[Idyllchat] Re: IdyllChat Digest, Vol 23, Issue 13
Sue S
sschreg at msn.com
Mon Jun 23 08:14:32 EDT 2008
ATM Problems:
We have had ATM problems in France but all were due to the amounts being requested. We found no ATM that would allow more than $300 withdrawal per 24 hours. That was 5 years ago. In Venice our only problem was with persons trying to surround the outdoor machines to view the pin number. Did not test limits of withdrawals there or in Greece, assuming it was the same $300 which is very few Euros. At that level all worked well, even in very tiny towns.
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Sent: Monday, June 23, 2008 7:03 AM
Subject: IdyllChat Digest, Vol 23, Issue 13
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Warning: ATM problems in Italy (and maybe elsewhere?!)
(Pete and Maggie Haggart)
2. Re: Warning: ATM problems in Italy (and maybe elsewhere?!)
(Terry Baraldi)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:59:37 -0700
From: "Pete and Maggie Haggart" <haggart at moscow.com<mailto:haggart at moscow.com>>
Subject: Re: [Idyllchat] Warning: ATM problems in Italy (and maybe
elsewhere?!)
To: "Russell Crum" <rrcrum1 at gmail.com<mailto:rrcrum1 at gmail.com>>, "Terry Baraldi"
<basketsbybaraldi at comcast.net<mailto:basketsbybaraldi at comcast.net>>
Cc: idyllchat at lists.untours.com<mailto:idyllchat at lists.untours.com>
Message-ID: <012901c8d4e5$8fe5f1f0$6401a8c0 at HAGGARTLAPTOP<mailto:012901c8d4e5$8fe5f1f0$6401a8c0 at HAGGARTLAPTOP>>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I agree with Russ - would like to know which bank this is......................
However, I hope you sat down with an officer of the bank and asked for a refund for the phone calls and any other charges - like ALL the bank charges. It is amazing what a "face to face" conversation can do for you in these matters.
Pete
----- Original Message -----
From: Russell Crum
To: Terry Baraldi
Cc: idyllchat at lists.untours.com<mailto:idyllchat at lists.untours.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2008 6:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Idyllchat] Warning: ATM problems in Italy (and maybe elsewhere?!)
Terry,
We have used our ATM card on almost annual trips to Europe (and China) over the past ten years and never experienced the problems you described. Unless others can confirm a change in policies, I think you can do us all a favor by telling us who the offending bank was so that it can be avoided.
Russ
On Jun 22, 2008, at 18:58 , Terry Baraldi wrote:
I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has had a recent bad experience using ATMs abroad?
Our long awaited vacation was nearly ruined due to problems my husband and I had accessing our money in Italy.
After advising bank (we'll call it "W") of our travel dates, my husband and I arrived in Rome and went to the nearest BancoMat, only to have our cards spit back out advising us to contact our bank. Exact wording was "Your bank has requested that we return your card".
First phone call to "W" lasted 27 minutes (@ $1.29 per on my cell). This scenario was repeated not less than five times during the next 14 days. Our cards would work sporadically, but we never knew when it would shut down again, requiring yet another 1/2 hr phone call to the US.
FYI: "W"'s internt'l toll-free number did not work in Italy and I estimate that my phone bills will top $200. And what would I have done if I hadn't brought my cell phone? Or been with friends who could access their accounts and float us a loan?
First call: I was told that, even though I had advised "W" as I should, the problem was with VISA, who, as their co-partner, had a deeper security protocol, and could and might very well block my card at any point in time, and "W", so sorry, had no control over that, but no, I couldn't call VISA myself....excuse me???? Had to answer a very odd multiple choice security test.
Subsequent calls:
They blamed the European bank machines. Had to re-take the multiple choice security test.
They were protecting us against fraud (but apparently not against finding ourselves penniless in a foreign land), and they could only unblock our cards for three business days. (Let us slide on the test)
Then they told us that they really didn't know what the problem was, but, if we would just answer some multiple choice security questions we could continue to enjoy our vacation, and thanks for calling "W".
Finally we were told that we were trying to take too much money per 24 hrs.
NOTE: The access limit with most all banks seems to be set at around $400 per 24 hrs...which at the current rate of exchange is only slightly more than 250 Euros, which, based on the fairly high cost of living in major European cities, is not a comfortable amount...especially when some smaller hotels, eateries, and many retailers still want payment in cash. While our traveling companions did not have the same repeated problems with blocked access, we all experienced hitting the limit.
Will travelers need to revert to travelers' checks and cash advances?
I don't know if this is an endemic problem or one specific to my soon-to-be-former bank, but I do blame "W" for
not advising me of any of these new security levels or possible pitfalls during my pre-trip phonecall. And I think that they should have been responsible for interfacing with VISA security.
So...If you are planning a trip, my advice is to thoroughly question your bank prior to departure, and to see if they will increase your access limits for a defined period....after all, it is your money.
The capper is that during all this, "W" left a message on our home phone...seems there was some unusual activity on our card that they wanted to ask us about. I couldn't make this stuff up!
