WTF Green Dot?

[mm03]

Youngest niece is in a university in a southern state within 60 miles of the Gulf Coast. Last week she encountered winter weather for the first time in her life, she's from the sprawling metropolis of Houma.

I decided to send her some money via her Green Dot card so she could buy a coat or jacket. CVS and Walmart (local to me) no longer sell the M-pak refill cards, nor the Green Dots themselves. Dollar General and 7-11 no longer sell the refill cars, you have to physically have the Green Dot card in hand and swipe it to refill it.

Walgreen's was the only place that had the M-pak refill cards. While purchasing the refill, the register prompted the clerk to ask for a valid ID, address, contact number and proceeded to play 20 questions. I did do the purchase with cash.

Anyone else encounter this? Probable impact to the ladies? Bad news all around? Other refillable pre-paids doing the same?

A few weeks ago I did purchase a refill for a travelling lady at the same Walgreen's and it was just a simple cash transaction. So I was a bit surprised when the above described issue happened.


mm

[bored@home]

I personally prefer the Amex serve card, you and the niece may want to check it out. Easy to load and transfer funds online and from what I'm told fee free to withdraw from 7/11 or use like regular cc for purchases.

[DallasRain]

Yep happened to me....go to walmart and get their Bluebird American Express card...you can get her a card thru yours and link with your account.....it works like a bank acct

Then when you want to put money on your card go to walmart checkstand and tell them you wanna load money on your card....then go home and transfer money to het card via your online bank account with bluebird american express..then she can go to any atm with her card and draw the money out or she can simply use her card like a debit card at any store

[DallasRain]

It is basically like an american express bank card....i use it to get hotels online......
Pm me if u have questions

[oldbutstillgoing]

Paypal is another option. They even have a debt card.

[Jules Jaguar]

Yeah there were a lot of online scams going on with green dot via social media so they stopped doing them at most places.

[mm03]

Originally Posted by Jules Jaguar

Yeah there were a lot of online scams going on with green dot via social media so they stopped doing them at most places.

Jules, you have wonderful boobies.


mm

[Jules Jaguar]

Why thank you! We still need to hook up

[pyramider]

Originally Posted by mm03

Jules, you have wonderful boobies.


mm

She still has not posted taint photos...ijs.

[zebra]

I NEVER liked or cared for the Green Dot refill cards or anything associated with the
Green Dot cause of scams in the past. I did send a lady some cash with a Green Dot refill eariler this year and felt uneasy about the transaction in Ohio where I made the purchase but then sent everything via Priority Mail to the lady and she received everything in 2 days and she did the things she needed to get done, everybodys happy.

[ElisabethWhispers]

I know that you're speaking of your "niece" but if I were you, I would advise ALL sex workers to not use Green ... cards. They've been known to freeze accounts and sometimes, not return funds for a long time, if ever.

I've had good luck with "uncles" sending me funds through the Square. And I like that! But you have to have a bank account and there is some risk to it, I guess, if taking credit card payments like that.

And I use Visa gift cards all of the time to place ads and do stuff that is specific to this business.

But paypal? And the Walmart cards? They'll freeze your card faster than you can say, "Holy crap!"

And there isn't much that you can do about it when it happens. Ladies around here talk about it all of the time.

Just my thoughts on it.

Hugs,
Elisabeth

[mm03]

Elisabeth,

Yes, my wonderful niece that just turned 19 and is an actual genius in mathematics. And she's arguing with me that cattle are not vegetarian.

Btw, how ya doing?

mm

[Hunteradventurer]

I have a SB/FWB I send money too on occasion and had the same problem recently, CVS, Walgreen's, Market Basket, Dollar General, Dollar Store all pulled their remaining stock. I finally found that Kroger's is still carrying them but are being kept behind the service desk counter, apparently there was some kind of scam or breach in their system. I knew she was in a jam & on the way to a memorial service so I went to Market Basket too send her a Western Union but their machine was down. I went across the street to a Krogers and filled out the Western Union but decided to ask the CS rep about what happened to the GD cards and she told me they still had them just now keep them secured.

[ElisabethWhispers]

Originally Posted by mm03

Elisabeth,

Yes, my wonderful niece that just turned 19 and is an actual genius in mathematics. And she's arguing with me that cattle are not vegetarian.

Btw, how ya doing?

mm

I have a 23 year old niece who is beautiful, exceptionally smart and just wonderful, too! We're both SO lucky to have such accomplished relatives (or at least, a few!)!!! Your niece doesn't understand about the dietary needs of cows. And my forward thinking niece has some really awful ideas about what feminism is, and she's just wrong. Youth. Sigh.

I'm doing great. This year is starting off with a bang! (so to speak. gulp!)

Hope you're doing well.

Sincerely,
Elisabeth

edited to add Keeping on topic: I just think with all of the anti-sex crap that is on the news, and the pressures that corporations are getting because using these cards are generally a way to wash money, etc., that most of them are really putting the kabosh on us workers/sporting ladies/people who wish to stay anonymous for whatever reason, who are using the service (cards) for the greater good.

I see the issue getting worse, not better.

I did try to get a reload Western Union card. It's good because someone trying to send you money can do it through a bank or credit card just online. You don't need to leave the house. The problem is, though, when someone tries to put money on it, sure ... you can use just the number ... but your real name will pop up with the client.

So that doesn't work very well, unless there is a lot of trust there.

Best,
Liz

[Shea Veile]

Originally Posted by ElisabethWhispers

I know that you're speaking of your "niece" but if I were you, I would advise ALL sex workers to not use Green ... cards. They've been known to freeze accounts and sometimes, not return funds for a long time, if ever.

I've had good luck with "uncles" sending me funds through the Square. And I like that! But you have to have a bank account and there is some risk to it, I guess, if taking credit card payments like that.

And I use Visa gift cards all of the time to place ads and do stuff that is specific to this business.

But paypal? And the Walmart cards? They'll freeze your card faster than you can say, "Holy crap!"

And there isn't much that you can do about it when it happens. Ladies around here talk about it all of the time.

Just my thoughts on it.

Hugs,
Elisabeth

Elisabeth is right.

The Green Dots are becoming more difficult to use, as well as the reload paks. Pay Pal caught wind of the scams and fraud a long time ago.

The Visa Vanilla gift cards are next. They will be pulled in March of this year.

.