Consumer complaint received 2019-08-05
Company: Netspend Corporation
State: MI
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose prepaid card
Issue: Unexpected or other fees

Complaint:
I was issued a Payday loan on a NetSpend card ( this was my 3rd card with them ).  I'd previously enrolled in the " monthly fee '' plan with my temporary card ( $  XXXX/month ), when i was issued my permanent card ( with my name on card, automatically sends by mail ), it got switched to the " per transaction fee '' plan ( from {$1.00} to {$2.00} each transaction including debit or running as credit ). I called the customer service number, after arguing with the man, he reluctantly have me only HALF of the fees they'd taken from me and stated he'd put me on the " monthly fee '' plan again, starting the NEXT day. Which of course, I was charged for AGAIN after already paying {$32.00} in transaction fees ( and only received {$13.00} credit ), I still got charged more! I only had {$6.00} and some change in there, so they pretty much cleaned me out, I called again complained and said I wasn't paying another fee per transaction and the girl told me they can't issue me a refund due to them already issuing me credit the day prior ( mind you for only half ), so at this point I'd paid almost {$20.00} in fees already, I asked for a supervisor .... She placed me on hold after arguing more with me only to eventually hang up on me. I called back stated what happened AGAIN to another man and he continued to put me on hold for over 40 mins which at the point I did hang up. Then to top it off they put me back on the " monthly fee '' plan after that conversation apparently and took ANOTHER {$5.00}. In the files attached you'll see they charged me the " monthly fee '' at some XXXX that morning and shortly after charged me the " transaction fee ''. I asked the girl how this is allowed and she tried telling me it was the " transaction fee '' first, in the file i attached you can clearly see that's not the case. So they charged me in order, a monthly fee when i opened the temp card, when i received the permanent card they switched to transaction fees, then i called and complained getting me to be charged a monthly fee ( once again ), changed to a transaction fee somehow after my 2nd complaint by phone, then ANOTHER monthly fee during my 3rd complaint by phone ... All within a 30 day period. Within the last 2 days alone they took {$5.00} twice, plus almost {$20.00} in transaction fees, one of which was charged the monthly fee then charger a transaction fee the SAME DAY. This is HIGHLY unethical and deceitful. It violates so many laws that were just filled against them in the lawsuit. How is this STILL GOING ON?! Just plain cowardly and irresponsible that the supervisor or anyone from an authorized position would even come to the phone to speak with me. Not an acceptable impression from a well known company ... But then again, they're not well known for how great they are .... They're cheats and thieves who think they're above the law.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation