Credit card vacation

Credit card vacation

So a couple weeks ago, my credit card took a vacation without me.

At least that's what the folks at Citibank thought. I found out about this when I went to make a purchase and my card was denied.

When I called Citibank they said it was because I was trying to use my card in a foreign country. Really? Which foreign country was that, I asked.

"New York, New York," she said.

You can guess how the rest of the conversation went.

Finally a supervisor explained that my Internet purchase through Ticketmaster for theater tickets in London (we're going next month,) for some reason sent off a flag for the fraud department because I hadn't told them I was going on vacation.

Mind you, she could see it was an Internet transaction, but still she told me that "for awhile" Citibank has been requiring notification from cardholders of when they'll be on vacation.

So this morning I called Citibank to let them know I'm soon departing for vacation. You wouldn't believe the details this cretin wanted. Travel dates, locations, etc. and I finally got fed up and just told him not to put a fraud alert on my account for travel reasons at all until mid-August.

I don't know if Citibank is alone on this little game, but it's something to keep in mind if you're travelling afar and are likely to be in a situation where you'll need your credit card and won't be able to find a phone to call and talk to the rocket scientists at customer service.

(And by the way for you worry bunnies, we have a house sitter set up for the entire time we're gone. Part I is to my high school reunion and Part II is to see the husband's people in England -- with a side trip to Paris we've just decided to work in.)
- posted by Amy @ 7/24/2006 11:01:00 AM