanilla Visa card is a prepaid card, which means that yous load coin onto information technology when you purchase it. It is sold as a gift card, though in that location are several types of these Vanilla cards, and some piece of work like reloadable debit cards as well. This article focuses on the gift card type, which is sold in denominations ranging from $x to $250+.
What Is It Used For?
- Information technology allows you to brand online purchases even if yous don't have a debit or credit card.
- This card is accepted anywhere that Visa is accepted, so information technology allows you to give someone a souvenir card without having to cull just ane retailer.
- You cannot spend more money than you lot've loaded onto the card, and then yous don't take chances overdraft. This tin help people curb their spending.
- Some parents use prepaid cards as "starter" cards for teens who are all the same learning how to use a credit or debit card responsibly.
But Is Information technology Safe?
In my opinion, the Vanilla Visa gift carte du jour is a scam with many different components. Beneath are a few of the problems I had with this card.
Issues With the Vanilla Visa Prepaid Gift Card
- At that place is a 24-hour expect to employ the cards online.
- Registration doesn't work.
- The website is not secure.
- Client service is hard to contact.
At that place Is a 24-Hr Expect to Use the Cards Online
When you lot buy these cards and actuate them (which requires a fee), you can't immediately use them to make online purchases. You take to wait at least 24 hours before you can register them on the Vanilla Visa website, which must be washed before yous can use the card online. Fifty-fifty if the website "sees" the purchased amount for the activated gift card, you even so cannot register information technology and use it until 24 hours have passed.
The carte's instructions say vendors may put a 24-hour hold on coin, simply in that location is no such warning in the instructions or on the vendor website stating that the card itself must be registered online. In fact, the website's "important things to know" section says you can use the Vanilla Visa menu immediately subsequently buy. This is not truthful for online purchases, though I don't know if this is truthful for an in-person transaction. Given the poor customer service and general reputation of the company, I doubt information technology.
Registration Doesn't Work
At to the lowest degree, information technology never worked for me. For the offset full day, any attempt to annals my carte by entering in my zip lawmaking and trying to proceed was denied. After buying 2 carve up Vanilla Visa gift cards at the same time from the same store and making a dozen attempts to annals them, I was never able to get a cypher lawmaking associated with them—meaning I could never actually utilise them online as was my intent when they were purchased. (I never tried to use these gift cards as debit cards with a vendor.)
The Website Is Not Secure
Card registration problems are not the only trouble with the website. I received a warning that the Vanilla Visa website has a cleaved HTTPS, equally well as problems with its SHA-1 Certificate. The TLS connection was secure, according to my browser.
Client Service Is Hard to Contact
I called customer service as shortly as I was able to detect a telephone number for their customer service section—which was not piece of cake. The phone number for Vanilla Visa support was only shown after I fabricated multiple failed attempts to associate a zip code with my bill of fare. The difficulty of finding a good telephone number for back up is another strike against this Visa souvenir menu. To assist other frustrated customers, I'm including the number below.
Vanilla Visa Customer Back up: ane-800-571-1376
Ultimately, I was never able to register my souvenir cards online through the website and had to telephone call the Vanilla Visa telephone number to become a null code associated with my card. And even after I had my zip lawmaking associated with information technology per my conversation with customer service, it still didn't piece of work that day or the next.
Comparing to the American Express Gift Bill of fare
I also tried out an American Limited prepaid gift carte du jour after giving upwardly on the Vanilla Visa souvenir card. It has some similarities to the Vanilla Visa, merely overall it was a much better experience for me. Here's how the ii cards compared:
- Activation Fee: The American Express gift card had the same activation fee ($5.95 at the fourth dimension) equally the Vanilla Visa gift carte du jour for a $25 balance.
- Wait Fourth dimension: The American Express carte du jour takes 30 minutes to activate after purchase. Equally soon as it activates, you tin use it for purchases, including online purchases. I was able to use the card the same day I bought it, whereas after three days of trying and declining to use the Vanilla Visa cards, I gave up.
- Registration: Yous can use any zero code, including your dwelling goose egg code, for the purchase without calling a telephone number or giving away personal data.
Another Problem With Vanilla Visa Cards: Fraud and Scams
Souvenir cards are common targets for scams and fraud, and the Vanilla Visa cards are no exception. One reason for this is that gift cards are piece of cake to tamper with, equally this Consumer Reports article well-nigh gift carte du jour scams notes.
