Bluebird Shutdowns

Old Jan 18, 2016, 6:42 pm
  #526  
 
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Who says we taxpayers are less entitled to MS than banks were entitled to taxpayer bailouts? We all deserve the opportunity to give the banks the business after they gave us the business with LIBOR rate rigging, illegal foreclosures and drug dealer financing.

Originally Posted by PaulMSN
What is so weird to me is that people are so emotional about losing something they were never actually entitled to. We are all simply taking advantage of an opportunity brought about by the advent of PINs on Visa and MC GCs. Nothing wrong with that, but not one of us deserves the opportunity, so why become angry when a method of exploiting that opportunity disappears? Just let it go.
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 7:14 am
  #527  
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Has anyone actually sent in a letter to the Amex customer service address that they said to contact? I did... wondering if I'll ever get a response.
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 7:21 am
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Originally Posted by rylan
Has anyone actually sent in a letter to the Amex customer service address that they said to contact? I did... wondering if I'll ever get a response.
If they're anything like Discover, you'll get a reply in about.... 3 -4 months
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 8:47 am
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Originally Posted by AlohaDaveKennedy
Who says we taxpayers are less entitled to MS than banks were entitled to taxpayer bailouts? We all deserve the opportunity to give the banks the business after they gave us the business with LIBOR rate rigging, illegal foreclosures and drug dealer financing.
+1k
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 3:02 pm
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Originally Posted by rylan
Has anyone actually sent in a letter to the Amex customer service address that they said to contact? I did... wondering if I'll ever get a response.
I am going to send them a letter. I didn't do anything wrong and yet I was shut down due to 'unusual activity'. I ONLY funded my BB acct with cash and used it to pay bills. I am assuming I was shut down since I paid my CC bills too but I never saw anything that said that was forbidden. If they want to dump me because I was unprofitable so be it but they should own up to the fact. Instead they blamed me. I was never even informed it would be happening. I only found out when I went to add money to my acct that I could no longer do so.
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 4:07 pm
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LOL, you really expect a major corporation to come out and say they dislike the unprofitable but otherwise legal activities of their customer? That's setting up for a lawsuit. They will always be vague and evasive and make references to obscure passages in terms and conditions. Except in this case they literally spelled out MS as one activity they won't tolerate.

Also why did you bother even to load cash and pay bills? Don't you have better things to do like use a normal bank?

Originally Posted by traveler02
I am going to send them a letter. I didn't do anything wrong and yet I was shut down due to 'unusual activity'. I ONLY funded my BB acct with cash and used it to pay bills. I am assuming I was shut down since I paid my CC bills too but I never saw anything that said that was forbidden. If they want to dump me because I was unprofitable so be it but they should own up to the fact. Instead they blamed me. I was never even informed it would be happening. I only found out when I went to add money to my acct that I could no longer do so.
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 4:56 pm
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Originally Posted by littlewinglet
LOL, you really expect a major corporation to come out and say they dislike the unprofitable but otherwise legal activities of their customer? That's setting up for a lawsuit.
Corporations discontinue unprofitable lines of business all of the time. As long as that decision is not based on discriminatory intent against a protected class of persons (age, race, religion, gender, etc.), there is no basis for litigation.

It is not discrimination just because it affects you.
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 5:01 pm
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Data point- loaded another $1500 today using Meta...smooth sailing on the last card standing.
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 6:15 pm
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Originally Posted by Steve in Olympia
Corporations discontinue unprofitable lines of business all of the time. As long as that decision is not based on discriminatory intent against a protected class of persons (age, race, religion, gender, etc.), there is no basis for litigation.

It is not discrimination just because it affects you.
We're not talking about a car that doesn't sell well. This is a bank telling an otherwise law abiding customer that they don't like how the product is being used. How many prominent stores (of the caliber of best buy) kick out customers for looking around too long without buying? It's bad business practice.

Same with Amex, they'll never admit to your face why they close the account, only give vague references to the T&C.
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 6:27 pm
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Originally Posted by littlewinglet
LOL, you really expect a major corporation to come out and say they dislike the unprofitable but otherwise legal activities of their customer? That's setting up for a lawsuit. They will always be vague and evasive and make references to obscure passages in terms and conditions. Except in this case they literally spelled out MS as one activity they won't tolerate.

