A.T.M snatched my card! - General Holiday Enquiries, Hints and Tips, Holiday Forums

A.T.M snatched my card!

jessop

2007-05-10 17:44:07

hello there i was recently away for a few days with my brother in southern Ireland (Cork) we decided we would not bother with travellers checks but just get money out of the whole in the wall (this is Ireland not exactly india or somewhere exotic) everything was fine up until a couple of days before we where going back. I went to a machine entered my number and requested some cash (not alot think it was 20 euros) got a message on the screen saying card retained contact issuer. im sure you can imagine my ever so "colourful" conversation with said cash machine!

Anyway i contact my bank (abbey national) which was alot hassle on a sunday evening, to be told that my card had been stopped because they thought it was stolen. I do understand they are looking out for their customers but i must say i think it is awful to just take someones card away, at least of they gave it back you could ring up to get it unblocked!
Anyway the reason for this post is mainly to ask wether its worth phoning your bank before going away?Im off to Italy in july and i would be well in trouble if my card was stopped like this again. I would take all my cash in travellers checks but unfortunatly i get payed a couple of days into my holiday which means i will need to withdraw some cash.
I have rad reports of people phoning their banks and having their cards stopped anyway.
Ant experience or advice would be greatly apprieciated.
Thanks in advance from jessop

sarong

2007-05-10 18:04:27

Hi jessop, yes it would be advisable to ring your bank in advance and tell them you will be using the card abroad. Always worth taking another card with you just in case.

We plan to use our Nationwide card in Spain this year, but will take a credit card with us as well just in case.

Fiona

2007-05-10 18:07:40

Our mastercard was blocked after we made several transactions in a short while in Bali. We had to phone and confirm our details. Best to phone

Miss_Chief1

2007-05-10 18:08:09

I don't use a Bank I use the Nationwide BS and have done for 20 years. The added bonus is that they don't charge anything for withdrawls made abroad nor for purchases and there exchange rate is usually excellent.

I know the Nationwide monitor the use and where it's used on a regular basis and they've obviously sussed that I use it abroad on all 4 of my annual trips along with long european city breaks regularly throughout the year and my card has never been "swallowed" or refused, same goes with my credit card. Of course this could work both ways and if it was stolen and used abroad they might think nothing of it, but I'd like to think they realise that I'm usually only paying for accommodation, duty free or jewellery :wink:

So maybe they'd notice a change if I bought a TV or something similar ?

I can only say I wouldn't change from the Nationwide for anything having had excellent service for all these years.

doe

2007-05-10 19:45:18

I have phoned the bank that has issued the credit card that I intend to use abroad in the past. You tell them your dates of travel and the country you are travelling to. I think they can then put a marker on your account that the card may be being used in Turkey etc for 2 weeks.

lynwestie

2007-05-10 20:19:24

Ive never had any problems in europe with any of our cards but this year in Egypt major problems. it cost my hubby £50 in phone calls from his mobile to our credit card company while out there to get it authorised for use in Egypt .( we just had the bill yesterday) funny because we never had any problems last year. So yes I would certainly tell them before you go as i believe this could be something that the credit card companies are tightening up on now in an attempt to stop fraud.

It certainly wasnt a very nice experience either . we had a hotel bill and diving to pay for at the end of our holiday and we wasted a whole morning trying to sort it out , stressing that we werent going to be able to pay :shock:

That was precious sunbed time lost

lyn

Oklahoma

2007-05-10 21:57:55

We contacted our card issuer when we were going to New Zealand as we would have been completely lost without it.
We never even thought about doing that before for holidays in Europe, but may do it in the future

joeseptuk

2007-05-10 22:18:21

I have never used my bank cards abroad, always get a card for currency out of travel agents.

But when I returned home, decided to check my bank accounts online, after checking details, the account was locked of because the ip address was not recognized

So it does pay to contact bank ect, let them know your plans for your holidays

CazzMicknTom

2007-05-11 10:45:11

I have used my cards on numerous occasions abroad but only for shopping and not really spent that much on them.However,one year,I was getting paid half way through my holiday I do recall, whilst I was still living at home with my parents, the bank phoned my home address to tell me they had stopped the card as it had been used abroad, my mum told them it was me as I was on holiday there. When I went to use the card again, I couldn't. I was furios to say the least as I had to borrow off my mates. So after that I always tell them just in case. Don't ever want to be without money abroad ever again. :evil:

Tishtosh

2007-05-11 14:40:11

We use our Nationwide card abroad as they don't charge, and we always advise them that we're going abroad. Better safe than sorry!

jessop

2007-05-11 16:29:17

Thanks for all your replies! the thing is i dont own a credit card it is a card for a basic bank account, that is all i have at the moment.
What really concerns me is that when it did happen a few weeks ago the machine actually took my card, basicly if it wasnt for my brother helping me out i could of been really in trouble with no way of getting any cash out at all!
Its just the way it is for this coming trip i need to withdraw from a machine at some point.

Have looked online and also on the abbey national website but can find no really useful info on this :roll:

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