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Vanilla Gift Cards
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1.2 453 Reviews

Vanilla Gift Cards Complaints Summary

26 Resolved
422 Unresolved
Our verdict: If considering services from Vanilla Gift Cards with a critical resolution rate, extra caution is advised. Examine detailed customer feedback to understand the severity and nature of unresolved issues. Be prepared for the possibility of unsatisfactory responses and have contingency plans, including seeking assistance from consumer advocacy groups if necessary.
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Vanilla Gift Cards reviews & complaints 453

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Newest Vanilla Gift Cards reviews & complaints

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8:16 pm EST
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Vanilla Gift Cards visa ripoff cards

As it is once more nearing Christmas time and others out there may be considering “gifting” these VISA prepaid cards, please be forewarned. They would be more aptly named as VISA RIPOFF cards. The one overriding common denominator that users are experiencing with these cards is that they are NOT user friendly. “Vanilla Visa” is one of the worst.

I have received several of these in the past, and it was like stumbling through an obstacle course trying to expend them. It took several unsuccessful attempts to use the cards, several phone calls to the card company’s customer service number (when I could ever get through), diligence, and lots of patience before my prepaid VISA “gift” cards were finally expended and even then, I as the customer had to dole out instructions to the store clerks regarding how to process them. If the purchaser is attempting to purchase something that costs more than the value on the gift card, the store clerk must calculate the cost difference in ADVANCE and collect the difference in cost from the customer BEFORE scanning the Visa gift card. If the store tries to scan the card FIRST (applying it against the total purchase price) and collect the cost difference from the customer second, the card will be declined. Despite the fact that store merchants who sell (and are supposed to accept) these cards have a written contract in place with VISA, supposedly instructing them on how to process these stupid things, most store clerks are clueless on how to go through this ridiculous exercise. Climbing Mount Everest is easier than trying to use one of these cards in a restaurant.

The companies who market these cards are counting on the fact that once purchased, most of the people who were “gifted” (more like stuck) with these cards will give up using them out of sheer frustration and that only adds to the profit the company has already made on the sale of the card itself. Additionally, the credit card issuers get to deduct ridiculous monthly fees from the value of the card when not redeemed over a certain length of time. It is better to gift either cash or a specific store gift card that can be applied toward purchases in a NORMAL fashion without having to go through the confusion and absurd nonsense that most of these VISA prepaid cards (as a whole) inflict on unsuspecting customers.

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Mark e Davis
MT STERLING,KY,40353, US
Jan 06, 2023 7:56 pm EST

i purchased a $90 one and it wont work either i took it back to wal mart that said its not their probelm,I will call home office tomorrow

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Mark e Davis
MT STERLING,KY,40353, US
Jan 06, 2023 7:54 pm EST

i bought @$90 vanilla visa gift gard,found it was fake, wouldn`t work online,at wal mart etc,what do ido

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4:04 pm EDT
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Vanilla Gift Cards - deceptive fees

The fine print is so small stating the fees charged 7 months after activation, that I could not read them w/my 20/20 eye sight. I ended up paying $17 in fees on a $25 gift card. The admin fee was $2.50 per month after activation and therefore, the use of Vanilla Visa is a complete ripoff.

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1:32 am EDT
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Vanilla Gift Cards - Gift card not activated

BEWARE OF VANILLA PREPAID MASTERCARD I purchased a $100.00 Vanilla Mastercard from 7 Eleven June 18, 2010. Payment was made through myBMO Mastercard credit card and a reciept was given for 100.00 and the activation fee of $5.95. When trying to use the gift card I found out that it was not activated and was told to return to place of purchase. I went back...

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4:05 pm EST
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Vanilla Gift Cards Stole my money

Vanilla Visa is a perfect rip-off! I received 2 $100.00 gift cards
for my wedding . We decided to use these cards to see that one
card expired and the second was only good for $25.00.
There is NO CUSTOMER SERVICE and WE THE PEOPLE should
be Protected from such BS. If someone in Fortson Ga.could
locate their Place of Ripping the Attourney General should
Step In Tom B. Mass.

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complvanillavisa
, NE
Jan 23, 2012 7:16 pm EST

I've got 7 dollars left on my account and i couldnt buy a 6 dollar item. I go home and check my balance, and it says they cant find my card. Im guessing vanilla visa does this for everyone and that is how they manage to keep their company afloat.

