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I received a Vanilla Gift Card for 50.00 for Christmas 2020. I attempted to activate and use the card on Nov 17, 2021 almost a year later. I logged on to activate, and was given a balance of 2.00. The card was in my possession and had never been removed from the secured package. Further checking showed that on Nov 2, 2021 the card number was presented to Garges K. Hana (unknown to me) for 2.67 and on that same date to WalMart Supercenter for 85 cents. Finally, on Nov 3, 2021 to JNIK INC. #14 Long Beach for the amount of 44.48. I immediately contacted the Vanilla and was told I needed to complete the Fraud Documents and return them to Vanilla Visit Customer Service Fraud. I did that on Nov 18, 2021. I have called the number given on 3 occasions and there is a wait time to speak with a Representative in the excess of an hour. I have not been able to get the status of this investigation. Being in Law Enforcement, this appears to be someone working inside of the Vanilla Company. All I want is for my 50.00 to be restored to me. Vanilla Visa may have a good reputation but it sure does not seems that way to me. You can never get through on the phone and there is no links in the email to ask about the status of Fraud investigations. The governing authorities should investigate the practices of this company. Please help me get what is rightfully mine and was possibly taken by one of the employees through a scam. This is the Fraud ID #[protected] and card number [protected]
Desired outcome: Return the 50.00
I have another theory about how these Vanilla gift cards get hacked: when you try to check your balance. I think there may be scam sites pretending to Vanilla Gifts Cards. You unwittingly plug in all the card's info, and voila! hackers have all they need to use your card.
Beginning to think the same thing, tried to use a $50.00 card this am and it was denied for some reason at 9am. Came home to check the balance and all of a sudden 2 $25.00 charges made right after which then used the card up. Tried to send emails to the email address listed on site but they keep coming back. Finally got a customer service rep, explained the issue and have to call back 2-16-23 to wait til the 2 paypal charges by someone other than me drop off or they will investigate them. I did get into a site that showed me who made the 2 PayPal of $25.00 charges by 2 companies I have never heard off but then when I put card # in, it states invalid card so I think someone has created a fraudulent website to steal card info etc. Tried to explain to customer rep but line was static so don't think they understood what I said etc.
OMG - YOU ARE RIGHT! I did have to try twice to get my balance! And, realized that the first site was not really vanilla gift card even though it looked just the same!
Here's my story:
I just tried to use my $200 vanilla visa card. I went online to check the balance to be sure i remembered the amount. The Vanilla gift card check balance site showed that yes the balance was 200. Within minutes I went to amazon to load my amazon account so i could make a purchase. It was declined. I tried several times thinking maybe i entered wrong. Nope.
I went to vanilla site again and the site itself would not work for this card, it was not a site error because it worked for my other card just fine. i tried and tried and tried. it kept saying to try again.
By the time I got into the site the next day the balance was 200. I did the same thing with amazon. Again Declined.
Now today, I can actually see the transactions on vanilla and i see all my transactions declined but there are approved PAYPAL transactions with this: PAYPAL *ZHANGSHAAOJ - ! Like what the heck, right?
Now I am currently on hold with Vanilla for almost an hour and NO ANSWERS to what happened or how it can happen? Seriously?
DO NOT BY VANILLA GIFT CARDS. THEY ARE NOT RELIABLE AND THERE IS NO CUSTOMER SERVICE WORTHY OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I HAVE SPENT ON THESE CARDS OVER THE YEARS~~!
The rep tells me that their policy is that it is like cash and therefore has the same risk. However, how is that possible when the card NEVER left my possession? It has been sitting under my computer keyboard and no one had access to it.
This is crazy. I asked to speak to a supervisor, manager, vice president, CEO anyone and they put me hold and here I sit on hold AGAIN!
YES! I think this is what is happening. Fake Web Sites!
I just tried to use my $200 vanilla visa card. I went online to check the balance to be sure i remembered the amount. The Vanilla gift card check balance site showed that yes the balance was 200. Within minutes I went to amazon to load my amazon account so i could make a purchase. It was declined. I tried several times thinking maybe i entered wrong. Nope.
I went to vanilla site again and the site itself would not work for this card, it was not a site error because it worked for my other card just fine. i tried and tried and tried. it kept saying to try again.
By the time I got into the site the next day the balance was 200. I did the same thing with amazon. Again Declined.
Now today, I can actually see the transactions on vanilla and i see all my transactions declined but there are approved PAYPAL transactions with this: PAYPAL *ZHANGSHAAOJ - ! Like what the heck, right?
Now I am currently on hold with Vanilla for almost an hour and NO ANSWERS to what happened or how it can happen? Seriously?
DO NOT BY VANILLA GIFT CARDS. THEY ARE NOT RELIABLE AND THERE IS NO CUSTOMER SERVICE WORTHY OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I HAVE SPENT ON THESE CARDS OVER THE YEARS~~!
The rep tells me that their policy is that it is like cash and therefore has the same risk. However, how is that possible when the card NEVER left my possession? It has been sitting under my computer keyboard and no one had access to it.
