Man 'forced to sleep with rats' after Scottish bank cancels credit card during Thailand trip

[White Christmas13]

57 minutes ago, ravip said:

A good and simple reason not to trust on one plastic card. Makes sense about the 20K Baht story, albeit the fierce opposition to it. by some people.

Yes you are right I don't have a credit or debit card anymore

I had to cancel 2 cards in the space of 3 months so I have

to relay on cash when I travel to Thailand I've got no choice

 

[VocalNeal]

6 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

His name could be misspelled; McPerez, perhaps?

 

 

Quite a few Perez in the Shetlands? Descended from stranded/wrecked Spanish Armada.

 

[pedro01]

I feel a law suit coming on.... sleeping with rats... lol....

[Vacuum]

57 minutes ago, PerkinsCuthbert said:

It's nonsense, sensational rubbish; nobody goes for a two-month holiday with a single source of funds, no friends back home to help when things go wrong, and has to sleep on 'streets and in disused buildings with rats'. Even in the extremely implausible event that the man was so helpless and had nobody to assist him, a temple would give him shelter and food for the duration. 

Quote

A Bank of Scotland spokesman said the bank would send money to Mr Perez through Western Union

 

Next...

[neeray]

3 hours ago, overherebc said:

I know nothing Mr Fawlty

Possible he never checked the expiry date on his card before leaving UK

I always advise my bank of travel dates, thus, it is noted in the system.

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, BestB said:

Citi bank has done it to me 3 times in 1 month. 

 

Each time I tried to use my card in Thailand , it would decline it and Citi bank cancel the card and issue a new one .

 

Mind you I told them card would be used in Thailand and yet they still cancel it, claiming Thailand is a high fraud country.

 

3 times in s row with the same silly excuse.

Which is insane considering my CitiBank credit card is from Thailand ! 

 

Each time I travel to Malaysia and use my UK card, it’s blocked until I call them (high risk area). The card has been cloned 3x in Malaysia. 

 

Years ago my UK Card was cloned 1x in Thailand, I had an emergency replacement within 24hrs. 

 

The CC company usually won’t ship cards to Thailand, but they could’ have sent out an emergency card.

 

Something seems amiss with the story. 

[richard_smith237]

When travelling overseas options for loss / theft must also be considered.

 

Thus in Passport Wallet I carry in my travel bag.

Debit card & Credits Cards (From UK & Thai accounts)

+ $1000 emergency cash 

+ Medical insurance card

 

Small wallet carried on my person: 

+ Debit & Credit card in smaller wallet

+ Cash (local currency of destination)

 

If things go totally wrong and I'm in a remote location I guess it's contacting friends & family for a quick cash Trx via a western union.

[brokenbone]

very similar thing happened to me, the bank had been spamming questions on USA order to find out if i was money laundring, i wasnt available and didnt get a single message,

then BOOM all of a sudden my visa card went cold,

no one to help me out, i figured i'll just starve to death.

bank wouldnt issue a new card, except.....if i knew anyone at all back home that could testify, and i have a grand total of 1 contact left back home, so i had to have him go to bank and guarantee me to get a new card

[evadgib]

My Bank left me high and dry many years ago by pulling the plug & trying the old "You should have told us before leaving" routine.

They wound their necks in when I replied that not only had I done so but had also used ATM's in Thailand every week in the SEVEN YEARS since I had done so.

They refunded all charges and have been fine in the decade or so since.

I now do everything online but it wasn't possible until just after the above.

[OJAS]

2 hours ago, RobMuir said:

Also also a good idea to actually take the time to actually read an article before making comments and assumptions.

Strikes me that the guy commenting probably omitted to do this.

Actually I DID read the OP, thank you very much!!

 

But many thanks for your inane and pointless comment anyway.

[Nong Khai Man]

I've recently had problems renewing my Halifax Debit Card as the old one was due to expire,I Requested that they sent me a NEW One ( They Knew I Lived in Thailand ) After 4 L-O-N-G Phone calls they kept telling me " We Have Sent you a new card Every time I Called them ) But only the last call did the lady tell me that they had sent 3 New Cards,But  only to the branch were I held my Account but that is in Liverpool ( That's A LOT of Good Ain't it ?? )......I Have since been given my expenses for the LONG Phone calls for The Distress & Inconvenience that I've suffered, I've Still  NOT got my card HERE But at least I've got the Details of it passed on through a very good friend in the U.K.....I've Also WARNED The Halifax <deleted>*k Up AGAIN & I'll go straight to the Banking Ombudsman......Just Waiting for THEM to do it Now !!! & It Won't only cost them expenses the next time they do !!!

[Nong Khai Man]

My Advice to the OP >>>>>>>Sue The Ar*e Off them !!!

[billd766]

4 hours ago, soalbundy said:

He's from Barcelona.

 

[Basil B]

3 minutes ago, Nong Khai Man said:

My Advice to the OP >>>>>>>Sue The Ar*e Off them !!!

