|
|
|
Comments (13)
Print
Save/ShareLeave your wallet on your beach towel. Carry a fancy cell phone that stores all of your financial information without any password protection. Email your credit card's three-digit security code to a hotel clerk...Oops, wrong list!
If you're savvy enough to be reading Budget Travel, you're already savvy enough to safeguard your financial information when you travel. But Peter Tarlow, an expert on tourism, crime, and event security for the consulting firm Tourism & More, has shared three pieces of advice with the This Just In blog. These tips may surprise you...
On hotel safes: "If you have a choice between using a safe in your room and a safe in the main hotel office, leave your belongings in the safe in the main hotel office. As a general rule, a safe under a manager's supervision is much more secure. Those safes often require double locks, for example. But if you only have an in-room safe, use it. It remains a better option than not using a safe at all. Stash your passport along with any spare cash."
On overseas restaurants: "Try to use cash as often as possible at overseas restaurants. There have been many cases of waiters stealing customer credit card information and selling it to crooks. Let's face it: You don't know what your waiter is doing with your credit card when he or she goes to the back of a restaurant. You also want to make sure that the official restaurant receipt that you leave on the table after you've paid only has the last few digits of your credit card number printed on it, not the full number. But don't get me wrong or think I'm paranoid. It's safe to travel with your credit card. And hotels and airlines have great reputations for keeping credit card information secure."
Tip on credit cards: "Let's say you're heading out on a long series of trips overseas. Let your credit card company know where you're going. There are two advantages to this. Let's say someone steals your card. If you've already alerted your credit card issuer that you would be traveling abroad, you've proven you are a responsible customer. As a result, they ought to go the extra mile to help resolve any problems that might pop up. The other advantage of calling your credit card company before you depart is that such companies are getting more aggressive about spotting unusual spending patterns on credit card accounts. If you live in, say, Indiana but your credit card suddenly starts ringing up charges at stores in, say, Bucharest, Romania, your credit card issuer might put a temporary freeze on your account. That could leave you stranded if you rely on the card to pay your expenses."
User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions.
I contacted City Bank before we left on a cruise to Italy, Greece and Turkey. When I used it in Turkey twice, the second time it got red flagged. I had to give all my personal information including social security number and mother's maiden name over the phone!! The shop assistants were listening in and could easily memorize what I had just said. Naturally, I was very upset that that happened and then in Greece my card got refused. SO much for calling ahead and letting them know. Don't think I will do that again. It made the situation worse not better!
Posted By Ann on April 23, 2007, 8:36 AM
The idea about calling in to tell your credit card company that you are traveling is a great one. Unfortunately none of my 3 cards were prepared to deal with that information when I called. During my trips my husband is now resigned to receiving numerous calls from their fraud departments asking if the charges should be put through from wherever I am traveling.
Posted By Connie Beck on April 23, 2007, 8:37 AM
I've been calling my credit card company for many years to flag my account when I'm traveling, which I do a lot. As a result, I've never had a problem when using my credit card and the people at the credit card company, when I've called to tell them to flag my account, have always been terrific. I've also passed this information to many of my friends who travel and I always get the comment, "I never thought of that" and when they return thank me as people they've traveled with who haven't done so, have had problems using their credit cards. It takes only a few moments to call and is worth taking the time to do.
Posted By marion Cunic on April 23, 2007, 9:17 AM
When we went on a Med Cruise last summer, I had several incidences of putting my debit card in one of those ATMs, punching in my information, and nothing happened--no money, no receipt saying that the transaction didn't go through. Nothing. It really spooked me. This happened twice in Rome and another time also. Everything was OK when we got home, but I would just like to have known that I wasn't getting fraudulent charges that would be hard to prove.
It would be wise to keep a log of transactions in a little notebook. That way it would be easier to match up after you get back from a trip.
Posted By Brenda on April 23, 2007, 9:53 AM
I traveled overseas a lot for business several years ago and took two cards with me, a Visa card and American Express. I let both know that I would be traveling and where and never had a problem. In fact, American Express was terrific -- I needed a large sum of cash at one point and they took care of everything for me. Do not however travel with all your cards - travel light. Clean out your wallet before you leave. There isn't a Macy's in France so there's no point in bringing your card with you.
Posted By Mary on April 23, 2007, 4:19 PM
I have a "travel" (old) wallet. All I need to add is my license and credit card I want to take with me. Health info, AAA and AARP etc. info already there and waiting.
Posted By Mike on April 23, 2007, 6:34 PM
Just got back from 9 weeks in Brazil. I contacted my credit union (credit card and atm card) and Capital One. Neither charged surcharges for using in a foreign country. Capital One also listed the exchange rate for each transaction. the only bank that I paid a surcharge for withdrawing cash was CitiBank. By the way, in case it hasn't occurred to someone, take your ATM card, withdraw a little cash as you need it, IN THE FOREIGN CURRENCY, and there are no exchange fees! I love it!
