Another CC bites the dust

[TotallyOz]

I rarely use my credit card when in Brazil. However, my last 2 days there last week I was running low on cash and went to the malls there for a bit of shopping. I went to the really nice fancy mall in Sao Paulo and perhaps purchased from 10 stores there as gifts for boys in Thailand and for my family. Thinking that the mall was upscale, I would not have a problem using my credit card.

 

WRONG!

 

While in Thailand this week, I got a denial from a purchase online. I called my bank and there have been over 20k in charges since I left Brazil. I was shocked! I could not believe it. I had to have the card cancelled and they have to Fed Ex me a new one.

 

Lesson: I will never use my card there again except for hotels. I have always been very careful not to use it other places but I guess I learned a new lesson on this last trip.

 

Lesson: Even thought this experience was a nightmare, Brazil is still amazing and I will go back many times.

[Guest dreynsol]

Hi Oz,

 

Sorry to hear about your experience. I am also hesitant about using credit cards in Brazil except for checking in or out of a hotel. I doubt if one the upscale stores in the mall were responsible, but maybe an unscrupulous minimum wage employee working there copied your number.

 

It's a good idea to notify your bank when you are arriving in Brazil and also when you're leaving so they can block further charges. I'll admit, I learned this lesson the hard way when my bank allowed me two days worth of ATM withdrawals, and then cut me off. Luckily, I had cash to take to the cambio.

 

The ATM machine reported "Unable to process transaction" which was a bit misleading. I ended up going to a number of different ATM machines until I called my bank in the US. They promptly corrected the matter, but no one needs the diversion when a beautiful Brazilian is by your side waiting for your affection!

 

Thanks for all your posts about Sao Paulo, and I hope to be taking advantage of them soon! :-) and I'm glad the experience hasn't deterred your affection of Brazil!

 

Tchau,

 

- Drey

[trilingual]

See the FAQ section for info about how to contact your credit (and debit) card issuers toll-free from Argentina, Brazil and other countries.

 

I'm rather stunned to hear about Oz's experience. I've used my cards in Brazil and Argentina for years with no problems other than the banks blocking them because they thought it suspicious they were being used abroad! You can ameliorate this by calling your card companies, asking to speak to their security department, and asking them to put a note in your file that you will be traveling in such-and-such countries between such-and-such dates. It doesn't ALWAYS work, but it usually helps. When it hasn't, the overseas toll-free numbers have been able to unblock the cards.

[marc anthony]

>While in Thailand this week, I got a denial from a purchase

>online. I called my bank and there have been over 20k in

>charges since I left Brazil. I was shocked! I could not

>believe it. I had to have the card cancelled and they have to

>Fed Ex me a new one.

>

 

 

:-(

[robffm]

When I was in Sao Paulo in February / March I used my cards at several occasios (malls, atm, car rental, hospital and thermas) and had no problem at all.

On one occasion, when purchasing a mobile phone in one of the TIM stores in Tatuape Shoppe, my Visa got rejected and I just used another. The same evening I got a call from my card company (based in Germany), asking about that rejected transaction. They told me that there are some safeguards in place (type of establishment, amount, etc.)and that when a card is rejected on the first try, the cashier should call the local authorization office of the card company. Obviously the cashier was not aware of such requirement or just to busy flirting with every male around.

And sometimes cashiers tried the use the little chip on my US Amex card, a thing I never experienced in New York. Usually this doesn't work and you just need to tell the cashiers to use the magnetic stripe.

 

Hope you enjoyed your stay in Brazil anyway.

 

Rob

Well

[Guest msclonly]

Questionable amount on my credit card charge!

 

I had a small Pizza wih Mossaurela and Chiken and a Guranans soft drink at Corajinha's or the Nite Owl, which I think came to about $12.00 with tip, if I recall correctly.

The credit card statement shows a charge for $20.??.

 

Now we all know that the small pizza does not cost $20.something.

 

I would appreciate if anyone goes there tonite to check the menu for the small Pizza with chicken price.

So beware!