Roll to Proceed
Read More From Toughnickel
For example, bar codes tin be covered upward with stickers that evidence a different code, leading consumers to unsuspectingly load money straight onto a thief's carte du jour instead of their own. The silverish scratch-off substance that covers Pin numbers can also be bought in sticker course, so a thief could scratch information technology off, record carte du jour numbers and Pin numbers, then comprehend the Pin back upwardly with a sticker, making information technology extremely difficult for consumers to tell that the carte has been compromised.
And those are just some of the issues with physical cards sold in stores. There are many other types of online and in-person scams that criminals utilise to try and gain access to the money on your Vanilla Visa bill of fare or other gift card.
Where Did My Money Go?
If you load money onto your card and afterwards check the balance to detect your coin gone, information technology'due south possible that someone else had access to your card information via tampering or hacking. You may see a list of transactions on your card that y'all did non make, frequently PayPal transactions.
The Consumer Affairs folio for Vanilla Visa souvenir cards shows numerous reports of this exact situation. It likewise shows numerous reports of the unhelpfulness of Vanilla Visa's customer service, so you may be out of luck on getting your money back.
How Can I Get My Money Dorsum?
Unfortunately, I don't have an respond for that, or I'd have gotten my own coin dorsum. If a Vanilla Visa gift carte du jour is used fraudulently, the company has a bad reputation for not helping victims fifty-fifty after they provide a lot of information. You can contact customer back up at one-800-571-1376, merely be careful about what data you share with them. At that place have been reports that the company demands copies of driver's license pictures and other information that puts the victim at risk for identity theft. And you don't want to share this data on their website since it'southward not secure.
If Vanilla Visa's customer support is not helpful, you might consider submitting a complaint confronting the company with the Federal Merchandise Commission and the Better Business Bureau. While this likely won't get your money back, it will assist force the company to ameliorate its services.
- Submit a Consumer Complaint to the FTC
- The Ameliorate Concern Agency Online Complaint Organization
How to Recognize Mutual Scams
It'due south difficult to spot a menu that has been tampered with; the best prevention may be to avoid ownership in-store gift cards, per Consumer Reports. But there are many other scams that you can protect yourself against by being aware of them. Awareness volition aid you brand smart decisions virtually sharing your carte information.
These are some examples of scams that readers shared with me. In these situations, scammers ask you to buy a Vanilla Visa carte du jour and so you tin can receive some class of benefit—just you can be sure that all the do good is going to the scammer.
Someone Offers to Give You Money
Reader stories:
If my friend asks me to purchase a Vanilla prepaid bill of fare so he can transport me five hundred when I have the card, and he asks me to take a moving picture of the front end and back of it, what should I do?
My daddy wants to requite me $ane,000. He said that I accept to buy a Vanilla bill of fare and screenshot the front and back of the card and receipt. He said that I demand $100 on that card because if it'due south less than that, he tin can't send the $1,000. Is it true?
If you buy a card and send the other party a flick of the front and back, they will get the card number and security code. They'll be able to drain money tied to the carte. And they may non transfer whatever coin to the card.
Someone Says You Won a Giveaway or Prize
Reader stories:
I ran beyond a person that said they would send me $400 because of some clemency giveaway from their church building. They want me to buy a Vanilla card, actuate information technology, and send them a picture of the receipt. Is it possible for someone to send coin through the Vanilla card with this information?
I accept a person saying they want to give me money—that it is a style for them to assistance people. They are telling me to get become a prepaid Visa carte du jour and they will assistance me put the money on it. Is there whatever coin coming out of my pocket?
The "charity giveaway" like "you won a foreign lottery" is a common scam to steal your financial information. When you provide someone with your card's details—or when they "assist" you put coin on it—yous're not providing them with a manner to requite yous coin; you're making it possible for them to take YOUR coin.
Someone Offers to Overpay You
Reader stories:
I take received a cashier'due south cheque for $1,815 and a request for me to buy $1,500 on OneVanilla gift cards. The divergence of $300 is my payment for surveying the shop where I buy the gift cards. I do not desire to accept this offer, so what should I do?
I sold a book on eBay, and the buyer asked to ship me $200 more than than the cost of the book so I would help him use a Vanilla Visa souvenir card. After that, I would transport him back the $200 he paid extra. Is this ok? Practise I have any risks involved?
No legitimate businesses (or legitimate customers) would brand these types of requests. As Consumer Reports notes, scams like these might be role of a coin-laundering operation.
Someone Wants to Pay You With Gift Cards
This scam is so common that the Federal Trade Commission has an unabridged page devoted to informing consumers virtually it. As the FTC succinctly says, "Gift cards are for gifts, not payments. Anyone who demands payment past souvenir card is e'er a scammer."
