Friday, February 21, 2014

Rushcard. Consumer Complaints & Reviews

Rushcard

Consumer Complaints & Reviews


2/17 I received the new card and behold 3 more unauthorized transactions showed up again this time in Southgate at a Meijer's. I called Rushcard back again about this and once again I had to go through the process of cancelling this card and asked for a card to be expedited because this time I am taking all my money and closing the accounts. Another rep who was rude would not even transfer me to a Supervisor, she actually hung up on me. I am not understanding how within 6 days both cards have been compromised and a total of $700.00 have been taken for me, but this time before I can even dispute I have to let the transaction hard post to the account. They did not offer to contact the Merchant to see if these transactions could be stopped, I was told I would have to do that. Then why in the world do they even have a dispute process? Why was this not caught with the first transaction when they clearly see these transactions are not even happening in the state I live in and how in the world can someone walk into a store and swipe my card when I clearly have the card in my possession? I went to the police station to file a police report and guess what? 5 other people who also have Rushcard, this happened to them as well.
I called Rushcard back to try to inform them that either their systems have been compromised or someone in Rushcard is taking their customer's information and selling it to people. And I was told by a rep that Rushcard would not do that, they are all loyal! HELLO! I AM SORRY, WHAT COUNTRY ARE YOU LIVING IN AND EVERYONE IS HONEST???
And as I sit here and type this message to call them and give them the police report number, I am still waiting 45 minutes later to speak to a rep. If you have a Rushcard, I would strongly suggest cancelling and going to another company or even a real bank. I already opened a new account with US Bank and they explained the whole process about unauthorized charges and customer's accounts are secure and they have a fraud department that monitor their card's for suspicious activity, so it can be caught before someone loses money like this. So please, do not use Rushcard if you want to keep your hard earned money
I have been with Rushcard for over a year. I had good experiences until I had my tax refund deposited onto my account. Once I did that, everything went downhill. On 2/13 I noticed that I had 3 transactions to the family dollar store that totaled $356.30. When I noticed this I immediately contacted Rushcard and deactivated the card. After a representative wanted to argue with me about the transactions and basically telling I did it, I was able to speak to a Supervisor and I mind you that did not speak good English. After I had go through the story again and explain this was fraud as the transactions happened in IL and I live in MI, the Supervisor said she would have an expedited card sent to me. She did not mention that I would have to pay $30.00 for it.
So the next day I called Rushcard again and spent 2 hours 43 minutes and 15 seconds on the phone with another rude rep who finally waived the fees. I then asked about the dispute process, I was then transferred to Bancorp. When I went through the automated service I was then transferred back to Rushcard. I spent another 30 minutes just on hold to finally get to a rep and once I spoke to a rep, she advised me that it would take 10 business days to get a provisionally credit ONLY if my account falls under their guidelines and it would not be a guarantee, it would be the full $356.30 they would credit me. After being upset, she then transferred me back to Bancorp who then told me they did not even have the unauthorized charges paperwork that I sent to Rushcard, so I had to refax the paperwork to Bancorp who finally advised they received the paperwork.

I'm actually having the same problem Lakisha mentioned. I received notification from the IRS saying that my refund was ready and that it had been sent already. But I also received an email from RUSH stating that they needed me to call customer service to verify my identity to release my money. I am currently (as we speak) on hold. And I have been for two hours now. This is utterly ridiculous. I am beyond disgusted at the customer service with this company. This is my fourth attempt to speak with someone in 2 days and every time I've been on hold for more than an hour. And I know they're just probably gonna want me to fax over all of my information to release my money (as Lakisha stated). But the sooner I can speak with someone, the sooner we can get the ball rolling on this. I can't even begin to explain how much of an inconvenience this is for me. This company should be ashamed. I am very upset with my experience with this card. Way too much of a hassle.

I received my replacement card, attempted to activate it only to be rerouted to a customer service agent informing me that there's a block on my card. For the past 4 days I've been over and beyond working at verifying who I am, calling numerous times, being transferred here and there just to be told documentations such as my Florida ID, social security card, traffic citation, Social Security Benefits Letter, Snap Benefits Account Letter are not sufficient documents to prove I am the cardholder. I've never been so inconvenienced in my life with my only source of income being my children's survivor benefits from their deceased father and tax refund deposited to a card that has a block and that I am unable to use. I will be following up with an attorney regarding this matter and do not recommend anyone using Rushcard!

I bought a money pack to put money on my card, not much, but enough to pay a bill. Called to put it on the card, it stated, card has been used. I did this 5 times. Called the number on the card, I can't understand those people. We just all need to file a class act lawsuit. This seems like the only way they will stop selling these cards.

