RIP Redbird... Fun while it lasted
 

Ladies,

I received this gem in my email this morning :(

http://s02.imageupper.com/1_t/8/O1425496626415578_1.jpg


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!

Wow...the shutdowns begin...

Uggghhhh! I just got my dad and sister one! Oh well....time to teach them to pimp out a little cutie named Kate.

A friend of mine recently received the same email. I hope it isn't coming in waves...

Thanks for posting. Most that get cut off don't bother to post.

Looks like there are two red flags that you triggered. Proof positive that round numbers are a bad thing.

Eh maybe, though I do think AMEX got around to hiring people with common sense

That's why I always load in odd amounts. It wouldn't be the first time a shutdown has occurred by reoccurring amounts and immediate billpays.

On another note. I'm glad AMEX is thinning the herd of newbies!

The link isn't working for me. Might be my corporate firewall.

What happened?

Since they specifically mentioned $1K and $500 loads, it's pretty obvious that it's one of their red flags.

I assume you also immediately drained your card.

How long did you have it for? I assume $5k/mo every month.

so i don't have mine yet (still waiting on the perm) but what i'm picking up is do weird amounts...not everyday (and maybe just once a day; ie: not the full $2500)...and don't billpay/withdrawl it all immediately...think i can handle that...

I let it sit there for a few days a couple times, but usually I took it out one way or another pretty quickly.

Had it since October I think. 5K or damn near every month

Having been told over and over that I don't understand the game or "play" it right, this is validation that it's sensible to throw in other spending once in awhile. Not to mention cash activity be done with temperance.

This is why I've been doing "odd" amounts instead of the flashy 1k/1k/500

Hoping that it's not a nationwide shut down :(

so... get money out right now or hope for the best?

60-90 days is a long time to have thousands of dollars tied up.

Come on. Loading 5K a month is enough. Your not fooling anyone by buying a cup of coffee or groceries with the card, but keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better

I've been trying to do non-even numbers with both loads and BP. I also make occasional Target purchases. Hopefully that keeps me alive.

Thank you very much for full disclosure on your posts; it helps to figure out the best way to proceed.

I've only withdrawn cash once ($200) and paid two mortgage payments. I have several thousand sitting in the account that I'll eventually transfer over to my brokerage account. No hurry though.

Good thing I always load in odd amounts. I also don't bill pay right away or do it for the same amount I loaded.

I typically do my loading over the course of a few weeks, in odd amounts. Then I bill pay my credit cards about a week or two before statement closing (I make sure all my CC statements close at the same time), but not in the exact amounts I loaded. In fact, I don't even care whether or not it's the same credit card I used to load. I just pay off each credit card from whichever account has enough to pay the balance.

Hmmmm...

Thousands (at least) of us doing this, and one person gets shut down? :confused:

mostly bank withdrawals or billpay?

^ Excellent question....

Keeping my fingers crossed, I'd prefer not to get shut down... Wife and I just got our Red Cards... And we've been odd-loading, and just planned out fall and next year travels... :) We'd like to keep RedBird

Great point

Love how Amex says cash :P

Dave4086 mentioned that one of his friends also got shut down. And I'm sure plenty that get shut down don't post here.

Looks like low hanging fruit for now. The first people to be shut down are going to be the ones who do $1k/$1k/$500 and almost immediately withdraw everything. We'll see if they start to shut down others.

It's interesting that the letter didn't mention using a credit card to add money to his Redbird. I expected that to be a flag.

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 can't view the letter due to a firewall we have at work.
Can someone please summarize it?

hopefully everyone drains their account all at once..then target/amex will rethink their stance..gotta think that losing out on their costco deal that amex will be hurting..

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.

I fit the profile and fear that I could be next. I came across this thread immediately after loading $2000. I was debating whether to immediately withdraw the money and risk getting shutdown or letting the money sit in the account for a while and still risk getting shut down and having my money held for 60-90 days. Floating the money for 60-90 days isn't an issue, but I do have a problem with someone limiting access to my money without my permission. So, I decided to initiate the withdrawal.

I have $1000 more to load for March and will likely do that tomorrow in two separate loads of odd amounts and then immediately withdraw the money. If I don't get shut down, I plan to wait until we'll into April before doing another load. Future loads will be in odd amounts.

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.

"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. "

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.

Maybe similar to Paypal shutdown? Paypal cash and then debit/bank withdrawal.

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.

OP- did you ever use the Red Card for purchases, either at Target or elsewhere?

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.

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

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 = :mad::mad::mad::mad:

:mad::mad::mad::mad: = consequences

consequences = you get closed down

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.