It's important to be enlightened of mutual scams involving the Vanilla Visa gift card (and other gift cards) then you lot can recognize them if someone tries to rip you off.
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What Non to Do
- Never ship someone photos of the forepart or back of your Vanilla Visa card. They can use that information to withdraw money from the card.
- Never send someone photos of the receipt for the bill of fare, either. Information technology may show the total or partial card number.
- Never provide a person or a website with your personal information unless yous are 100% certain it is prophylactic.
- Never trust something that is too expert to exist true, like a gift card offered at a huge discount.
- Never buy a gift card in the hopes that someone will deposit money on information technology. They won't. Ever.
Then, Is It a Scam?
While I and many others take had negative experiences with the Vanilla Visa gift cards, some customers have used them repeatedly without problems. This article is based on my experience. Other people have shared similar issues in the comments and in letters with me. Nevertheless, y'all might accept a different experience. Based on the few positive reviews I've seen, the company is capable of delivering the promised service once in a while.
Going back to the Consumer Affairs page for the Vanilla Visa gift card, information technology provides a telling film of customers' overall experiences with these cards. Out of 200+ reviews in the past year, at that place were a few positive ones, but the company overwhelmingly received 1-star reviews (out of five stars) and has a one-star satisfaction rating overall. It'southward notable that the site does non accept zero- or half-star reviews, and then 1 is the lowest y'all can become.
Inquiry Before You Purchase
To make these cards worth buying, there need to be better security measures in place to protect the cards both during and after buy. The immediate solution for consumers is not to buy Vanilla Visa souvenir cards. Instead, inquiry your prepaid souvenir card options before you buy, because there are some that don't have these problems; for example, some are usable online or in person inside hours of buy. My advice is to buy a carte with meliorate security and customer service than this 1.
Further Reading
- The Apple iTunes 866-712-7753 Scam
Scams are everywhere. This commodity discusses ane that has affected many people: fraudulent charges that appear to come from the iTunes store but have nothing to do with Apple. Larn what to watch for on your credit card bill. - Your Guide to 25 Fees That Prepaid Debit Cards Charge
If you're more interested in prepaid debit cards than gift cards and desire to research your options, one thing to expect into is their fees. This article discusses 25 prepaid debit card fees and how much you tin expect to pay for different cards.
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes just and does non substitute for personal counsel or professional person advice in business concern, fiscal, legal, or technical matters.
Questions & Answers
Question: I had bought a vanilla gift carte from a CVS chemist's shop shop of $25 only when I went home I tried buying something online but it didn't let me, so I waited for 24 hrs to try again but it still didn't permit me. Then I checked my transactions, and it says I have $0 in my card and that the money had gone to a PayPal account. What practise I do?
Answer: It sounds like someone has already used the menu. You tin't really practice anything most it, since the issuing company doesn't care. You tin can try to print the records and go back to CVS to beg for a refund, assuming the transaction log shows that the transfer to Paypal happened earlier you bought the menu. If the transfer is listed as happening afterwards you bought the card, they'll say you already moved the money and in that location is cypher to do.
Question: If my friend asks me to buy a vanilla prepaid card then he can send me five hundred when I accept the card, and he asks me to take a picture of front and back of it, what should I do?
Answer: Practice non do this. If you purchase the card and take a movie of the front end and back, they will go the menu number and security lawmaking. They'll be able to bleed coin tied to the carte du jour. And they may not transfer money to the card.
If someone wants to ship y'all money, they can do this through a wire transfer, Paypal, or check.
Prepaid cards come with fees and a take a chance the funds will expire. Simply have them send you the money some other way that reaches your account. The fees are equal or less in these other methods, and you lot won't exist ripped off.
Question: My boyfriend moved to New York and said he wants to ship me coin but told me I have to purchase a vanilla menu and I have to add $40 to it for him to be able to send me money, is this truthful? $40 is a weird number.
Reply: He can ship y'all money via coin transfer services like Western Wedlock, money orders through the postal service function, money sent via apps and banking websites. He could postal service you a check. Aye, this is weird on many accounts.
Question: My boyfriend asked me to buy a vanilla prepaid card for him to ship me 2000$. He says it has to be loaded with at least 25/30$ showtime - is that true?
Answer: Yes, yous'd demand to pay an activation fee for it to piece of work. No, don't do this. If he needs $2000, do a wire transfer, a bank transfer, or and so forth. Don't risk a money transfer method that charges and so many fees and is so prone to scams.
