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

[madmitch]

37 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

The link will answer your question.

Yes, partly. I missed the last paragraph underneath the ad. It seems it took him a while to learn about Western UNion though.

[Spidey]

A couple of weeks ago, I tried to buy an airline ticket online with my UK credit card. I made 3 attempts to pay but payment was refused by my bank each time. Eventually paid with my debit card. Tried to use it in Dubai duty free and discovered that it was blocked.

 

Phoned my bank when I arrived in the UK (the number is on the back of the card). Was put through to the fraud department who told me that it was blocked due my 3 attempts to pay for my ticket from a bucket shop. Answered a few security questions and 2 minutes later my card was working again.

[Hank Gunn]

2 hours ago, neeray said:

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

You can also do this easily online for many banks.

[ebean001]

We are responsible for ourselves but....countries beg us to visit them. They make a lot of money. However, there are unfortunate things that happen especially health care wise. Somehow it would be great if countries had a fund for these situations. It is simply the cost of doing business. Yes, I hear you. there are many scams and it will not work but... 

 

Finally, I would pay Fed Ex for them to send me another card.

[2008bangkok]

No friends or family to loan him money until he gets back, no way to do online banking to send to anybody then  western union .... Sounds to far fetched

Why does he need to sleep with rats surely he can get a hammock and tie it to a tree if necessary.

[Pattaya28]

So Alberto Perez is from Scotland and looks like Rio Ferdinand 

[miamiman123]

He will be better for it!! 

[VocalNeal]

Quote

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

Sure as an advance from his credit card at X% per day.

[Emdog]

'96-7 I was on sabbatical, traveling Asia, Africa & Australia. About 2/3's through the trip Wells Fargo bought out First Interstate. I was in Philippines when debit card was killed by WF: "contact your local bank" message. Yeah, right. 

I had American Express card with that check cashing provision. I'd charged $20 or so months earlier at Bangkok Christian Hospital, my bro in law was supposed to pay the bills. He "missed it", and that was dead too. I still had Australia, Bali and Bangkok to do.... down to travelers checks and couple hundred in cash. Tried to pay off the $20 in Melbourne at AmEx but no go...

It was tight, but made it.

I suppose when traveling expect "whatever can go wrong will go wrong"

[DogNo1]

My USA bank will rush a new card to me here if I have a problem such as losing my card, etc.  I wonder if the Scottish bank would do that for him.

[Hank Gunn]

4 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

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

Technically they don't work that way. A Debit card debits (withdraws) funds directly from a bank acct. (typically a savings or checking acct.). Often times the issuing bank will enable it to use the larger online payment transaction systems like Visa, Mastercard, or UnionPay. But that doesn't make them a credit card. They are just "piggy-backing" off of the credit card payment processing system.

 

A credit card is just a form of unsecured debt (hence the reason the interest rates are so high for those stupid enough to borrow money with them) that uses the aforementioned payment transaction network/system. At the end of each month you have a running balance and must make at least a minimum payment.

 

Debit Cards = Direct access to a financial account. Money is directly debited from that account for each transaction. Some cards can be used at merchants like a credit card, if the debit card is authorized to use a merchant's non-cash payment system (i.e. Visa or MasterCard).

 

Credit Card = Unsecured loan from the issuing bank, using one of the major payment transaction systems (i.e. Visa or MasterCard, or others).

 

The main distinction is the debit card having direct access to one's account and is the reason I only ever use my debit cards (here in Thailand or the US) at ATMs to get cash.

[scorecard]

12 minutes ago, 2008bangkok said:

No friends or family to loan him money until he gets back, no way to do online banking to send to anybody then  western union .... Sounds to far fetched

Why does he need to sleep with rats surely he can get a hammock and tie it to a tree if necessary.

If true sounds like very poor planning / no planning whatever.

[homeseeker]

"Mr Perez, 42, who works in front of house at a vegetarian restaurant in Edinburgh, says he is now working in a restaurant in Thailand in return for meals"

 

-So do we know if Thai Immigration have granted him a work permit?

[Estrada]

4 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

I had problems with Citibank for years, despite living in Thailand and having my Thai address listed with them.  Knock on wood, after many an irate call finally improved.  They also now send me n email first if they are in doubt about a charge instead of immediately freezing the card as they used to do without warning.

