Vanilla Gift Cards
reviews and complaints

I bought a vanilla MasterCard back in February as a gift for my boss. It seems that the card was not activated at the time of purchase, so when my boss when to use it she got a "decline" message. I open a case under that, BACK IN FEBRUARY. The first representative I spoke with was helpful, she told me to just send a picture of the receipt and after they received it they would take 3 t...o 5 business days to reactivate my card. I told the girl to follow up with me once she had an update about the situation. Of course, nobody followed up with me so I called back again a month after because when I went to use my card and got a "decline" message AGAIN. Then, they said the picture was not clear so they could not activate the card (but nobody followed up with me). So the second rep said I should fax the receipt and that it was going to take 3 to 5 business days to be activated. I waited about 10 business days and went to use my card, and again "declined". I called back AGAIN and the girl said... "oh yeah, we received the fax (almost two weeks ago) now is going to be 3 to 5 business days (AGAIN) and of course I went to use my card yesterday... and AGAIN DECLINED. I can't believe after all of the times I have spoken with the reps NOBODY can fix this problem. It has been almost 4 months, you guys always had my email address and phone number but NOBODY CAN FOLLOW UP WTH ME OR FIX THIS PROBLEM? Of course I had to buy another card for my boss the week after I realized that you guys were not fixing this problem. I paid twice activation fee and I am still not able to use my $50 dollars that I spent to buy the first card. I have being a loyal customer of vanilla pre paid cards for a long time, but I am no longer buying anything else from you guys. THIS IS RIDICULIOUS. I just finished school and I don't have extra money to be spending in a company that does not even care about their customers. I currently work in a contact centre so I know that when you say you will follow up, YOU SHOULD DO IT. My reference number is 399373. PLEASE FIX THIS. I AM SICK OF CALLING AND USING MY TIME WITH PEOPLE THAT DON'T CARE. And I need my money back. And it would be nice if you can also pay my double activation fee because I don't understand why I have to be paying for that twice if that is not my fault. THANKS. A VERY ANGRY CUSTOMER.

I had to get this card because Walmart would not give me back the cash I paid on my debit card for cell phone that I had to return. Now they won't take the card? I am soo done shopping at Greenvile Walmart... odd I can use that card at any convience store
I need to know the balance on the card and cannot find that out because of all the pop ups on my computer screen and they just never do tell how much I have left... they need to stop all this nonse and just tell people what their balance is so they can use it up

I purchased a $200 prepaid credit card from Shoppers Drug Mart and it was not activated at store level in order for me to use this right away. I phoned Shoppers Drug Mart who now has $200 of my hard earned money plus the $6.95 activation fee (which is paid but not activated) and I wanted them to reactivated or exchanged the card and activate a new card for me. I was told by shoppers to call Vanilla MasterCard so I did so, and the response I get was email me pictures of the front and back of the card, the packaging and the receipt of purchase and they will send it off to the department and they will investigate why the card was not activated (which will take up to 5 business days), they may have to resend me a whole new card which will take up to 30 days to receive. Fine print in the card agreement says they will charge a $9.95 fee to reissue a new card. I also called the People's Trust Company who make and issue these cards and they are not open on Sundays. I have called Shoppers Drug Mart head office customer service number they are not open on Sundays in order to deal with any customer complaints. I am not a happy consumer who has paid out $206.95 of her money to a company and paid for a activation service which was not done at the level it should have been done at and now have to wait a month to get my money! This is terrible business and customer service of all parties that I have gone through. I am angry and completely unsatisfied with how this is being handled or not handled in this case. Tara Gerrard

I bought 2 vanilla visa card on Dec-2011 with a 100.00 value each. I sent to my niece as gifts for her 2 kids. They never worked
got 2 replacements never worked. again 2 replacements never worked. It's been 4 months. My niece tried first then gave up sent cards back to me I called and i was told my niece had to call them to let thme know she sent them back to me. She called they said they would only talk to me. i called then I got the we will get back to you. No one ever does, I keep calling back and the same thing over and over. I want my 200 dollars back, I don't care about the visa fee.
Thank you,
E.Crom

I was given a $300 VanillaVisa gift card from my boss in October. It was stolen, so I reported it to their customer service department. Was told I would get a replacement card. I received the replacement card and put it away for safe keeping, to use in December for the holidays. When I tried to use the replacement card in December, as planned, I was told that all of the funds, minus $5.95, was already used up. I called their customer service department again and was advised to fill out their dispute forms, but since the funds were used in October (from the original card) and I didn't try using the replacement card until December, I will probably not get much, if any, refunded. Don't use them! They will take your money and leave you with nothing.

I purchased a $250 Vanilla Visa card only to find that it was not validated, Shoppers assumed no liability and
asked me to phone Visa. They told me that i would have wait for a new card in the mail as they had a series of
bad cards.
WHY IS SHOPPERS STILL SELLING THESE CARDS AND WHY COULD THEY NOT HELP ME. THE SERVICE END
OF THE RETAIL BUSINESS IS GOING TO HELL, I AM GOING BACK TO THE SMALL STORES, SAVING A COUPLE
OF BUCKS IS NOT WORTH IT WHEN YOU GET SCREWED AROUND LIKE THIS.

I tried using my Vanilla Visa Gift card for a purchase $11.00 less than the value of the gift card and it was refused. When I called Vanilla VISA to ask why I was told it was because of a 15% Hold Back fee. I was told this is written int he Terms and Conditions. I took the time to read my included Terms and Conditions and it was not stated about a 15% hold back fee. What a rip off!

