Credit / Debit Card Warning

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
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For those that either live here and/or just visiting be aware of the following:

My cards were blocked by "VISA" because one of their merchants with whom I have done business with had their files compromised.

To protect ALL customers that had used that merchant, VISA put a block on ALL cards that had been used for that merchant.

My bank then canceled my cards and issued new cards with a different number.

Now that would have been all fine and dandy if I was home to get the new cards.
Unfortunately I was in the DR and my bank does not have a branch here.
I was trying to purchase an airline ticket and it was declined.
That left me with a slight problem, no credit card to charge the ticket.

I was advised by my bank that since there is no branch here for my bank,
that I could call 1-800-VISA-911 and they would assist me if I needed cash.

So, be sure you don?t get caught up in a bind by having only debit/credit cards to live on, etc.
If you depend on getting cash from the ATM to live on while here, you may very well have an unforeseen problem.

Just because your credit is good, that does not prevent VISA, MasterCard, etc. from blocking your cards and your bank then canceling your cards.

t9d26v.gif

SantiagoDR
 
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Anastacio

Banned
Feb 22, 2010
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I think most people use this method of living, ATM and credit/debit cards. Are you saying all banks cards were suspended/cancelled? Or you only hold an account with one bank and had no alternative accounts to use?
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
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It's very frustrating.

I have had that happen 3 times in 2.5 years. I try to use the card, gets declined for no reason I know of, I call and am told, "compromised, new card on it's way". I'm never told what fine commercial institution was the focus although, but since I rarely use either an ATM or CC I can figger it out.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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I think most people use this method of living, ATM and credit/debit cards. Are you saying all banks cards were suspended/cancelled? Or you only hold an account with one bank and had no alternative accounts to use?
It doesn't take long to learn how to NOT live on either here after getting cards compromised.

I have a friendly cambio that will cash all the personal checks on my US bank account I need or want, in whatever amount necessary. Much easier.
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
5,808
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I think most people use this method of living, ATM and credit/debit cards. Are you saying all banks cards were suspended/cancelled? Or you only hold an account with one bank and had no alternative accounts to use?
All cards used with that MERCHANT.

There was no fraud on my account, but VISA blocked ALL cards used at any time for that merchant.

I have another VISA card, unfortunately (Bad Timing), it had expired and the NEW cards were also sitting at my home back in the States. (Double Trouble) ;) lol

I thought I had no worries as the card I was going to use did not expire until after I got back to the States.... as I said, unforeseen problem!

It was just an unfortunate coincidence that both my cards expired in the same year.

This had NOTHING to do with my available credit, just something beyond my control as also experienced by CobraBoy. Fortunately, CobraBoy and I have the same kind of backup system, visitors will not have that luxury.

This could catch someone on vacation completely off-guard and into a jam.
Especially if they happen to use more than one card with the same merchant
t9d26v.gif

SantiagoDR
 

pyratt

Bronze
Jan 14, 2007
690
100
0
I think most people use this method of living, ATM and credit/debit cards. Are you saying all banks cards were suspended/cancelled? Or you only hold an account with one bank and had no alternative accounts to use?
Scary thought that there are that many sheep who follow the banks desires...especially in this global economy. BANKS are the only ones who benefit from DEBIT and CC Card use.

Ca$h is king and while I do use AmEx for those occasional purchases where a card is needed, their security has proven to be customer oriented. I refuse to accept MC/VISA's pitch that it's "everywhere you want to be"....ca$h works especially well when the electricity is off, which is the norm in the DR. Just my .02
 
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May 29, 2006
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I avoid using credit cards down there at all. For one you can often get a better price by paying cash and there are so many problems that can happen. I had a friend get a cash advance on his card through a gift shop and he was charged more than three times what he thought he had negotiated for. I tried to talk him out of it saying there was an ATM just a few miles down the road but he still went through with it. Then his card was cancelled and he spend hours working on getting some money back on the transaction.

In a couple years, I bet cell phones will become common for paying bills in the DR. It's been done in Africa for years and it's starting to catch on in the US. The time of the plastic credit card is coming to an end.
 

belgiank

Silver
Jun 13, 2009
3,251
103
0
My cards were blocked by "VISA" because one of their merchants with whom I have done business with had their files compromised.

To protect ALL customers that had used that merchant, VISA put a block on ALL cards that had been used for that merchant.

My bank then canceled my cards and issued new cards with a different number.

Now that would have been all fine and dandy if I was home to get the new cards.
Unfortunately I was in the DR and my bank does not have a branch here.
I was trying to purchase an airline ticket and it was declined.
That left me with a slight problem, no credit card to charge the ticket.

I was advised by my bank that since there is no branch here for my bank,
that I could call 1-800-VISA-911 and they would assist me if I needed cash.

So, be sure you don?t get caught up in a bind by having only debit/credit cards to live on, etc.
If you depend on getting cash from the ATM to live on while here, you may very well have an unforeseen problem.



t9d26v.gif

SantiagoDR

happened to me once in Belgium, but I got an immediate email informing, telling me the name of the compromised merchant, and telling me the new card would be available in 3 days, and if I needed VISA in the meantime to contact my bank...

In this case it was an internet purchase, and apparently some hacker had gotten all creditcard-numbers somehow... 2,000,000 cards were cancelled worldwide... needless to say I never used that internetstore again, as they are not supposed to be able to read the card-number, and certainly not keep it (you give your card-number, but it should only be visible to Visa, MC, or other cards...)

