Editor’s Note: Since this story was first published, Mr. Schaecher told KOIN 6 News VanillaGift reached out to him and sent him a new card.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Over the holidays Dale Schaecher received a $40 debit card as a gift. But when he got the card he said the balance was zero.
The Marion County resident said when he checked the balance through VanillaGift.com he realized there was no money available.
“I went on there, typed in the card number and looked at the balance, and it said it was zero,” Schaecher told KOIN 6 News. “Then I went, ‘Wait a minute, that doesn’t make sense.'”
He said he determined the card was used in Salem 2 days after it was bought. Schaecher said he reached out to VanillaGift and filled out a claim form.
Company officials told him they’d provide a response within 10 days, but he said it’s now been longer than that.
‘It’s not the dollar amount that’s the big deal. I mean it’s $40. $40 is not going to break me,” he said, “but it’s the principle of it.”
He said he filed a complaint with the Oregon Attorney General’s office.
KOIN 6 News has also heard from another person with the same problem. KOIN 6 News reached out to VanillaGift about this issue and did not hear back by the time the story aired.
But the next day, Shelly Mosley with InComm Payments told KOIN 6 News they take cardholders concerns very seriously.
“While our policy and privacy restrictions prevent us from commenting on individual customer situations, we can share that we have been in contact with Mr. Schaecher to explain the status of his case,” Mosley said. “Our customer care phone lines are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to assist cardholders if they have questions or concerns.”