Credit Card Warning

[katalyst61]

This warning may have already been discussed on this board, but I'd like to share something with first-timers that was said to my dh today...dh called credit card company to make sure the insurance on our rental car in Grand Cayman would be covered (it is)...however, the agent said "I'm so glad you called, because you may have had trouble if you tried to use your credit card outside of the U.S". DH asked why. She said "For your own protection against stolen credit cards/numbers, we monitor card activity when its out of your country; it may seem suspicious to us if suddenly your card is being used outside of the U.S. You should always call us and let us know when and where you'll be traveling". She explained what would happen: when a charge is put thru outside the country we live in (the U.S.), the merchant may receive a code saying that the merchant had to call our credit card company to verify that we were the actual holders of that card and that some merchants may not want to go thru all that trouble and may just say they won't accept the card at all. I know it sounds awful, like "big brother" is watching your spending. But its for your own protection. So make that call to your credit card companies and let them know that you may be using their card in your travels and make sure you bring along the 800# to call them if your card/number gets stolen.

Have a happy and safe sailing!

 

Century...5/22/04......here we come!

[DFritz]

Thanks for the reminder. I'm sure there are a lot of first time cruisers that may not have thought of this. It's a good idea to carry a copy of your card numbers and the credit card company phone number in a separate location.

 

'Til my next cruise

 

[CaptData]

I always leave the numbers in my safe on the ship. If you are a married couple, I suggest that she carries his numbers and vicea versa. The same with Travellers Checks, whoever has the checks the other has the numbers.

 

Hopfully a Hawiian Cruise

 

 Until we sail away on the ocean blue

 

 

 

Navigator of the Seas Western Crib 08/03

Dawn Princess - Eastern Carb 01/03

Dawn Princess Panamal Canal 11/02

[Rumncoke]

So make that call to your credit card companies and let them know that you may be using their card in your travels and make sure you bring along the 800# to call them if your card/number gets stolen. /QUOTE]

 

Extremely good point to bring up again and again as new people join this board.

 

NCL Norway: 10/89,10/93, 4/00, 4/01-- RCI Viking Serenade: 1/97 -- RCI Majesty O' Seas: 10/97 -- NCL Wind: 10/98, 10/99 -- NCL Sea:11/00 -- Celeb Summit: 11/01 -- Celeb Millennium: 3/02 -- NCL Sun: 11/02 -- Carnival Pride: 5/03 -- RCI Radiance O' Seas: 11/03 -- NCL Sky: 01/04

 

All aboard the NCL Sun, 11/06/04!!

 

 

[trish1c]

If you charged your airfare &/or your cruise on the same card, the credit card company will usually figure it out in their own.

 

Trish

[kitty9]

Trish, that's not at all true. I charged a trip on a Visa card, cruise and airfare, and then tried to use the card a number of times in Lisbon. It was always refused. When I came home there were a number of calls from the CC company and one letter asking if I was in possession of the card and that there were foreign charges. I needed to call and straighten things out. You really do have to call the company and tell them you will be using it outside the US. Even AmEx, which is a little more liberal, can question charges that are out of the US.

 

Darcie

[NeedAVacation!]

I didn't have any problems, but as Trish pointed out, I charged both my cruise and my airfare to my card, back in the winter. Plus, I used a Carnival credit card on a Carnival cruise. I didn't use the card in Cozumel tho, opting instead for travelers checks. After being the subject of identify theft, I didn't want to take a chance in a foreign place, much less Mexico. I did, however, make complete copies of each check and left them on my desk at home, so another family member had access to them in the event I needed them to make an emergency call to American Express, etc. I kept the number receipt separate with me, from the checks themselves. You should always make a copy of each and every card you have, including your drivers license, SS card, etc. and keep them in a safe place for quick access. When a card gets stolen, you have no idea how quickly you forget which bank the card was even with, or even it was a MasterCard or Visa, much less the toll free telephone number to call in the event it is stolen or lost. I even went so far as to make a copy of a blank check so I would have my account number readily available. I don't know about anyone else, but when I panic, I get scatter brained and things take 3 times as long to find. This way, everything is nicely tucked away in a file folder in a file cabinet.