 

Still have some issues with them when doing online shopping. They would object that the charge showed as from a country I had not told them I was traveling to...because, of course, I was not traveling there. Apparently they are unfamiliar with the concept of online shopping and that one cannot know what country the charge will show up from.

 

Not once have any of the charges they considered "suspicious" been fraudulent. I did have a fraudulent charge once but that went right through with no problem -- apparently they did not consider a monthly gym membership in California at all strange for someone living in Thailand!!!!

 

Very, very annoying.

I have had 2 Thai Citibank credit Cards for 25 years. In the early days they used to ask me to inform them if I was going to visit another country. If I made an abnormally high monetary purchase they would ring me on my mobile phone immediately to check in case of fraud. These days they use a host of data that their computers use to track you and ascertain whether you can be in two locations at once, for instance. For online purchases they send a random pin number to your mobile phone so I don't understand your complaint about them not understanding on-line purchases. The security is there. These days I don't need to inform them if I go to another country, because their computers track us using location from daily purchases, air tickets (which show destination) and so on. I have had had only one fraudulent purchase on my account in 25 years for which they refunded the money. The same happened to a friend recently and they contacted him because they thought it was suspicious that at age 65 he was taking out an online subscription to E-Gaming.

[CharlieH]

Exaggerated and sensationalised for max effect !

I doubt anyone "forced" him to do anything, he could have quite easily gone to a local Wat to sleep and they may well have given him food too.

 

To go travelling half way across the world with only ONE source of funds is just stupd and irresponsible (IMHO) and to then have no support from friends or family I find highly unlikely. This has been "spun" for maximum impact and probably bares little resemblance to the true facts.(IMHO)

 

Most banks can be contacted immediately by phone and even have "chat" via apps, just this morning I spoke to my UK bank via chat and resolved an issue in less than 3 minutes.

 

Absolutely no need for this guy to have "suffered" anything in this techno savvy world we now live in, communication is available via many methods.

[ICELANDMAN]

3 hours ago, White Christmas13 said:

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

 

Same, 2 cards canceled recently. Use only cash

[Lacessit]

4 hours ago, RobMuir said:

 

Er, I must be a numpty. I have never had a problem. 

How many cards do you take with you? 

How many do you advise I take next time? 

 

 

I don’t really want to try his food, considering his sleeping/ showering arrangements.

Please post your experience on the forum when you have had your card cancelled, stolen or expired. Or can you confidently predict that will never happen to you?

I have three cards, there only for emergencies. Stored in separate locations as a precaution against theft.

 

[scorecard]

1 minute ago, Emdog said:

'96-7 I was on sabbatical, traveling Asia, Africa & Australia. About 2/3's through the trip Wells Fargo bought out First Interstate. I was in Philippines when debit card was killed by WF: "contact your local bank" message. Yeah, right. 

I had American Express card with that check cashing provision. I'd charged $20 or so months earlier at Bangkok Christian Hospital, my bro in law was supposed to pay the bills. He "missed it", and that was dead too. I still had Australia, Bali and Bangkok to do.... down to travelers checks and couple hundred in cash. Tried to pay off the $20 in Melbourne at AmEx but no go...

It was tight, but made it.

I suppose when traveling expect "whatever can go wrong will go wrong"

 

Years back I was using my credit union in Melbourne as my main bank along with a credit card from mainstream bank.

 

I went to the credit union office (same building (a week before departing for holiday here in Thailand) and they wrote down a plan (as per one of their services) for them to make several payments on my credit card. They didn't make the payments and my card was blocked. I called them many times, every time the operator said 'all tellers are busy, please wait'. I mentioned I was calling from Thailand but 'not allowed to jump you on the waiting queue even if your calling from abroad', and credit union staff not allowed to call back. 

I called a colleague from my office, he went straight away to the credit union manager 'can't help, can only talk to member' and cannot make a pre-arranged time for me to call them. 

 

I cut my holiday short and went home. Credit union manager refused to talk to me 'no need'. 

 

It was a lesson, I quickly got one more credit card and moved to another credit union which had a good reputation for 'can do' in whatever circumstances. 

[Knee Jerk Reaction]

3 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

 

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

 

I went for a fishing holiday in the Orkney Islands and discovered there are a surprising amount of people there descended from shipwrecked Spanish Armada sailors whose ships were blown north in a storm. Locally they're known as the Dons.

