Lawsuit.

how many times will this happen to people and me before we quit these so called banks and save our money at a credit union. I am so ready as a share holder like we all are who pay taxes of B of A to just go away

P.S. i thought stuck in mexico was bad without cash i can only imagine how much worse it is in india

That is insane. When are these damned companies going to be held accountable for all of the bulls*** they do?

We at Bank of America want you to only use your credit and or debit cards here in America. By going overseas you are stating that you are a criminal and we will cancel all your cards and consider you to be a fraudulent entity from here on out. We will not have anything to do with you while you are not on american soil.

This message was not approved nor endorsed by BOA.

It seems like the best thing to do when going overseas is to simply change your address to the hotel you will be staying at during a vacation or trip, then change it back to your real address when you return. Think that would work?

@morganlh85: This message will now promptly be canceled for suspected fraudulent activity. Have a nice day.

Hearing stories like this again and again only shows the real concern credit card companies have for their customers.

Credit cards: don't leave home with them!

Traveller's Cheques and cash. Still the only two things that you need when you travel.

There oughtta be a law. I don't know what kind of language to put in it, but something that says credit and debit card issuers must have a clear and explicit (though secure as possible) process for customer notification of overseas travel (or unexpected purchases in general) and if so notified, must not cancel cards based upon said activity, with financial penalties for non-compliance.

Isn't there a BOA phone number which accepts collect calls? I thought all banks had this. It still stinks though that they haven't figured out how to fix their broken fraud alert system.

@NightSteel: ...unless notified by the customer that the card was lost or stolen, of course.

Why is this so hard in 2009? This was really easy 10 years ago. Oh, I know, BoA is too big to FAIL!

We can hold them accountable - cancel accounts and don't open new ones. Americans are going to have to step up to the plate and deal with a little inconvenience (like fewer atms for a credit union) to let these banks know we won't be bullied.

@morganlh85: Doubtful. I suspect the algorithm isn't based on distance from your "home" address - even if you live outside the US, because it's a US-based bank, they probably have an automatic flag for international activity.

Plus, if calling to say you're traveling to that particular country for that particular period doesn't work...seriously. That's bad.

@He: From my travels while a BOA customer in Germany, here are the collect call numbers as of that time:

Debit Cards/Bank Accounts: 001-770-491-4064 (or +1-770...)
Credit Cards: 001-757-677-4701 (or +1-757...)

Good luck OP!

@shepd: No one takes Traveller's Checks that I've ever seen.

Nothing like searching around Shinjuku for the right building to go to the basement of where there is a bank that will exchange them for cash with international customers.

"No one can reactivate it" - this is bullshit, they just won't.

@diasdiem: While they are keeping her money against her will (theft), I don't think this really qualifies.

@kate2000: I agree that someone has to do something, but how do you suggest one gets funds traveling? Just carrying cash isn't safe or a good idea

@kate2000: I agree with your approach but I'm wanting something much bigger and quicker to put these S.O.B's in their place.

@shepd: Have you actually traveled outside of America recently? A Visa card is a lot easier to use. I've never had any problems with my Schwab Visa. They don't charge any fees either for international transactions.

Of course, it's idiotic to travel with one source of funds. I still don't understand how people can put their trust in one bank, especially Bank of America. Bring backup funding!!

@shepd: Cash is your friend. Traveler's cheques are things Americans only think will be useful before they leave home.

Knowing BOA, it will be sent to her Stateside address "for security purposes."

Hopefully she has another credit card she can use while on vacation since her bank won't help her.

@ecwis: I could be reading this wrong, but it sounds like the OP MAY have had another source of funds. She just has no source of cash. Maybe? I'm making a big logical leap there, I could be totally wrong. However, she does say she has "absolutely no access to cash," (emphasis mine) not "absolutely no access to money."

This is why I travel the old-fashioned way: with big wads of cold hard cash. I figure the odds of it getting stolen are small compared to the odds of a bank screwing up my account and leaving me stranded. If you're into the whole security thing, travelers cheques are a good way to protect yourself against loss.
I'm actually still kind of amazed when I'm able to get cash out of a machine in a foreign country with my debit card. I never knew my card could speak Icelandic! :-)

@BB_User: Can the person wire transfer the money to a friend/family member and then have them western union the money to her in india? That way you don't have to wait. Yes there's cost involved but it resolves the immediate need. Then when you get home write one heck of an EECB to BoA to refund the cost of the wire

@Jesse: Even if she has a bunch of regular credit cards, i'm guessing many places in india only accept cash, probably except for hotels and very large restaurants and such.

@Smashville_now with Monster Energy: It's a bit of a pain (and may only be available to Amex card-holders?) but there are American Express travel offices in most of the major tourist destinations that will cash out your traveler's cheques for local currency... they'll also replace a stolen Amex and such. I know Amex has done some skeevy stuff lately, but there are certain advantages with having a green (or now, blue) card.

@katstermonster: Maybe the solution is to call and tell them your credit card was stolen...then they will make you responsible for all the charges and deny your theft claim?

At Bank of American, EVERY day is opposite day!

Don't get me wrong, I hate BoA - had an account years ago and closed it due to awful customer service. However, when I moved abroad for about 6 months, I ended up opening a BoA account simply because their ATM fees abroad, at least in Europe, were way better than my local primary bank. I notified BoA in advance that I would be traveling around Europe and gave them the address of where I'd be primarily based. The CSR gave me a list of each bank in each country that BoA had a partnership with and advised me that I wouldn't encounter any problems or fees if I used those ATMs. I ended up only using those ATMs since they were easy to find and it was relatively convenient, but I can understand there being more complications when traveling in India. I may have just happened to get one of the few decent CSRs.

