Divide the cost of the honeymoon by the number of days and demand that BoA refund you that amount of money.

"Don't rely on a single bank or a form of payment, especially when traveling."

Absolutely, it's just common sense.

It's a sad comment on our society that most wisdom in regards to money matters is learned through bad experiences. There would be no reason for a young couple to question that the bank's information could not be trusted, unless they had been screwed before. I hope you find a way to sue them or get a refund.

@edrebber: D+ for reading comprehension. Mentioned in the submission: 10 day trip, $2500 to spend. That's $250/day. They lost one day of their honeymoon. BoA credited them $300.

@ClayS: Perhaps, but it shouldn't have to be. One shouldn't have to expect one's bank to screw up at every turn.

I'm going to be traveling to the UK for two weeks next month for training. I'll have my company card, but I can use it only for travel, lodging, and food. The outlay for souvenirs and personal items has to come from me. I do not carry credit cards (and don't try to talk me into using them because my mind is made up). I do have a debit card (thankfully not through BoA), and though I planned on calling my bank before I left, I'm afraid of running into the same problems these folks did.

So, I plan to take some cash. I'll be safe because I am traveling with a few colleagues. What is the best way to take spending money overseas? Travelers checks? Exchange at the airport? What do you suggest?

"We ended up having to spend an entire day sitting in our hotel room doing absolutely nothing..."

I am sure that if I were on my honeymoon I could have thought of at least one thing to do ;-)

Agreed. While it's great they had the money in advance, foreign travel is the only good time to use a CapitalOne card and pay it in full immediately upon getting home. CapitalOne charges no exchange fees and waives the 3% conversion fee Visa charges.

There's an article on Bankrate about it.

[www.bankrate.com]

I can't even read past the third sentence. foregoing exchanging currency??? isn't this the first rule of international travel?? the bank will KILL you with atm fees! and what's wrong w/ traveller's checks?

It took me more than six months and countless phone calls with threats to move my accounts (two checking, two savings, a money market savings, and a mortgage loan) over to another bank

Frankly I'll be impressed when he makes good on that threat.

In 2002 I had a business account with BoA. They refused to help when a "customer" used our ABA routing/transit on a refund check to purchase porn. The local branch wouldn't help either. I ordered them to cut a cashiers check and close the account. Two hours later we were with a regional bank. Their commercial account manager couldn't believe how BoA treated us.

@speedwell: Why don't you just get visa gift cards?

@speedwell: It depends on where in the UK you will be traveling. In London, there are currency exchange stations throughout the city where you should be able to cash a travelers check for U.S. dollars. If you will be in areas that are not typically "tourist" areas, it may be more difficult to exchange currency.

I will usually exchange $150 at the airport to give me some spending cash where credit/debit cards are not convenient/not accepted, and then exchange it at the airport when I return as they will give you the same exchange rate that you "purchased" the money with.

@speedwell: Since your mind is made up not to carry a credit card for overseas travel, and you assume having companions equals safety, my suggestion is to learn from your experience "as to the best way to cash your dollars." Bon Voyage!

Frankly, I side with Bank of America here. The fraud protection thing is just an algorithm. It doesn't even tell them necessarily why it declined/froze your debit card. Usually it just detects "anomalous" transactions, which it sounds like you did a lot of. They can't necessarily know what sort of transactions will trigger it or what kind of transactions you will have. The bank is in a no-win situation: if they turn off their fraud protection entirely then people would whine about debit card fraud (in fact there was a post here just the other day doing exactly that), and if they don't disable it people whine that it can't magically know that a transaction is really legit.

While it sucks that they didn't have any money for a day, I have to agree that they should have prepared for an eventuality like this in a foreign country on the other side of the world. Japan is still a pretty cash-based society. Even if I intended to rely on my ATM card for the most part, I would have brought at least a couple of days worth of local cash with me and I never would have spent all but $15 worth of my cash before securing more. So while I sympathize with what happened I think Derek should have been a lot more careful. The bank was very nice to offer $300. While it's sort of their fault that the debit cards didn't work (though not really, as I explained above) it's NOT their fault that he didn't have any additional ways to pay for anything. Not smart.

