Cash while cruising - a warning

[oakum]

To avoid anyone cruising away from home landing in same pickle as I did earlier this year, advise your bank NOT to send out replacement card to your UK abode while you're away. They send these cards out without you asking for them "to improve their service" or some such gumphh and your current card, ie the one you're using whilst away with years still to go before expiry becomes useless after a week or two.The words eggs and basket come to mind but that didn't help me in August. When I finally managed to get back - without any help from the bank but a colleague paying for my ticket UK end I remonstrated with the bank and received an apology AND compensation ---- be warned.

 

[boatmike]

This has also happened to me. luckily I reverted to another card. Also worth remembering that you should notify the card company if you are spending any time abroad because if they see any overseas transactions they might think are unusual they can stop the card for no reason other than they are suspicious...

 

[davidbains]

This happened to me when a credit card payment for mooring fees in Italy
was refused. The card was then unusable and it's an "RYA" card!
Fortunately I also had my Switch (Maestro) card.
Next year I will ring before leaving and take a recent statement
to facilitate ringing from abroad.
I also obtain Eurocash at low commision in generous quantity
from the Post Office before travelling. Many businesses prefer
cash the further east you go in the Med.

 

[mikewilkes]

Have had this for3 years now in Barcelona. Have gone down the road of calling the bank first and that dont work either. Got to a stage where Ingrid hands me the phone when I walk in to pay so that I can call the bank.

 

[VicMallows]

Also, an InterMarche ( France) managed to trash the chip on my prefered card this year (the one that doesn't have a loading in EU).....girl kept shoving it in and out of the reader. Fortunately SWMBO's card on same account still worked so nothing wrong with the account. My card also still worked in ATMs, which presumably still only make use of the magnetic strip.

Issuer was convinced I had entered PIN incorrectly and it was locked, but UK machines with unlock facillities couldn't interogate the chip either.

Vic (bearing a tiny bit of responsibility for those early ATMs where you adjusted the slot to view the one-line LED display!!).