[BestB]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

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. 

Was exactly my point , if Thailand was such a high risk why would Citi bank be available in Thailand ?

 

My reasoning did not help or stop them from cancelling it each and every time I tried to use it in Thailand.

 

No problem to ship replacement to Thailand 

[MekkOne]

6 hours ago, graemeaylward said:

That's a good old Scottish name! ????


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

Hey! That's good old fashioned racism...

[sandrabbit]

1 hour ago, Nong Khai Man said:

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 !!!

I had a similar problem with Halifax 2yrs ago. I phoned Halifax and informed them that I would be traveling to the UK  and could they issue a new debit card and I would pick it up from the account holding branch. The advisor said that it wouldn't be a problem as it would delivered to my Thailand address to which I replied that most of my friends don't get debit cards sent here by their banks. A supervisor then came on said the same thing that it would be delivered to Thailand. I was in the UK in September and my card expiry was in November so I returned to Thailand and lo & behold the new debit card never arrived. 

 

I contacted Halifax only to be told that my card had been sent to the account holding branch (scream) because Thailand is quarantined by Halifax due to fraud. At this point I lost it and explained the conversations I'd previously had but the advisor said there was nothing she could do. I made a formal complaint following the online procedure and the security dept agreed I had done everything correctly and they would look at changing some procedures for training of their advisors and sent me a new card by courier but advised that this wouldn't be repeated. It just goes to show that sometimes even when everything is done correctly siht still happens so I have a great deal of sympathy for Mr Perez if he did as he said. 

[Nong Khai Man]

21 minutes ago, DogNo1 said:

My USA bank will rush a new card to me here if I have a problem such as losing my card, etc.  I wonder if the Scottish bank would do that for him.

NO They Won't Post cards to Thailand.....But They'll send them to his Local Branch in Scotland....Were they'll be a LOT Of Use !!

[Beggar]

Had a similar experience. While I was traveling the bank replaced the old debit cards with new chip debit cards. No information at all that this will happen or even that it happened. The old card did not work anymore - got a strange error message. I called the bank branch and they told me that I have to come to them to get the new chip based card - I was many flight hours away in a foreign country... Good that this was not my only source of money.

[Krataiboy]

The best argument so far against a cashless society.

[Nong Khai Man]

5 minutes ago, sandrabbit said:

I had a similar problem with Halifax 2yrs ago. I phoned Halifax and informed them that I would be traveling to the UK  and could they issue a new debit card and I would pick it up from the account holding branch. The advisor said that it wouldn't be a problem as it would delivered to my Thailand address to which I replied that most of my friends don't get debit cards sent here by their banks. A supervisor then came on said the same thing that it would be delivered to Thailand. I was in the UK in September and my card expiry was in November so I returned to Thailand and lo & behold the new debit card never arrived. 

 

I contacted Halifax only to be told that my card had been sent to the account holding branch (scream) because Thailand is quarantined by Halifax due to fraud. At this point I lost it and explained the conversations I'd previously had but the advisor said there was nothing she could do. I made a formal complaint following the online procedure and the security dept agreed I had done everything correctly and they would look at changing some procedures for training of their advisors and sent me a new card by courier but advised that this wouldn't be repeated. It just goes to show that sometimes even when everything is done correctly siht still happens so I have a great deal of sympathy for Mr Perez if he did as he said. 

But They never even offered to send mine by Courier. even though I Suggested it....YOU Must have a Larger account than me to get preferential treatment ??

[TomTao]

Didn't he let the bank know he was going on holiday, or check the card expiration date? I feel sorry for him, I hope he learns to have a little forethought the next he goes for a break, and gets full enjoyment out of it.

[M71]

I smell a rat.

[champers]

4 minutes ago, TomTao said:

Didn't he let the bank know he was going on holiday, or check the card expiration date? I feel sorry for him, I hope he learns to have a little forethought the next he goes for a break, and gets full enjoyment out of it.

Yes and yes. He visited his bank and his card expiry date is some time in 2021. His bank fouled up, admitted it and is funding him via Western Union.

[happysanook]

Had similar happen to me. Debit card cancelled because it had been used with a compromised company. Just talked to the higher ups and eventually they re-enabled the old card. Most banks should also be able to overnight cards to you.