Question: I have received a Cashiers Check for $ 1,815, and a request for me to purchase $ ane,500 on One Vanilla gift cards. The difference of $300 is a payment for surveying the shop where I buy the gift cards. I do not want to accept this offer so what should I do with the check?
Reply: This is a scam. This is fraud. Exercise NOT greenbacks that bank check.
They desire you lot to put real money on a souvenir carte and transport it to them. The cheque is either fake outright, so you lot lose your real coin when you send it to them, or they are laundering drug coin, and yous're guilty by association for aiding them.
You lot tin can take the check to the police and study their request and their information. Or you tin accept information technology to your local bank, NOT cash information technology, report the fraud and permit them track information technology down.
Question: I bought a vanilla visa gift card of $sixty. I went online to buy something, but it didn't go through. I went to check the rest and said it had $0. I called vanilla visa gift card for help and I take to send a picture of my ID. Its a total scam. I lost all the money. What tin I do?
Answer: This is a common problem, as y'all tin can tell from the other comments on this article. The Vanilla Visa souvenir card provider doesn't intendance most fraud. They don't help yous. I hadn't heard of them asking for ID before, though that would make sense if they were checking whether y'all're the person who used it previously.
A unlike question is - who did you give your identification data to? And what information did they require? Just a driver's license is reasonable. If they asked for an SSN or a lot of other identifying information, and so you're at gamble of identity theft.
Question: How practice nosotros consumers get these Vanilla cards out of these stores?
Answer: I don't recollect that'southward the right arroyo. I remember the solution is better security measures to protect the cards during and after purchase. The immediate solution for consumers is don't buy Vanilla Visa simply a cash card with better security and customer service.
Question: I bought a Vanilla Visa card. Information technology was as an emergency and I wasn't able to use it. I called them. They told me they put coin on agree for a calendar week. A week after, it was nothing residuum. They stole the money I loaded on that carte du jour, and they create faux transactions. The card was non used because I was denied. I submitted FBI study. How else I can go my money back? Unmarried mom too. Hate the scammers and want them to pay for it.
Answer: Unfortunately, I don't have an respond to that or I'd have gotten my money back. A complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and negative reports with the Better Business Bureau will event in more than a report with the FBI.
Question: If my Vanilla Visa gift card isn't activated at purchase, tin can I get dorsum to the store where I bought from and ask them to activate it?
Answer: If information technology wasn't activated at purchase, you should check to run across how much was debited from your depository financial institution account / billed to your credit card. Find out how much money may have been practical to it, and y'all tin utilize that as proof that those funds SHOULD be bachelor on your business relationship.
If no money was taken from your bank account/credit card, then the card won't be activated until you lot pay the fees to do so and put the money on the carte.
Question: I just checked my residual and transactions but there was two of the items that I never bought. Please help me out, because almost 250 dollars are gone at present. What am I supposed to do?
Respond: The pain and frustration you feel is shared by quite a few others who posted comments. I lost money on a Vanilla Visa carte, besides. I am not customer service, and the entire basis of this commodity was to discuss the horrible customer service past the financial services visitor. You lot tin try calling their phone number or talking to the retailer, but most people had no luck on either end. Don't use them in the time to come.
Question: My mom told me to go purchase a Vanilla Visa card and phone call her in one case I got it because she was going to transfer money to it for me. Ok, and then she's not going to scam me, just how does that work?
Answer: It is possible to transfer money to it at the register. Some brands like Amazon let you lot transfer coin like an allowance.
Question: My daddy wants to give me grand. He said that I have to buy a vanilla carte du jour and screenshot the forepart and back of the card and receipt. He said that I need 100$ in that card because if it's less than that, he can't send it. Is it true?
Reply: Faux. He tin can purchase a carte du jour, load it with money and send information technology to you. He may demand data from the carte du jour to load it with more funds, but it doesn't need $100 for someone else to load it with more money. What he is asking allows him to drain YOUR $100.
Question: I have an Amazon purchase on my Vanilla Visa Souvenir Menu, only no Amazon business relationship (non my purchase). How do I get coin back?
Reply: I don't think you tin can, hence my complaints in the article.
Question: I chosen the number on the dorsum of my Visa card and it said I got a reward and I stupidly gave them info without thinking. Is this a scam I'm really scared what could happen?
Reply: It depends on the data you gave them. Proper name and address may non exist an outcome. In that location is no reason, however, for someone offer a prepaid debit bill of fare to inquire for a Social Security Number.