Not to really blame the OP, but this is basically an inherent problem with debit and credit cards...they use automated systems to try to flag fraudulent transactions. There isn't a person sitting at the bank approving each transaction: instead, some sort of training-based machine learning system learns what the "typical" use pattern is for your account, and flags things that are way out of the pattern. When you call in, they probably just bias the pattern a little bit, but it's still active and will often cause problems with any sort of highly unusual activity. It's not an excuse, but then again people would probably complain mightily if BoA let a bunch of fraudulent transactions go through because they didn't do something like this. Basically, they've made the decision that it's better to catch more fraud than to ensure that overseas transactions won't cause false positives.

What this should tell everyone is that you REALLY don't want to rely on only a single method of getting money when you're in a foreign country. That's REALLY not a good idea. You not only should you have multiple forms of payment, but should also probably have cards/checks/etc issued by multiple different banks, just in case you have big trouble with one of them.

@coren: Carrying several cards would be one way. Travelers Checks would be another way.

I never travel, be it in the U.S.A. or abroad, without multiple ways to pay for things. Luckily I've never had any card canceled but I still wouldn't take any chances.

@johnva:

Yes, this is to blame the OP. BoA is A POS, we all know it, the OP knows it, which is why BoA was contacted this time.

Yet, the OP thinks BoA will actually do what they're suppose to, and not have a back up? For the second time?

If you stuck your hand inside an alligator's mouth, had it bitten off, would you stick the other hand in there to see if the outcome is different?

@The Black Bird: I'd suggest a string of robberies, but the banks can raise an army of cops and prosecutors against you nowadays

@morganlh85: Oooooh good call! hahaha. I like it.

I've traveled outside the U.S. plenty and never take cash. The few dollars you pay in ATM fees are easier than hunting for a cheap exchange place your first day in a new city.

I take my ATM Debit Card, (for cash withdrawls,) and generally will take out enough to get me by for a few days at a time. I only withdraw at real banks, not streetside ATMS. (Citibank / Banamex, whereever.)

I also take my three credit cards, and ensure I have a pin for a cash advance. So IF my Bank cancels my debit card I can access cash from from my credit card.

If traveling with a friend I'll discuss in advance having enough to spot each other - so in case something horrible happens like wallet theft or EVERY card cancels me we can deal with it and our entire trip won't be ruined.

those are my contingencies -- fortunately I've never had to use them.

Oh and I haven't seen a travelers check since my parents took me to Disneyworld in 1984

@shepd:

When is the last time you used a traveler's check outside the U.S.?

@kate2000: My CC belongs to the Credit Union Co-OP Network. I can use something like 28,000 ATMs nation wide, for both deposits and withdrawals, with no fee. B of A only has 18,000 ATMs. I don't think that I'm missing out on much convenience.

@johnva:
Yeah, but, here's the problem. If it's a credit card (which is a loan of the bank's money), it's one thing. But, a debit card involves MY MONEY! I shouldn't have to worry about having a backup.

I consider Bank of America's actions here to be a form of (most likely legal) theft. The money is the OP's. They should not deny her access to it.

@Jeff-er-ee: Hrmm...CC=CU=Credit Union.

Bad Jeff. No biscuit.

Also - another word against exchange places: I'd rather a machine dole me out local currency than hand my $500 USD to a human - hoping for the correct amount returned after they tap tap tap on the calculater behind the glass window.

I returned a few weeks ago from Argentina and not ONCE used an exchange place. I simply withdrew money from the ATM, and a few times went to the teller to exchange for smaller bills. (another smart move)

The last time I went to Europe I took cash, credit cards, and traveler's checks. Of the three, the credit cards were the easiest to use, and I had no issues with security. BTW, I carried my cash (mostly) in a money belt which is a great way to hide your money.

easy solution-Cash or travelers checks.

@diasdiem:

Yes, the world should sue her for being a schmuck. This is totally a blame the submitter post - she knew enough to send this to Consumerist, but not enough to follow the same advice they've given dozens of times - ALWAYS carry a backup funding source.

Also, traveling internationally and using a debit card is a recipe for disaster, especially in countries that have no idea what PCI is.

@Nascar24Dude: It's definitely not "theft". They aren't stealing anything, or denying her access to her money...they're just cutting off a particular method of withdrawing money (over fraud concerns).

Would you prefer that they just allow all transactions to go through on your debit card? Even if they come from Russia while you're sitting at home in Iowa? That's the alternative, because I doubt it's really feasible for them to review every transaction in realtime. Should they improve their system/procedures for accommodating people who travel overseas? Yes. But the fact is, this sort of thing is very much foreseeable, and you should have a backup plan.

Then he'd better get the local US consulate and see what they can do for him.

Well, he being in India, he can go over to the company BOfA outsourced too and kick in their doors too.

If the OP is having to make expensive phone calls anyway, one of them should be to her Senator or Representative.

@morlo: That wouldn't work. They'd wind up getting their money back and the person committing the robbery would go to jail.

I'm really looking (wishing) for something that the government would do to them. Something they couldn't wiggle out from and also couldn't pass on to their customers. I realize though that it never will happen. Companies like BoA will continue to f-over customers and even though people will complain about it there won't be enough of us to make them change their modus operandi.

Even though I have never had any type account with BoA, and never will, I hope some of the big asshats from BoA are reading this because I want them to know that they can shove their company up their collective asses for all I care. If they don't like it...TOUGH SHIT ON THEM!

@kate2000: Go ahead. Cancel your accounts. Everybody.
They'll just get bailout money from our taxes to stay open.

Thieving fcks!