That's horrible but I agree with Carey, you should NEVER rely on one bank/form of payment when traveling. And even then, you should by a money belt and keep at least $100 in it at all times (thanks, Rick Steves!).

Oh, come on... You mean to tell us you flew half way across the globe with ONE credit/debit card in your wallet?!?! Nothing for backup in case of emergency? Your claim of having wasted a whole day at the hotel waiting for Customer Service to open is rediculous as well... Get real, and quit whining about something that was done to protect you...

You know damn well you would have been the first one to raise hell had they NOT rejected a purchase if the card had been stolen.

@wring: When I was in Japan studying abroad I used ATM's to get cash all over. I used the postal service ATM's, which did not charge a fee at all (do not know if it's still that way) and were available in every post office. BoA did not charge me a fee either. Plus, I'm getting a lot back from the lawsuit against the banks for rigging the exchange rates now :)

My wife took a cruise down to Mexico for a week about 2 months ago, and she was planning on using her card for most all purchases - even telling me that she already talked to the bank and let them know what she was doing. I convinced her to take cash with her too - not to rely just on the card.

And lucky I was home on day 3 of the week cruise since the Card company called about suspicion activity on the card. It was an "automatic computer" going through the charges and I was able to hit "1" to say these charges were OK - but if I was not home - or worse on vacation with her, I'm guessing her card would have stopped working by day 4..... even though she also made sure to let them know that she would be using the card out of country and more then usually with the normal "No Problem" response.

@wring: Traveler's checks can be a major pain. Some foreign banks charge a commission for cashing them, and others won't cash them at all. It took over an hour to change them in Bulgaria, when it would have taken less than two minutes to pull the same amount from an ATM. Spending four bucks on a foreign ATM transaction sucks, but it's worth the time I save.

When I traveled overseas last year, I had about $300 in cash I exchanged at the airport before boarding the plane. Yes, the exchange rate is lousy but I had trouble with my ATM card overseas the first couple days so the cash totally saved me.

Heck, when I went to NYC I carried around at least $300 in cash--taxis and street food add up. My best friend had $800 in cash she was carrying around just for taxi fares.

Travelers checks are a pain in the ass, no one who travels regulary uses them anymore.

You should never travel with only one form of money though. I usually bring my atm card, credit card, and have at least 300$ in US dollars hidden as an emergency fund (I don't touch this money unless I absolutely have to).
Travelling is some countries can definitely be a hassle. In parts of both Indonesia and central america I've discovered that the local bank won't take my cards and the nearest ATM that will is hours away. Thats when the hidden cash comes in handy.

God wants you to stay in your hotel for at least one day on your honeymoon. It is called consummation. :) BoA was only helping you fulfill this.

Japan was a really fun choice for a honeymoon.

I took my BofA debit card to Italy in 2006 and it worked like a charm. Granted I had a credit card and cash as well because I wasnt going to rely on one form of payment.

@DeltaPurser: Also, frankly, I don't believe the claim that he couldn't reach customer service due to the time difference. I know for a fact that BoA has customer service people on the phone 24 hours a day. Maybe he didn't find the right number, but they do have one.

Also, keep in mind that if you are using the cash as an emergency fund, you don't necesarrily have to exchange them for local currency. In most of the world, people will take US dollars.

@ShortBus: Um, ironically you try to be a bad ass and talk about "reading comprehension" when you yourself failed to read it correctly.

He said they each had saved up $2,500, for a total of $5,000.

But thank for playing ass hat.

@speedwell: When I went to England I had some travelers checks that I exchanged for cash at the airport and at Paddington Station while in London. I also had my debit card which I used to make various purchases and to withdraw cash. The thing that made me nervous about the debit card was the exchange rate because I never knew exactly how much money I was spending. (this was before I had internet banking) I never had any problems with my debit card but this story shows that you just never know.

Wow, why are people seriously relying on debit cards? Let me remind you that you have protection with that. Don't expect it to work like a credit card. Take it as a serious lesson learned.

What about the 3% foreign exchange fees that you were forking over with each and every ATM transaction.

For that matter, you'll also find the collect call 24/7 Bank of America support line at the top of the page when you click Contact Us at the top of the front page.

@speedwell: bring an american express. in fact when you're traveling abroad carry a personal amex and a visa/mastercard of some sort. that way if you lose one you're not dead in the water.

@johnva: If fraud protection is truly an automated system, then there should be a way to make exemptions in it. Systems of this sort are constructed by people, so it's not as if we lack control over them. What's the point in talking to a bank beforehand if they can't do anything about one of their automated system? That's like a designated driver being arrested for stealing their friend's car because the cops can't do anything about their ownership check system.

I have never had a problem exchanging travelers checks in UK banks, even in small towns. I would avoid the currency trading kiosks in airports because their exchange rates tend to be less favorable. You can also buy your checks in pounds sterling, which will lessen your hassles when you use them - you won't need to exchange them for cash before shopping.

Cerb, as the dollar has been declining in value against the pound and the euro, I'm not sure merchants would be as thrilled to take US dollars now.

@johnva: Good point... Just further proves that this guy is looking to make a mountain out of a molehill.

they should demand compensation for this. if there trip was 10 days, demand 1/10 of the total cost of airfare and hotel stay. this is completely riduclous

What I take away from this is something everyone here at the consumerist already knows, that the information you get from a business today isn't reliable.

@ClayS: Sense isn't common

i also somehow didnt catch the last paragraph, so glad they got compensation. at least there are a few good CSRs at BoA. i havent had the good fortune of talking to any of them though. i had issues with BoA a few years back when i went to europe and the tellers at my local BoA assured me i wouldnt have any problems and there wouldnt be any fees or anything. i get back and find out every time i used one of my cards, i was charged $5 by BoA and whenever i used my other card i was charged a % of the charge, per charge. they refused to refund any of it and told me i was lying when i said that they told me there would be no fees. i pointed out the teller in specific who told me and the bank manager said i was lying.

@AstroPig7: There IS a way to make exemptions. My guess is he was NOT flagged just for making purchases in Japan, because they probably did put that flag in his account. He may also have been flagged because he was making purchases in a much different pattern than usual. For example, he may have been spending money at a much higher rate than normal or at different sorts of businesses. This is what I meant when I said that they don't know what kind of transactions will trigger it. He may have told them he was going to Japan, but maybe did not specify all the different sorts of things about his spending pattern that would be different. The only way the bank could totally ensure he would not be frozen is if they either disabled the security screening entirely or totally anticipated exactly what type of transaction he planned to perform (which they can't). This is why they are in a no-win situation. I see people whining about their card getting frozen for fraud protection constantly but usually they don't understand how the protection works.

Whats with the debit card people? This is one of those you should have know better stories, was the guy 16?

@DeltaPurser:

They told BoA weeks before hand that they would be in Japan making large purchases. Both of them did. The bank had forewarning. And yet when BoA told them it would be okay, that was just a straight up lie.

Get real? How many stories do we read on here about customers wasting MONTHS waiting for customer service to get back to them. A day is lucky. It is ridiculous. I guarantee you a day wasted on your honeymoon is a the day that may very well stick out to you the most down the road.

@Amnesiac85: Read my post above.

Also, if it was so important to him, shouldn't he have had a plan B (like NOT spending their last bit of cash once they realized their cards were frozen)?

