Consumer Expert Warns of Celebrity Debit Card Marketed to Teens
By John Ostapkovich
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Teen idol Justin Bieber already has his face on posters and tee-shirts, but now it'll be on a prepaid debit card.
And that's something that appalls the City of Philadelphia's consumer advocate, Lance Haver.
Haver says he has nothing against the Canadian superstar or his likeness, but rather with the fees associated with loading, using, and even not using the Bieber card (see chart below).
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The company issuing it, billmyparents.com, lists as its benefits easy tracking of kid purchases and lower fees than bank cards.
But there are fees which, according to Haver, could devour 35 percent of an initial $25 put onto the card.
"I really don't know how a star does this to his own fan base," Haver told KYW Newsradio this morning. "These are the people who have made him rich. These are the people who have made him an idol. And instead of helping them, he exploits them. It defies description why someone would do this."
Haver says there's no reason to have a card with fees like this.