I got my replacement card in the mail on Wednesday night, its now Friday morning, I have been trying to activate my new card for one day and a half. Every time I call, I'm on hold for at least 45 mins before I decide to hang up. They can't be that busy all damn day. I have money on that card and I need to use it to pay bills!

I am so disgusted right now with the service provided by the Rushcard on today. I spent ALL DAY back and forth on the phone with these people. My tax refund was deposited on Feb 12th and I have yet to receive it. I was NOT even notified by them to inquire about my name. The hold time is absolutely ridiculous!! I put my phone on speaker and held on for 58 minutes one time. Each call was like 30-35 minutes for the hold time. I was dealing with this from 9:15 am until 11:30 pm tonight, and still NO MONEY!!!
My refund is being held by the Rush Card because my tax info is in my maiden name and my Rushcard is in my married name. I provided what they asked for this morning to clear that up.It's my business if I don't change my name on my documents or stay married, or get divorced or whatever!! My tax refund amount is also my business!! This is a very stressful event and my tax money should not be held hostage because of someone thinking they have the authority to do so. My tax money is mine, I worked for that!!! So who are you to decide when, and how and what I should do to get it!!! Also no two people will tell you the same thing. Get it together!!!
Now once I provided the name documents for the second time today I have the confirmation the fax was received but then I have to resend them another way, because they said they didn't have it. I sent and confirmed verbally that they had my information. Now they are asking for my tax return what the heck?? Another delay!!! I feel that giving them all of my identification documents and tax information sets me up for having my identity stolen. This is not fair!
Attention Russell Simmons, some of your workers are making you and your company look bad!!! What you say you stand for is not looking good by the way customers are being treated. Please look into how customers are being jerked around and having their money delayed. I am so disappointed and will not be coming back. Just release my funds!!!

I received my Rushcard January 28th, 2013. I loaded my first deposit of $800.00 onto it February 7th thinking it was safe on there to leave for use in case of emergencies. Then on February 10th, I had an emergency occur so I went to use my card at the ATM my card would NOT work!!! So I tried another ATM and again no luck... The ATMs would not even read the card. It kept saying "Insert your card." So I then try to swipe it in a store to use and again NO LUCK! By this time I was livid and call the customer care line on the card.
After a hour wait to get through to a barely English speaking person who couldn't or wouldn't understand the meaning of the words MY CARD DOES NOT WORK, I explain all that I tried to do and my many attempts to get it to work but all she could say was, "Did you enter the correct pin??" I then explained to her again that the card does not work at all, it does not read on any device while getting more angry by the second. Then all of a sudden the call magically drops!!! I had to call again and wait another hour on the phone waiting to speak to someone that then flat out lied and said another card would be expedited to me in 1-2 days by FedEx.
So on the 2nd day I called customer service to check on my card and to my surprise it had NOT been expedited out to me. So then this person said they was gonna send it to me expedited at a charge of $30.00... This made me hit the roof I told the they sent me a faulty card that I never had a chance to EVER USE and I would be damned if I did pay that... So then they said okay, no charge and it would be sent out but because of bad ice storms FedEx said they can't deliver it out till Friday and that day was Wednesday... I asked is there any other way they could send me my cash like through MoneyGram and they said no!!!
I tried corporate several times but can never get anyone on the phone!!! I also called bank corp the card holder bank and again can't get through to anyone live in the prepaid card dept. I am so upset. I really need access to my cash for bills and my 3 kids and there is nothing I can do but be at the mercy of ** RUSHCARD!! I hope one day some reads this and find a way to bring all of us some justice!!

I do not understand why Rushcard is holding my money. I filed jointly with my husband and used my direct deposit information. They notified me to send in our SS cards, picture IDs, marriage license, 1040 forms for state and federal. I keep getting the run around, and it has been 3 days. I keep hearing something different every time I call. I know I called 6 times and heard 6 different stories. It goes from 3-7 days to 1-2 days. They are not professional at all. I do not understand, because if you give a company a routing number and checking account number then money should not have any problem hitting your account. I would not recommend Rushcard to anyone!

I am praying that Mr. Simmons read this. I can't express how much that I am upset. I put my trust in Rushcard to receive my income tax refund. Now they are holding my refund like they're the IRS when they have release my money. My mom has pass, I have to pay for my mom's funeral that is this Saturday but if I don't give these people this money I will not be having her funeral. This is very embarrassing for me & my family. I already can't think or function right, I have lost my everything & now they decided they want to hold my money just because I didn't activate my card when I first receive it. I think this is so crazy, I am so damn mad. I have sent them everything that they have ask me to. I can't even believe that I'm going through this about my money!!!!!!!!! You need to get these people together because this is very very disrespectful @ a time like this my mind is so numb cause I am ready to just snap really!!!!!

