…or maybe you should try this at home, as abroad it’s a big challenge!
To be very clear, Visa did everything right to help me; my local bank (DKB Berlin) messed it up more than once… and I am screwed.
First of all, DKB is a good bank for travelers:
- You can withdraw money from every ATM around the world without any costs.
- You don’t have foreign currency exchange fees if you are not paying in Euros.
What happened?
When withdrawing cash, I forgot my card at the ATM, which I realized too late. At that moment, I didn’t know if someone had thrown my card into the bank’s post box so that I could get it back the next business day… Never mind, it was not crucial if or if not!
First reaction?
I opened my bank app and temporarily locked the card; if I found it, I could unlock it again. Easy as it is. In addition, I would still be able to use Apple Pay and online payments. (just unlocking it for a minute and locking it after the payment)
Next Step: calling DKB emergency hotline! I’m checking my options to see if my card would be really and finally lost.
Three options I had:
- Ordering an emergency VISA card
- Ordering emergency cash from VISA
- Requesting an actual replacement, which might take 2-3 weeks around the globe, but should be checked if Buenos Aires is an option.
For now, emergency support said I should unlock the card every time it is needed but don’t lock it forever. Because the Visa emergency card is not eligible for Cash Withdrawal, nor does it have a chip on it. It only works on (old) terminals where you can swipe. Last but not least, it’s only valid for three months (so not my whole trip).
So I agreed with the emergency hotline that I would not order the emergency visa card as my digital version is suitable for now; I don’t need cash (I just got enough), and I will call the DKB support to check if Buenos Aires is possible for getting an actual replacement.
So far, so good, and now the mess began!
I asked DKB if they could send a replacement to Buenos Aires and how much it would cost. First reaction after the creation of the internal ticket for my QUESTION? They locked my Visa card permanently! I did not ask for it. Boom, problem. No credit card anymore, not even a digital one! At least they agreed to get an actual replacement to Buenos Aires between 2 and 3 weeks for 48.50 Euro.
I called support again after realizing it and asked what happened. The simple answer: “Oops”. So, I had to change my decision; I wanted a visa emergency card and an actual replacement. I was still four more weeks in the same location, so it was still perfect timing to get one. I asked how it works having two cards in parallel, the emergency card and the new credit card. I was told that this was not a problem; the emergency card would only last for three months and would be locked afterward; for some weeks, I would just have two credit cards. So, being happy about that, I ordered both credit cards. After some hours, I got a call from Visa, asking for my local address and some other information and to ensure again that I didn’t need cash (as that would be even faster). Well done, Visa! As they told me I would have my replacement in a maximum of 72 hours, I was fine. That it was in the end five days, it really doesn’t matter, as DKB screwed it up again!
Second mistake: Immediately after ordering both credit cards, they became available in my banking app as new credit cards connected to my account. Both had different numbers and different valid dates. So far, so good. But after four days (a day before I got the emergency card), my emergency card was locked by DKB. Calling emergency support, I got the same answer: “Oops, that was not planned. Do you need a new one?”
At least I got some nice words from Visa….
As one week from the “possible 2-3 weeks” of my credit card has passed, I denied it. The second reason was that you must wait for the possible delivery on the expected day in the hotel to receive it in person. I was just sick waiting.
Can you guess the last big mistake? My credit card replacement never arrived! In 4 weeks. DKB is doing some things totally wrong here:
- No express delivery; only regular post. Even if I pay for it, there is no chance!
- As it’s only a regular post, I have no chance to track it.
- They do not have a standard form to fill out for ordering the replacement to a different location than your home address. Therefore, they asked many follow-up questions, which cost a day at the end of processing time. For example, if I am willing to pay the 48.50 Euro for the delivery…
- Missing a standard form (out of the secured banking area), you have to print out a letter, sign it, scan it, and send it via mail. It might be an issue if you cannot print and scan quickly.
In general, the support experience is horrible at DKB. For example, you have various numbers for emergencies, banking, and ordering new cards. It is not the same number, so sometimes they send you from A to B and back to A, passing C. I got various internal support case numbers, every time a different support person, and every time I had to tell the story from scratch. Really annoying!
“Best” support mail: After two weeks, I sent a mail and asked if they had an update. After seven days, I got an answer: “Sorry, we have many things to do. Is your question still valid? If you answer this email, I will help you immediately, I promise”. I never got a response to my follow-up mail…..
So what’s up for me?
Okay, as a world traveler, you should have a minimum a plan B, maybe C.
So my plan B is an enormous amount of cash in Euro and US Dollars I do have. Plan C is my master card. I have a foreign money exchange fee, but I can use it. For the sake of emergency, I established a plan D during my trip with a Western Union digital credit card.
I wasted in 18 calls almost 3 hours of my lifetime, and I will lose some money due the money exchange fee.
Consequences?
I will change my bank after I am back home. Even if the bank is nice and cheap, if you have no problem! Especially as an extensive traveler, I expect something else, and for this, I am willing to pay some euros per year.
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