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didi8065
Oceanside, US
Apr 13, 2010 5:31 pm EDT

you can file a complaint with the BBB as a start, here's the link to Vanilla aka Mio Card

http://www.bbb.org/columbus-georgia/business-reviews/credit-cards-and-plans/mio-card-in-columbus-ga-4118/#rating

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3:51 pm EST
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Vanilla Gift Cards - not able to use

Received Vanilla Gift Card for Christmas, declined at store. Tried phone number on back to to check balance and get message unable to complete call at this time. Tried website and it will not display. What a rip off. Someone spent good money on the card to five to me.

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10:00 pm EST
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Vanilla Gift Cards Access to the money and customer service

I have received a Vanilla Visa Gift Card twice. About 6 months ago for my birthday, and just recently for Christmas. Both times there was trouble using the money on the card. This card is a gift of frustration. Whoever you give it to will have to jump through hoops and end up no where! Eff Vanilla Visa!

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Visa insider
ii, CA
Jun 22, 2011 1:34 am EDT

Ok so there is no scam from visa on this one what is going on is there is a small ring of thieves going around stealing the cards and replace them with other cards that were not meant for that package and some how sealing them back up and waiting for the package to be scanned and then the cards being activated and the money being stolen off of these cards. I know this cause it happened to me personally.

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7:20 am EST
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Vanilla Gift Cards Rip off

What a rip off i received one of these cards and it got misplaced in a drawer when i went to use it the $50 balance was gone so i called customer service (what a joke they are no service) they said the balance had been used up by fee's so i complained they sent me a replacement but not for $50 only $24 i received it on 12/9 and acitivated it on 12/10 was assesed a fee for not using it of $2.50 and when i tried to use it it was declined 6 times. This is a huge rip off they have your money and are earning interest on it the card should never expire, if i took a customers money and gave them nothing but hassel for it like VISA i would go to jail. Tell everyone you know to avoid these cards and please write to your Senators and Congressmen practices like this should be illegal.

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4:17 pm EDT
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Vanilla Gift Cards can't use the card/declined

On June 11/09 I bought a Vanilla Visa gift card as a present to my sister, she tried to use it on 3 different places and they told her that the card was declined. I called the number on the back of the card and they said that it wasn't activated properly that I needed to go to the store where I got the card (Dollar General/Asheville/Patton Ave.) until 3 attempts to have somebody to help me the Assistant Manager called vanilla visa from there and they gave her some instructions but at the end she told me that I had to come back when the Gral. Mngr. get to the store that he would help me.

I went the following day and he did the same thing, called Vanilla Visa again and told him to read the card number and then the number on the outside of the card cover and they told him that the numbers did'nt match and he resumed that he couldn't do anything because the numbers didn't match, implying that I have changed the original card from the card cover.

How did I know that the numbers matched when I bought the card if I didn't opened it when I bought it, this was a gift card that you give away the way you buy it. Until this day I cannot use the card.

I feel helpless, like if they just STOLE my money and didn't even want to investigate how this mistake was done.

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PeachTea
nice try, US
Mar 04, 2010 9:47 pm EST

I purchased a 35$ vanilla visa and payed the 5$ activation fee, which is a joke. I read the information that came with it and realized I should register it online before trying to make an online purchase. I registered it online, and tried to make a purchase, only to find that it was declined! I tried to purchase again assuming I had typed a number in wrong, and it was declined again! I checked my accound balence to find that I had 7.85 cents left... what?! Turns out that the two transactions were "pending" and the money was in electronic limbo, neither spent, nor available. I contacted the store I was purchasing from, and they only showed one attempt and were not able to collect funds, because they weren't there. He contacted visa and they said there was nothing they could do, I contacted visa CS and got the same response. The merchant I was purchasing from was only able to cancel the order. The visa CS said I would have to wait a week to get my money back and that the entire process was automated by a program and that they could not do anything about it! Although, my money was refunded, I'm upset that I had to wait a week just to get my money back and for the card to realize it was registered for me to make a purchase.

