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RIP Redbird... Fun while it lasted

Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:02 pm
  #31  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
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Posts: 3,677
Originally Posted by PaulMSN
Too many here are drawing the less likely conclusion. The two factors are deposits and withdrawals and most here are jumping on the deposits, but it seems to me the withdrawals are the more likely reason. It could be the combination of both, but quick withdrawals seems to me something they really wouldn't like. Why would they care what amounts you load with?
I don't know the answer to that, but the letter explicitly mentions the size of the loads, so apparently they do care.

The still open question is if the OP was doing BP, or maybe ATM withdrawals, which brings up the suspicion of money laundering.
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:02 pm
  #32  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 749
Originally Posted by Travel4Points
I can't view the letter due to a firewall we have at work.
Can someone please summarize it?

"We are writing to you today regarding your Target Prepaid REDcard Account.

During a recent review, we have noticed several instances of unusual/irregular activity on your Targed Prepaid REDcard Account.

Repeated suspicious activity on your account has been documented as follows:

Register "Cash" Reloads in $1000 or $500 increments
Withdrawals and/or bill pays equal to the account balance immediately following "Cahs" Reloads

American Express and Target have determined that you are not using this account for its intended purposes and have deemed your relationship with us unsatisfactory. Your account has been closed effective immediately and a check for the balance of your account will be sent to that address on file within 60-90 days.

You are not eligible to reopen another Target Prepaid REDcard Account. "
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:03 pm
  #33  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
I can understand that they don't like loading and immediately unloading of large amounts, but I also don't really understand what's wrong with loading even numbers like $1000. That just makes sense. Who loads $843.54 to buy Target items? I would guess the main thing would be to avoid immediately BP/withdrawal, and certainly in the amount that was loaded.

I wonder how much of these shutdowns are the result of the extra attention and phone calls RB got after the fiasco last week.
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:05 pm
  #34  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 191
Originally Posted by PaulMSN
Too many here are drawing the less likely conclusion. The two factors are deposits and withdrawals and most here are jumping on the deposits, but it seems to me the withdrawals are the more likely reason. It could be the combination of both, but quick withdrawals seems to me something they really wouldn't like. Why would they care what amounts you load with?
Maybe similar to Paypal shutdown? Paypal cash and then debit/bank withdrawal.
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:06 pm
  #35  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
Originally Posted by Stubtify
During a recent review, we have noticed several instances of unusual/irregular activity on your Targed Prepaid REDcard Account.

Register "Cash" Reloads in $1000 or $500 increments
Withdrawals and/or bill pays equal to the account balance immediately following "Cahs" Reloads
After reading this again, I now really think the problems loading last week are a major reason for this. The "review" they're talking about probably came as hundreds/thousands of people called in asking where their CC loads went. Hence the "Cash" comment.
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:07 pm
  #36  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 226
OP- did you ever use the Red Card for purchases, either at Target or elsewhere?
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:08 pm
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by larsok
I don't see why they (AMEX Redbird) would care whether these amounts are round numbers or not. What do you want to hide from them? They see the transaction and know that you load the card with a credit card as payment, whether the amount is round or not.
The only reason to use odd numbers would be to hide the fact that you are loading a re-loadable card from your credit card issuer, so they think it is legitimate spend and not loading a card. So I think it will make no difference whatsoever. Just my 2 cents.
It just may be easier for them to see the repeated $1000, $1000, $500 loads if they are searching for customers abusing the system. Although people loading $856.78 + $724.92 +$918.30 (for example) may take longer to find for Amex, the fact is that they're still loading $2,500 total and most likely $5,000 for the month. I think it depends more on the rapid unloading of the card. I will start loading and then unloading after waiting some time in different amounts and hopefully won't get shutdown.
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:09 pm
  #38  
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Only ever took out $400 a few times back in November and they made me call in and unfreeze my account after trying to do a $400 and $300 back to back at a Walgreens so I quit doing that.

I'd buy things like bread, deodorant and gum maybe once a month

Last edited by RFDMinnesota; Mar 4, 2015 at 1:12 pm Reason: I can't spell
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:10 pm
  #39  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: WA
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we put money on our RB = money in their 'bank'

money in their bank = gain more interest and able to 'lend' more

take that money out before they can earn anything = effing with their profits

effing with people's profit =

= consequences

consequences = you get closed down
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:10 pm
  #40  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Chicago
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Originally Posted by RFDMinnesota
Ladies,

I received this gem in my email this morning




My hope is that my other birds of the same color don't meet a similar fate...


I'd like to propose a toast - To the best MSing since AP!
OP -- Did you ever use the card to make purchases at Target?

I believe that is one of the ways they intended the card to be used.
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:12 pm
  #41  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
Just curious-- do most of you guys load $2500 in 1 day all at once, in 3-4 consecutive transactions? I've never had the guts to do that. I wonder if that's what OP did-- $1000, $1000, $500.
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:13 pm
  #42  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Sacramento
Programs: RR, QS, AS MP, SPG
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Originally Posted by DaveInLA
Just curious-- do most of you guys load $2500 in 1 day all at once, in 3-4 consecutive transactions? I've never had the guts to do that. I wonder if that's what OP did-- $1000, $1000, $500.
I've never actually done the full $2500 in a day. Max I did was like $15xx.xx split between AM and PM.
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:15 pm
  #43  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 13
Originally Posted by Hecta
I think it depends more on the rapid unloading of the card. I will start loading and then unloading after waiting some time in different amounts and hopefully won't get shutdown.
I agree with the rapid unloading.

When you think about how they can possibly make money with this product (I can't really figure out how as it is so easy to abuse), their plan must be for people to carry a balance, visit Target stores more often and increase their spend at Target.
People who load the card and immediately drain it without spending anything at Target certainly do not create any profit.
So my guess would be that it is all about how you spend/drain not how you fund.
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:16 pm
  #44  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
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One of my cards (mine) I've loaded either $500, $750, or $1K at a time. I usually pay out of it within 7-10 days, generally the same amounts to load. I've kept ~$200 floating in there this whole time for purchases at Target, and replenish the $200 every month as I burn through it. Aside from that, mine probably looks guilty.

My wife's has been straight up load/BP. But only one month so far. Both mine are empty right now (sans the ~$150 in mine for Target purchases), as I'm awaiting a Citi PC from AA Exec to DC. Guess I'll sit tight for a couple days and see what happens.
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Old Mar 4, 2015, 1:18 pm
  #45  
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 197
OP, were you paying off the same CC you used to load the REDcard when you were doing your BPs, or was it a different CC?

There have been almost no reports of people getting shut downs on Serve or BB when loading the full allowable amounts each month so it seems a little strange that they would have an issue with this. The biggest difference between these products is you can't load BB directly with CC and the only Serve shutdowns I've seen reported seem to be correlated to using BP to pay off the same CC they have linked to the account for online loading in the same amount they loaded for the month. Which is the same thing that seems to be going on here.
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