Vanilla giftReviews 440

Bought gift card in ohio on 6/20/2022 hours later money was taken off. Called all the time getting the run around saying there still investigating it the money was to a place out west called Kiddle Repair Plus today 05/31/2023 a lady tells me in there computer it didn't look suspicious and time has lapsed and the case is closed. I said well I would like everything you guys have done emailed to me this is not right not right at all. She said she can't do that. Then i want to talk to a supervisor well I have been hearing there music for hours and I mean HOURS. NEVER AGAIN WILL I BUY A CARD

My husband and I received a $400 gift card to help out with food and gas, as we are in a very tight financial situation. We tried activating it and the website kept having issues. Called customer service and they told us that there had been "suspicious activity" and they had blocked the card… they said they would send us a new card in the mail. It's been over a month now. We've called multiple times we're on hold for hours, and when we get someone on the line we're told there's nothing they can do, and that they can send a new card. I told them I'm getting a lawyer and then they have no clue what to say when I say that, and place me on hold again. This is a scam, they take peoples money, and leave them with nothing… visa do better… do not partner with Vanilla.

I used my card for GWL and KI well when I get home very on the card was fine now on may 25,2023 it's saying that I have nothing and it was used for pay pal and we tried customer service nobody answered. Before all of this I still had $84 left after my vacation.So please do not use these cards they will take your money in a heartbeat this sucks

Bought a brand new never opened package card for a grad gift. When they opened it 4 of the numbers were unreadable. Contacted CVS where I purchased they said call the number on card because they do not refund or replace damaged cards. Contacted vanilla and they said it will take 10-30 days for a replacement. Very unacceptable. There customer service are hard to understand since you are taking with someone in another part of the world. I will never buy a gift card again. And would advise everyone to avoid buying any gift cards visa or Amex from this company vanilla.

BIG SCAM. FINE PRINT INSIDE THE CARD ON CARDMEMBER AGREEMENT. HUGE CONVENIENCE FEES! NOT ACCEPTED FOR RECURRING BILLS, NOT ACCEPTED BY PAYPAL UNLESS YOU HAVE AN INVOICE FOR GOODS.

DOES NOT WORK EVERYWHERE VISA IS ACCEPTED.

JUST DON'T WASTE THE MONEY!

Their site is ok when it works which is 20% of the time. I had funds left on a card and only used it once on amazon. I tried to use the balance and found that someone managed to hack amazon or make a good guess to which they transferred my funds to someone on paypal. I had paypal look into it and they gave me the name of the culprit. I contacted Vanilla and got them to open an investigation. I gave them all the information to help them. I was told it would take 45 days to complete which makes me think they get hacked all of the time. In closing, if you get one of their cards you need to use it completely or risk someone stealing your money. It's been 2 months and I haven't heard from vanilla. I have bought a card since and used most of it but when I try to check the balance I get system errors. Netspend which isn't much better, is an alternative. I feel sorry for folks getting a vanilla gift card and finding out the money has been stolen and they haven't even used it yet.

I got this card from as a gift, the card got paused very quickly after using 1/5 the total value and the guy on the phone said it was compromised even though I checked the purchases and it checked out and when I called to ask can they unpause it they said, "we can't just unhold the card, we need to send you a new one". Then they asked me for a ton of info and that it can take up to 30 days for the new card. At this point I don't think they are planning on fixing anything or sending a new card.

When you call customer service they are all foreigners and ask for personal information which has nothing to do with the pur have of a gift card.

I would give this zero stars if it would let me.

Purchased a Visa e-card from Vanilla web site. Email with info sent my recipient.
Tried to activate, show correct balance on the card but said there was an issue withit and to call number on back of card
Called in was told that the number was found on some other site by their system. Couldn't tell me what site.
I asked them to send a replacement e-card to the recipients email. THEIR ANSWER: Sorry we can't do that, we will send a replacement card in 7-20 days by mail.
Recipient needed money today. They did not care.
Tried to talk to supervisor twice but first time call was cut off before the supervisor answered and the second time it cut off as the supervisor answered and was announcing herself.

These guys don't want to help, have no idea about what is going on. They just read from a script and keep apologizing but can't do anything.

Run away fast.