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RobertHarris
Proctorville, US
Dec 31, 2009 11:32 am EST

I bought a $25 vanilla gift card to be able to bet it online. It is now being declined so I decided to call the company and speak with a representative about the issue. I have been on hold for 40 minutes waiting on "the next available representative". So my only assumption is that either nobody wants to work for them or there are way too many issues that need to be resolved.. unbelievable
-Robert Harris Proctorville, OH

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8:31 am EDT
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Vanilla Gift Cards vanilla master card

I received a Vanilla Mastercard as a gift and it was DECLINED every time I tried to use it. I did not want to embarass the gift giver so I put it away and tried again later. Seems like many places will not redeem it! When I logged onto the site they show they are deducting a "service fee" for NOT USING THE CARD. When I called - you guessed it - ETERNAL HOLD.

Turns out the company TAKES AWAY your card value month by month in "service fees." WTF? They get $50 for the card, they get to work with or invest that cash and then they take away a monthly fee for - what? - storage in my wallet?

I think Vanilla Master Card is a SCAM.

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sonia filiatreault
Gatineau, CA
Oct 08, 2010 10:16 pm EDT

Im french so Ihope you will understand what my complaint is all about.
Ihave vanillamaster card each worth 25$. I still have 14$ left on each card but when I try to use it on facebook it s not working but they tell me Ihave 14$ AVAILABLE ON EACH CARDS. How come Ican t use it.
Sonia FIliatreault

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jojo73
lachute, CA
Apr 11, 2011 9:08 pm EDT

i buy one every month my work fine

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VANILLARIPOFF
Fredericksburg, US
Jan 03, 2011 1:03 pm EST

VANILLA GIFT CARDS ARE A RIP OFF! TRUST ME ON THIS! NEVER GIVE THESE AS A GIFT!THEY DO NOT WORK LIKE MAJORITY OF THE GIFT CARDS!BY THE TIME THEY "FEE YOU TO DEATH" YOUR CARD HAS NO VALUE. THAT IS, IF IT ISN'T REJECTED AT THE ESTABLISHMENT YOU TRY TO USE IT AT!AND...CAUSING EMBARRASSMENT TOO!

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RKW156
Woodmere, US
Dec 14, 2010 2:35 pm EST

I just got two 50 dollar cards as gifts. Sealed in package that appears to be intact.

I opened one, only to find out that it had been used in California in 2009 for all kinds of different purchases. The card and also the one that is unopened, are both used and have no value. They somehow repackaged them or made duplicates with the same numbers.

Where do I make an official complaint for fraud?

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rachaelbb
Gurnee, US
Dec 01, 2010 6:35 pm EST

I my card expired the same month i got it for my little sister and now i can't get hold of any one real person form "Vanilla" to help me fix this. It feels like a really big SCAM!

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adsf23
asdfasdf, CA
Jul 29, 2009 6:44 pm EDT

If you were smart you would have read the terms and conditions printed on the card's packaging before buying it. By buying it you agree to the terms and conditions which includes activation fee and monthly fee.

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12:33 pm EDT
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Vanilla Gift Cards - Misleading/Fraudulent Info

How do you get a REAL person to respond to a complaint -- and at what number? All I see is the "automated" response number. I received the Vanilla Visa card as a gift in March...then misplaced it. I found it in early June and tried to spent it at J.C. Penney's. I literally ripped open the paper coat, handed it to the clerk...and she said there was only...

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12:25 pm EDT
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Vanilla Gift Cards - Card allowed overcharge

My friend gave me a $25 visa vanilla gift card for my birthday. I was making a purchase for approx $55 and asked the merchant to put the gift card toward the purchase. When she put it through, it paid for the entire purchase. The next day I went online to check the balance as I was a little befuddled as to why it would have paid for the whole amount when it...

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6:43 pm EST
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Vanilla Gift Cards - it won't work

My mother bought my brother and I our own $50 Vanilla Visa gift cards for our birthdays from CVS. We soon found out they were declined everywhere we tried them. I called the number on the back of the card and the customer service people just gave me a run around about how I was just doing it wrong. I tried everything they told me, but I finally got fed up...

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1:25 am EST
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Vanilla Gift Cards - Rip off

"Vanilla Visa" gift cards are a RIP OFF! Do not buy one nor consider giving it as a gift. The decrease the amount of the Gift card every month. When you try to use it, it declines over and over. When you FINALLY get to use it by applying half the money you were supposes to have... they the C>C. continues to decline! I will NEVER get on of these...

Read full review of Vanilla Gift Cards and 151 comments

Vanilla Gift Cards In-depth Review

Website Design and User Experience: The Vanilla Gift Cards website has a clean and user-friendly design. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to navigate and find the information you need. The site loads quickly, ensuring a smooth browsing experience for users.