Okay, so I purchased a 200 dollar giftcard, and here is what happened - i spent 100ish dollars and my balance was well 20 dollars left, do the math was still owed 80, after 3 hours on the phone it was fixed, so i spent 50 on a game, come back to check my balance and its at -20, again do the math its off by wouldnt you know 50 dollars, so are People's Trust in the business of defrauding their customers?

II received two Vanilla VISA gIFT cards for my, One for Christmas and one for my birthday?.I went to use one last month at a dept store and the salesperson said, I did't have enough money on the card to pay for my purchase|. I was so embarassed;. I will tell all my children and friends never toget this type of card for me again'. I called your customer represenative and they hung up on me|. So sorry that you do not care for your customers?. do not believe that both cards are no good for me to use because of all your fes:

Vanilla Visa Cards are a complete rip off. Not only are they not taken at all places where Visa is taken, the company charges a $2.50 monthly fee which can zap a card's entire balance if not used right away. We received three cards (2 $50 and 1 $25). We did not realize the maintenance fee as we had heard that Congress zapped those fees. We went to use the cards and the $25 card was totally unusable because it was consumed by fees. The balances we had on the other two $50 cards were also consumed by fees. AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS because it will cost YOU!

I purchased five Vanilla Visa cards on two separate dates. Four of the five are not activated properly. I have been advised that my 850 dollars will not be refunded by the store. That I must fill out forms and forward via facsimile to Vanilla and wait a minimum of 10 days for a new card. I could see this happening infrequently, it appears that after looking through numerous complaints that I am not alone in this acitvation scam. Notwithstanding the terms of the card are in [re-sealed packages that you cannot open on the display, so any of your rights or terms are concealed. I beleave that the Vanilla Visa providers are using our funds to make money on the currency swap exchange markets, having using of exponential money can bring a lot of profit to Vanilla. Notwithstanding the merchant takes a fee and wont honor refunds on unusable cards. I am starting up a class action law suit and want you to get hold of me at [protected]@hotmail.com. I am very much upset by this unwarranted cash grab and fraud played on gift card purchasers. The merchant should be required to refund an usuable card, they should have information available in the store and should explain that there are charges after one year for cards not used even though they expirary date extends into three years. It is time we take action against those coporations selling the cards and Vanilla Visa/Mastercard for unfair business practises. This scheme surely makes both the merchant and Visa Money from the unwitting and uninformed pruchaser.

Use of gift cards is always an interesting experience but there was a detail that was left out of even vanilla visa fine print and we did not find out that only 83% of the balance that was on the card was going to be available for use when we were checking out of our hotel in Hawaii (very embarrassing). The remaining $17.00 would not be available for use until 14 days after the initial hotel charges were made on the card.We spent over an our on the phone attempting to contact customer service and get through the multitude of computer voice instructions only to be put on hold until someone who could tell us about the hotel use clause could tell us that a percentage of the card was blocked but did not know what percent.
Thankfully we had a VERY patient hotel desk clerk who took the time to go dollar by dollar until we found an amount that would be approved on the card. Unless I am given one of these cards as a gift (which I hope not to be) I will not purchase them again as they are impossible to work with.
To note however we also traveled with the American Express Gift cards and other than finding a couple of merchants that would not take AE at all we had no trouble using them and found them to be a little more liquid and safe than travelers checks.

I recieved 3 $25 Vanilla Mastercard's as a gift from a friend.
I hadn't used them until trying to now, only to be told that there is no money left on them.

I called customer service and they said that 7 months after they are purchased, $2.50 is taken off monthly whether they are used or not. Consequently, I have $0 left on all the cards and the money my friend gave me as a gift in the form of a Vanilla Mastercard has instead gone all to them and their greedy pockets.

Feel free to contact me if you have any suggestions for solutions.
[protected]@rampionent.com

I purchased a gift card yesterday to be able to purchase Microsoft word online. Only to find out that you can't use the card for online purchases. No where on the packaging does it state that you cant use the card for such purpose. Since this was my first assignment needless to say I didnt get it done. And failed my first assignment. Doesnt look good on my school record already. Then when I tried to find out the balance on the card it told me the card had never been activated, when it clearly states that the card is activated at the register and immediately available for use. This card is useless do not every buy one for anyone or any purpose..You can guarantee that if i ever get my money back from this that i wont ever be purchasing another one...

I purchased a vanilla visa gift card so I could make some online purchases. I put $350.00 on the card. I can't even use it. I've tried to get through on the phone. No such luck. The automated service gives you an option to hold for a representative and then hangs up on you every time. I'm waiting to hear from my family member that I bought two additional "vanilla visa" gift cards for in the amount of $25.00 each. Yes that's $400.00 in total. I'm so pissed.

i bought a vanilla master card and cant use it i have contact the company on dec 18 2010 ref 310996 some one was to get back to me not as of yet dec 30 2010 i want my money back..this is very bad buissness.. and will never buy again all the trouble i went throught and i have been trying to call it hangs up on
me... what do you have to say about that . my name is mary barnes

Vanilla Visa is a rip off. They have in larger letters on the front of the product "No Fees". They hand on the rack amids other no fee gift cards. Once you buy it, you are hit with a $4.95 fee. When you try to return it, in my case immediately, you are told it is not possible to back it out. In tiny letters on the front of the package, it advises of the $4.95 fee whereas "No Fees" is written in large letters with smaller letters saying "after Purchase". The design was made to rip off so you buy several smaller denominations only to give them more fees. $4.95 for a $20 card is usury. And they won't tell where they are really located because the clerk said they are afraid of retaliation! Ain't that something!

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.