Question: My friend wants me to get a vanilla pre paid bill of fare and put $100 on information technology. Afterward I put $100 on information technology, he wants me to ship him a moving-picture show of the receipt. He said he would be able to put $1000 on there? He said just to keep the card pack and papers and receipt safe and it would piece of work. Is that true? Or is that a scam?
Answer: Scam, scam, scam. With the front end and dorsum of the bill of fare, they can bleed the account. Y'all cannot trust the person to put money on information technology. If they were going to transport you coin, why not wire it, mail a cheque or ship it another way without so many fees?
Question: My vanilla card kept declining my purchases. When I called to encounter why (considering I just put $200 on information technology) they told me they weren't declined but had pending charges (for things I never bought from a website I've never been to). They said it was approved and now my money is gone. I called and can't get anywhere. I'm out $150 and have nothing to evidence for information technology only hard work thrown in the garbage. What can I exercise?
Answer: It sounds like you're some other victim of fraud with the Vanilla Visa card. Unfortunately, yous can't practise annihilation except try to apply the remaining $50 on the carte du jour before that, as well, is gone.
Question: I bought a prepaid ane vanilla card with 300 dollars on it and the next twenty-four hours, I see that the money is gone. What practice I practise?
Answer: The company'southward client service blames the retailer. The retailer blames customer service. And both may blame y'all. You have no recourse. No one helps you. That's why I wrote this article.
Question: Someone is request to buy my vanilla card so they can deposit money on it. Is this a scam?
Answer: If they are request to buy your specific carte du jour, I would be concerned they are trying to admission any funds on it. You tin buy those cards at drug stores for a couple of dollars to actuate.
Question: I was gifted a vanilla card $200. It doesn't work. They told me someone else had "a agree " on the menu. The just way to give them proof is to send them all of my personal info and a receipt from the person who bought it (with greenbacks a year ago). Is this a scam with the vanilla carte company?
Answer: A concord on the card means it has probably already been used. It is reasonable for the issuing organization to ask for a receipt to verify you are the one who bought the card. The hard part is the personal data. Do you give them the info of the person who bought it or yours? If the person who bought the card used it, then your personal data isn't a match and they'll pass up to give y'all - the person who looks like you don't really ain the carte - the money. If you provide your personal information to a group that isn't actually the help desk, your identity could be stolen, as well.
Question: I was rewarded a vanilla souvenir card of $l. The beginning night I got information technology I used it to buy something off the internet. Ok that left me with near xxx or so dollars, I but checked and information technology said 36 or then was awaiting and I was left with 1.sixty. I chosen them and they said they will abolish that and requite me the money back. Is this truthful? And what the heck happened?
Answer: One possibility is that y'all placed a duplicate social club. More likely, someone already had the carte data and used it equally soon as they saw it was activated and loaded with money. I doubt the financial institution will give you the money back because they don't care about like cases of fraud.
Question: I bought my vanilla carte on a Friday. I tried to buy something and it kept saying that the card was denied. When I went back to purchase something online it said I only had 8cents on the card, when initially I had 40 dollars on the card. Information technology said I made 5 transactions for 4.99, and the name on the history said souvenir something. Does it accuse a fee for every fourth dimension y'all try to buy something?
Answer: Y'all shouldn't exist charged a transaction fee, simply the line items could be someone ELSE ownership 4.99 souvenir cards using the card data.
Question: Is the Vanilla Visa carte du jour like cash or a gift carte?
Answer: The Vanilla Visa carte is supposed to be used equally if it were a debit or credit carte du jour.
Question: I've been using the Vanilla Visa cards for years without any issues. I've never been asked for documentation or had a problem registering my zip code. Nor have I ever had any issues ever with ordering anything online right away. What is up with this?
Answer: This article is based on my feel. Other people have shared their issues in the comments and in messages with me. Based on your experience, they're apparently capable of delivering the promised service one time in a while.
Question: I bought a vanilla carte a few weeks ago and used it online; it even so had 27.77 dollars left. Today I checked the remainder and noticed I had zilch left. It showed a transaction that said paypal online. Did I just get robbed?
Answer: Yes, I believe you did. And at that place's nothing you tin can practice about it. I don't know if this is due to theft of information from the ecommerce site you did business concern on or something else.
Question: I think I roughshod for this Vanilla Visa Menu scam and gave them my personal information. I'm terrified! What can I do at this point?
Respond: It depends on the information you gave them. Name, address, phone number and electronic mail address are floating around in other databases. If you gave anyone your Social Security Number or driver's license number, lock downward your credit report correct now and so that no one can take out a credit card or other loan in your name.