 

I personally believe it is a great service that the card companies offer, again, after being the subject of identify theft, believe me, it is the equivalent of emotional/mental rape when you find out someone, who lives across the U.S., whom you have no idea who this person is, they simply hacked into your system (WITH A FIREWALL I WILL ADD!!) is passing themselves off to be you.

 

Automation is great - computers are great - I couldn't live without one, but with them come a whole host of new problems we never dreamed about 10 years ago.

[trish1c]

Kitty --

 

I said they usually figure it out. By definition that means sometimes they don't figure it out & think your card got stolen. Depending on the time between when you booked, when you left, you'd think the company would have called you before you left when it saw the "unusal" activity of airfare etc.

 

I'm also not saying people shouldn't check w/ their companies.

 

Trish

[katalyst61]

i think we've all brought up good points on the financial aspect of traveling. Unfortunately, all this planning on the downside of traveling pulls away a bit from the fun feelings we should be having when planning our trips. But...by being prepared ahead of time, we've boosted the chances of the vacation itself being fun, safe, relaxing and hassle-free! And isn't that the whole point?!?

 

Century...5/22/04......here we come!

[Trevoli]

Before I left for Aus/NZ, I called Bank of America for both my credit and debit cards and sent an e-mail to Washington Mutual for my debit card, so they wouldn't be alarmed by the charges taking place Down Under.

 

Happily, no card was ever declined, but I returned to phone calls from BOTH banks saying they were looking at suspicious activity.

 

So....even taking the extra steps doesn't always do the trick.

 

Perhaps I'd have had better luck if I'd visited my local brances and talked to a live person.

 

The suggestion of having copies of front and back of all cards is a great idea; don't forget to make a copy of your passport too.

 

T

[Shaken_Bake]

Trevoli, that happened to me as well. I called my credit card company (US Bank) before a trip to Ireland last year to let them know of my travel plans. Sure enough, on my first transaction at the rental car company, my card was declined. Luckily I had a very helpful agent who had to place several calls to the U.S. in the wee hours of a Saturday morning their time to get the problem solved. BUT the problem still persisted for my husband (who remained at home) with his card on the same account. His card was declined at the same time but since I am the "owner" of the card, he couldn't use it until I came home and got them straightened them out. What a pain. All in the name of security, I know, but I would recommend that people be firm with the credit card company to try to get some assurance that the left hand knows what the right hand is doing!

 

Sailing on Enchantment July 5, 2004

[Trevoli]

It's frustrating, isn't it?

 

You do all the things they ASK you to do, and it still doesn't "take".

 

T

[Mysteryreader]

Is this "out of the country" or "out of North America?" Admittedly this story is from five yrs ago and things may have tightened up, but we had no difficulty using our cc's in Nova Scotia. This Aug. it's going to be Vancouver. I recently did my part in boosting AZ's economy, and that would seem to me to be no less strange than BC.

 

A personal story: I took our dd to a large shopping mall a month before she left for college for her freshman yr. When we returned home, there was a message on our answering machine asking *dh* if he knew where his cc was. That's how it was phrased!

 

M/R

[dhcoaster]

ANYTIME you travel more then two states away from home, its a very good idea to notify your CC provider to let them know that it's really you who will be making those charges. If you are travelling outside of CONUS, ALWAYS notify your CC provider.

 

 

Scotia Prince, May 1998

Regal Empress, June 2000

Westerdam, April+ 2001

Regal Empress, June 2001

Grand Princess, November 2001

Pacific Princess (The Love Boat), May 2002

Radiance of the Seas, February 2003

Zuiderdam, May 2003

Zenith, September+ 2003

Constellation, September+ 2004

 

TTFN > DH