My Wallet was Stolen

[mike carey]

@MikeBiDude, I'll be judging companies by how long it takes for replacement cards/documents to show up! Nothing quite so cold-war dramatic as yours, I suspect! I'm at home so at least your visa card issue won't apply. When the shit hits the fan (hope that isn't a uniquely Australian expression) Amex come through. They always did claim 'replacement world-wide' in their advertising.

[+ Pensant]

Probably safer than a wall safe, thieves seem likely to steal a safe intact and break into it at their leisure once they've left the scene.

I have a very heavy floor safe in my 3rd floor bedroom. Any thief who can carry that down two flights of steep stairs deserves it!

[+ Charlie]

Wow, 1430 on Tuesday and my Amex card was just delivered by DHL courier (it's a premium one, so I guess that's part of what you're paying for). I had notified them in the small hours of Sunday morning.

My spouse (again!) left his jacket with his wallet in it on a chair at the departure gate at PSP at the beginning of a trip to London, and didn't realize it until we got to LAX, where we were changing for the flight to Heathrow. He had his passport in his hand when he boarded at PSP, but that was all he had--no other ID, credit cards or money. As soon as we got to where we were staying in London, we called Amex, and they said, "No problem! Just come over to the office at Piccadilly Circus and we will give you a replacement." So we walked to the office, and within minutes he had a credit card and some cash. Needless to see, he is a loyal Amex member. The real nuisance was replacing all the ID.

 

BTW, when we called from LAX, the airline said they found his jacket at the gate in PSP, and he could retrieve it when he got back, but when we checked on our return, no one could find it. However, none of the cards in it were ever used.

[mike carey]

Thanks for that story @Charlie, so many instances of ways to become separated from cards and other documents. And another positive Amex story, there seems to be a pattern emerging (although no doubt the counter-examples will now emerge!). I well remember in the days before ATMs and all that sort of technology were linked globally, being able to cash a cheque on my Australian account at Amex offices in Washington and London.

[Islesguy]

Another good thing about Amex is the will update all your recurring payments to the new card for you. No need to go and change them yourself.

[RealAvalon]

Another good thing about Amex is the will update all your recurring payments to the new card for you. No need to go and change them yourself.

Really? That's a great service. My MasterCard didn't do that.

[Lookin]

As @handiacefailure said, my gimmick has been to carry as few eggs as possible and to spread them around among multiple baskets.

 

When in the U. S., my wallet stays in my car and I pull out a credit card only when I need it.

 

A few years ago, in what I remember as the Great Brussels Train Robbery, my carry-on bag was lifted from right underfoot and showed up on another platform a few hours later with my passport intact. The only thing missing was my camera, sadly with the past week's photo card still in it. Had the thief taken my garment bag instead, he would have pocketed $2000 in cash. My credit card was in one pants pocket, and my wallet was in another, both zipped.

 

When I renewed my passport last year, I sprung for the Passport Card and that will never be in the same place as my actual passport.

 

Come to think of it, the only thing that comes with me everywhere is my library card. Though I should probably rethink that strategy, as it's proved to be the most difficult to replace.

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9hJs2J1RW1Y/TSE7yaDRzcI/AAAAAAAAAXk/XuQl-I2T4hU/s1600/angry_old_woman.jpg

[+ deej]

Australia Post has a reputation for that for parcels (not specifically for 'signature required' deliveries). You'd hear nothing then find a card telling you to go to the post office. I had to sign for the delivery today, one of those annoying devices where you use your finger to sign and your signature looks like you were drunk.

 

UPS in the US is notorious for what we call "ring and run", where if you're not quick enough to the door you'll see the truck pulling away and a pick up notice left behind.

 

I've symied more than a few "ring and run" attempts just by being home during the day and seeing (or hearing, or the dog alerts me) when the truck pulls up. They seem generally flummoxed to actually have to make the delivery.

[+ tassojunior]

In the US the drivers license part is now much harder with Real ID.

[Gadfly22]

[handiacefailure]

My spouse (again!) left his jacket with his wallet in it on a chair at the departure gate at PSP at the beginning of a trip to London, and didn't realize it until we got to LAX, where we were changing for the flight to Heathrow. He had his passport in his hand when he boarded at PSP, but that was all he had--no other ID, credit cards or money. As soon as we got to where we were staying in London, we called Amex, and they said, "No problem! Just come over to the office at Piccadilly Circus and we will give you a replacement." So we walked to the office, and within minutes he had a credit card and some cash. Needless to see, he is a loyal Amex member. The real nuisance was replacing all the ID.

 

BTW, when we called from LAX, the airline said they found his jacket at the gate in PSP, and he could retrieve it when he got back, but when we checked on our return, no one could find it. However, none of the cards in it were ever used.

 

That's great service. I had Citi overnight a card to my hotel one time and Chase also overnight a card to me once.

 

What sucks with Am Ex is that a lot of places don't accept it outside the US (hell a lot of US places don't accept it). One nice thing now is having apple pay. I left my Chase credit card I like to use behind at a restaurant out of state a couple days before heading to London and the place said they'd shred it so I didn't bother reporting it missing until after I got home since it had no foreign transaction fee and almost everyplace outside the US accepts mobile payments. I wish the restaurants would get on board and get those terminals like every other country I've been to has.

