nsc168

I tried to open a Bluebird just now to load some money using my debit card and pay some bills, and I found I was unable to open a Bluebird. I have never opened a Serve or other similar service.

So what's up with that?

hamokmonky

ID verification required maybe? Call them....

lonelycrowd

Same happened to my wife when her social security card was just issued (new immigrant). Though Bluebird isn't checking ChexSystems, it looks like they're pulling SSN validation data from one of the commercial data brokers - perhaps some unit of LexisNexis. Since the US government still doesn't provide SSN data directly to data brokers, your profile will only be complete if some bank, credit bureau or other institution has already verified you by some other means and uploaded it to them. Bluebird was surprisingly unwilling to let us provide documents to verify her identity, which may be wise on their part if they believe that their accounts are more likely to be used for illicit purposes than traditional banks, so the only way around it was to add her as an authorized user onto credit cards that report AU's to credit reports and let her SSN "populate" through the system.

nsc168

This is very strange to me because my credit history is more than 10 years old, and I have opened many credit cards without a problem.

I am feeling worried and suspicious about this now. I looked through my emails and found an email about Target REDcard from 2013 but I have never opened one before? I tried to login to the Target REDcard system and used "forgot password" to reset the account. So far I haven't received an email yet.

lonelycrowd

Admittedly getting a bit off topic from the shutdowns theme, but yes - strange indeed. One hypothesis - and it's a long shot - are there any family members who might know your SSN who might have helped themselves to an additional account? Any attempt to open an Amex prepaid card in the past with your SSN might be causing the error. If I were you, I'd consider requesting a "full file disclosure" from LexisNexis (you can search online for details on how to do this) just to be sure that you're not being flagged for anything there. But I'd also stay calm - it's likely just a weird quirk in Bluebird's systems and nothing to worry about. Another idea - have you ever lived in Vermont? I know that Bluebird's T&C's say it's not available to VT residents.

Good luck dealing with Bluebird's customer service phone tree if you decide to press further with them. Their agents aren't particularly empowered to help in these situations...

nsc168

Thanks for your advice. I will do the Full File Disclosure from LexisNexis. Sorry for this going off topic -- I thought it might have been related to the recent shutdowns, but it looks like it might not be the case.

Scuzzy

I never give SSN to doctors or hospitals. Or any other optional situations Not because I plan on avoiding bills, but AFAIK not required to have an SSN or disclose for medical care

Obviously it is required for cc and would be fraud to use someone else's

12three

same story here, except i DID receive the 'unsual activity' email that appears to have shut me down

BillyBaloney

How can it be "unusual activity" if one is allowed to load up to $2500/day? Sounds like total BS on AMX's part. They came up with the limit. Who the hell cares how I load, as long as I live within their limit. I've had the card since 2012 with no problemas and now this. Geez.

Steve in Olympia

You can complain all you want, but you violated the Member Agreement with Amex, which allows Amex to terminate or suspend your account if "you structure purchases or conduct transactions with your Account ... and/or Card to manufacture spend."

"Who the hell cares how I load?" Amex does.

If you don't believe that you were manufacturing spending, then perhaps someone might ask what you are doing on this forum.

FlightNurse

The hospital looks up the SSN how?

ZzzzX

Or...Bb is being phased out for the new WM mobile payments and the current (fee-laden) varieties of serve. Wondering if OP would get an approval for Redbirds or serve Vip.

BillyBaloney

I don't think that I did. Plus it is kind of ridiculous to change "the rules" and then a few days later all these people get shut down. The term "unusual" is highly subjective and not defined. If they didn't like how things were going, they could have warned us and told us what we did that was "unusual" and to stop doing it.

JL100

We used the features of the card as allowed. If Amex was stupid enough to allow loads of $5,000 per month, they can't call that unusual - it is exactly what was going to happen. As a said in my earlier post, if companies are going to keep setting these up for us to use, then we are going to use those features - simple as that. If the company is going to "hope" that feature of the cards are not used, then don't give the card those features. Or, if there needs to be some trade-off, specifically state how you earn the ability to use the other features - then members can decide if it works for them.

Steve in Olympia

[QUOTE=[B]BillyBaloney[/B];26027687]I don't think that I did (manufactured spending). Plus it is kind of ridiculous to change "the rules" and then a few days later all these people get shut down. The term "unusual" is highly subjective and not defined. If they didn't like how things were going, they could have warned us and told us what we did that was "unusual" and to stop doing it.[/rQUOTE]

I am glad that no one ever warned you that you were doing anything "unusual." As you posted on Dec. 10:

"When I load VGC to BB at WM I usually do several, and go to a different register or the money center. I've been doing it this way for over two years - and recently I had a nervous cashier. She watched me and saw that I went to another register and loaded. Then she watched me some more and saw that I went to the money center (I was not aware that she was watching me this whole time).
She wrote something on a paper and passed it to the lady at the money center. All of a sudden I'm getting questioned "why am I going to more than one register..." I didn't have a good answer so I said that it was because I didn't want to hold up the line...
The lady at the money center let me load anyway, and instructed me that I'm only to go there (no register) and to "do it all at one time." How should I proceed after the Nervous Nellie incident? Limit myself to one load per visit and that's that? Has anyone else had this happen? If you do multiple loads, what is your reason (that you can tell them) for doing so?"

And now you are shocked (shocked!) that you have been shut down!

If only they had warned you......