WM Charges 4.95 to reload at kiosk
Jun 12, 2014, 2:59 pm
#121
Join Date: May 2013
Programs: DL PLT, AS 75k, AA Exec Plat
Posts: 391
Jun 12, 2014, 3:11 pm
#123
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 201
WalMart is excellent at playing one vendor against another. Hell, it’s likely they brought GreenDot in as a ploy to lure AmEx in for the big play. (Or Visa, whichever one brings the most money.) They love to give "the little guy" a chance to "break in to WalMart" and invariably use that as a way to bring "the big guy" in for the real prize. They bring in some niche detergent that sells 50,000 units, and then use that deal to get P&G to cut the price of 10,000,000 units of Tide.
Part 2: The prepaid card market?
At one time WalMart was not a big player in the toy business. Now they are the largest toy store in the world.
At one time WalMart was not a big player in the clothing business. Now they are the largest clothing store in the world.
At one time WalMart was not a big player in the sporting good business. Now they are the largest sporting goods store in the world.
At one time WalMart was not a big player in the pharmacy business. Now they are the largest retail pharmacy chain in the world.
At one time WalMart was not a big player in the vision care business. Now they are the largest optical chain in the world.
Just a few years ago WalMart didn’t sell groceries. Now they are the largest grocery chain in the world.
See a pattern forming here?
You need to understand WalMart’s strategic approach. WalMart’s big-picture goal is to be “The place that America goes for _________.” Fill in the blank. Tires. Toys. Shampoo. Clothes. Medicine. Food. Whatever.
WalMart does not want to be “a big player in the prepaid card market.”
WalMart wants to be “The place America goes for MONEY.”
So, WalMart wants to be a bank? Nope. If they were a bank they’d have to loan people money too. That doesn't make sense in retail. But remember, WalMart is not in the “retail” business. They are in the “retail transaction” business. They make nearly $500B a year by squeezing a few pennies out of a gazillion transactions each year. To grow, they need more transactions. And the best kinds of transactions are repeat transactions. Where are there lots of repeat transactions? ATMs. Banks. Check Cashing stores. Western Union. Etc.
To put a finer point on it...
WalMart wants to be “The place America goes FOR THEIR OWN MONEY.”
Imagine, if a company could charge you (or someone else) a small fee every time you gave them some of your own money to hold onto. And then every time you came back in to get some of your own money back… that company charged you (or someone else) another small fee? Now imagine if that company did that 10 billion times a year? The fact that many of those people will actually SPEND some of that money while they were in your building makes it just that much more appealing!
WalMart doesn’t want to BE your bank.
WalMart wants to REPLACE your bank.
Just like they REPLACED your pharmacy, your eye doctor, your toy store, your grocery store, your clothing store, your sporting goods store. Whatever.
See a pattern forming here?
PS – remember when I said WalMart was #20 on the Fortune Global 2000 list? More than half of the 19 companies ahead of them are… BANKS!
Jun 12, 2014, 3:37 pm
#125
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 93
WM Charges 4.95 to reload at kiosk
When I tried to load Serve today at Walmart it didn't seem to go through. They said the home line was down and it timed out. Whatever that means. I did not get receipts for the 2 attempts, just some little chits that indicated failure to complete transaction.
Upon checking Serve balance at home it looks like $496.05 was loaded once, not $500 as I tried to do twice. The problem so many are having. BUT my Buxx account from which I tried to load Serve had both attempts reversed and all my money is still in Buxx account.
Now what do I do? Serve will probably fix this one on their own and as long as I am not out any money I hate to waste time calling them.
Upon checking Serve balance at home it looks like $496.05 was loaded once, not $500 as I tried to do twice. The problem so many are having. BUT my Buxx account from which I tried to load Serve had both attempts reversed and all my money is still in Buxx account.
Now what do I do? Serve will probably fix this one on their own and as long as I am not out any money I hate to waste time calling them.
Jun 12, 2014, 3:53 pm
#126
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 201
Glad I maxed BB and Serve accounts by June 5th. Hopefully all you guys can help WalMart and AmEx get this thing squared away by July 1.
If you need me I'll either be at Customer Service loading GoBank accounts or down the street at my grocery store buying $2,000 money orders.
:d
Diversification, folks. Diversification.
If you need me I'll either be at Customer Service loading GoBank accounts or down the street at my grocery store buying $2,000 money orders.
:d
Diversification, folks. Diversification.