This is crazy. I asked to speak to a supervisor, manager, vice president, CEO anyone and they put me hold and here I sit on hold AGAIN!
the customer rep just hanged up on me while i was trying to explain to him because this is my first time loading up and activating the card. and i loaded in $390 i am in disbelief right now.
what is the REAL website you checked btw?
VanillaGift.com
Update: The customer service supervisor said that they are aware of the fake websites that look amazingly like Vanilla's and that customers should type in the web address manually rather than search for it.
I responded that that should be in big giant red letters on the packaging - It is not on the packaging at all.
I am surprised that some agency is not monitoring and cracking down. :(
Anyone have a vanilla gift card that got hacked by someone at windcreek play? I guess an online gabling. ?
I just tried to use my $200 vanilla visa card. I went online to check the balance to be sure i remembered the amount. The Vanilla gift card check balance site showed that yes the balance was 200. Within minutes I went to amazon to load my amazon account so i could make a purchase. It was declined. I tried several times thinking maybe i entered wrong. Nope.
I went to vanilla site again and the site itself would not work for this card, it was not a site error because it worked for my other card just fine. i tried and tried and tried. it kept saying to try again.
By the time I got into the site the next day the balance was 200. I did the same thing with amazon. Again Declined.
Now today, I can actually see the transactions on vanilla and i see all my transactions declined but there are approved PAYPAL transactions with this: PAYPAL *ZHANGSHAAOJ - ! Like what the heck, right?
Now I am currently on hold with Vanilla for almost an hour and NO ANSWERS to what happened or how it can happen? Seriously?
DO NOT BY VANILLA GIFT CARDS. THEY ARE NOT RELIABLE AND THERE IS NO CUSTOMER SERVICE WORTHY OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I HAVE SPENT ON THESE CARDS OVER THE YEARS~~!
The rep tells me that their policy is that it is like cash and therefore has the same risk. However, how is that possible when the card NEVER left my possession? It has been sitting under my computer keyboard and no one had access to it.
This is crazy. I asked to speak to a supervisor, manager, vice president, CEO anyone and they put me hold and here I sit on hold AGAIN!
I received a $150.00 card as a sales award which the company often does.
Got it at the end on November and tried to use it on 1/14, there was a balance of 1 CENT on the card.
It was previously used in Oakland CA, I live in IL.
Waisted hours to correct by phone... NO one ever answers!
They are Crooks!
I had a $20 VANILLA.GIFT VISA CARD and I never used it. It was always in my possession and I finally went to use it and it had no money on it. I check online and it said it had two purchases, same amount by the same place...ANCHOR.FM. IT IS FRAUD. But what is worse, I cannot find a way to call and actually talk to a person or email them. DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO CONNECT WITH THEM beyond their automated responses? I am so sick of the thieving in our world.
There is a # on the card1-[protected], but takes about 45 minutes to get someone, then they send you a case# but it's riddled with errors. So you have to send an e-mail to an incomm email (that's on the fraud claim)...because there are errors on the claim THAT THEY MADE! I saw the errors immediately and alerted the person I was on the phone with and was told that I could correct the address and contact#...lie. When I called back after 4 days of not getting a corrected claim form, I was told that I should have replied directly to the initial e-mail I rec'd...the e-mail clearly stated it was an 'UNMONITORED EMAIL, DO NOT REPLY'
Called 3 times, get the run around then told it takes up to 90 days...by then, you will have forgotten or their investigation may prove there was no fraud. Sounds very scammy
Same like Ivalicee.com, neither of their two emails or telephone number works, big time scam.
I bought a gift card from Vanilla for $65 and when the card didn't work and i called the company for help, I got a manager name Ray who wouldn't give me his last name but told me if I have him my name, number, date of birth and mother's maiden name that he would see what he could do if that "board" would "take up my case" or not. If they granted me such an honor of "taking up my case" I would have an answer within 60 business days. I confess I would not give him my address becasue I was afraid he might steal my identity. I read him the card numbers and he told me that the numbers "don't match". What the hell does THAT mean.? This was the card that his company sold me only a day ago. THESE PEOPLE ARE SELLING FAKE GIFT CARDS and iI fully expect to see Ray and his Walmart cronies on American Greed. DO NOT BUY VANILLA GIFT CARDS FROM WALMART. They are running a scam. You will NEVER get the chance to actually use your card because the card they will give you will not work. Period.
I received $100 Vanilla Mastercard. I went to use it and it wouldn't work. I opened in right out of the package to get gas. I looked on the back of the card and there was a barcode sticker over top of the real barcode. That sticker matched the number on the packaging. So CLEARLY the people working in the facility are the scammers! They are putting fake bar codes and keeping the cards with those barcodes. Then when you activate, you are activating the cards they are keeping. I'm on hold right now, but not holding my breath that they will help me. I just want them to realize that the problem is in their packaging place because no one else could have done that!
How does is this place allowed to stay in business? They took $175 of mine, said I'd get a replacement card, as the first wouldn't work. I never received the replacement, and now they cant/wont help me get my hard earned money back. DONT USE THESE Fraudulent CARDS...Look at their BBB complaints, they average 1 star out of 4. SCREW YOU VANILLA FUDGE!
The exact thing happened to me. It pisses me off greatly! I want my money back.