After Outcry Over Fees, Kardashian 'Kard' Is Kaput

By Sean Sposito November 30, 2010, 10:02 a.m. EST 1 Min Read

Weeks after its debut, the Kardashian Kard has been pulled from the market following criticism of the prepaid product's fees.

Its website — KardashianKard.com — was offline Monday morning. So was the site of the firm that marketed the card, Mobile Resource Card of Fresno, Calif. According to media reports, those who bought the card will be receiving refunds soon.

"I just don't think it really fit with our brand so we are moving on," Kim Kardashian said on the Fox News Channel's "Fox and Friends" Tuesday morning.

Controversy around the card centered on its fees, the lack of consumer protections, and the apparent plan to market it to teens and young adults using the image of reality television's Kardashian sisters. Suze Orman was among the product's prominent critics.

However, the card's price wasn't out of line with those of similar products.

Beyond the sticker shock of being charged six to 12 months of fees at once — driving the cost of activating the card to $59.95 or $99.95 — the $7.95 monthly rate was not far off from what typical prepaid cards charge. The business model behind the card was an apparent attempt to lock consumers in over time.

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