I brought a rushcard at the store and put 20.00 on it. I active it and was told will get my new card in 2 weeks. Well I have the new card active that so I used the rushcard application on my phone. I forgot my password to log in, so I went to the website and there is no information on how to make a new password. I came in to a situation where I needed to get a little for me and kids a few days card won't let me get cash or even swipe for purchase. So I tried calling the number on the card does not work! Am really pissed off! Only got this card in case of emergency for me and my kids. If this is not fixed, I will no longer use this and will try another company. This is a rip off! I wish I had read the reviews first before buying.

I usually purchase Green Dot PayPal cards then add the funds to my RushCard. I loaded $150.00 on my RushCard from the Green Dot I purchased which was successfully activated on my RushCard. The next day I go to use my RushCard and it saying my RushCard is retained so I then called customer service who told me my card had been blocked due to me adding fraudulent funds. I stated to her that was not true that I myself purchased the $150.00 Green Dot and I have my receipt as proof. She then told me to fax a copy of the receipt, my ID, my SS card and it would take 3 hours to unblock my RushCard. I did fax all proof then called them back to be told my account had been closed and there is nothing they could do.

I have a Rushcard which I applied back in December and I got it only because I didn't have a bank account and I don't like carrying too much cash on me. So now that my tax refund has been deposited to my card, it has a hold on it and when I applied online they ask questions to confirm who I was and now I have to sent in all this information. This is a lot of **. I will never use Rush again. I should have use been like my friends and use ready debit. I will know better next year.

I have been a Rushcard customer for a few years. Last year my federal tax return was direct deposited to my account without any incident. This year a whole new ball game. After checking my return status, I found out that the IRS had sent my refund to be deposited on 02/12/14. On 02/14/14 it still had not appeared on my card. It goes all downhill from here. I called the customer service number and after holding almost an hour was told they needed to have a copy of my tax return form 1040 to verify it was me. My name or address had not changed. My card was just used last month.
I was told they couldn't verify the money was coming to me. How could that be? A tax return with my name and ssn to an account with my name and ssn. If there was any verification to be done, the IRS would have done it before sending money to deposit into my account. I called JP Morgan Chase, the bank that Rush uses as its deposit account and was told my information was verified according to the Patriot Act before opening the account and sending the personalized card. I have also spoken with the IRS and was told they would not process the refund if additional information is needed, nor would they use a third party bank to do their verification.
Here it is 6 days after my deposit was made and I still have not been given access to my funds. It sounds like Rushcard has found a way to underhandedly hold funds in their account to inflate their net worth and to make interest on. Seems real shady to me. It doesn't ring legal. Russell Simmons has been a positive force in the African American Community. This card is pushed and marketed very hard in black publications and tv stations that cater to the African American viewer. I hate to believe that he would lower his standards to this level to turn a quick buck. Russell this just wrong. So wrong that the agent from the IRS suggest I should seek legal assistance. I am to that point.

So I was supposed to get my refund today and because I filed jointly with my husband, they would not release the funds at all. OUR CHOICES? Send back the money to IRS in 3-5 days or my husband make a Rushcard account and get a card sent to him in 5-10 business days. OK well that's fine but some of us live paycheck to paycheck and have bills due TODAY! So while we wait without heat and food for an entire week or longer... you will be just letting our hard earned money sit in your account. Money that you have now told ME as the wife, I have no right to have? I am more than furious and after we get our tax return, your card will be going into my trash after a trip to the shredder.... as well as that NEW card that you so gracious BULLIED us into getting or not have our money! SHAME ON YOU RUSSELL!!!!

A piece of me wanted to use my other prepaid card when preparing my taxes because I did taxes three years in a row with direct deposit and I have not had one problem yet. But due to a close family friend's recommendation I decided to go with Rushcard (I'm convinced the most foolish mistake I've made in life yet) without researching it and just taking my family member's experience as a positive sign.
My taxes were accepted instantly (took only a few hours) and about 1 week later I got a email from Rushcard saying that I needed "documents" to verify my identity. First off this is the first time I've ever even heard of some mess like this. I wanted to turn around and cancel the direct deposit but I was told that once your taxes are processed you cannot change the banking information. I begrudgingly went along with the process and sent in the documents thinking my money would be released in 2-3 days. I call back in three days and I'm told that my state ID wasn't clear enough? I was heated because they didn't even notify me to send in a new copy, after I called in and ask if my documents were okay.
So I send in another copy of my state ID and was told that I have to wait another 1-3 days for my documents to be verified by the corporate office. My money was due to be released on Feb. 10th and it is now the 18th not to mention the holiday we had yesterday caused even more of a delay. I'm usually the most patient but after this nonsense I'm going to remove all funds off this account (if I ever receive it) and cut this card up. My worst experience by far with anything involving money.