Question: I've tried since the day I bought my vanilla prepaid visa at Walgreens to prepare business relationship. No progress and aforementioned with the phone. I want my $xc.00 back I loaded on this carte du jour. Tin can you please assistance ?
Answer: I suspect the carte du jour information was already recorded past thieves who drained the business relationship. If so, the creators of Vanilla Visa won't help you. They'll say the coin has already been used.
If y'all tin can't set the account, and so you have to go through tech support. Nevertheless, the money could be debited off the card before yous have an active account prepare.
Question: I bought a vanilla gift menu from Walmart and loaded $35 on it. I bought the card on 11/27 at 3:48pm and someone else spent all of the money on 11/28! Revvedmonkey was the associated name and information technology looks like this person used the coin on paypal and amazon somehow. Is in that location anyway to track this and prosecute the person who stole the money? I imagine this isn't the perps get-go time. I will never purchase a gift card over again!
Answer: The odds are low that the person can exist identified, much less prosecuted. The dollar amounts are then depression that police force and cybercrime experts don't care.
Question: When using my Vanilla Visa Carte du jour, they wanted my birthday to fill a written report out. Can anything happen if I give my birthday?
Respond: Vendors accept legal reasons to desire to verify you are over 18.
Question: What if my friend asked me to take a motion-picture show of the front and dorsum of my vanilla prepaid card, my home accost and my date of birth? Is that suspicious?
Answer: I couldn't put more red flags for identity theft and draining of someone's business relationship unless I added "Social Security Number" to the listing.
Question: Is "Visa" equally we know information technology associated with this card or are Vanilla souvenir cards only using a look-alike keepsake? Also it seems this company has quite a history of scamming, why can't the vendors selling this carte du jour take on whatever responsibility, if not why not?
Reply: The Vanilla Visa carte du jour is issued by The Bancorp Bank, MetaBank®, and Sutton Banking company, non Visa per se. The vendors don't take responsibility considering they A. get paid for the activation no matter what. B. different groups have unlike levels of protection, and you don't hear much about retailers that Practise protect card info. C. souvenir carte scams tin can involve any brand of card, when you're asked to take a picture of the front and back after loading money onto it. This card is just less traceable and thus probably more often used in gift carte scams.
Question: What can you exercise if you received 2 $25 Vanilla gift cards in June 2019 and a month later open them for the 1st time and both are declined? Online they both had a zero balance, then I looked at the transactions for both cards and they were used 3 to 2 times. Yet I never opened them till today (7/9/19)
Answer: This is exactly the problem created by the poor security of the card'south very blueprint. And the company's client service blames the client, saying you used information technology so they don't have to do annihilation.
Question: If I send my vanilla gift card number, can my coin be stolen off my account?
Answer: Yes, particularly if y'all send both the card number on the front and verification code on the back.
Question: I accept been buying vanilla gift cards for about two years, never had a problem till now. I tried to apply it and they told me that I couldn't use information technology. I checked the balance and it was gone. I take tried and tried to study that the money was taken off my card. I can't become through. I've tried on line on the site, I have as well called the number on the back of the bill of fare. After beingness on concur forever, I'm disconnected. How do I report this fraud?
Answer: This is a common problem, and there isn't much you can do. You could written report the financial loss in a police study. That's essential for insurance purposes, such as if you lot have identity theft insurance.
Question: Do I need my social security number to utilize Vanilla visa carte?
Respond: No. No legitimate gift card requires your Social Security Number to use. It isn't a credit card application. You may have to enter a name, address and phone number to register a gift card to use information technology to pay for things online. Even that data isn't required if you use it like a debit menu.
Question: My boyfriend asked me to buy a OneVanilla gift card of $five and activate information technology with $100, so he will send in $2000. Is this true or a scam?
Reply: Scam. This is a scam. You don't accept to put $100 on the carte du jour for him to ship you $2000. But if you ship him the menu information, he can bleed the $100 from the card.
Question: I ran across a person that said they would send me $400 considering of some charity giveaway from their church. They want me to purchase a vanilla card, actuate information technology and send them a film of the receipt. Is it possible for someone to send money through the vanilla menu with this information?
Reply: That information tin exist used to send money to the carte, and information technology tin be used to drain the card of funds just like when you take pictures of your credit card. The "charity giveaway" like "you won a strange lottery" is a common scam to steal your financial information. Do not practise this.
Question: I tin't get through to Vanilla card back up to study my bill of fare misplaced. I tin can't notice my paperwork associated with my account. I would like to just transfer to another card, just without my credit card number, it isn't possible. Any suggestions on how I can get that data?
