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[greekcypriot]

While trying to book a flight 2 days ago, and after several attempts I noticed that my credit card was not accepted. I knew I had money in.
It was midnight and the girl in charge at the Bank asked me to call the following morning as she had no access to details of transactions.
I book that night with my husband’s card a one way ticket I found cheap.

Next morning I call the branch office we have in our area and I am informed that I owe the bank something like 900 euros for this month.

We are the type of people who NEVER buy if we don’t have the money just take advantage of the 40 days the bank gives us, and as soon as the bill comes we pay up the whole amount at once.
I was satisfied hearing that, and later on I try to book the return flight with my card since I thought it was ok now.

Again it was refused, and after I call the bank I find out that somebody used my card and bought things through internet. There are 3 purchases – 850 - 600 and 500 or something like that. A sum of 2000 euros the same time (midnight time in Greece)

I was asking the bank again and again not to give me more than 1.500 credit instead of 5.000 . I used to call every month, and I managed to have it 1.500 the first month but then again they automatically increase it….I don’t know. If ever I spent more than 1.500, I could go to the bank, pay, and have more credit!

Anyway, the bank saw these 3 purchases and does nothing. If it wasn’t for the 2nd attempt I would have gone to pay off the whole amount, and automatically give access to more money to be taken from my account.

I have no card now, and I was asked to send a fax and a letter telling them that I don’t accept the 3 or 4 transactions being made. The purchasing seems to be made in the United States.
The bank told me that they are going to investigate the whole thing, and I will have news in about 45 to 60 days from now. They will try to find from which computer the purchase was made.
The people at the bank told me not to worry because if it is proved that it is not me who bought, they will refund the money. I am not planning to pay the 2000 which are going to appear in next month’s bill account anyway. They had my passport photocopied, and I sent back the card …..Probably they want to see if I ever traveled to the USA.

How easy do you think it is to find who did it? Will they ever find out, and do you think I have a chance to get my money back? – ( if I give it next month)
Did any of you members faced a similar situation?


http://www.travelpod.com/members/greekcypriot
(Over 4.000 photos in my entries to 30 countries)

[mmbcross]

My wife's debit card was stolen last week. Whoever stole it managed to charge about US$ 500.00 I regularly check our bank and credit card accounts online just in case, so we were able to stop it within a couple of days. The bank has already credited the full US$ 500.00 back to our account and has sent my wife a new card. All this in one week. Our bank was Washington Mutual, which has now been taken over by Chase. I'm impressed by their efficiency.

By the way, I do not sign the reverse side of my card. I write the words "Check ID".

Hope you get all your money back too. You should not have to pay the 2000 on next month's billing.

Good luck!

[jacquesl]

You can't let it go too far before you do anythingg.

My briefcase was stolen a while ago and someone tried to use some of the blank cheques that I had in my briefcase. I also check my bank on line often and I noticed right away and I was able to get them all returned.

Then someone opend a Walmart Visa account under mywife's name (it was a joint chequing account)...apparently using one of the cheques as ID, which apparently is not supposed to be acceptable...but they did anyways. A few days later they called the Visa office and had the maioling address chaned form our home to some other place and with a differnet phone number.

They charged the card to the max and never paid a dime on it.

When we renewed our line of credit, a few years later, our bank asked us about this credit card that was way in arrears! The bank was surprised because our credit history is so good that they were shocked to see just one card in arrears.....needless to say we were shocked and told them so.

Because we were long term customers at the bank, they ignored it, phew.

But, we started working on having that removed from my wife's credit history. What a run around....from Walmart to the credit bureau, then to the Walmart head office, then to the collection agency, around and around it goes! After 18 months of running around, some guy in the Walmart Head office told me to fax him the police report and he would look after getting it removed!

Finally some sense! NOT!

It's been 2 years now and it's still there. repeated messages left at his office go unanswered! We have given up; deciding that it's easier to just wait for the 7 years to go by, when it will be erased, automatically, from her credit history rather than waste more time on it...but just think for those people who can't afford to wait and need their credit history to be clean!

I must admit I like the idea of writing *ask for ID* on the back of credit cards.... I might start doing that!

SO watch your cards and confidentiality like a hawk! Protect it well!

[greekcypriot]

Thanks Martin and Jacques,
The two out or three or four transactions were made through Walmart's and the other ....a Supercentre.
Martin this is a bright idea about the not signing behind.... But what happens if ok. the signature is not there, but the cv number still exists which they can take advantage of, if the card is stolen. It is this number they want, and not the signature! ??The signature helps when you buy directly. Or am I wrong.
That was the reason I was asking about showing our credit cards again after payment when the boys at the reception desks ask for it...
I am so sad, and for this reasonI did not start my teaching lessons as yet! ...It is not that I am waiting for the Bank to call me, but I don't feel like working just now. I told them we shall start lessons next week.

Jacques, I can imagine the feeling of losing a briefcase. Had you left it somewhere and they just grabbed it? How was it stolen.
It is terrible.
Banking -on-line is the best and I just don't know why I did not use it with this bank. Probably because some years ago I used to have my account is Cyprus and I found it difficult and got angry every time I had to check and convert the currency. Now both countries luckily they have euro, but I just have one account.
I have to get a new card though because I am used to it. I never carry money with me. I find it difficult to leave for Athens today without my card.
Anyway, I will have to wait and see what happens. I wonder if they can find the one who did it......from the computer that the man used (as the bank says) .
Thanks guys!

[jrheavymetal]

This is happening alot more then people realize. My sister had several hundred dollars ran up on her card, and it wasn't even stolen. They still don't know how the people got hold of her credit info. In our case, twice someone tried to charge on ours, but each time they were asked for ID info and the charges didn't go through. But because someone had gotten hold of our info, we had to redo the cards, which was a hassle.

[greekcypriot]

I am told that I have to be patient with the investigation. In the meantime I wonder whether to pay the amount of the purchases which is going to come, in next month's bill or not.
What do you advice me to do?
If I don't pay, I might have to pay more, and this I don't like at all. (Tax)
You know, what the bank asks if we don't pay the whole sum. They will be charging my account with taxes every month if I don't settle the account!
I don't really know. A friend told me that if I pay the sum, the Bank might return the money to me after the investigation. But if it doesn't?

http://www.travelpod.com/members/greekcypriot

[mmbcross]

Frankly I don't think you should pay as there is absolutely no question that the charges are not yours.

(Double negative...is that correct grammar?)

[greekcypriot]

I think you convinced me Martin. No, ok I won't pay and I will see where it takes.
It will be the first time I owe money to the bank, but....since I am not responsible!

double negative too... I guess I understand what you say here.
Thanks!

http://www.travelpod.com/members/greekcypriot