Help! Banking card problem emergency

shellyjean
By shellyjean

So, I went to top up my Hala card and my Visa Debit card won't work. NONE of them will. There is money in there, and I have gotten money out previously and purchased things here, both at the mall and my hotel. So, now, all the sudden, I am told that my card is INVALID.Anyone know why? Before I made a $$$long distance call to my bank.

We are about to move into our villa and our shipment will be here today. I really need to furnish my home!

Thank you.

By boer• 6 Nov 2009 20:37
Rating: 3/5
boer

something to do with the new cards being issued. I had something similar recently - credit card was de-linked from my other accounts because a new debit card was issued. It's a real ball-ache because I now have to carry yet another card - I think I now have about 11 cards!! And only 1 credit card. Pretty soon you gonna need a card to take a leak!!

____________________________________________________

It is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt

By deedee• 6 Nov 2009 20:13
deedee

the bank deems such overseas activity as suspicious. you just need to confirm to them that you are indeed making the purchases. Actually had the reverse happen to me this summer. After 5+ years in doha they shut my card off when i tried to use it in walmart!

By fresh start• 6 Nov 2009 08:47
Rating: 4/5
fresh start

due to 'unusual activity' - although I had visited and shopped in Doha many times before we moved here - as soon as we moved in and started stocking up in Carrefour and LuLu for basic furniture and hardware, the UK bank decided this was 'unusual' - a few long distance calls to rectify but worth it

Good luck

This is picture is obviously NOT me, I don't smoke..

By marycatherine• 5 Nov 2009 07:02
Rating: 3/5
marycatherine

It may also be that the ATM system was down - this usually happens to me on Friday mornings.

Another possibility is that you have reached your weekly withdrawal limit overseas. Many banks have a maximum amount they allow customers to withdraw outside the home country - mine is $3000.

A third possibility is that the bank has frozen your card because the activity is "unusual" for your account - happens a lot to people who have never traveled overseas and are using their cards in "flagged" countries for suspicious/fraudulent credit and ATM card use.

Contact your bank - I would suspect it's one of the above situations.

Signature line > "You can't fix stupid"

By Mandilulur• 5 Nov 2009 06:45
Mandilulur

Lovern, 1-800 calls only work in the US to the US. They don't work here. Often a card company will "freeze" an account if it shows suspicious activity.

Mandi

By kiwiz• 5 Nov 2009 06:38
kiwiz

I know when we first arrived my visa from NZ would not work in all machines so try a different ATM. I now don't bother using that one at all as we have local cards, it saves the worry about whether it's going to work or not. Our ones from home have a four digit pin but here it seems to be six digits, don't know whether that makes a difference or not. Best of luck and BTW did you bring your dog? I wish we had :(

By macgyver426• 5 Nov 2009 00:20
macgyver426

relax. u'll be able to think smarter when your mind is at peace. call your credit card company or you can even ask a friend to spare you some money until you resolve your card problem. i think you can even ask your embassy to assist you financially.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy....Martin Luther King

By lovern_cute• 4 Nov 2009 22:30
Rating: 5/5
lovern_cute

Go ahead and made your long distance call instead of posting here... If your calling in the US. I assumed there's a 1-800 number and you can call collect.

Good luck

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