Respond: The only possibility would exist if you had a re-create of the receipt from the buy of the menu, but Vanilla Visa rarely assists people who have that blazon of proof. And y'all're right, it is almost impossible to reach their client support - or get help from them if you did reach them.
Question: I had just used a vanilla gift card and had $sixteen.71 left in my balance. Today it says that the card was used and my balance is 0. It says Paypal bird, a code and the amount of coin that was used. I never paypaled anyone. What can I practice to get the money dorsum?
Answer: Someone can run a credit card / debit transaction through Paypal. This suggests someone had the Vanilla gift card information - including a photo of it - and then debited the carte that way. You can't become the transaction reversed unless you tin can react Vanilla visa client back up and go them opposite it. The problem is that they are hard to attain and tend to blame the customer if you tin talk to them.
Question: I recently purchased a vanilla reloadable gift carte du jour. I waited the 24 hours and the money still wasn't on in that location. I even made an account and ordered a specialized menu, simply the money's not in their either. How practise I observe out where it went? I put l on the menu when I bought it.
Respond: Unless you can become a hold of customer service and they tin can requite you lot an answer, there isn't one. It is possible your card was already compromised, and then the money was drained from the account as soon equally it was put on the bill of fare. Or you were given incorrect data and essentially wired your money to them twice. You should contact your banking concern and ask to cancel the "loading" of the menu and written report the fraud to them.
Question: I bought a "personal reloadable prepaid card" debit Visa for $500.00. Why can't I register information technology on the site?
Answer: A personal reloadable prepaid card is not a gift card. These things plain do require the apply of a Social Security Number, peculiarly if yous're going to receive payroll payments to it. If you can't register it online, you should exist able to annals it over the phone. Try the customer service number on the card.
Question: I put $150 on a vanilla prepaid debit carte. I can't activate it online or reach customer service. Is there a number or something else you lot tin can advise on getting to activate my carte or refund?
Answer: Your challenges with reaching customer service are discussed in the article. If the website isn't working, I take no other advice to share.
Question: I purchased a $200 souvenir card. It didn't piece of work within 30 minutes of calling carte du jour service. What can I do?
Answer: Your experience is similar to others who've commented here. Vanilla Visa does not have adequate fraud protection. When cards are drained past scammers, they blame the customers and do not assistance people.
Question: I bought a vanilla souvenir card a couple of days ago, and my transaction didn't go through because of insufficient funds. The balance reporting site says information technology was used for a website that I've never been to. Is it possible that visa prints multiple versions of cards with the same info and whoever uses it first wins? Or did the visa bill of fare somehow get hacked without me always using information technology?
Answer: The card has no funds on it until yous load information technology with money when you purchase the gift card. That means that duplicate cards are worthless until you put money on it. What you've described requires the card being hacked or someone constantly checking the balance and using it in one case loaded.
Question: Practise you pay your national 3.95 activation fee to load it? Why am I charge taxes on the vanilla carte on the amount of money that I am putting on it?
Answer: Activation fees are normal for cards like this. Information technology is similar to a loan application fee for a mortgage. While you lot shouldn't exist charged sales tax when buying a gift card, some states and retailers charge sales tax on the activation fee amount. That ways you're probable to exist striking with a 5-10% sales taxation on the three.95 activation fee.
Question: I'm trying to have out a loan from a Macau America company. They said I need insurance and to buy a vanilla menu, and that they will cover if I don't make a payment or stop making payments! Is this loan from Macau America company legit?
Reply: Fake, scam, bad. No legitimate insurance company volition gild you to employ a specific pre-paid card. You lot shouldn't be using credit card insurance, anyway, because many of those companies have such strict terms that they volition NOT pay the bills if you can't. On the other hand, yous could become disability/death mortgage insurance through your mortgage lender and credit card insurance through the credit card company - you at least known they are legitimate companies.
In short, NO, don't apply a vanilla visa and give them that data in the vain promise they'll only use information technology to pay your bills. They'll probably drain the account and never provide additional coverage.
If you lot're concerned y'all tin can't pay the bills, accept the couple hundred they demand to be on the carte and put it in a savings business relationship instead to cover whatsoever bills when you're short on greenbacks.
Question: Can I ship a vanilla carte to Ukraine so they pay the phone visitor over there so the person is able to call the U.S.?
Answer: You can mail it anywhere y'all desire. However, the odds are that the coin will exist stolen before the carte du jour reaches the destination - any destination - are high. Furthermore, they don't have to have a Vanilla Visa card to telephone call someone. You can send a literal phone carte du jour or wire money some other way.
