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how do i get the balance off my ICE prepaid cashcard?
ashdale1234
Posts: 21 Forumite
in Credit cards
Just over four years ago I got an ICE travellers cashcard and put 200 euros (about £163) on it. I haven’t used it yet but it expires this coming July.
On Jan 21st, I got an email purporting to come from ICE saying that my card would be “closed” at midnight and would I log into My Account, and select Buy Back to get my remaining balance (ie, the £163) transferred to a bank account of my choice. No reason was given for the premature card closure.
I logged into My Account and saw that the balance was still there, but there was no Buy Back option (Travel Money, Prepaid Card, Click & Collect, Money Transfers, Deals & Offers, Travel Extras, were the only options offered). I tried to send a message to ICE using their web contact form, but the message was rejected; “invalid characters in response”, except that my message used normal text, so what was invalid?
I phoned up ICE using the number supplied in the original email and when I mentioned the absence of the Buy Back option in My Account webpage, the receptionist made no comment. She just said, send in an email with the details of my bank account. How dangerous is that? The email address I had to use was a strange one that she had to read out, letter by letter, three times to me. I still don’t know if I got it right! Needless to say, I was not going to send them an open email with my bank details.
I tried emailing a response to the original email I’d received on Jan 21st. The reply acknowledged receipt and said my email would be forwarded to the “correct department” who would themselves reply shortly. Worrying about the possibility that ICE were trying to steal my money off my card, I stayed up till midnight that day, but no response came. I sent another email the day after, complaining about their lack of reply and about their suggestion of my sending bank details through an open email. I suggested they post me a cheque with the balance. There has still been no response.
In the past, I’ve been able to check my ICE balance at bank cashpoint outlets, so yesterday I checked to see if my ICE card still worked. The Lloyds cashpoint which I had previously used, rejected my card, saying “it was the wrong sort”. So clearly, since Jan 21st, ICE have done something to my card to prevent me from using it.
What are my options? Emailing and phoning are useless, I clearly can’t now spend the money on the card. How do I get my £163 back?
On Jan 21st, I got an email purporting to come from ICE saying that my card would be “closed” at midnight and would I log into My Account, and select Buy Back to get my remaining balance (ie, the £163) transferred to a bank account of my choice. No reason was given for the premature card closure.
I logged into My Account and saw that the balance was still there, but there was no Buy Back option (Travel Money, Prepaid Card, Click & Collect, Money Transfers, Deals & Offers, Travel Extras, were the only options offered). I tried to send a message to ICE using their web contact form, but the message was rejected; “invalid characters in response”, except that my message used normal text, so what was invalid?
I phoned up ICE using the number supplied in the original email and when I mentioned the absence of the Buy Back option in My Account webpage, the receptionist made no comment. She just said, send in an email with the details of my bank account. How dangerous is that? The email address I had to use was a strange one that she had to read out, letter by letter, three times to me. I still don’t know if I got it right! Needless to say, I was not going to send them an open email with my bank details.
I tried emailing a response to the original email I’d received on Jan 21st. The reply acknowledged receipt and said my email would be forwarded to the “correct department” who would themselves reply shortly. Worrying about the possibility that ICE were trying to steal my money off my card, I stayed up till midnight that day, but no response came. I sent another email the day after, complaining about their lack of reply and about their suggestion of my sending bank details through an open email. I suggested they post me a cheque with the balance. There has still been no response.
In the past, I’ve been able to check my ICE balance at bank cashpoint outlets, so yesterday I checked to see if my ICE card still worked. The Lloyds cashpoint which I had previously used, rejected my card, saying “it was the wrong sort”. So clearly, since Jan 21st, ICE have done something to my card to prevent me from using it.
What are my options? Emailing and phoning are useless, I clearly can’t now spend the money on the card. How do I get my £163 back?
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Comments
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Why do you not want to email them your bank details so that they can do the transfer (buyback)? I cannot see any other option. You read back the email address correctly three times so you must have the correct address...I work within the voluntary sector, supporting vulnerable people to rebuild their lives.
I love my job
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Probably the card could have been used to load euros onto a Revolut account, as I've done in the past to clear a similar card, but if your card no longer functions it's too late for this.
A few hours' notice of service being terminated is not appropriate, were there no previous emails from ICE? Does your 200€ still show in your account online? Do you have phone number or email for customer services other than the ones on the email you received?Evolution, not revolution0 -
Add it to a PayPal account and send the money to a trusted person by charging the card.0
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Well, according to the order history in My Account, that £163 in euros was put on the card in a date in July 2014. Whether that money is STILL available is impossible to say, I can't see any option for "current value". As for previous emails, I'm not aware of any, though that's not to say something didn't slip into my spam folder. For something as important as this (there could be a fortune stored on a card), surely a letter would have been more appropriate?
As for sending bank details by email, no way! One of my bank accounts was emptied a few years ago, and though I got my money back from the bank, I'm always suspicious of emails getting into the wrong hands. I'm still not sure I heard the receptionist say the right address (that's why she had three goes at it!) and if I did get it wrong, well, there goes my bank account! If they were not prepared to explain why the original email gave me incorrect instructions, I can't take the risk.
I shall see if I can google a customer service contact phone number.
It occurs to me, is this a case for the financial ombudsman?0 -
An update!
ICE have finally sent me an email asking me to reply to them enclosing my bank details for them to redeem my balance. I can see nothing to indicate that it is a secure email, no padlock or anything. I don't know "Darren at ICE" from Adam. I'm sure this isn't a safe thing to do. What do you guys think?
I do have a Paypal account that I've not used for years. How do I use this to act as a sink for the money? Does my Paypal account have a number and sortcode? What I really need is a temporary online bank account but which one? Can I put £5, say, into it first to validate it, give ICE the details, then withdraw all the money and close it down?
Time is of the essence so any help will be gratefully received.0 -
Add it as a payment method in your PayPal wallet. You would have to send the value of the card to another PayPal user, obviously someone you trust. They can redeem it from their Paypal account into their bank account.0
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ICE have finally sent me an email asking me to reply to them enclosing my bank details for them to redeem my balance. I can see nothing to indicate that it is a secure email, no padlock or anything. I don't know "Darren at ICE" from Adam. I'm sure this isn't a safe thing to do. What do you guys think?
What bank details are they asking for? Sort code and account number?
I guess you're too young to remember cheques.
Cheques have these details printed on them. Anyone you send a cheque to would have your sort code and account number.
These aren't are pieces of information that need to be kept secret.0 -
The complexity of using PayPal for this is pointless, if you're sure that it's really ICE that you are communicating with then give them your bank details so they can refund you.
If you need the peace of mind, you can open a Starling Bank account on your phone in minutes then give ICE the details. Also you can then use the Starling debit card abroad much more cheaply than the likes of ICE.Evolution, not revolution0 -
ICE have finally sent me an email asking me to reply to them enclosing my bank details for them to redeem my balance. I can see nothing to indicate that it is a secure email, no padlock or anything. I don't know "Darren at ICE" from Adam. I'm sure this isn't a safe thing to do. What do you guys think?
I think you are worrying over a problem that does not exist. You share your sort code and account number in ways that you might not even be aware of and it's not an issue. I think you should not let paranoia prevent you from getting your money back.Time is of the essence so any help will be gratefully received.
Then stop prevaricating. Email them your details so that they can send you your money.0
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