I'm surprise that no one has thought about all the interest that's Russell is making off of holding everyone's tax refund for a total of 4-5 days after IRS deposit your refund into their account. I didn't write about my experience because so many people have already written my story!!! No refund, long wait time, sending in documents that have nothing to do with Rush, and still waiting days for refund, refund due Feb. 12, and I am still waiting, because of a holiday, this is day 6th. I think I am going to the news people!!!!

This company does anything they can to hold your money for as long as possible. For over 2 years now, I've had a RushCard and I've been promised over and over, the longer I have the card the earlier you receive your paycheck. Thus the "get paid up to 2 days early" advertisement - big LIE!! The earliest I ever received my paycheck in over 2 years is 20 hours early. I think that was an accident on their part because it only happened 3 times and they quickly corrected that so I get paid on the average 8 to 10 hours before a majority of my company. I realize it depends on when your employer processes payroll, so I double checked and my employer uploads our payroll on a Friday and paydays are the following Wednesday so 6 days prior to our payday should be plenty of time.
I pay a lot fees, which they automatically withdraw and of course they do that part quickly! Here I am on a Tuesday at 5:30am - still no money. A lot of my co-workers got their money yesterday (They have a Comfort Card??). I don't know anything about that card - but it has to be better than the RushCard. When you call customer service you hold at least 20- 25 minutes, then when you realize the service reps are just reading a well rehearsed script to you with clearly no intention of helping you or giving you an answer that actually pertains to your situation - You have to ask for a supervisor and then hold about another 15 minutes!
I have been told it was my employer's fault, then I was told it was the bank's fault... Really? If that was the case then my co-workers wouldn't have been paid already. I was actually told last night by a RushCard supervisor, "The good news is that when you wake up tomorrow you should have my money"... That was the "good" news. This company lies! They steal and then they lie a little more, steal a little more and then they top it off with... You guessed it... a big old fat lie! THANK goodness I never had my tax refund deposited to this card - I just read the horror stories about that...To be honest - It really doesn't matter what kind of deposit you make - they will find a way to hold it and then skim your money right out of your account!! Rush Card is the worst and Russell should be ashamed!! I'm going back to my good old slow bank!! I kind of miss them now...

Rushcard has frozen my funds without notification due to the Target breach back from December. They say they are going to expedite a card to me within 1 to 2 days. Well, it’s Presidents Day so I guess the clock doesn't start ticking until tomorrow. They also claim that they sent an email regarding this. Nope not true. They also stated that I should have received a new card a month ago however, they were experiencing bad weather? I am too through! I just received my income tax on that damn card last week!

Good Evening, Mr. Russell Simmons. I hope that you will read and answer this review. I have been a Rushcard member for a few years now. I received a second Rushcard recently. I enjoy the freedom, flexibility and convenience the cards allow. My problem is It took a hour and fifteen minutes to reload my card. I had three customer representatives and a customer supervisor tell me different information of how much I'm allowed to place on my card. I hope that you can resolve this problem. I do not want to cancel my cards. I would like to continue as a member and to support you. Thank you.

I applied for the Rushcard back in 2012 but never used it or loaded money onto it. Well, I did my taxes and wanted my returns faster so I set it up to be deposited on the Rushcard. I called and talked to a representative and explained what I was going to be using it for and she just gave me the info I would need to do the direct deposit on the tax forms. I kept checking on my deposit status on the IRS website and it said that it was all ready and to pretty much check my bank. I went on to the Rushcard website and seen that my Taxes were there but were pending. I called Customer Services and was told I need to give them more info on myself for it to go through. Come to find out they needed a Driver’s License, my SS Card and my Taxes. I was never told any of this from the beginning. I thought it was weird that they (being a Prepaid Debit Card) would need my tax paperwork but whatever, I faxed it all over to them right away.
The lady told me to call back in an hr to make sure they got everything. I called back in the hour and after waiting on the line for 45 mins a rep finally answered. I was then told that I need to wait 2-3 hours for them to receive my fax which I was quite frustrated about. She then told me that I could also upload my documents on their website then once they get everything they will email it to their corporate office who can take up to 3 days to "OK" my documents before making my taxes available to me, GRRRRRR. So I uploaded my documents on the website as well as sending the fax once more to make sure they definitely got everything. Another 3 hours later I call again, waited for another 45 mins to get a rep on the phone. This rep told me that they did get everything they needed and now they have to email all my info to their corporate office but that I should be receiving a phone call from them within another 2-3 hours to verify all my info I sent them and then my $ should be available to me after that.
I never got any phone call from them and ended up calling them back about 5 hours later. This time I waited an HOUR for them to answer and the man who I talked to this time told me a different story. I would Never refer this card to Anyone. The info they needed me to give them just so my taxes could be deposited on my card is too personal. They now know how much I grossed for the year and how much taxes were taken out, etc. I could not believe that they needed this info. None of their customer service reps had the same story to tell me, everyone told me something different. I'm pretty angry. My money is right there but yet they will not let me access it. The first person I spoke to when I told them the reason I was using the card for my tax deposit should have told me that I needed to send in all this information to begin with so I could've done it right then.
The wait time to talk to someone is ridiculous and I understand they have a lot of people calling right now (probably for the same problems). I do not have internet access on my phone or at my house so I couldn't check all this stuff out in the beginning. So I understand some of this is my fault for not looking into it further but I think the first rep should've given me all this info when I clearly asked her if I needed to do anything else with them in order to get my refund on my card. I'm angry and can not wait to get my refund on my card, take it all off the card and cut this stupid card up! I will go and buy a different prepaid debit card with a company I know is much better than this!!!!