Depends on who was at fault...

[Basil B]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Mr Perez, 42, who works in front of house at a vegetarian restaurant in Edinburgh,

Put simply. he is a waiter...

 

Must be top notch restaurant if he can do a two month holiday, must be getting a lot of tips...

 

[Mitkof Island]

He had no idea when the old card would expire ? Had no cash on him enough for the trip? Another poster child is allowed to enter Thailand. Thousands more like him arriving this very moment. How stupid can you get? What did you blow all his money on? Full Moon Party idiot!

[Sheryl]

For goodness sakes why do people not read the story before commenting?

1 The card did not expire. It's expiration is 2021. For reasons unclear (maybe a change/upgrade in card format?) the bank unexpectedly issued a new card and voided the old one while he was away.

2. He DID inform the bank of his planned travel to Thailand.

3. He HAS talked to the bank and they are making arrangements to wire him money. But took some time for that to be worked out.

Sounds to me like a bank screw up and does not surprise me, I have suffered my share of them over the years. Yes, having more than 1 card reduces vulnerability to this sort of thing but there are people with only 1 card and until/unless one experiences it, one might not realize what can go wrong.


Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

[Just Weird]

5 hours ago, overherebc said:

Possible he never checked the expiry date on his card before leaving UK

He checked, 2021.

[Just Weird]

5 hours ago, madmitch said:

So, he's never heard of Western Union, Paypal, bank transfers to third parties?

The link will answer your question.

[Just Weird]

5 hours ago, OJAS said:

Also always a good idea to inform your bank in advance that you intend to use your credit/debit card during an upcoming holiday in a foreign country. Strikes me that the guy referred to in the OP probably omitted to do this.

Strikes me that the link reports that he did exactly that.

[Just Weird]

“I am on an island in Thailand with no money. I didn’t eat anything for the first 48 hours and I had to beg for water in the restaurants".

"After a trip to a local hospital, Mr Perez was given the all-clear for dengue".

 

Is there a free hospital for destitute foreigners on that island or is he exaggerating his lack of money plight?

[Just Weird]

4 hours ago, overherebc said:

The article first refers to a debit card and then further on refers to a credit card.

Something doesn't add up.

It's been cancelled whatever it was so what difference does it make?  Many generic references to "credit cards" include debit cards, that doesn't make it fishy.

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

You having a bad day? not getting any?

People leaving their home country/ travelling to distant shores, should notify their bank of what they are planning and for how long, then no problems should arise.

Perhaps you should read the link before pontificating or are you just "having a bad day? not getting any?"

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

Many cards are both. My debit cards, both US and Thai, also work as credit cards.

Sincere question, how does your dual Thai card decide if you're paying outright for the item or getting it on the credit card facility?  Which Thai bank issues those?

[overherebc]

2 hours ago, neeray said:

I always advise my bank of travel dates, thus, it is noted in the system.

Same when we leave Thailand for UK.

Try hard not to use them in Malaysia and always use cash for the deposit in the hotel, never let them scan the card for it.

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, hyku1147 said:

Sounds fishy to me because he could have used online banking.

How?  Does online banking provide you with cash, or a new card?

[bender92]

Poor rats! ????

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, neeray said:

I always advise my bank of travel dates, thus, it is noted in the system.

So did he.

[Hank Gunn]

5 hours ago, Youlike said:

Yes and that's because we even can't trust our own banks anymore these days.

 

I've had the same, my bank had blocked my creditcard for certain countries for safety reasons without telling me.

You do know there are such things as "Travel Notices" for debit and credit cards don't you?

 

Imagine someone from Calif., USA has a credit or debit card and uses it within a 10-20 mile radius of his home for 90% of the cards' use, the other 10% being for online purchases. Now, the bank sees a charge from somewhere in Thailand without knowing that the cardholder is traveling there. What's the bank supposed to think? With people's card numbers and personal information entered into so many online businesses, ID and credit card theft is a reality.

 

In the case of credit cards, the banks are typically on the hook for almost all the charges in the case of a stolen number/card, since they're basically unsecured credit (i.e. no house or car to repossess if payments are missed). In the US, cardholders are only responsible for the first $50 of unauthorized charges. In the case of debit cards, they're protecting you, since debit cards provide direct access to a savings or checking acct. and can run through a lot of money in a short time. While there are typically limits on daily ATM withdrawals, many ATM cards can be used for purchases just like credit cards. (This is why I limit all of my debit card usage to ATM withdrawals and never use it at merchants, preventing them from getting/storing my card info.)

[scorecard]

5 hours ago, Youlike said:

Yes and that's because we even can't trust our own banks anymore these days.

 

I've had the same, my bank had blocked my creditcard for certain countries for safety reasons without telling me.

Another good reason to have internet banking (with 1 or 2 banks)so you can easily move funds across own accounts / other family members accounts, pay you credit cards, pay bills etc etc. Doesn't cover every possibility but does give a number of options.