Green Dot Financial Network, Next Estate Communications, ripoff on sale of prepaid credit card Monrovia California

After reading the entire front and back of the Green Dot packaging for their Prepaid MasterCard Card offer, I thought it would be ideal for my under-18 daughter have in her wallet in case she needed to buy something while travelling without me. One of Green Dot's pitches tells the consumer how perfect their product is for parents who wish to give their dependent child a credit card.

Nowhere on the packaging did a notice appear stating her social security/taxpayer ID number would be required to activate the card. Since she is underage for working, she does not yet pay taxes, and does not yet have a taxpayer ID.

What did appear on the packaging were the statements that it required "No Credit Check" and "No Bank Account"

This led me to believe that this card was like a calling card - you pay the money to the cashier at the retail store, they add the funds to the card and off you go.

Not the case!

When I got home and logged on to greendotonline.com, I realized they do, in fact, require all kinds of personal information about the cardholder.

I was stunned to find out that they accepted my money readily enough without collecting any data on me but refused to give me the card I bought, for which they received my payment, unless I gave them all the identifying information they requested. This includes taxpayer ID number, home address, mailing addres, and driver license number for my daughter.

She is 12. Clearly there is no way she is going to have all that at her age.

So, I called for my refund. The retailers do not give refunds for these cards for ANY reason.

The Green Dot rep, Sherman, after trying like heck to get me to sign up for one of their many programs, told me I would have to give him my name and address so he could mail me a check for my refund in 7-10 business days.

We will see if I ever receive this refund. I just spend $1019.90 in cash a few hours ago because Green Dot only accepts cash for their cards. However, I cannot receive my refund in cash. They only give out checks. So, they are going to borrow my money for up to 10 days, interest free, then I can deposit their check into my bank account and wait for the 10-day hold to clear.

Green Dot is taking 20-day+ loans from people without the agreement of those people and borrowing the money without paying interest.

I hope they at least will start putting more honest information on their packaging and I will cross my fingers but not hold my breath for this refund.

Joanna
Saint Louis, Missouri
U.S.A.