Don't trust the credit card company

[smartrock]

My husband was recently an invited speaker at a conference in South America. Since they were paying his expenses, we chose to split the first class airfare they were willing to pay in to 2 not first class tickets, so I could go along. They were paying for his hotel room, too, why should he stay there alone? All we'd have to pay for was my food or any meals not sponsored by the conference. It was a very short trip, but who's going to pass up that chance?

Anyway, I recently received an email from one of our credit card companies saying we no longer have to let them know when we are traveling. I still have the email, it came in February. So, we didn't tell them we'd be out of the country. I asked my husband on the way to the airport if he thought we should call anyway. No, you shouldn't need to do that anymore, people travel all the time, and didn't they send that email?

I'm sure you can guess what this is leading up to...

I had made a reservation at a very nice restaurant about a month before the trip and we were really looking forward to this experience. We wined, we dined, we enjoyed a wonderful multi-course tasting menu. Somewhere around midnight, when they presented the check... the charges are rejected by the credit card company! We tried a second credit card with another bank- also rejected!!! Hello, we paid for the airline tickets with the first card, can you not see the plane tickets there? Just imagine finishing a fabulous meal and then having to try to figure out how to make an international phone call on your [expletive deleted] cell phone to your [expletive deleted] bank when it's also midnight in the US! Mortifying! It kind of took some of the joy out of the experience, need I say?

So, maybe the credit card company only meant if I'm traveling from Duluth to Bimidgi, I don't have to warn them in advance. (No, I don't live in MN, just watching the FX version of Fargo) But if you're traveling from one continent to another- be sure to let them know your plans before you go.

[kelsyg]

I have learned that you have to call them before you charge anything from another country. My mom lives in France and whenever I buy something from a French store my credit card gets "locked" until I confirm with their fraud unit, that I made the purchase, despite my history of foreign purchases. Much easier to call before, than argue with them, after a decline. Just a life lesson learned!

[kimbersmom]

Oh, that's awful!

[battmain]

I get rid of cards like that. Had enough experiences at a deserted gas stations late at night and card being declined. Same with traveling. Then they want you to give 'all' of your personal info over a cell phone without realizing that people could be listening with unmodified scanners. Calling ahead didn't do anything for some of the cards and it just got too annoying.

So far my No fee Amex has been doing pretty good. Been all over the country, Caribbean, Australia, Alaska and no shutdowns. The one fraudulent charge I had, they caught it and called me, and any issues, have been taken care of quickly. I used the Rental Car claim once for something I did not do, but was too naive to think the rental place would call it normal wear and tear. (scratch) That was also taken care of within 14 days. The email alerts when I charge something usually arrive within a minute of swiping the card and usually while I'm putting the card back in my wallet. Now they just need to get more places to accept the card.

[smartrock]

Good to know about AmEx, that's not usually my go-to card. And I agree about it not being accepted enough places.

[charliebbarkin]

Ugh. How annoying!

We always call and they still turn the card off anyway sometimes. Once my husband was in a different state than me and I was grocery shopping. They turned the card off at the register. I had like $400 in groceries just sitting there...he called the cc company (because I had poor cell signal and couldn't) and got it squared away, within minutes the card worked, but my gosh. So embarrassing. I could not imagine being out of the country and having that happen. They are usually good when we call about traveling expenses, like gas and plane tickets, but then 'other' purchases like shops or entertainment, we get a call. Sometimes they will also call if we make several large purchases in one day.

But go figure the one time we did get a fraudulent charge from some internet purchase they never caught it. We saw it on our statement and called it in.

Sounds like a nice trip otherwise!

[Bamps]

Credit card companies are there to make money, ok, if they can steal a little here or there, or even a lot they will. One step up from a druggie thief on the street. Banks too.

[Nancy0]

Ugh - one of my credit cards kept locking up whenever we would drive up north and get gas somewhere other than San Diego. It was so annoying. Luckily I had another card which never did. I called the first credit card that kept locking up and told them enough was enough I was going to cancel the card if they didn't stop the nonsense. They did and we haven't had a problem since. I understand they are trying to protect us, but sheesh sometimes they go too far.

Last year we went to Japan and because someone earlier in the year had stolen my Visa debit card number and was having a heyday we changed back to a regular ATM card. Well we found out the hard way that a regular ATM card doesn't work overseas. We couldn't get any cash, but luckily my daughter had her visa debit card and for whatever reason we were able to transfer from our account into her's so we were ok. Just a thought if anyone has just a plain old ATM card.

[kelsyg]

Ugh - one of my credit cards kept locking up whenever we would drive up north and get gas out of San Diego. It was so annoying. Luckily I had another card which never did. I called the first credit card that kept locking up and told them enough was enough I was going to cancel the card if they didn't stop the nonsense. They did and we haven't had a problem since. I understand they are trying to protect us, but sheesh sometimes they go too far.

Last year we went to Japan and because someone earlier in the year had stolen my Visa debit card number and was having a heyday we changed back to a regular ATM card. Well we found out the hard way that a regular ATM card doesn't work overseas. We couldn't get any cash, but luckily my daughter had her visa debit card and for whatever reason we were able to transfer from our account into her's so we were ok. Just a thought if anyone has just a plain old ATM card.

Yes, the European cards have a chip in it. Most US cards do not because retailers do not want to update their cardreading equipment.

[smartrock]

Fortunately the debit card worked in the ATM, even though the credit card from the same bank did not. In NYC, you get in a taxi and swipe your card at the end to pay your fare. Where we were, the largest city in the southern hemisphere, no card swipers in the taxis. And the taxi drivers don't want US dollars, they want the local money. Luckily there was an ATM machine in the hotel and when you wanted money, it dispensed the local currency. We hadn't taken out enough to pay for the meal, though, just enough to take taxis a few times.

Isn't it always our kids who have the latest technology, can run circles around us with it, and Mom and Dad stand there like a couple of antiques? The little smarta$$es!