@speedwell: If your mind is made up against using credit cards on an international trip, then your mind is made up to be a fool. Highly recommended that you swallow your pride and maybe even prepay to the card the amount you plan to use so that it'll behave like a debit card since it'll draw from the prepaid amount.

@johnva: Like rely on the kindness of strangers to give you free stuff? That kind of courtesy died a long time ago. Sad but true.

I just had the same problem with my Gold American Express. First they stopped approving transactions because my card was being used on the way to Florida. Got it back up and running for about 36 hours before they began declining it again. At this point they requested 3 months of bank statements and three years of tax returns faxed to them before they would budget. They told me the sooner I sent it, they sooner they could review the account. They estimated 48 hours, it took a week. They have now restored the account but I'm not sure I want it. Too much aggravation. This account is a year old and I had just paid a $6,200 bill before leaving on this trip. The bill is routinely high and has always been on time. So much for no pre-set spending limit. They abandoned me on this trip despite having used this card in Europe and other places. Why Florida and why now? No idea.

I used my bank's credit card (commerce bank [midwest chain]) and travellers' checks when I was overseas & had no problem. Never even had to contact the bank beforehand. I got my travellers' checks at my bank, so maybe THAT is how they knew. *shrug*

Note: I also had another credit card on hand as a backup.

I agree that when a bank reassures you of something & then doesnt provide it ... then they are at fault. And they should pay thru the nose to make up for it.

aside from all the could have/should haves... frankly, if you call beforehand and tell your card company that you WILL BE TRAVELING to X country, which means your spending habits WILL BE UNUSUAL, then get declined when you get there because of your unusual spending habits - there is a problem with the system.

There NEEDS to be flexibility in the system, and if a CSR tells you something we shouldn't have to lose sleep at night because the CSR is just some kid that has no power in the system and most certainly told you something to make you happy and get you off the phone.

Actually buran, when i was in rome last may I un-knowingly hit my daily USAA debit card limit. I had some items being held at a gift shop in the vatican and my card was not accepted. I walked about 3 blocks away to an internet cafe to access my account. The balance was fine. I went to a cash point and tried to access funds but was declined. I tried to buy a damn phone card to call the states but the automated system was confusing and kept hanging up on me. Not only that, the crowds were thick with tourists and we all know what tourists bring. Like ants to a picnic I imagined pickpockets all around. Keeping my cool I went back to the shoppe and asked them if they could wait. They could. I did'nt want my card to be blocked and I needed more money still so I went to a phone booth again and was in the phone booth staring at st. peters when finally I snapped. I was tired and hungry and pissed that I put myself in this situation. Here I am, a faithful consumerist for life, and yet I gripped the proverbial tar baby of stupid decisions. Let's not forget that I left my passport with the shop owner and they were closing in 30 min. I knew my passport was safe but still I was mad that I would do such a thing as leave my passport with strangers even though they were very likely good catholics. I began yelling at an operator then I slammed the phone back. I asked some young chap to my side and he shrugged and could'nt help. Finally this lady leaning up against a wall came over and told me to take it easy. She was from the states and just so happened to be a tour guide. She explained the phone card system is complex even for italians and not to worry. She dialed all the numbers for me and waited for the call to drop thru to the states. Hell, she even waited for the bank rep to come online and made sure I was in the right dept. She handed the phone back to me and I got it straightened out. The bank rep increased my ATM limit (I forgot to get it raised before I left the states) and even commented that she would notate on my account that the card would be used in europe just in case it raised a red flag. I was so relieved. I turned around and the lady was gone. I got the euros from the cash point and made it in time to get the gifts. Afterwards I treated myself to a gelatto and was sure to make a toast to strangers and the kindness they can bring. Rare as they are they do exist.

The opposite happened to us on our honeymoon in Scotland. BofA, the backup card, worked. The other card didnt give us money at ATMS but we could use it as a credit card.

@deweydecimated:

This is true, but I wasn't advocating using the US dollar as your primary funding. I was talking about using it as an emergency fund.