I had a thread on using some gift cards on a 10/22 or a Benchmade Mini Bugout. I knew at least one card was going to expire and wanted to use it before it did. However........
One of my gift cards was a "Vanilla" brand VISA for $50, given to me about 7 weeks ago, the newest of the bunch by far. Well, I opened the cardboard display wrapper it was in and called the toll free number to double check the balance and activate it if need be because I intended to use it today. Well, once I got through a wonky automated system, it says the balance is only a few dollars. Mistake, right, I just pulled it out of its wrapper? Called cusomer service (this time had to hit a different number in the automated system for customer service (WTF?), and got a list of transactions all within two days, mostly for Google Games for $0.99. Had to exit and call back again for customer service and you guessed it, a different number for the same choice in the prompt again. Spoke with a very broken english speaking woman, who informed me that she needed all kinds of personal info on me to open a claim, THEN she would "mail" me a claim form. Me: No, you mail the form and I will fill out the appropriate info. Her: No can do, need the personal info, starting with your birthday, to open a case, and the investigation takes 90 days, once your form is received and approved. Needless to say, we could not come to an agreement.
An internet search turns up a very "vanilla" website showing little accreditation for a brand of gift card this big. Additional searches shows many claims that Vanilla Visa is a scam. Not all cards by any means, but a large percentage of similar situations like what happened to me. And those that actually went through with the claim/case had to hand over things like the front/back copies of their driver's licenses, etc. and more, and not one I read about showed resolution to their case. Not one. All came to "no findings, sorry".
I would advise against spending any of your hard earned $$ on the Vanilla brand Visas to give as gifts, and if you have one that you have received, call and check the balance and spend it as soon as possible, all at once. Some of the "hacking" was initiated on other folks cards once a partial total value purchase was made. Sometimes the same day. Even though I had a balance of a few dollars, when I tried to use it, the card was not recognizable by the point of sale register.
Good luck OB.
One of my gift cards was a "Vanilla" brand VISA for $50, given to me about 7 weeks ago, the newest of the bunch by far. Well, I opened the cardboard display wrapper it was in and called the toll free number to double check the balance and activate it if need be because I intended to use it today. Well, once I got through a wonky automated system, it says the balance is only a few dollars. Mistake, right, I just pulled it out of its wrapper? Called cusomer service (this time had to hit a different number in the automated system for customer service (WTF?), and got a list of transactions all within two days, mostly for Google Games for $0.99. Had to exit and call back again for customer service and you guessed it, a different number for the same choice in the prompt again. Spoke with a very broken english speaking woman, who informed me that she needed all kinds of personal info on me to open a claim, THEN she would "mail" me a claim form. Me: No, you mail the form and I will fill out the appropriate info. Her: No can do, need the personal info, starting with your birthday, to open a case, and the investigation takes 90 days, once your form is received and approved. Needless to say, we could not come to an agreement.
An internet search turns up a very "vanilla" website showing little accreditation for a brand of gift card this big. Additional searches shows many claims that Vanilla Visa is a scam. Not all cards by any means, but a large percentage of similar situations like what happened to me. And those that actually went through with the claim/case had to hand over things like the front/back copies of their driver's licenses, etc. and more, and not one I read about showed resolution to their case. Not one. All came to "no findings, sorry".
I would advise against spending any of your hard earned $$ on the Vanilla brand Visas to give as gifts, and if you have one that you have received, call and check the balance and spend it as soon as possible, all at once. Some of the "hacking" was initiated on other folks cards once a partial total value purchase was made. Sometimes the same day. Even though I had a balance of a few dollars, when I tried to use it, the card was not recognizable by the point of sale register.
Good luck OB.