Question: I sold a book on eBay and the buyer asked me if I accept to transport me $200 more than the cost of the book then I would assist him use a Vanilla Visa gift card. Afterward that, I would send him back the 200 he paid actress. Is this ok? Exercise I accept any risks involved?
Answer: Yes. No legitimate business customer says "send me money along with the stuff and I swear I'll requite you money back". They pay for the product and y'all ship the production they paid for. Exercise non do this.
Question: I was asked to buy a vanilla card and eolith 20 bucks on it. Then I did and gave them a copy of the menu so they could send me the money. Before I got home the money wasn't there. I chosen the client service to explicate and get a refund, just I didn't get a response. What tin I exercise?
Answer: You lot were scammed. If you lot know the person, demand the money dorsum. If you don't know them, never again buy a gift carte du jour in the hope someone will send you money - they won't, e'er. The scammers were waiting for confirmation you bought and loaded the bill of fare and drained it immediately.
Client service cannot exercise anything, because they can't know if you intentionally sent money to someone else. They can't reload funds that scammers will only accept, either.
Question: I have a person saying they want to give me money that it is a way for them to help people. They are telling me to become get a prepaid visa carte du jour and they will aid me put the money on it. Is at that place any money coming out of my pocket?
Reply: Scam, scam, scam. Someone tin send y'all money via Western Union, Paypal or send you a check. They don't need a prepaid Visa card to do so. However, if you put coin on the carte and send them the carte details in the hope they send y'all coin ... they will drain the card. And yes, that coin will come up out of your pocket along with the activation fees for the carte du jour.
Question: I received a VISA gift card from my aunt which I used to make online transactions on the Apple Shop. But when I checked, my purchases were yet pending, my payment selection (the gift card) was invalid, and now I am $41 in debt with the App Store. I also tried checking the Vanilla Prepaid Online Website; information technology concluded with "An error has occurred". I also attempted to actuate the card online, only for it to non work. What practise I do at this point?
Reply: If the website for Vanilla visa is downward, the bill of fare may not be registered - and you tin't go through online purchases until that's registered. You even accept to wait up to an hour for information technology to work with online shopping.
If the card has been drained, you have no recourse, the company that issued information technology won't help.
© 2016 Tamara Wilhite
Tamara Wilhite (author) from Fort Worth, Texas on Nov 22, 2019:
Scam, scam, scam. Yous don't have to put coin on it for him to send you money. But give him those details, and he can drain the $100.
Jane Lucas on Nov 22, 2019:
My boyfriend asked me to buy a OnaVanilla visa gift menu of $5 and activate it with $100 then he will ship in $2000 is this true or a scam?
Tamara Wilhite (author) from Fort Worth, Texas on March 17, 2019:
Ken Burgess Information technology was several dollars no matter how much money you put on the card.
Ken Burgess from Florida on March 17, 2019:
Not something I am familiar with (shop bought 'credit cards'), just out of curiousity I have to ask...
At that place is a $5.95 toll to getting a $25 card?
Veux on January 08, 2019:
To Commonssense the article was written a year ago and Vanilla Visa has washed some updates. I personally had a horrible experience with them and I am letting everyone who will mind know nearly them and you tin can read 600+ other people terrible experiences at https://world wide web.consumeraffairs.com/credit_cards/vanil... My son bought me a $100 gift carte du jour on 12/24 for Christmas and on 12/25 the card was hacked and the money drained. The funds were transferred to a false company chosen spandravy.com in San Jose, CA. Vanilla Visa Fraud Dept is horrible and their MO is to deny claims. I have been reading that most souvenir carte companies don't have botnet defense to continue this kind of stuff from happening. And so the best thing is to become old school and give cash.
Tamara Wilhite (author) from Fort Worth, Texas on January 03, 2019:
Dearest Commonssense,
I don't understand why yous're citing historic period requirements - I'grand an adult and that's clear from my photo.
Your personal feel doesn't invalidate my bad experience or the problems others take mentioned in the comments. I couldn't go the cards registered properly for use. If yous can't get it registered online or via a phone call, they are worthless.
Commonssense on January 03, 2019:
This is where you lot are wrong. I bender a vanilla visa debit card and I could immediately employ information technology afterward activating information technology. You need to be xviii+ in society for you to activate information technology and the number on the back has absolutely no problems.
solomontuptionvill.blogspot.com
Source: https://toughnickel.com/scams-fraud/The-Vanilla-Visa-Card-Scam
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