[handiacefailure]

I don't understand why you have to have a form of ID now to get a license replaced now that their computer has your photo on file. When my wallet got stolen the BMV made me bring in my passport for ID and they didn't even take a new photo, they reprinted my old license with that pic.

[+ deej]

What sucks with Am Ex is that a lot of places don't accept it outside the US (hell a lot of US places don't accept it).

Oh, dude, try traveling on business when your corporate card is Diner's Club. It was a running joke within the company how often we'd find places that don't take it.

[mike carey]

Oh, dude, try traveling on business when your corporate card is Diner's Club. It was a running joke within the company how often we'd find places that don't take it.

Ain't that the truth! Towards the end of my service, Diners won the contract for the Defence corporate card (so perhaps 100k cards on issue). To start with it was a nightmare but it seemed Diners used the fact that Defence personnel were using the card to encourage merchants to start accepting it.

[+ bashful]

American Express is the best.

[+ deej]

Ain't that the truth! Towards the end of my service, Diners won the contract for the Defence corporate card (so perhaps 100k cards on issue). To start with it was a nightmare but it seemed Diners used the fact that Defence personnel were using the card to encourage merchants to start accepting it.

And every once in a while their computers would fail to respond, invariably at the end of a long multi-city trip while I was standing in the lobby of a hotel trying to check in. I started carrying personal cards to cover, even carrying enough cash at all times for at least one night in a hotel.

[+ bashful]

Oh, dude, try traveling on business when your corporate card is Diner's Club. It was a running joke within the company how often we'd find places that don't take it.

 

In early 2000’s easily used my Diners for work at hotels throughout the U.S., London, Narita (Japan), and Santiago, Chile. Seemed to go downhill while Citibank administered it. When dealing with a death, and funeral arrangements, I was three days late with the payment. Clearly no grace period was in their vocabulary. When I got the bill with the late charge, I called and explained what happened. Was put on hold, and when they came back, she said since I had never been late before (full amount due each bill), they would credit me only 1/2 the late charge. I cancelled the card.

[mike carey]

Was put on hold, and when they came back, she said since I had never been late before (full amount due each bill), they would credit me only 1/2 the late charge. I cancelled the card.

Some banks and card companies understand that they actually depend on the good will of their customers. Some do not.

[mike carey]

With the thread title I assumed someone was going to be

complaining about how the world has gone to hell and life isn’t as good as it used to be. Happy that it was full of practical information that has caused me to consider what I would do in a similar circumstance. Many thanks!

Thanks, I meant to comment on this earlier. This was my intention. I like to think I'm not the type to cry over spilt milk but it's easy to do so unintentionally, so I'm glad it didn't come over that way. Losing your wallet, or for that matter your mobile phone can be severely discombobulating and it's wise to consider what's in them and what you would need to do if you were to lose one of them.

[BSR]

Thanks, I meant to comment on this earlier. This was my intention. I like to think I'm not the type to cry over spilt milk but it's easy to do so unintentionally, so I'm glad it didn't come over that way. Losing your wallet, or for that matter your mobile phone can be severely discombobulating and it's wise to consider what's in them and what you would need to do if you were to lose one of them.

Thanks for starting this thread. I am sorry about your wallet. I'd like to grab the lowlife who stole it and ... clip his fingernails too short! Yeah, that'll teach him!!

 

OK, seriously, you made me think about something that I've neglected but merits some thought & just-in-case planning.

[mike carey]

Epilogue

 

Most of the various cards I had have been replaced now, some costs incurred but not too many, I have taken note of the speed and efficiency of the responses by the various issuers (Amex, as noted earlier, and HSBC were the best). My main bank, for some reason put a stop on my card but didn't reissue it. When I called tonight, they were most obliging and helpful so I'll have a new card to collect at a branch in the town I'll be visiting in a few days.

 

Finally, this evening, the AFP called me (Australian Federal Police are the local police force in Canberra) to tell me that they had recovered my wallet in a stolen car, that the various cards seemed to be intact, and that I could collect it at the local police station. Most of what was in it has been reissued but there were some things that I hadn't thought about that I'll now have back, my US SSN card among them.

 

I hope that I'll be able to use all the lessons I've written about, but you never know how easy it'll be to make some of the same mistakes again!

[jjkrkwood]

Epilogue

 

Most of the various cards I had have been replaced now, some costs incurred but not too many, I have taken note of the speed and efficiency of the responses by the various issuers (Amex, as noted earlier, and HSBC were the best). My main bank, for some reason put a stop on my card but didn't reissue it. When I called tonight, they were most obliging and helpful so I'll have a new card to collect at a branch in the town I'll be visiting in a few days.

 

Finally, this evening, the AFP called me (Australian Federal Police are the local police force in Canberra) to tell me that they had recovered my wallet in a stolen car, that the various cards seemed to be intact, and that I could collect it at the local police station. Most of what was in it has been reissued but there were some things that I hadn't thought about that I'll now have back, my US SSN card among them.

 

I hope that I'll be able to use all the lessons I've written about, but you never know how easy it'll be to make some of the same mistakes again!

 

Alls well that ends well.....Happy for you.... Live & LEARN....