Mygallons.com Prepaid Gas Card Called into Question by Better Business Bureau

Unless you are a gazillionaire, you have probably taken notice gas prices and the highway robbery that is taking place at the pump everyday. If, like me, you are constantly on the lookout for something that you hope will lessen the out of blow to your pocketbook. Mygallons.com is a prepaid gas card that offers consumers the opportunity to lock-in today's gas prices and pay the locked in price no matter how high gas prices rise in the future. The mygallons.com website describes joining my gallons as comparable to participating in any other price club such as Sam's Club and Costco. The cost of an annual mygallons.com membership is either $29.95 for a auto-refill account and $39.95 for a manual refill account and $1.95 fee charged each time the card is used. With the auto-refill account, your account automatically renews annually.

Mygallons.com is vaguely reminiscent to the priceline.com prepaid grocery card. Although the card never caught on, I found it a great help in planning my weekly grocery shopping. With the priceline.com grocery card, I found all the groceries I wanted to purchase on the priceline grocery site and apply any coupons. Upon entering the store, I selected the groceries from my list and simply swiped the card at the register.

BBB rates Mygallons.com an "F"

Per consumeraffairs.com, the Los Angeles Times reports that the Better Business Bureau has rated mygallons.com an "F" for what it describes as a "material omission of fact" in their publicity materials.

The mygallons.com website initially indicated that its bankcard processing was being handled through Voyager Fleet Network which is a wholly owned subsidiary of US Bank. According to BBB spokesperson, Alison Prezler, it is apparent the deal with the bank is not in force and added that it appears that mygallons.com doesn't have another processor lined up.

Consumeraffairs.com further reports mygallons.com stands by its assertion that they had an agreement in place with a regional reseller that would allow them to use the Voyager Network. US Bank and Voyager Fleet Systems deny that they have any contrct in place with mygallons.com. They add further that no negotiations are underway to establish any such agreement.

The founder of mygallons.com, Steven Verona promises an announcement about the replacement of Voaager Fleet systems, The BBB added that hough they are making no judgments, they do have "serious concerns" about mygallons.com.

Mygallons.com Responds

According to mygallons.com, the information and stories being spread on the internet are faulty. The mygallons.com site declares that they did, in fact, receive notification from GoGas Universal, a fuel card services provider, that their bank application had been approved to provide payment services through the Voyager Network. Additionally, they add that three days prior to the mygallons.com launch, GoGas and Mygallons LLC signed a contract. They further indicate that they had every reason to believe the contracts would be honored. However, only one day after the mygallons.com launch, US Bank pulled out of the deal, saying that they were not willing to stand behind the contract between GoGas Universal and mygallons.com.

Though US Bank and Voyager Fleet Systems denied there were any agreements in place, mygallons.com has a copy of a press release posted on their site showing that agreements were in place. GoGas National Fleet Director, Phil Dorroll, is quoted in the release as saying "GOGAS had agreements in place with Zenacon LLC and MyGallons, LLC in order to provide support for the MyGallons program through the use of the Voyager payment processing network, we believe Steven Verona to be a man of integrity and honesty based on our dealings with him. We are sorry that MyGallons and their launch have been harmed by the release of incorrect information and confusing statements resulting in negative press. GOGAS apologizes for any actions that may have resulted in any release of this incorrect information. MyGallons should be applauded for their ability to develop a program that is so positive for American drivers."

Mygallons.com indicates that they are working diligently to find a replacement service for payment processing and ask for patience and understanding in the matter. Mygallons.com expects that an announcement will be made concerning a new payment processing network very soon. Mygallons.com is based in Miami, Florida.