sad

[broken ed]

It's sad, I have good credit, two banks, two credit cards, but I just don't trust some companies I must do business with, like my mail order prescription company. They never let me know how I'm going to be charged before dinging my credit card and sending out the prescription. There are a few other companies that have user agreement, terms and conditions that are legal, but devious.

So Q: What is the best pre paid debit or credit card? Hopefully that you can recharged on line and low or no fees, especially if the card is over charged.

devious:
de·vi·ous
adjective

showing a skillful use of underhanded tactics to achieve goals.

 

[cyndi]

Ed, have you looked into credit unions? Mine is in MA so not probably not a big help to you. But there are plenty out there.

I can't remember the last time I had any kind of service charge on my accounts or my debit cards. The biggest change over the years is now I have to pay for my new checks. I get a box about every 5 years.

I have two checking accounts with debit cards. One I call my master account. that's where my checks are deposited. The other I transfer money into it, to use as needed. That way if I get hacked or skimmed or whatever I only lose a limited amount of money. I will say, the one time someone got a hold of my debit card numbers the credit union put the money back into my account with out blinking an eye

 

[Firtree]

Have couple prepaid debit cards but have not had losses or issues so don’t know how well they will fix.
-American Express Bluebird in a relationship with Walmart for refills and cash back.
-A Visa Prepaid from credit union. Can only refill online from a credit card. Strange but works.
They do not have monthly maintenance fees or refill charges.
There are online articles about ‘best prepaid debit cards’.

 

[broken ed]

Ed, have you looked into credit unions? Mine is in MA so not probably not a big help to you. But there are plenty out there.

Thanks Cyndi, I'm happy with my banks and credit cards. They're only doing what the should do, pay ligament charges. I never get any fees and one even gives me free checks, Ally Bank. It's the companies I must deal with (because I have no choice) I'm locked in on such as with my health insurance on prescription drugs. I want to limit my exposure by keeping a very small balance.

One month the drug company charged me 18 times what I normally pay. I just don't want the charge to go through due to insufficient funds by keeping  low balance, but don't want to hurt my credit or good standing with the two banks I'm with.

 

[broken ed]

Have couple prepaid debit cards but have not had losses or issues so don’t know how well they will fix.
-American Express Bluebird in a relationship with Walmart for refills and cash back.

American Express Bluebird is one that looked good to me that came up with good reviews, thanks

 

[RoamerRV428]

your prescription company may not accept a prepaid or 'refill' card like normal and they may not accept it SO call your prescription company before changing to a certain card to make sure it will go thru.

I got the Vanilla Visa which you can reload for my kid. This card was not accepted when we tried to buy some games from Xbox for my kid. When I switched over and used my 'real money card' from my bank the purchase went straight thru. I never checked why they wouldn't accept the Vanilla Visa refill credit card but....

This sounds like a big problem from your prescription company...ugh.

If this trouble only happened once, then.....kinda hmm.....but if your prescription company is constantly doing this to you, then can ya get another prescript company? I mean, better to walk from them if ya can.

 

[Gr8ful]

If you like what you have put a limit per day on one card & use it. If you need to increase just a phone call does it.

 

[broken ed]

your prescription company may not accept a prepaid or 'refill' card like normal and they may not accept it SO call your prescription company before changing to a certain card to make sure it will go thru.

I got the Vanilla Visa which you can reload for my kid.  This card was not accepted when we tried to buy some games from Xbox for my kid.  When I switched over and used my 'real money card' from my bank the purchase went straight thru.  I never checked why they wouldn't accept the Vanilla Visa refill credit card but....

This sounds like a big problem from your prescription company...ugh.

If this trouble only happened once, then.....kinda hmm.....but if your prescription company is constantly doing this to you, then can ya get another prescript company?   I mean, better to walk from them if ya can.

RoamerRV428, your point is well taken. I am aware, for example, American Express is not accepted as widely as Visa and Master Cards in part I'm sure because American Express charges higher merchant fees. And it wouldn't surprise me to see the same with Bluebird since it is an American Express product.

The problem is widespread with the health insurance companies. You never know what you will be charged until it shows up on your statement. I'm locked in to this company (which shall remain nameless) because it's through my wife's job. I'm on Medicare, but it is a secondary insurance. Insurance companies are (again) devious but also poorly trained as are all in the health industry, including doctors.

I called the insurance company last year to make sure a health care provider would be covered before setting up my appointment. This after I checked the website and made sure this provider was in network. The "chat" which I still have a copy of, told me yes, just a $20 co-pay. The two visits cost me nearly $200.00 because none of it was covered.

Now I know what many of you are thinking, and your right. But at the end of the day it's up to us to read and know what our coverage is in the policy. That's the insurance company's defense. Problem is, you could die of old age before you can read and understand what a team of attorneys put in a insurance policy.

I decided to start with a Bluebird account. I phoned the insurance company and they take it, well see. I plan on keeping a very low balance on the card, there are no fees for over draft or inactivity, well see. So far it's on it's way and hasn't cost me anything. In light of what RoamerRV428 said, I'm going see about getting a prepaid debit card that's a Visa or Master Card.

 

[broken ed]

If you like what you have put a limit per day on one card & use it. If you need to increase just a phone call does it.

It's a good thought but credit card companies aren't much better then insurance companies. I purchased a TV for my wife last Christmas as a gift in Target. The very same card was denied, the clerk telling me I need to phone the credit card company. There should have been no problem and I couldn't get through on the phone. So I put the TV on my next credit card. Also denied, the clerk telling me I need to phone this credit card company as well. Embarrassed, with people waiting in line behind us, I tried, but the second credit card allow me to text back to confirm I was making the purchase. It went through and my wife got her TV.

