Another Barclays story - daughter stranded abroad

Smiley82

Unlucky experience....unfortunately it just goes to show that you really do need to have more than 1 source of funds when travelling, just in case the worst happens.

Also, making sure you have all the contact numbers of the banks in case this does happen. Speaking from experience, our cards were also blocked in Thailand, but a simple reverse charge call (and yes....we were able to reverse charge Barclays, so not sure why your daughter's didn't work) sorted the issue and unblocked my card. (Although you are correct in saying it's only available 7am - 11pm GMT - so not sure what you are supposed to do outside of these hours!).

Unfortunately, my boyfriend was not so lucky with HSBC, and they had permanently blocked his card, despite his protests that it WAS him using the card in Thailand. Their only solution was to re-issue the card back to the UK.....great help when we are 5 days into a 3 month holiday! We had to transfer his money to my account and get access to it that way.

I think the banks are over-cautious in the fraud area at the moment, but at the end of the day, as frustrating as it is to have your card blocked (particularly when you told them you would be travelling!), I would rather that then have all my money stolen unknowingly while my bank sat by and did nothing!

Maybe a Travelex Cash Passport or similar card, pre-loaded with a small amount (£100-£200) would be a good backup for the next trip.

Hope she enjoys the rest of her holiday, Thailand is a fabulous country!

Lokolo

mbriody wrote: »

Don't forget she is only 18 - she doesn't have a credit card.. Nationwide wouldn't give her a debit card which is why she went to Barclays.

Online access is out due to Barclays TFA system - you have to physically insert the card into a calculator like device which generates a code to allow you online access.

Next time I think she would take the lot in cash.

A few points I want to make

a) I have had 2 debits card since 17 (1 debit card since 13)
b) You can get CC at 18
c) All cash? I wouldn't trust any female with a lot of cash
d) From what I know you can use the card thing abroad though?

thumshie

From the barclays web site:

http://barclays.metafaq.com/templates/barclays/main/answerPage?_mftvst:answerRef=%24http%3a%2f%2fapi.transversal.com%2fmfapi%2fobjectref%2fEntryStore%2fEntry%2fhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.metafaq.com%2fmfapi%2fMetafaq%2fClients%2fbarclays%2fModules%2ftravel_international%3a89733%3a8&_mftvst:moduleID=%24travel_international&_mftvst:topicID=%24&id=K1O657CG2Q1OL5TDVKSEJU6RPQ

If you're having difficulties using your debit card outside of the UK, or your card has been stopped, please call us in the UK on 0870 010 4503 (Outside the UK +44 1928 58 4421).

Lines are open Monday to Sunday 7am-11pm (GMT) - call charges to this number can be reversed.

Was this the number?

I would re-iterate that its always important to have an emergency fund - wether that is a card(Credit, Debit, even pre-paid card) or cash - for when there are problems.

Gambit

When I went travelling around the world I was so paranoid about this happening to me that I carried a debit card and credit card with me at all times but also left a credit and debit card hidden in my backback. I also had some travellers cheques stashed away in case of an emergency as well as some American dollars (as they are accepted everywhere). Luckily I never needed any of it but it was good to have just in case.

If she couldnt get a credit card (which I find strange as even Barclays give 18 year old credit cards albeit with a bad APR but if it was emergencies it would be better than nothing) then I would advice taking a bit of cash and travellers cheques as a back up.

Extant

CLAPTON wrote: »

Barcalys are totally unsuited for travellers as they will only allow you to specify a maximum of two foreign countries at any one time. If you want to go to more (and how unusual is that?) you need to update your list as you go... pretty impractical although I think you can now do it online.

Branches/telephony (although I've no idea if it's featured in online banking) can add markers for "All around the world" and "Across Europe."

They're not usually advised in case of fraud, but the option does exist.

chambta

As others have said I would always anticipate the worst in the case of foreign travel and certainly would not want an 18yo offspring of mine travelling abroad with only a debit card.

iereboy

I totally agree with lokolo.
Always have a spare credit and debit card when going abroad. So many customers are caught out on a daily basis by having one debit card as the only source of payment for goods and services. Its just common sense really!

CLAPTON

BarclaysManager wrote: »

Branches/telephony (although I've no idea if it's featured in online banking) can add markers for "All around the world" and "Across Europe."

They're not usually advised in case of fraud, but the option does exist.

Possibly but your call centre staff don't seem to know how to do this; well not for South America anyway; however next time I will pursue this line.

mbriody

No, we were given an 01604 number (Northampton).

Hindsight is a great thing and of course what you learn from this experience is that you can't trust the banks (probably any of them), especially if you are abroad. If you want a trip abroad you need to open multiple bank accounts and apply for credit cards because of the bank's inadequacies.

thumshie wrote: »

From the barclays web site:

http://barclays.metafaq.com/templates/barclays/main/answerPage?_mftvst:answerRef=%24http%3a%2f%2fapi.transversal.com%2fmfapi%2fobjectref%2fEntryStore%2fEntry%2fhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.metafaq.com%2fmfapi%2fMetafaq%2fClients%2fbarclays%2fModules%2ftravel_international%3a89733%3a8&_mftvst:moduleID=%24travel_international&_mftvst:topicID=%24&id=K1O657CG2Q1OL5TDVKSEJU6RPQ


Was this the number?

I_know_my_ABC_and_my_CMYK

I can't help with the bank details but you can actually buy top up vouchers for UK mobiles in Thailand now. As well as that she could have bought a Thai pay as you go Sim for about £1 and topped it up with a couple of pounds equivalent which would have given her more than enough credit to call you and deal with the bank.

My son lives between here and Thailand and has both, a UK mobile and a Thai sim card which he tops up as and when he needs it.

Failing that had she gone to the local police station they would have helped her to make the calls and get it sorted out.

Also that there is always the British embassy which is on Wireless Road in Bangkok, the police would have contacted them for her.

Thailand has 2 kinds of police officers, tourist police and police either one would have helped her.

It is always useful to read up on such information before you go. 80% of Thais speak very good English too.

I hope the rest of her travell goes smoothly.