Range of Gift Card Options: Vanilla Gift Cards offers a wide range of options to choose from. Whether you're looking for a gift card for a specific store or a general-purpose card, they have you covered. The variety of options ensures that there is something for everyone.

Purchase Process and Ease of Use: The purchase process on the Vanilla Gift Cards website is straightforward and hassle-free. It only takes a few simple steps to complete your purchase, and the website provides clear instructions along the way. The checkout process is quick, making it convenient for users.

Gift Card Activation and Delivery: Activating and receiving your Vanilla Gift Card is a breeze. Once you've made your purchase, you can easily activate your card online. The delivery options are flexible, allowing you to choose between physical or digital delivery, depending on your preference.

Accepted Locations and Usability: Vanilla Gift Cards are widely accepted at various locations, including both online and in-store retailers. The website provides a store locator feature, making it easy to find places where you can use your card. The usability of the cards is excellent, with no issues reported by users.

Customer Support and Assistance: Vanilla Gift Cards offers excellent customer support and assistance. Their customer service team is responsive and helpful, addressing any queries or concerns promptly. They strive to ensure a positive experience for their customers.

Security and Fraud Protection: Vanilla Gift Cards prioritize the security and protection of their customers' information. They have robust security measures in place to safeguard against fraud and unauthorized access. Users can feel confident that their personal and financial details are safe when using Vanilla Gift Cards.

Terms and Conditions: The terms and conditions of Vanilla Gift Cards are transparent and easy to understand. They provide clear guidelines on how to use the cards, including any fees or restrictions that may apply. It's important to review the terms and conditions before making a purchase.

Additional Features and Benefits: Vanilla Gift Cards offer additional features and benefits to enhance the user experience. These may include personalized messages, customizable designs, and the ability to check your card balance online. These features add value and make the gift cards more versatile.

Overall Value and Satisfaction: Vanilla Gift Cards provide excellent value for money and high customer satisfaction. With their wide range of options, ease of use, and reliable customer support, users can trust that they are getting a quality product. Whether you're purchasing a gift card for yourself or someone else, Vanilla Gift Cards are a reliable choice.

How to file a complaint about Vanilla Gift Cards?

1. Log in or create an account: Ensure you are logged in to your ComplaintsBoard.com account. If you do not have an account, please register by providing the required information and verifying your email address.

2. Navigating to the complaint form: Once logged in, locate the 'File a Complaint' button, which is typically found at the top right corner of the website, and click on it to access the complaint form.

3. Writing the title: In the 'Complaint Title' field, concisely summarize the main issue you have encountered with Vanilla Gift Cards. Make it specific and clear, such as "Unauthorized Charges on Vanilla Gift Card" or "Difficulty Accessing Funds on Vanilla Gift Card."

4. Detailing the experience: In the complaint description, provide a detailed account of your experience with Vanilla Gift Cards. Mention key areas such as:

  • The date and location of the purchase or incident.
  • Any problems with activating or using the gift card.
  • Customer service interactions, including dates and summaries of conversations.
  • Technical issues with the website or transaction errors.
  • Delays or failures in receiving a promised service.
  • Any discrepancies in card balance or unauthorized transactions.
  • Steps you have taken to resolve the issue, including any communication with Vanilla Gift Cards customer support.
  • The impact of the issue on you personally, such as financial loss or inconvenience.
Be as specific as possible, providing dates, amounts, and any other relevant details of your transactions with the company.

5. Attaching supporting documents: Attach any relevant documents that support your complaint, such as receipts, email correspondence, or screenshots. Do not include sensitive personal information like your social security number, bank account details, or other confidential data.

6. Filing optional fields: Use the 'Claimed Loss' field to state any financial losses you have incurred due to the issue with Vanilla Gift Cards. In the 'Desired Outcome' field, specify what resolution you are seeking, such as a refund, card replacement, or other forms of compensation.

7. Review before submission: Carefully review your complaint for clarity, accuracy, and completeness. Ensure that all the information provided is correct and that your desired outcome is clearly stated.

8. Submission process: After reviewing your complaint, click the 'Submit' button to officially file your complaint on ComplaintsBoard.com.

9. Post-Submission Actions: After submitting your complaint, regularly check your account on ComplaintsBoard.com for any responses or updates. You may receive feedback from other users or even a response from Vanilla Gift Cards regarding your complaint.

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