I buy my medication every 90 days, even if I could get the credit card company to set a low limit, it's just not worth it for a purchase four times a year. It's a good thought however.

 

[RoamerRV428]

yea worst is when you are tied to a company thru no choice of your own for your purchases. I hate the nooses around our necks but it sure happens.

We bought our truck and I put 5K (the limit I was allowed only by the dealership) on my CC card...to rank up my credit reward points (I love these, I get about $500 free gift cards each year when I redeem and never give them one penny of interest LOL) and they denied my card. I had to call and say it was a real purchase by me with the fraud dept. Very annoying but when a larger purchase goes thru they do catch it as fraud which is a good thing I guess

My mom uses some 90 day prescript company for her blood press. meds and I think it starts with an E....express scripts or something like that. She never had billing troubles ever. So far so good on that one.

best of luck working a way around it all but you will....there is some fix for ya that will work well, you just gotta find it thru all the mess of it all HA

 

[WanderingRose]

There may be something in the Settings function either on your card or your online prescription company that you can use to be informed more fully.

On both my debit and credit card, I get a text notification for any charge over $1.00.

 

[JD GUMBEE]

broken ed...


First of all, let me start by saying I only skimmed the replies.
Sorry if this has already been said.
Have you made a call with a "you are about to be placed in trouble with BBB" message?

We had the same BS with the outfit that sells my TENS unit and the pads for it.
Constant billings for things not ordered and they would clam up when you tried to fix it with them.
The Better Business Bureau shredded them.

All that said, can you not put one card on a "authorized charge only" status?
They will send you a notice to approve or disapprove the charge.
If your credit is good, this might be an easier option.

 

[broken ed]

You know,,, I don't know - I'll check. And I don't think anyone brought this up and I haven't heard of it before this. You bet I'll check.

 

[maki2]

Or don't use the automatic refill systems. Instead be the person who is in charge of placing the order when needed. You can set a calendar reminder up telling you when to place a new order.

 

[broken ed]

I've never used "automatic refill" - the pharmacy just doesn't have that level of competence.But thanks for the thought.

 

[broken ed]

I talked to the credit card company and they don't have any kind of "authorized charge only" system. They where truly at a loss at how to control this. Even saying the pharmacy could place a charge on the card that could go above your credit card limit. They went on to say I have good credit and wouldn't be charged a fee if the card did go over the limit, just the minimum payment plus the amount over the limit would be due.

They also explain that you can always dispute the charges. I told them it isn't like I'm not getting what they're charging me for, just that I never know what they are going to do, one time replacing a drug with one that cost 16 times more then normal. So I wouldn't feel it's right to dispute such a charge.

When I brought up the pre-paid debet card idea they said that would actually work by just keeping a low balance on the card.

This has become an interesting lesson, because this can happen with all kinds of companies that keep your credit card on file.

 

[WanderingRose]

You could also perhaps change pharmacies, if your insurance company will allow it, or skip the mail order prescriptions and get them from a large chain, which is what I do.

I have 90 day prescriptions filled at Walgreens all over the country.

Varying the products (and their prices) used to fill your regular prescriptions sounds strange to me, tho I wonder if you have an annual deductible that makes prescriptions early in a calendar year more expensive until you have met that deductible.

That’s the case with my insurance.

 

[broken ed]

All great thoughts, but,,, first I don't drive due to a disability, so mail order is the best option. It's that or get my wife to drive or a bus. Second, when I did change I was told I wouldn't be allowed to do mail order with another pharmacy, because we have our own mail order pharmacy. Third, if I go to another pharmacy (brick) they would not be permitted to fill a 90 day supply, only 30 days.

By now your starting to get the picture of why I used the word "devious" to describe the practices of this pharmacy. This too because your not told or can approve a charge for a drug before it arrives. I really feel that I'm stuck with the mail order pharmacy that is through my wife's job and to try and find the best way to deal with them. Some day this place will probably show up on 60 Minutes but it's simply isn't my choice and out of my hands.

So back to square one. I talked to my second credit card company and no, they don't offer any kind of "authorized charge only." But both credit card companies think the pre-paid debit card would work.

 

[Stargazer]

Broken Ed,

I also get my 90 day mail prescriptions from the required pharmacy through my cobra'd employee insurance.  I have to mail in a refill request and on that form is a box I can check that states whether or not I will accept generic vs brand name.

I know that one of my meds is not yet available in the US as a generic.  I also know that now and then, the pill looks different and there is a note that says it may be different looking but that it is the same drug.  I always look it up by the code on the pill and it has always been a generic form, available in (are you ready?) Canada.

I wonder if your pharmacy is filling a medication with brand name vs generic because they don't have the generic at that time or some other reason.  Perhaps you can call them and ask?  Can you insist on generic only?  One time, I called three pharmacies (Walgreens, CVS, and a local) to price the same medication and price ranged from $25 to $800 for the same thing!  I found out the high dollar one was brand name.

I could be all wrong, just an idea.

 

[broken ed]

Stargazer, thanks. I have spent countless hours on the phone with the company, and this doesn't count emails and chat sessions. I don't get to use any kind of form. They also won't allow me to pay by check. They only want the doctor to transmit prescription electronically. They have, on occasion, blamed the doctors for what's going on. My response is; while it's possible the doctor did this, it's not likely and you guys have much less credibility.

I like the idea of checking on the price of meds, I've been using Good Rx. https://www.goodrx.com/ If anyone reading this hasn't checked this out it's very interesting to see the prices.

I'm very careful about talking with my doctor with regard to staying on generics, I have a long medical history but I'm stable. My generic meds work quite well, it's not rocket science. I've been on the same stuff for years and it keeps very stable. I never done it, but some day I feel I'll be going to Mexico for my meds.

Thanks for everyone for your help and ideas