complete despair (gf stranded in Turkey due to stolen credit card)
Jul 9, 2019, 5:16 am
#31
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1. Some people have mentioned that a new credit card will be sent overnight. Every time I call my UK bank with a stolen card, or bank machine ate it, I am told that they will only send it to my home address in the UK. Maybe I need a new bank but the simple comment that the OP's partner's bank will expedite a new card or cover any hotel charges is simply not necessarily true.
My UK bank once couriered me a replacement card to the US when mine fell into a gorge, and Amex has provided next-day service on two occasions (Asia and Europe.)
Jul 10, 2019, 8:34 pm
#32
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If American, I’d have recommended going to the Embassy in Ankara or the Consulate in Istanbul. A repatriation loan can be arranged, though understandably they’re a bit strict about these.
Jul 10, 2019, 8:43 pm
#33
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Completely agreed. The mocking of the OP is way out of line and hopefully bad karma will hit some of the mockers in due course.
Besides that, some of the more constructive comments have been garbage, or at least not universally applicable.
1. Some people have mentioned that a new credit card will be sent overnight. Every time I call my UK bank with a stolen card, or bank machine ate it, I am told that they will only send it to my home address in the UK. Maybe I need a new bank but the simple comment that the OP's partner's bank will expedite a new card or cover any hotel charges is simply not necessarily true.
2. Send money via Western Union. Every time I send money to myself or to somebody else, the ID checks are a real pain on both ends. Passport stolen? Good luck with getting a random Western Union in a foreign country/language to hand over money to you with nothing more than a name and maybe a transaction reference.
3. The government paying for your flight home? Hahahaha. Thousands of people would scam their governments if that were true.
Besides that, some of the more constructive comments have been garbage, or at least not universally applicable.
1. Some people have mentioned that a new credit card will be sent overnight. Every time I call my UK bank with a stolen card, or bank machine ate it, I am told that they will only send it to my home address in the UK. Maybe I need a new bank but the simple comment that the OP's partner's bank will expedite a new card or cover any hotel charges is simply not necessarily true.
2. Send money via Western Union. Every time I send money to myself or to somebody else, the ID checks are a real pain on both ends. Passport stolen? Good luck with getting a random Western Union in a foreign country/language to hand over money to you with nothing more than a name and maybe a transaction reference.
3. The government paying for your flight home? Hahahaha. Thousands of people would scam their governments if that were true.
1. I didn't say that AmEx or any other credit card company would "cover" (= pay for) hotel etc. expenses but rather that AmEx can arrange with the hotel to bill the charges to your card even if you don't yet have the replacement card for the hotel to swipe. It's a big difference.
However, the travel insurance provided with some credit cards might cover additional hotel nights etc. due to a lost/stolen passport for example.
However, the travel insurance provided with some credit cards might cover additional hotel nights etc. due to a lost/stolen passport for example.
Jul 10, 2019, 8:49 pm
#34
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,752
Right, not sure about the UK or Banks, but Amex has always provided next-day service whenever I've requested a replacement card anywhere in the world (or, at least, the places where I frequent). I'd imagine the V/MC associated with most Banks would often a similar service upon request.
Jul 11, 2019, 3:30 am
#35
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum; Amex Plat; Four Seasons; Fairmont; HH; etc.; "Retirees-In-Training"
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Right, not sure about the UK or Banks, but Amex has always provided next-day service whenever I've requested a replacement card anywhere in the world (or, at least, the places where I frequent). I'd imagine the V/MC associated with most Banks would often a similar service upon request.
I woke middle of the night to finish packing (yes, I need to work on that, ahem!), to find several emails about a laptop purchase across the country... scheduled for in store pickup... except I had been sleeping. The store "caught" the fraud, but those emails were a bit later, where "I" was told there would be a hold on the in store pickup. Next, Amex fraud was trying to reach me. I called them. They had already cancelled my card. Wonderful... EXCEPT I was leaving town in several hours, and my understanding at that time was they'd only FedEx/etc., replacement cards to home/billing address/etc.
Not so!
They asked where I would be staying, and told me that they'd send the replacement card to the Hotel Manager, who would be instructed to ask for very specific ID from me, including Passport and some other photo ID. No problem with that, of course.
I made the flight, and checked in. Early the next morning, a note was slipped under the hotel room door that a package had arrived for me and to contact Hotel Manager.
I showed my ID info, and was handed my new Amex Plat card.
We were pleased!
GC