 

The only other problem was Belle Blu, where several hundred dollars was Debited from my check acct. That was the only place I used the card, so it is a certainty that the Manager did those transactions! He took a long time to get my bill charged when there was no one left late one nite last October.

 

So the bottom line is to use the ATM and pay in cash!

 

 

;( ;(

[trilingual]

RE: Questionable amount on my credit card charge!

 

For the difference in pizza prices and charges on your bill, check to find out what extra charges your credit card issuer may be adding now to transactions in foreign currencies. A number of banks have found new ways to gouge their customers! Also, did you have drinks in addition to the pizza?

 

There's no excuse for the Bella Blu overcharge. In all of my years of traveling and using my cards abroad, that happened to me only once, at a smart restaurant in Lisbon. It took a lot of hollering with the credit card company, but I didn't have to pay. (They never could come up with a signed sales slip showing that I had charged the higher amount.)

 

Communication between Brazilian credit card authorization centers and banks abroad is nil. A number of times my card has been rejected and I assumed my card was blocked because of overseas usage, but when I called the toll-free numbers in the FAQ my bank informed me that they had never even received an authorization request and the card was NOT blocked. Apparently, if the circuits are overloaded, the Brazilian credit card authorizers just reject the charge without making further efforts to contact the issuer. That would piss me off if I was a Brazilian merchant who lost a big sale because of that. But usually it was possible to try the transaction again under these circumstances (or after the card was unblocked if it actually had been) and it went right through!

[nycpaul]

RE: Questionable amount on my credit card charge!

 

I was in Rio in February and used my Bank of America visa card. I kept the card on me except for when I gave it to a merchant to process a charge. However, somehow my number was taken and more than $2000 was charged to my account over a period of 6 days in locations all over Rio. At time, 3 or 4 charges were made at the same store over in a one hour period. On one day alone, 65 charges were made to my visa account. Whoever had my number continued to use it for 5 days after I had returned to the United States, although the card itself was with me. The fraud department from Bank of America contacted me after my return and I was not responsible for the fraudulent charges. What I still don't understand is how someone could charge to my card when the card was in my wallet in my pocket.

[Guest msclonly]

Small pizza and exchange rate.

 

I believe the pizza on the menu was $27.00 Rias and the softdrink can was about $1.80R and with tip that would have been around $11.oo US+-.

 

So there is Not a problem with the variable exchange rate. I have traveled enough around the world the last 36 years to understand fluctuating exchange rates and any other transaction charges.

So I don't think there is any misunderstanding there.

 

I had assumed, that the thiefs had fake cards made up from my several experiences in the US and recently in Rio. But apparently the post about numerous charges in 6 days can only be explained by having a card in hand at time of sale. I would assume, that just giving them a number would not be acceptable, but I could be wrong.

This would hold true for the several debit charges made in Oct before I returned home. nypaul, were your charges to a DEBIT card?

 

Fortunately, the banks credited me for all the charges made over the past 10 plus years. Apparently, they don't want to lose a major player.

 

 

 

;(

[buttnovice]

I've travelled to Brasil quite a bit the last few years, in fact I'm here now. I've never had a problem with credit cards here or in Europe. In fact I use my American Express for everything, even buying water in Supermercados. Just like at home it's easier than carrying cash. Maybe I've been lucky. Since this thread started, I've checked my AE account and bank account online. My ATM withdrawls are posted by the time I get back to the hotel. AE charges from Friday have yet to appear. Dunno, could they have lost them?

 

BTW, saunas were DEAD tonight! Both Estacao and Rogers were deadly and hated the crowd at 117 - but that's another thread.

 

BN

[maurice_ed]

It happened me several times that my card has been rejected although there was no justification for this. I was told that not all money tellers can operate with foreign cards. This is one explanation but I am not sure it is the only one.

 

As to overcharge on the pizza, in my case the bank would charge 2.5% with a minimum of 3 euros, that is about 9 reals.....

 

If you pay something like $20, be carefull that your bank will not add unreasonable charges in proportion of the expense.

 

In Brazil, I always take a maximum of cash at the money teller and pay all low and average expenses in cash.

 

It is a good idea to check what is charged on your credit card by internet day after day.