Unfortunately in most European countries the cheque system has been cancelled since 11 years... so this is no option. And the ATM-system here sucks, it breaks down regularly, it has ridiculous week limitations, etc... Anybody here any experience with wiring money from Belgium to a Banco Popular Euro account?
 

granca

Bronze
Aug 20, 2007
1,418
48
0
87
I, using the internet, transfer money from my UK account to HIFX, they transfer it to my Banco Popular US$ account, no charges, takes about 6 days. I?ve been using the system for about 5 years, never a problem. They also deal with Euros. Contact them for details, give them my name and I get a free bottle of wine!!!
 

belgiank

Silver
Jun 13, 2009
3,251
103
0
I, using the internet, transfer money from my UK account to HIFX, they transfer it to my Banco Popular US$ account, no charges, takes about 6 days. I?ve been using the system for about 5 years, never a problem. They also deal with Euros. Contact them for details, give them my name and I get a free bottle of wine!!!

what is HIFX, and if you want me to mention your name, pm it... as I doubt they know you as granca...:bunny:

but sounds very interesting

thanks
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
83
It doesn't take long to learn how to NOT live on either here after getting cards compromised.

I have a friendly cambio that will cash all the personal checks on my US bank account I need or want, in whatever amount necessary. Much easier.

I do the same. This is far and away the best way to get money from your account in your own country. No fees, no risk that your number will be compromised.
 

bachata

Aprendiz de todo profesional de nada
Aug 18, 2007
5,341
1,246
113
I think most people use this method of living, ATM and credit/debit cards. Are you saying all banks cards were suspended/cancelled? Or you only hold an account with one bank and had no alternative accounts to use?
Bank of America issued me a ATM card two years and half ago when I opened my saving account after my arrival from DR and it broke in two piece in my wallet, I never used it.
Yes I use credit card because it is necessary if you live here in US but other than that I prefer to make my living about cash as I had a bad experience in DR when a Dominican bank closed business. my payment due was $ 33,000. as my last statement and two years later I was contacted for a collection company trying to charge me with RD $ 98,000.

JJ
 
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RacerX

Banned
Nov 22, 2009
3,390
376
0
I dont know what you are talking about man. You re cards were cancelled or were your transactions frozen with that merchant? I had a problem in February using my card at the Banco Popular, and then Progreso, and then Scotiabank and then that credit union ATM on Av. Cuba and Calle Sol. I thought my card were compromised, I was out of funds or worst case scenario the IRS got me. Then I called my Citibank on that 1-800 number on the back of the card and the guy in Texas told me that my card was getting refused at all the banks because these banks here have antiquated anti-phishing software and Citi will reject the transaction if it cannot redact the dataflow to the receiving ATM. Weird. I was able to take out $ from Cibao Savings and Loan and have been using that bank ever since.
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
5,808
948
113
I dont know what you are talking about man. You re cards were cancelled or were your transactions frozen with that merchant? I had a problem in February using my card at the Banco Popular, and then Progreso, and then Scotiabank and then that credit union ATM on Av. Cuba and Calle Sol. I thought my card were compromised, I was out of funds or worst case scenario the IRS got me. Then I called my Citibank on that 1-800 number on the back of the card and the guy in Texas told me that my card was getting refused at all the banks because these banks here have antiquated anti-phishing software and Citi will reject the transaction if it cannot redact the dataflow to the receiving ATM. Weird. I was able to take out $ from Cibao Savings and Loan and have been using that bank ever since.
If you read my post carefully, you will read that "VISA" blocked ALL CARDS that have been used by that merchant. Thus, my card became useless. My bank, then issued me a new card. The old card was blocked, unable to be used at all......

t9d26v.gif

SantiagoDR
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
2,195
113
Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
BelgianK,
I transfer several times per month money from my european Euros Account, a simple "Girokonto at Deutsche Postbank" to here on my US$ account at the BHD Bank.
goes always smooth and hasslefree, the "Deutsche Postbank" gets each transaction up to 1500 euros a transaction Fee of 3.40 euros, transactions over that amount cost something 7 euros plus some cents.
what i send that way per online banking on a monday arrives always on my account here to withdraw it before the weekend.
if you have a european bank account then your dominican bank provides you with the needed transaction numbers, they are named BIC and SWIFT and such thingies, i stored them once in my online banking of my German account and since then use the same formulario to wire money from there, i just change the amount then.
if you find out more about the above mentioned Wirin thingy, please send me some info about that on my PM, always interested in new ways, specially when it states "No Fees", lol.
cheers
Mike
 

belgiank

Silver
Jun 13, 2009
3,251
103
0
Mike,

Thanks for the info... this is what I needed... will have my banco popular account set up tomorrow and do a test transfer from Belgium... hope it works just as well as it does for you...

Peter
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
2,195
113
Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
it will work fine with banco popular like it works with mine to BHD.
you can request from Banco Popular both numbers for transfers, one is over their offshore account in the USA, and the other one Via their Offshore Account at a European Bank, like in my case with BHD Bank the offshore account for European transactions is Banco Sabadell in the Town Sabadel in Spain, for receiving money from Northamerican accounts they use a offshore account with the banc of America in Miami/Fl.
Mike
 

granca

Bronze
Aug 20, 2007
1,418
48
0
87
Attention Moderators

As a result of earlier postings to this thread I mentioned the HIFX system which I use. I then emailed HIFX and asked them if their services also encompassed Euros and Dollars, both Canadian and US. They replied, in principal, they do. Would it be permitted or correct to post here copies of our respective emails?