Also why did you bother even to load cash and pay bills? Don't you have better things to do like use a normal bank?
For the record there was no MS on my part. My reasons for using the BB card to pay my bills is my business - not yours. I don't recall asking if you thought it was a good idea. Don't you have better things to do than to criticize others?
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 7:33 pm
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Originally Posted by traveler02
For the record there was no MS on my part. My reasons for using the BB card to pay my bills is my business - not yours. I don't recall asking if you thought it was a good idea. Don't you have better things to do than to criticize others?
This is an MS chat group, with many new readers who often misunderstand how things work and come here for help, or end up realizing they're doing it wrong. It wasn't criticism but a suggestion. Just the other day some had the exact same idea and didn't realize they were about to waste their time until I ponted it out. No need for personal attacks.

Btw, regarding your original question. What you were doing is not in line with their target audience, AND you were making them no money. What underbanked broke consumer can load hundreds or thousands of dollars in cash and pay CC bills? They shouldn't even have CC accounts, otherwise they wouldn't be using BB. In their eyes you must be an MSer or a drug dealer washing his money by transferring to a friend's CC account.

Last edited by littlewinglet; Jan 19, 2016 at 7:40 pm
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 7:38 pm
  #537  
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AMX Bluebird used MS as a scapegoat for their lousy business model. All they did was cut the unprofitable customers but disguised the event as something else. Note - the shutdown letter specifically quoted chapter and verse. This is a very important fact and it seved their purpose well.

No, I'm not mad. No I'm not surprised. No, I'm not emotional. I'm just telling it like it is...
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 10:11 pm
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Originally Posted by littlewinglet
This is an MS chat group, with many new readers who often misunderstand how things work and come here for help, or end up realizing they're doing it wrong. It wasn't criticism but a suggestion. Just the other day some had the exact same idea and didn't realize they were about to waste their time until I ponted it out. No need for personal attacks.

Btw, regarding your original question. What you were doing is not in line with their target audience, AND you were making them no money. What underbanked broke consumer can load hundreds or thousands of dollars in cash and pay CC bills? They shouldn't even have CC accounts, otherwise they wouldn't be using BB. In their eyes you must be an MSer or a drug dealer washing his money by transferring to a friend's CC account.
I agree that there is no need for personal attacks. Maybe you didnt mean it to be but your better things to do comment felt like a personal attack to me.

I am not sure who the targeted audience would be but my local Wal Mart marketed it as an alternative to banks and all their fees. They actually called it an on-line checking account. They said it could be used to pay bills and get cash at ATMs plus several other desirable features. The downside was that it would not be an interest bearing acct. It caught my eye and I decide to give it a try. At that time my bank was going though a buy out to a locally owned branch and lets just say that service was not their middle name. I thought I would use BB until the dust settled. I found the BB card incredibly easy to use and liked it very much - much better than my new bank. If BB decided that loading large amounts of cash presented a problem why not just put a smaller limit on that feature? I also see no reason why a person shouldnt have a CC and a BB card. Paying my bills through BB is no different than paying them from a bank account. In my case it was the more desirable option.

I dont know anything about MS and I am sorry if I intruded on your chat group. I was just looking to see if I was the only person with a BB problem. You see BB didnt notify me that there was an issue. They sent me an email telling me I couldnt use it in International ATMs. A few days later I received another email telling me my card was fully reloadable and listed the ways to do it - including adding cash at Wal Mart.
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 10:16 pm
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Welcome to Flyertalk! Don't take it so personally when people post stuff, that is how it is all over FT, not just this thread.

As many have stated, there are no data points. People all across the board were shut down. Some MS'd, some didn't. It's just the way this BB experiment played out after three years. And now AMEX wants out...or at least partially out. So they are kicking out some of the unprofitable people (like me for instance). Blaming it all on MS, or making it seem that way.

I suspect this BB exit was planned for a very long time. It's AMEX's way of saying - WE SCREWED UP, WE HAD A BAD BUSINESS MODEL, LETS CUT THE LOSSES!!!!
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Old Jan 19, 2016, 10:40 pm
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Originally Posted by BillyBaloney
Welcome to Flyertalk! Don't take it so personally when people post stuff, that is how it is all over FT, not just this thread.

As many have stated, there are no data points. People all across the board were shut down. Some MS'd, some didn't. It's just the way this BB experiment played out after three years. And now AMEX wants out...or at least partially out. So they are kicking out some of the unprofitable people (like me for instance). Blaming it all on MS, or making it seem that way.

I suspect this BB exit was planned for a very long time. It's AMEX's way of saying - WE SCREWED UP, WE HAD A BAD BUSINESS MODEL, LETS CUT THE LOSSES!!!!
I think you hit the nail on the head and I agree with everything you said. Thanks for the FT welcome too!
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