It was the middle of July and I hadn’t received my replacement Visa Barclaycard yet.
It is set to expire on 07/15 which means on August 1st, which is tomorrow, my PINsentry machine will no longer generate a code for me to get into my on-line account. My biggest fear with British banking is that I will lose access to my hard earned cash, which, if you’ve ever banked in England, is a real possibility.
I am treated with suspicion whenever I try to open up an account, or apply for a credit card or even enquire about a loan of any kind. Something to do with money laundering I am told by my friend-the-bank-manager in Broadstairs. For some reason the cross examination behind closed doors always generates a fear that my money will no longer be available to me.
I checked my profile and personal information on-line and saw that I had updated my address a year ago so my new card should have arrived in America.
In a pro-active mood one morning I called the number on the back of my card and was immediately answered by a native Brit. instead an operator in one of the massive phone centers staffed with operators whose accents are thick and impossible to understand.
“Your new card was sent out at the beginning of June,” he told me.
“Sent out where?” I asked.
“Your London address….”
“I no longer have a London address and thought I’d changed my information on my account.”
“You can’t make an address change without it being passport verified,” he told me, “it shows here that you have a partial American address but the complete change didn’t occur.”
How odd, I thought, no fixed abode! Seems to be the story of my life lately.
He put me on hold to see what he could do and I had visions of being permanently separated from my foreign funds because I may not answer my security questions correctly!
After a long time in which he periodically came back on with a,
“Just popping back to give you an update,” and then an explanation of what his security department was doing…
“…they’re going to classify you as ‘Stranded Abroad’ and courier a replacement card. I’ll be back in just a mo. to get your current address.”
I continued to hold while pondering my new status of ‘Stranded Abroad.’
He finally took down the details of my Florida address where I was apparently ‘stranded’,
“What does ‘courier a replacement card’ mean?” I asked envisioning an English gentleman jetting across the Atlantic and jumping on a bike, leather jacket and all, to find me in a sleepy community called Turkey Creek.
“It will be hand delivered in 2 to 3 days, you have to be there to sign for it so give me your phone number and we’ll call with an ETA when it leaves.”
My new card arrived as promised… while I was out!
Judging by its expiration date I am good to be stranded abroad for three more years!
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
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