I took a vacation to California, and now I can't pay for my hotel room because Rushcard is saying I've used too much of my own money. I've had them for one week. I will NEVER USE THIS SERVICE AGAIN!!! Me and my kids will have to sleep in the car because I can't use my own money. Are you serious?

My check was deposited on February 10th and today I decided to call Rushcard because they haven't deposited my check that IRS said that was there... First of all I waited 35minutes to talk to a customer service representative, she stated I had to my personal information to them by fax my 1040, ID, SSN#. Which is personal in order to release my damn money. WHO does that. It's very inconveniencing, I can't pay online bills with my account number. It kicks it back out, which causes late fees... Who do I talk to, where's RUSSELL SIMMONS????

I filed my taxes and had them direct deposited to my RushCard. Well guess what? There are no taxes and no records of any type of deposit from the IRS and the customer service reps seems to be from overseas or reading from a script because they all repeat the same thing over and over again. Now the IRS has to cancel my direct deposit and send me a paper check which could take another month! NEVER repeat NEVER have anything deposited to this card.

First complaint, I made a purchase 2 weeks ago. In the process of the transaction, the stores computer system went down, the store reversed the 2 smaller amounts, but when it came to the large purchase amount Rushcard is still holding onto it and will not release it, even after they told me to have the store fax a letter asking that the money be released. Then they said they needed a letter from the store's bank, stating that they were not going to get paid for this transaction and that Rushcard could release the money. My money is still sitting in the pending transaction section.
Second complaint, my tax returned was direct deposited into this account. I get a text message saying to call this number because they needed more information, so I call and they want a copy of my SSN card, my DL, and my 1040. I fought them on this because I could not figure why they needed my tax information. After fighting with them for day, I finally faxed in this information. They verified my information right there while I was on the phone, told me it would take 1-3 hours before it would show up in my account. After 3 hours I call back because it's still not in my account only to sit on the phone for over an hour.
A supervisor finally came on the phone and said all my information had been verified, but now they had to send it over to the finance department, and they had to verify that the money the IRS sent was the correct amount and going into the correct account and that process take 3-4 days. Rushcard holds your money hostage and I would not suggest anyone use them. I want to file a formal complaint but I don't know who to contact. Russell Simmons, get your company right.

I have been a customer of Rushcard since 2010 and it seems like they are getting worse every year. I signed up with them because at the time I was receiving direct deposit and liked that I got my pay two days earlier. However I have had nothing but problems for the last four years. Recently it has really hit the iceberg. I purchased gas using their new "pay at the pump" feature and a $75 hold was put on the card 4 DAYS AGO! That same day I tried to purchase some groceries at Costco and was told the same PIN I had been using for 3 YEARS was no longer valid. I called customer service and a barely intelligible worker said to "enter my PIN faster". REALLY! I tried entering it faster with a cart full of groceries and a huge line of angry Costco patrons. I had to borrow cash from my mother-in-law since Costco does not accept credit. Called customer service again and was told they didn't know what happened and transferred me to their IVR service. I live in a rural area where the nearest bank is 35 miles away but I'm planning on putting up with the distance than deal one more second with unintelligible foreign workers that don't understand the world "pending" and the sentence "I already called them."