Just need a patient and accuracy info for dispute.
After talked with customer service That took a very long time, I gave up all of the purchase that's been swept by theft to be disputed.
Surprisingly…about 2 months (as the representative said) they really send me another card with the rest of amount which the thieve stole it.
Thank you, I really appreciate it.
Suggestions for others, make sure check balance or activate card in "official website"

Please boycott this gift card! Stores need to stop selling these cards they are scams and people are using their hard earned money to gift friends and family only for the money to be stolen, scammed and used by someone INSIDE THE COMPANY. STOP BUYING THESE CARDS. Christmas time I received a card $300 from my parents. The card had a fake barcode that was scanned and the money was loaded onto someone else's card. This was done by someone at the company during manufacturing. 05/14/23 I bought a card for my niece, I opened the card before purchase to MAKE SURE there was no fake barcode being scanned. STILL they had the card number and after the card was loaded with $100 they used $70. My niece went to the movies and spent some before realizing. $1.77 was left. Someone used Paypal to send themselves the $1.77. The card is now on 0. Seriously BOYCOTT THIS COMPANY

Vanilla is horrible! Look at their reviews!
They put a "hold" on my card and said I have to call in to fix. I have spent over an hour on hold to speak with a Customer representative and they still hung up on me!
Visa needs to step in and shut this Company down. I called them and they just transferred me back to Vanilla. This is fraud. I feel like they just want me to go away and keep my money.
They do not know who they are dealing with. I will not let this go. I am reporting them to my local Attorney General (everyone else should as well) to try to get them shut down.
I am going to go to my local stores and inform them of the issues. Hopefully, they will pull them from the shelves.

I purchased a $25 vanilla gift card at a Safeway store. First off, I was not aware that you had to wait for an entire hour before you could even use it. Had I known this, I wouldn't have purchased it. So after waiting an entire hour i was able to use it once for gas in the amount of $20, leaving a remaining balance of $5. I tried to use it a couple of hours later, and it was locked! I had to call their customer service. I was on hold for almost 45 minutes at 7:30 in the morning, just for the lady to say my card was possibly compromised and they had to send me a new card in mail in 7-10 business days…no explanation of how it was possibly compromised, and no alternative solution other than waiting 7-10 business days for a $5 balance card to be mailed to me. I will never use this crappy card again.

Was alerted of a suspicious transaction. Seems they hacked my debit number and tried to make a fraudulent order. I had never even heard of them- thank goodness my bank alerted me!

I received a digital Vanilla gift card for $200 (with a huge VISA logo — very misleading since VISA has nothing to do with this company) from family members. I tried to use it and it was denied.

I checked my balance at the website and it was ZERO. The record on the website showed that someone in another state had wiped out the entire balance at a string of different gas stations. My card number had somehow been stolen.

I called the 800 number and was on hold for *25 minutes.* The CSR I spoke with told me that since the card was digital (emailed version) he had to transfer me to a different department, and I was put on hold for *another 25 minutes.*

The 2nd CSR created a case for me and said it would be reviewed by the management team, and I'd be notified via snail mail if I was going to be reimbursed. Eventually, a replacement card showed up in the mail. In order to activate it, I had to call another 800 number.

I called the number and was on hold for *20 minutes.* I connected with a CSR who took another 10 minutes to activate the card. He said I could use it in 24 hours, but I didn't receive any record/documentation that the card was activated. They have a horrible system. I don't even know if my card is truly activated. I have a feeling that when I try to use it something will go wrong and I'll have to spend another 30 minutes in their Customer Service Black Hole.

I'd like to be reimbursed for the 80 minutes (total) I spent on the phone with Vanilla just because they allowed someone to steal my card number. Probably someone who works for the company.

There are many other ways of giving people money as gifts. Avoid this one like the absolute plague.

I received two gift cards as a gift and they were used online by hackers immediately after activation

I used to buy these gift cards, but now i see how bad they are, I bought 4 gift cards of $100 and the 4 where bad some where missing the full numbers in the front others were missing the security code, and to get 2 of them replaced has been a pain. Customer services has also been so bad.I am very frustrated with this.

The fact that a hold has to be placed on a Prepaid card is crazy. Then to have the $$ sit there as pending so you can't use it. WTH It's a prepaid card with money on it and if there isn't you'll find out. I have a card that has a balance of $66.00 but I can't get it because it's pending for a $10.00 charge …Really…money on a card I can't use. Never again will I use a Vanilla gift card.worst one there is. Wish I could give it negative stars….