Reloadable debit cards can be handy if you need to pay bills, but don’t have a bank account. They’re also a hit with consumers who choose not to carry around cash. But a couple in Chicago said they were surprised by a key security feature that kept one of them from accessing their money.
As a result, Debora Zonca and her boyfriend, who asked to be identified as Marco, had to put their plans of exploring Chicago on hold while dealing with a customer service issue.
“I’ve never had such a hard time here in America with customer service,” Zonca said.
Marco is originally from Italy and arrived in Chicago in 2016, where he began dating Zonca. Together the new couple explored the city, its restaurants and its nightlife. And rather than carry cash, Marco purchased three Green Dot bank cards and loaded each card with $500.
But he was unable to use the cards to pay for purchases.
“It was a surprise for me,” Marco said.
Marco learned that he needed a social security number to activate the Green Dot cards. The couple said that security feature was not mentioned on the package or by the store where the cards were purchased.
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That’s when Zonca, who is also from Italy and now a permanent resident of the United States, tried to help her boyfriend get a refund.
“They kept asking for documentation of the purchase of the cards, the receipt, a picture of his ID, which we sent multiple times,” Zonca said.
Zonca said she also offered her social security number to try to speed up a resolution. Green Dot, however, sent Marco a letter explaining the refund request was inconsistent with average customer behavior.
“They had doubts on the fact that we actually loaded some money on these cards,” Zonca said.
A Green Dot spokesperson told NBC 5 Responds this was an “odd situation”. Still, the spokesperson explained that Green Dot cards are indeed US bank accounts, in which identity verification definitely comes into play. Green Dot’s website also said federal law requires them to verify information like date of birth, address and social security number.
But several days after NBC 5 Responds got involved, Marco received three $500 refund checks totaling $1,500.
“I’m so happy, for sure,” Marco said.
The couple is now catching up on all the city has to offer before Marco heads back to Italy.