I am sure that at your company, there is a big yellow note that pops up when I call your number, but you can't image how very frustrated I am right now. Let me start at the beginning of this fiasco... I went shopping at Target on Black Friday while visiting my sister in Henderson, Nevada for Thanksgiving. Shortly thereafter I was contacted via email by you, at Rushcard, asking me to get a new card as mine had been compromised. I did what you asked, called into your toll-free number and requested a new card. They asked if I had the same address to which I replied yes, as you had sent a card to me in July right after I had moved to my new address.
I was told I should receive the card in 7-10 business days. I waited for 16 days because of the Martin Luther King holiday and still no card. At that point in time, I again called your customer service. At that time I was told that the card had inadvertently been sent to my old address, but that they would send out another one. At this point in time, I was only a few days away from my payroll direct deposit so I asked the customer service representative if I would still be able to use my old card until my new one arrived, as I am a single parent, work hard for my money and have a very tight budget. I was assured at least 3 times, maybe 4 or 5 that until I activated the new card being sent I would indeed be able to use the old card.
Then my payroll deposit day arrived, I received my usual text message from Rushcard that my deposit had posted and what my balance was. I later that day went to Walmart and went to make a small purchase only to be told that I could not use my card. I went to the ATM and again the computer told me my transaction could not be processed. I was heading to my granddaughter's school assembly but as soon as that was over, I again called customer service. The agent told me my card had been blocked. I told him that I desperately needed my money to pay bills. He told me he could see me my money via Money Express but that it would cost me $30. No way can I afford to pay your company for a mistake that was not mine. He then said if I could stay on the phone with him and drive to the nearest ATM he could then unblock it just long enough for me to take out my money and then he would block it again.
I drove across town to do this. I told this man that I was at the ATM and he then told me that he was sorry but that my account had been blocked by the "corporate office" due to a breach so that he couldn't unlock it, only they could. He did tell me however that he would expedite the new card to me via 1-2 business days, which never happened. I came home, getting angrier by the minute and again called and asked what I needed to do. I was told to send a copy of my driver's license, my SS card (which clearly states on the back, not to be used for identification, and I believe that is against federal law), and proof of my address, although my address is on my driver's license.
I am currently living in my father's home as he is a missionary in Peru so I didn't have a utility bill in my name as they are in his name, I just pay them (at least when Rushcard isn't holding my money hostage). I drove to Office Max and faxed my driver's license, my SS card and a copy of my W4 from my employer which I had received that day. The next day my card was still saying blocked. I called and this time I was told that my proof of address was not a valid form, and could I fax a pay stub. I had to go to work but after working all day, I again went and faxed a pay stub. I at this point was feeling more confident, but the next morning I woke up, I went on Rushcard.com and this time instead of seeing it say blocked it said "inactive", so I still couldn't get to MY MONEY.
I still have not received the new card. I called one more time and this time I spoke to a man named Allen, who had to be the rudest person you have working for you. I was told that my card had been sent on January 22, 2014 and that I would receive it in 7-10 business days, and that an expedited card had not been sent (another broken promise by Rushcard). After all of this hassle I have another direct deposit this week, I want to tell my employer not to deposit it as I have explained all of this hullabaloo to him. I want someone at Rushcard to call me, be honest, tell me the truth, let me know if indeed I will have access to MY OWN MONEY.
I am going to have my gas turned off for nonpayment all because of this. I am forwarding this letter to local news media, as your customer service doesn't seem to give a damn, if I DO NOT HAVE MY CARD with my money on it, OR MY MONEY IN HAND by Tuesday, February 4, 2014. I expect to hear from a supervisor at Rushcard tomorrow to let me know what the status is (THE HONEST STATUS) no more lies.

My payroll check is supposed to be deposit on my card. But it is not. Then when you call the toll free 800 number, you get stuck with an automatic voice system and they leave you on hold for over 20 minutes. Damn, I just want my money. Unlike this here company, I'm not rich & I have bills I have to pay. My bills are due NOW & my money is not on my Rush card. The Rush card LIED, its supposed to be on my card 2 days earlier. Where is my direct deposit that this company PROMISE like they promised on the commercial?

I have been contacting Rush all day about my government payment, everyone else received theirs today, Account Now, NetSpend and Vanilla customers. I keep.being told the social security didn't send the file yet, that's b. How did everyone else get their benefits today. This is my first and last time using Rush. I told the rep that she needs to tell Kimora Lee and Russell that they don't EVER have to worry about me being a customer, I am going back to Ace (NetSpend) ASAP.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Prepaid Visa Rush Card Review

Prepaid Visa Rush Card Review

No Savings With the Rush Card

Credit Rating Required
  • No credit check required

About the Prepaid Visa Rush Card

Pros

  • No credit check required.
  • Free direct deposit. 
Cons
  • High fees.
  • No monthly fee waiver.
  • No free bill pay.
  • No preauthorized direct debits to pay bills.
  • Some merchants can hold your money.
Reload Limit
  • Cash reload: $1,000 maximum.
  • $5,000 limit on direct deposits.
  • Maximum balance at any time: $9,999.

Who the Prepaid Visa Rush Card Is For

  • People who want a Visa card without a credit check.
  • People who want an alternative to a .
  • People who don't like banks.
Rewards
  • None.
Fees
  • Monthly fee: $9.95.
  • $3.00 one-time activation fee on first card load.
  • ATM fee: First two transactions per month are free, then $2.50 each. ATM operator may charge its own fees.
  • Bill pay fee: $2.00 enrollment fee, $1.00 per payment.
  • Retail locations may charge a fee to reload.

