My XXXX-year old son bought a " pre-paid '' debit card " NETSPEND '' so he could pay for something on his own on the internet. Little did he know that he had to ( this is their wording that he found out when he could n't use it ) " provide your name , street address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask you to provide a copy of your driver 's license or other documentation as proof of identification. Approval of your request for a NetSpend Prepaid Debit Card requires passing our identification verification process. Residents of the State of Vermont are ineligible to open a Card Account. '' All as part of Patriot Act/Anti Money Laundering requirements. I work for a financial institution that follows these regulations ; NetSpend requires someone to " Open an Account '' and thus in that manner they require the " know your customer '' rules. Thus many people do n't want to give this information and never can use the card when they think they are purchasing a prepaid CREDIT card. My son only got bilked out of {$10.00} but there 's instances all over the internet of {$100.00}, {$200.00} and {$300.00}. At my bank we do n't let someone give us their money and " open an account '' account they then ca n't use. They know up front that they will provide personal information ; if they do n't want to provide the information, then they walk away. NetSpend is violating consumer laws by not providing disclosures to customers, or at least making them aware of the depth of the requirement at the time of the purchase. 