Jun 12, 2014, 5:02 pm
#128
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Midwest
Programs: UR(ink bold; Freedom), Skymiles Silver, HH Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott Gold)
Posts: 39
When I tried to load Serve today at Walmart it didn't seem to go through. They said the home line was down and it timed out. Whatever that means. I did not get receipts for the 2 attempts, just some little chits that indicated failure to complete transaction.
Upon checking Serve balance at home it looks like $496.05 was loaded once, not $500 as I tried to do twice. The problem so many are having. BUT my Buxx account from which I tried to load Serve had both attempts reversed and all my money is still in Buxx account.
Now what do I do? Serve will probably fix this one on their own and as long as I am not out any money I hate to waste time calling them.
Upon checking Serve balance at home it looks like $496.05 was loaded once, not $500 as I tried to do twice. The problem so many are having. BUT my Buxx account from which I tried to load Serve had both attempts reversed and all my money is still in Buxx account.
Now what do I do? Serve will probably fix this one on their own and as long as I am not out any money I hate to waste time calling them.
Get this: From 1 $500 OV, it said my serve account was loaded twice with the $496.05! Even have two confirmation emails. THEN, to make it crazier, the OV card still says a $500 balance when I called in to check! I quickly paid some bills with my Serve balance so we will see if they come after me for the $ after the fact
Jun 12, 2014, 6:01 pm
#129
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WAS
Programs: SPG Plat. Marriott Plat. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Diamond. IHG Plat.
Posts: 2,580
Wild! This happened to me too around 1:30 EST. Tried it at one register, then at another with the same OV card. Both times it said approved on screen, then printed out the two tiny sheets of paper.
Get this: From 1 $500 OV, it said my serve account was loaded twice with the $496.05! Even have two confirmation emails. THEN, to make it crazier, the OV card still says a $500 balance when I called in to check! I quickly paid some bills with my Serve balance so we will see if they come after me for the $ after the fact
Get this: From 1 $500 OV, it said my serve account was loaded twice with the $496.05! Even have two confirmation emails. THEN, to make it crazier, the OV card still says a $500 balance when I called in to check! I quickly paid some bills with my Serve balance so we will see if they come after me for the $ after the fact
Jun 12, 2014, 7:18 pm
#131
Join Date: May 2003
Location: CA
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 2,879
Wild! This happened to me too around 1:30 EST. Tried it at one register, then at another with the same OV card. Both times it said approved on screen, then printed out the two tiny sheets of paper.
Get this: From 1 $500 OV, it said my serve account was loaded twice with the $496.05! Even have two confirmation emails. THEN, to make it crazier, the OV card still says a $500 balance when I called in to check! I quickly paid some bills with my Serve balance so we will see if they come after me for the $ after the fact
Get this: From 1 $500 OV, it said my serve account was loaded twice with the $496.05! Even have two confirmation emails. THEN, to make it crazier, the OV card still says a $500 balance when I called in to check! I quickly paid some bills with my Serve balance so we will see if they come after me for the $ after the fact
Suggest you go back and make things right. As others have said, one way or another you will need to pay back the funds. They can be tracked (remember Serve has your address and bank account numbers)
Jun 12, 2014, 7:25 pm
#132
Join Date: May 2003
Location: CA
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 2,879
When I tried to load Serve today at Walmart it didn't seem to go through. They said the home line was down and it timed out. Whatever that means. I did not get receipts for the 2 attempts, just some little chits that indicated failure to complete transaction.
Upon checking Serve balance at home it looks like $496.05 was loaded once, not $500 as I tried to do twice. The problem so many are having. BUT my Buxx account from which I tried to load Serve had both attempts reversed and all my money is still in Buxx account.
Now what do I do? Serve will probably fix this one on their own and as long as I am not out any money I hate to waste time calling them.
Upon checking Serve balance at home it looks like $496.05 was loaded once, not $500 as I tried to do twice. The problem so many are having. BUT my Buxx account from which I tried to load Serve had both attempts reversed and all my money is still in Buxx account.
Now what do I do? Serve will probably fix this one on their own and as long as I am not out any money I hate to waste time calling them.
Jun 12, 2014, 9:33 pm
#134
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Orange County, CA
Programs: Delta PM | US PP | Hilton Gold
Posts: 288
Just spoke to level 2 support at Serve. I was told this was a Walmart issue and mentioned the fee may be charged going forward using GC. I too was charged a 3.95 fee using a GC. I tried again with my bank debit (chase), and no issues. Not looking good!!!
Jun 12, 2014, 9:37 pm
#135
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WAS
Programs: SPG Plat. Marriott Plat. Hilton Diamond. Hyatt Diamond. IHG Plat.
Posts: 2,580
How do they know it's a GC unless you told them?