Instead of saving you money, this card will nickel and dime you to death.

Prepaid Visa Rush Card Review

   The Rush card charges a $2 enrollment fee for online bill pay , plus $1 each time you pay a bill. Other prepaid cards don't charge for this service. The Rush Card won't let you preauthorize direct debits to pay recurring bills.
   Though the Rush Card touts its convenience, you can't pay at the pump. If you use the card at a restaurant, hotel, or car rental agency, the merchant may charge an additional 20% or more "to ensure there are sufficient funds available to cover tips or incidental expenses incurred." It may take up to seven days for this hold on your funds to be removed, which means you won't have access to your own money. What's that about?
   The Rush Card's website claims that it will save you hundreds of dollars a year by avoiding check cashing, overdraft, and interest fees. Maybe so. But instead of paying a bank, you'll pay hundreds of dollars in other fees on this card.
   For starters, you get charged a $9.95 monthly fee no matter what; other prepaid cards waive the fee if you direct deposit a minimum amount per month. You get two free ATM transactions a month, but subsequent ones cost $2.50 each - plus ATM charges.
   The Rush Card also purports to build your credit history through the free "RushPath to Credit" program, in which all your online bill payments are sent to, a credit reporting agency. However, as the Rush Card website admits - in tiny, faded typeface that is very hard to read - the program won't help your credit if the lender doesn't consider PRBC, which many lenders don't.

Recommendation

While some people think it's cool to have the Rush Card because it's the brainchild of hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons, it really only benefits Russell, not you. And why are so many things hidden in the fine print (literally)? I'd look for a cheaper, better, un-cool card. Better yet, how about a bank account?
User Reviews
   Reviews for this section have been closed.
 1 out of 5
NEVER BUY VANILLA VISA PREPAID CARDS NEVER NEVER!, Member meltrem
I have boughten the mastarcards before, but not the visas! FIRST TIME I BOUGHT A DAMNED VISA WAS THE FIRST DAY OF HELL FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, AND CONTINUED!!!!!! The card didnt work so Im told to contact the company which I do then Im told to send in my information, which I faxed but it was ""too dark"" on their cheap end so I ended up mailing them my info which they got in 4 days. I'm told Im being sent a new card. 3 weeks later i call back cause there is still no card. They said some info is missing. I say what are you talking about you said a new card was sent. They said yeah your right, it was. We just need to know the date of purchase cause it doesnt say on the receipt (they said all they needed was the amount on the receipt). So after that, still no card. I call back another 2 weeks later and they said it was sent to the wrong address (Even though I confirmed it 3 times over the phone cause I had a FEEELING that they were pretty irresponsible!) Like that made a difference..... So apparently a new card was sent out AGAIN on the 15th and supposed to be received a week ago. I am tired of this and NOW I am going into an investigation with my bank. I'm noot letting these scammers take my money. *******************************ALWAYS LOOK AT REVIEWS BEFORE PURCHASE!!!!!************************

Russell Simmons' RushCard: What the Mogul Gets Wrong

My philosophy on banking is very simple: you shouldn't have to pay money to access your money.

That's why I get a bit annoyed (OK, a lot) when I see aggressive marketing campaigns for celebrity-endorsed prepaid cards - these loadable pieces of plastic targeting consumers who may not have access to a traditional bank account. Yes, they offer some convenience for the of Americans who are unbanked or underbanked. But in exchange, prepaid cards charge exorbitant fees. Why not just educate people on how to bank smart and avoid fees through the use of fee-free FDIC-insured banks and credit unions? They do exist.

Now another celebrity's fee-laden prepaid card is making headlines: Russell Simmons' RushCard, a prepaid Visa debit card, which he launched in 2003. (To be fair, Simmons is not just slapping his name on the card like the Kardashians; he's an investor who says he pioneered the prepaid card space.)

Lately these cards have been all abuzz. Earlier this year the teen-marketed. Kardashian Kard came under criticism (including mine) for its "predatory" fees; shortly after the famous sisters - whom the card was branded after.

The RushCard monthly plan costs $9.95 per month, has a one-time activation fee of $3.95 to $14.95 (depending on which type of card you choose), and a $2.50 ATM withdrawal fee (after using up your two free withdrawals per month). It's pretty much in line with the norm for these types of cards; a recent Consumers Union survey found that one-time activation fees ran about $10 for prepaid cards, and monthly fees also cost about $10.

The RushCard's not new, but the media mogul and entrepreneur - whom I actually admire - just appeared in a video defending the card against critics, saying it creates financial freedom for the underbanked. Simmons also pointed out that he wants to broaden the card's reach to go beyond the underbanked and target the "middle class" consumer that, he says, "banks don't want."

