Dont log in to your existing account. just open a new one.

Datapoint: all of my cards have been in spend down mode for a couple of weeks. I have still been using them though fairly much like I normally did - loaded them, let them sit for just a little while and then do a CA. I just loaded 1K to each of the cards and now I cannot log into any of them.

I wonder what MVD will say to me now after I have already been in shut down mode. Hopefully, they will just send me a check for all 3 balances and just completely inactive them.

EDIT: I actually just spoke to an MVD csr and she said I can spend what is on the cards now. It is so weird. How many times can we do this to each one of these cards. So now I can login and it says spend down again. I may just actually spend down and be done with MVD. They were already in spend down mode.

Here is my story:

A month ago I went to my bank to get CA from MyVanilla Debit Card. I asked the cashier for $498.05 ($500-$1.95 fee) CA. She messed up and instead made a CA of $493.67 but immediately realized her mistake and then (without asking) she made another CA of $4.38 to make a total of $498.05 without realizing that there is a fee of $1.95 for each CA.
When she told me about it, I (foolishly), asked her to "VOID" the transactions to avoid the double CA fee. She said that the transactions have been voided and gave me the customer copies of the "pre authorisations" with the words "voided" hand written on them.
I have been checking my MyVanilla account every few days hoping that the "pre authorisations" will fall off and the $498.05 will be available again.
Since that did not happen, I called them today to inquire about it. I was told that since there is still "pre authorisations" on my account from my bank the funds will only become available after ONE YEAR ! When I mentioned that I'll write to FDIC about it, the CSR told to to get a letter from bank saying that they will not collect the "pre authorised" amount and either FAX it to 1-800-291-4669 or email it to c[email protected] in order to get the funds released.

Now, can anyone tell me which is my best option?

1. Do as told by MyVanilla CSR

or

2. Take it up with my bank since they are the one who created this mess in the first place?

TIA

Occupational Hazard!

The CS rep U spoke to is another airhead, giving U runaround (mama ;)). Call/hangup MVd until U get lucky to find one that is sensible and willing to help. The pre-Autho... auto expires in few days if the charges are not presented for the collection. U can also go and discuss the matter with the branch manager, if he/she is a good banker they know how to handle such situations. U remind me why I have not used my MVD after reactivated and liquidated last month.......

Are you talking about adding a second user onto an existing account? Or opening an entire new second account?

MVD allows you to have 3 separate, independent accounts on a single social security number. When many of us on this thread refer to a second (or third) account, we're referring to an entirely separate account, not a second authorized user of our first account. The idea of this forum is to manufacture spend, so opening a second and a third account allows us to double and triple our spend.

I agree that this is an occupational hazard. You're talking about recouping an erroneous fee of $1.95??? I will tell you right here and now that your time is worth a lot more than $1.95 per (however many)hours it will take to deal with the folks at MVD. :)

I agree with prasha on this.. first try to get a rep that understands that the pre-auth should have expired within 30 days as stated in terms.

Second, if that doesn't work, do as they say and have bank fax them the merchant release info they told you to. Be sure to call them soon after the bank faxes it, in case they say they never received it.

BTW the email is p[email protected]

Its about 498.05

To those of you who say the authorization will fall in 7, 10, 30 days -- I tend to think you did not have the MVD experience ShakuniMama is describing. Unfortunately, I did. I also did not believe when CSR told me 1 year, but the authorization did NOT fall off after 30+ days. I had to more or less follow the instructions given to ShakuniMama to get the authorization removed by MVD and it did involve faxing a letter from the bank (which was a pain to get the bank to generate) stating that they (the bank) did not intend to collect the funds.

Early News Year Resolution!! Dumped this card. Don't need the grief. The clowns don't even have the ability to confirm the request and confirmation of account closing,have to write CS in Fortson,Ga.

You are correct, it will not.. and she stated she has already waited a month.

ShakuniMama:D

I purchased My Vanilla card on Dec 10, 2013 at CVS.... loaded with $4,000 and purchased MOs at Walmart and my card is shut down (=in spend down mode)...

+ 12/14/2013 WAL-MART -$0.50
+ 12/14/2013 WAL-MART -$1,999.60
+ 12/14/2013 Vanilla TopUp Redeem $500.00
+ 12/14/2013 Vanilla TopUp Redeem $500.00
+ 12/13/2013 Vanilla TopUp Redeem $500.00
+ 12/13/2013 Vanilla TopUp Redeem $500.00
+ 12/12/2013 Wal-Mart Store -$0.50
+ 12/12/2013 Wal-Mart Store -$1,502.10
+ 12/12/2013 Vanilla TopUp Redeem $500.00
+ 12/11/2013 Vanilla TopUp Redeem $500.00
+ 12/11/2013 Vanilla TopUp Redeem $500.00
+ 12/10/2013 WAL-MART -$496.40
+ 12/10/2013 WAL-MART -$0.50
+ 12/10/2013 CVS Pharmacy $500

I just called MVD and they said I didn't use the card as intended and I should spend my remaining 40 cents and the card will be shut down. How do I spend 40 cents if the purchase fee is 50 cents? ;-)

I think you should ask for a check for the 40 cents, and let them know your going to file a FDIC complaint if they don't overnight it. Unless they can show you in the terms and conditions where you were not using the card as intended. Just my 2 cents.

They call what you did Load and immediately Unloading. I usually try to let the funds sit for a few days before unloading them.