Posted By Diana Brueckner on April 23, 2007, 7:50 PM
I had forgotten to call Mastercard before a trip to Los Cabo
s, Mexico. On Friday evening, I wanted to get pesos from an ATM, but the machine kept my card and gave me a message to call my bank. When I called Mastercard, they told me they thought the card might be stolen. I had to wait until Monday to go to the Mexican bank in person to retrieve my card, and they were reluctant to return it to me. What would I have done if I was not staying in Los Cabos until Monday?
Posted By Phyllis Learn on April 24, 2007, 1:18 AM
I let my credit union (ATM) and credit card company (MC) know I would be traveling in Japan, where almost no non-Japanese ATM cards are accepted. They both thanked me, and I had no trouble using or getting a cash advance on the credit card. The ATM card worked only at the Japan branches of Citibank, but without glitches. In spite of the problems others describe, I'd say letting the companies know is worth a try.
Posted By Linda Bowman on April 24, 2007, 12:23 PM
Most restaurants in France (and other places as well) use hand held devices at the table. Your crdit card never leaves your sight. There is the chance some bad guy may steal the tranmitted info from the wireless device.
Posted By lawthomas on April 24, 2007, 4:19 PM
As Peter correctly points, the most big hotel companies are safe, otherwise they won't be at the top.
Security for guests is a challenge, of course. But the bid US hotel companies are doing successfully their best in order to guarantee security. Insofar Peter's recommendations and comments are relevant for US citizen traveling in other countries rather than for international and homeland guest that can profit from the service of the US accommodation standards as offered by Sheraton, Renaissance and other, though less prominent hotels.
From my personal viewpoint the credit card issues that have been pointed - well it is not specific to tourism, it's a general topic, though probably increasingly relevant to tourists;
Posted By Dr Th. Albert Gilly on April 25, 2007, 4:50 PM
This probably has nothing to do with the above subjects, but, it is something to 'cover your hiney'.
My husband & I traveled to Miami to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play the Dolphins during the hurricane 2 years ago. We had planned to leave a few days before the game was scheduled anyway & had planned on heading down to The Keys for another week to snorkel.
We had to cut our trip short & leave the day before the hurricane hit, which was a Sunday(the hurricane hit Monday). The game had been moved up to Friday, which was the day we were leaving anyway, so no problem there.
What I am (eventually!) getting to is that we booked everything except our game tickets thru Expedia & purchased the travel cancellation waivers for flight, both the hotels in Ft. Lauderdale & The Keys.
I had to call & cancel the second hotel & had no problems whatsoever! Just had to contact the hotel also to let them know we wouldn't be checking in. No biggy! The part that I was most impressed with about Expedia was that it was such a breeze to rearrange our return flight! We got the same exact flight times & everything. Just a week earlier! There was absolutely no problem whatsoever!
I do recommend getting this insurance for everything you book on a trip! And CHARGE these things! Well, you have to when booking airfare & hotels. The hotel cancelation waiver was $14!!! I believe the flight waiver was something like $30 more or less.
It also pays to get the added insurance when you rent a car. For under $20 per day, depending on the destination, it is so worth it!
ALWAYS, always pay with a credit card when making big purchases like that! Before AND during your stay!
We purchased a painting in Hawaii & had it shipped home & paid with a credit card even tho it was relatively reasonable. This way, we have proof of the purchase! AND, insure the things you ship!
Just keep a copy of everything you purchase & you will be fine.
Happy travels!
Posted By LoyallyLOST on April 25, 2007, 5:31 PM
I disagree with using cash in a foreign restaurant. Having more cash on hand makes you lose more if you were to get mugged, or lose your wallet/purse.
Using a credit card is actually better for the person, because if there are ever fraudulent charges, they can be disputed and "charged back" to the merchants bank as fraud. 99.9999% of credit card companies will not even make a customer pay the so called $50 max they could if they wanted. I've travelled to the Caribbean, Italy, Hawaii, all over, and live on the east coast, and have never had a credit card purchase declined. I use my USAir Mastercard and they're great, I never have problems.
And calling your credit card company ahead of time to inform them about a trip is hit or miss. Some will disable their "unusual transaction" flagging, others won't.
It's better that they don't, really, becuase if someone steals your card, or secretly skims the number/ magnetic strip and makes fraudulent purchases, it would be better for the consumer to let the card company catch it.
Also, using a debit /cc at an ATM is not safe, you could be a target for a thief waiting nearby. Also there are fees that your bank, the ATM bank or your CC company will charge for the usage and conversion.
Posted By Mike on April 28, 2007, 6:14 AM