Really? Banks don't want us?

I hit the replay button on the interview more than once and found that a few of Simmons' remarks were questionable. I understand that the card offers some immediate convenience and is a lower cost solution to check-cashing, but is the best place to store your money? Is it really a long-term solution to establishing financial freedom, as Simmons insists? At the time this article first went to press I was unable to reach Simmons for comment, though shortly after, he and I spoke for nearly an hour. It's clear Simmons is passionate about his business, but I'm not convinced the RushCard is the end all for underbanked Americans.

Those who criticize the card for its fees are uneducated.
"It's very inexpensive," says Simmons in the video. Well, maybe if you're comparing it to the old Kardashian Kard or check-cashing services. You can view the card's schedule of fees here. I only have a masters degree myself, but I think paying $9.95 a month just to store my money on a card is not necessarily the best option.

The RushCard builds credit.
In the Forbes interview Simmons says the RushCard helps consumers build credit. It's true that the company reports your payment history for things like rent, utilities and other bills to LexisNexis and PRBC, a national credit reporting agency. But that doesn't necessarily mean your credit score will improve. Your traditional FICO credit score - the score that most banks and lenders use to evaluate borrowers and decide loan terms- is only based on your credit activity as tracked by Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

I should say that PRBC does work with FICO to crunch the FICO Expansion Score, an alternative score for borrowers - mainly subprime borrowers - with little to no credit history. But, again, most lenders want to work with credit-worthy borrowers with a history of timely payments using a variety of different credit. If you're underbanked and you want to establish and build credit, I would argue you're much better off doing so with a >secured card. Your payment activity with a legitimate secured card gets reported to the major credit reporting bureaus and that in turn impacts your FICO score.

The Web site for RushCard states, "the credit reporting agencies we report to use your transaction history to create a positive credit file for you. When you apply for credit, lenders may use your positive credit file to qualify you and offer you lower interest rates." That "may" indeed be true, but most lenders will just look at your FICO score, which neither of these reporting agencies influence. Simmons defended the credit building aspect of the RushCard by telling me his average customer wouldn't be able to build credit otherwise. They're going from no credit to some credit, which is an improvement, he says. His hope is that eventually consumers will be able to qualify for a credit card and build a proper credit history and score that way.

The RushCard is a cheaper alternative to a bank account.
In the video Simmons says his RushCard is actually "half the price of a Bank of America Free Checking Account." When we spoke he supported that argument by citing a J.P. Morgan survey showing that a BofA checking account costs customers an average $551 per year in fees, while the RushCard would cost $259 a year. I saw the survey. He has a point. But I have a traditional Bank of America checking account and I can't remember ever paying a fee just to have access to my money.

Yes, the bank has plenty of fees for out-of-network ATM withdrawals, transferring money outside the bank and overdraft protection - and the J.P. Morgan survey assumes you're incurring one overdraft fee a month, plus one out-of-network ATM fee. (It assumes RushCard users make eight purchases a month, and have 1.5 ATM withdrawals.) But if you're a conscious and educated banker you won't fall into those traps. I can find my bank's closest ATMs using its free mobile application, which helps me avoid fees, and I've opted out of overdraft protection, which normally runs about $35 each time you bounce a check or overdraft your account. (See: >6 Ways to Never Pay an ATM Fee Again).

It's also true that some BofA accounts require a minimum monthly balance to avoid a fee. But that's easily avoidable, too, as long as you keep tabs on spending. And, hey, if you can't maintain a minimum balance shop around for a bank that's more flexible. They're out there.

Bottom line: Simmons and I both agree that consumers deserve more choice - and that when compared to check-cashing services, the RushCard is a far more affordable alternative. We're both big on financial literacy. But I just don't agree that consumers - namely the paycheck-to-paycheck consumers using the RushCard - ought to go cold turkey on traditional banking solutions, especially when there are still so many options with avoidable fees.

Banks won't let in 60 million consumers.
Simmons is referring to the 60 million unbanked or underbanked Americans, as polled by the FDIC in 2009. But to interpret this as "banks don't want you" seems like a gross overstatement. Simmons later tells me his customers - many who live paycheck to paycheck - simply can't get conventional bank accounts. "Banks either refuse them any access or drop them because they're too small, perceived as too risky or both. It's not like they're not trying," he says. But - again - what about credit unions and local banks? Since the 1980s these community-oriented institutions have been offering matched savings programs to low-income families. Few charge minimum balance fees and many reimburse your for ATM withdrawals. Check out Bankrate.com and FindaCreditUnion.com to find a bank or credit union near you. (Also see:Best Way to Get Free Checking).

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