Terry Baraldi
Lansdowne PA
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:14:22 -0400
From: "Terry Baraldi" <basketsbybaraldi at comcast.net<mailto:basketsbybaraldi at comcast.net>>
Subject: Re: [Idyllchat] Warning: ATM problems in Italy (and maybe
elsewhere?!)
To: "Pete and Maggie Haggart" <haggart at moscow.com<mailto:haggart at moscow.com>>, "Russell Crum"
<rrcrum1 at gmail.com<mailto:rrcrum1 at gmail.com>>
Cc: idyllchat at lists.untours.com<mailto:idyllchat at lists.untours.com>
Message-ID: <003701c8d522$4b3ad3d0$2f5a754c at baraldipc<mailto:003701c8d522$4b3ad3d0$2f5a754c at baraldipc>>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I purposely shielded the bank for several reasons, the most outstanding of which was that I wasn't sure if giving out names would constitute a breach in etiquette for this group. Since Maggie and Pete and Russ are names that I have become very familiar with over the last few month, I will trust that it is OK to spell it out: Wachovia.
The possibility exists that this is bigger than Wachovia, and before blabbing my story to local news editors and travel sites, I will give them their day in court; but I have every intention of handing them the bill for the calls. We have only been back home since Sat. afternoon, so I haven't yet had a chance to try scaling their corporate ladder for the right person, but will be doing that today.
In the meantime, if anyone has a method for getting to the top of the pile quickly, I'd appreciate the advice.
Thanks all.
----- Original Message -----
From: Pete and Maggie Haggart
To: Russell Crum ; Terry Baraldi
Cc: idyllchat at lists.untours.com<mailto:idyllchat at lists.untours.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2008 11:59 PM
Subject: Re: [Idyllchat] Warning: ATM problems in Italy (and maybe elsewhere?!)
I agree with Russ - would like to know which bank this is......................
However, I hope you sat down with an officer of the bank and asked for a refund for the phone calls and any other charges - like ALL the bank charges. It is amazing what a "face to face" conversation can do for you in these matters.
Pete
----- Original Message -----
From: Russell Crum
To: Terry Baraldi
Cc: idyllchat at lists.untours.com<mailto:idyllchat at lists.untours.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 22, 2008 6:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Idyllchat] Warning: ATM problems in Italy (and maybe elsewhere?!)
Terry,
We have used our ATM card on almost annual trips to Europe (and China) over the past ten years and never experienced the problems you described. Unless others can confirm a change in policies, I think you can do us all a favor by telling us who the offending bank was so that it can be avoided.
Russ
On Jun 22, 2008, at 18:58 , Terry Baraldi wrote:
I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has had a recent bad experience using ATMs abroad?
Our long awaited vacation was nearly ruined due to problems my husband and I had accessing our money in Italy.
After advising bank (we'll call it "W") of our travel dates, my husband and I arrived in Rome and went to the nearest BancoMat, only to have our cards spit back out advising us to contact our bank. Exact wording was "Your bank has requested that we return your card".
First phone call to "W" lasted 27 minutes (@ $1.29 per on my cell). This scenario was repeated not less than five times during the next 14 days. Our cards would work sporadically, but we never knew when it would shut down again, requiring yet another 1/2 hr phone call to the US.
FYI: "W"'s internt'l toll-free number did not work in Italy and I estimate that my phone bills will top $200. And what would I have done if I hadn't brought my cell phone? Or been with friends who could access their accounts and float us a loan?
First call: I was told that, even though I had advised "W" as I should, the problem was with VISA, who, as their co-partner, had a deeper security protocol, and could and might very well block my card at any point in time, and "W", so sorry, had no control over that, but no, I couldn't call VISA myself....excuse me???? Had to answer a very odd multiple choice security test.
Subsequent calls:
They blamed the European bank machines. Had to re-take the multiple choice security test.
They were protecting us against fraud (but apparently not against finding ourselves penniless in a foreign land), and they could only unblock our cards for three business days. (Let us slide on the test)
Then they told us that they really didn't know what the problem was, but, if we would just answer some multiple choice security questions we could continue to enjoy our vacation, and thanks for calling "W".
Finally we were told that we were trying to take too much money per 24 hrs.
NOTE: The access limit with most all banks seems to be set at around $400 per 24 hrs...which at the current rate of exchange is only slightly more than 250 Euros, which, based on the fairly high cost of living in major European cities, is not a comfortable amount...especially when some smaller hotels, eateries, and many retailers still want payment in cash. While our traveling companions did not have the same repeated problems with blocked access, we all experienced hitting the limit.
Will travelers need to revert to travelers' checks and cash advances?
I don't know if this is an endemic problem or one specific to my soon-to-be-former bank, but I do blame "W" for
not advising me of any of these new security levels or possible pitfalls during my pre-trip phonecall. And I think that they should have been responsible for interfacing with VISA security.
So...If you are planning a trip, my advice is to thoroughly question your bank prior to departure, and to see if they will increase your access limits for a defined period....after all, it is your money.
The capper is that during all this, "W" left a message on our home phone...seems there was some unusual activity on our card that they wanted to ask us about. I couldn't make this stuff up!
Terry Baraldi
Lansdowne PA
_______________________________________________
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