BlueBird BEWARE OF THE BLUE BIRD (AMEX) !!! BLUEBIRD STOLE MY $400 & WON'T GIVE IT BACK!!! bluebird.com  Nationwide

     We recently got a AMEX Bluebird card at Wal-Mart to set up direct deposit for my 20 year old daughter. She used the card at one of the network ATM's found on Bluebird's website so that she wouldn't incur any third party fees. She was attempting to withdraw $420 to pay her car note. The requested amount was available from her direct deposit, but the transaction rejected (4 times) with a message stating "TRANSACTION NOT ALLOWED". So, the ATM never dispensed the $420. Yet, when we checked the Bluebird account, the amount had been deducted from her available balance!!!!!

     Well, we started by calling the phone number on the ATM for the operator of the ATM (Bank of Texas 866-714-4404) and the rep their advised that the all of the transaction numbers we attempted showed that no cash was dispensed because the transaction was denied by the card issuing bank (AMEX Bluebird). So, our next step was to contact Bluebird about the discrepancy. After a lengthy conversation with a Customer Service Rep who identified himself as Jay V., we were asked to fax in a copy of the denied transaction receipts as supporting documentation for an expedited dispute claim that he was entering. Because this incident appeared to be a system error on their part, Jay assured me that the money should be back in the account by the end of the day. As requested, we faxed over the receipts. Now, after at least 3 hours on the phone with Bluebird's Customer Service Department and even being hung up on by reps and managers at this company, the money still hasn't been credited back to the account and the only resolution offered has been for us to wait 45 days to receive an e-mail from their Dispute Resolution Team!!!

     Needless to say, I am beyond frustrated and pissed off with this company and their handling of the situation. I just don't grasp how a company like American Express/ Bluebird/ Wal-Mart can effectively STEAL $420 via a "System Error" and then just basically ignore a customer who has entrusted their hard- earned money to one of their accounts!!!! I have requested a corporate phone number and/ or e-mail address countless times only to be told that the Customer Service Department doesn't have this information. The managers (especially Christine) have been extremely rude and unwilling to help escalate this matter. In the meantime, my daughter- who only makes a bit more than minimum wage- is trying to figure out how to pay her car note because several multi- billion dollar companies, AMERICAN EXPRESS & WAL-MART, have combined forces & figured out how to manipulate a SYSTEM ERROR well enough to rob her of $420. I know this doesn't seem like a significant amount to these massive companies, but to a 20 year old worker who makes minimum wage- IT IS SIGNIFICANT!!!!! I just wonder how many more customers have fell victim to these same antics?!?!?!?!?