[Trav]

Hey All,

I posted in JM's thread http://www.chiptalk.net/forum/online-poker/41446-alternative-deposit-method.html to stay away from the www-card. Sorry for my delay posting the whole story, but work's been crazy lately and I just haven't had much free time. Anyway, here's what happened... (warning LONG POST)


Okay, so here's what happened when I tried signing up for a virtual Visa card on the www-card site...

I decided to give it a try this past Sunday. Went to the site, followed the instructions, and purchased a virtual card. Everything seemed to go through okay. The order was processed, confirmed, and I received my virtual card number (complete with 3-digit security number, expiration date, etc), and was told that I could start using the card within 10 minutes (I'm thinking "cool, that was easy").

So I wait about 20 minutes (figuring, give it a few extra minutes to go through) and try it on a gambling site... declined. Try it again... declined. Okay, I figure it's just not going to work on this particular site. Not a big deal, I'll try a different site... declined, declined. At this point, I'm starting to think "maybe I wrote down the information incorrectly" so I go back to the www-card site to check my account info and balance. I enter my virtual card number into their system, and their own system doesn't even recognize it. I'm starting to get a little worried, but I'm still thinking that I might just be off by a digit on the card number I wrote down. So I call the 800 help number...

The first person I speak to (who speaks very broken English) is pleasant, but seems unable to help me. He asks me to hold while he finds someone else to transfer me to. (While I’m on hold I start hearing some advertisement in a foreign language... I’m starting to feel less and less assured.)

The next person I speak to (again, with broken English) is able to find my account (BTW, all of my information WAS, in fact, absolutely correct) and starts telling me that there was some sort of system problem with my credit card, and that it was declined because of “possible security concerns.” (I’m thinking, “Hmmm, a little fishy, but it could just be my credit card company trying to prevent fraudulent online use…”) This second person ASSURES me that I was NOT charged because the transaction was declined. She tells me that they will send a letter to my credit card company to get the proper authorization, and then it will go through. I tell her “no thank you, please do NOT send any letter, I’m not interested.”

So I get off the phone and IMMEDIATELY call my credit card company to make sure that the charge did not go through…

Wait for it…




Wait for it…




Yup, you guessed it… the charge most certainly DID go through!!! BELLS and ALARMS start going off in my head (and I’m feeling a bit like a jack@ss for even trying this in the first place). This is when I posted “STAY AWAY” on JM’s thread.

So, I immediately call the www-card back and basically ask them WTF? (politely, of course) I go through the same steps and “happen” to get connected to the same person who helped me before. She explains that “I” must have misunderstood her… She says that it wasn’t MY credit card company that declined it, but rather THEIR system that declined it. When I asked her then WHY WAS I CHARGED WHEN SHE SAID THAT I DEFINITELY WAS NOT, she said it must have been some sort of error, and she couldn’t explain it. (Yeah, okay…)

Anyway, after telling her that I wanted this removed immediately from my card and that I had already begun disputing this with my credit card company, etc, etc, etc, she said that it “must have something to do with the time delay” (because they’re in Israel) and that she was sure that this problem would be fixed soon. Blah, blah, blah…

So, I call back my credit card company (who was also less than helpful with this whole situation) and they tell me that I’m going to have to wait a day or two (because it’s Sunday) to see if it posts, at which point I can dispute it… blah, blah, blah…

Finally, I call my credit card company back tonight and thankfully the charge was gone. I’m not sure (and they couldn't tell me) if it went through and got removed, or if it did in fact get cancelled, or what... All I know is that I spent about 3 hours on the phone Sunday getting really p!ssed-*ff, when all I wanted to do was watch the Pats, have a few drinks, and maybe gamble a little.

Can I say this is a scam… no. However, it was certainly very shady and a HUGE inconvenience (and most disappointingly, it didn’t work). I stand by my previous claim… STAY AWAY!

(END RANT)

[JM]

Yikes, that sounds pretty bad Trav thanks for the report. I am going to trash that thread so nobody else tries it and has a hassle like yours.

[Trav]

Originally Posted by JM

Yikes, that sounds pretty bad Trav thanks for the report. I am going to trash that thread so nobody else tries it and has a hassle like yours.

Good idea... thanks JM!

[Ikkans]

thanks for the heads up!

[200 Motels]

Yikes. [sarcasm] Gotta love off shore call centers. Of course on one in North America would want that job.[/sarcasm] Cheap ass companies and their cheap labor.

Anyhow, if that is anything like a prepaid credit card, I would def be weary. There are a lot of large hidden fees attached with any type of prepaid credit card and are rarely worth the "convenience".

[joshuadalton]

Insert Trav's story here................ I had the same EXACT thing happen.

[MasterBrewer]

Yikes, 1 story like this could be an anomaly... but 2 stories exactly the same is immediate cause for concern! Thanks for the heads up guys...

[Trav]

Originally Posted by joshuadalton

Insert Trav's story here................ I had the same EXACT thing happen.

Sorry to hear that the same thing happened to you Josh!

Good to know that my experience wasn't just an anomoly.