Lost Saga Europe

[Pierpont Oldham]

Somehowsome way have lost my pouch with my us dollars, euros, and credit cards. Have two weeks remaining in avignon. Apartment is paid for, train trips seem to require credit cards so those Journeys are out. Instead of traveling out everyday can stay in Avignon so realistically just need money for food. Anybody have any experience with this kind of situation?Am proceeding with Western Union funds to be transferred but any other ideas are welcome.

My contact missed my eye this morning so am without one contact. I lost my sweater on the way to the apartment. Spent 4 hours trying to get internet access. And then while unpacking and organizing realized my pouch was gone. Not a good day.

Obviously you need to contact your credit card company ASAP and alert them as to the loss. Most will express mail a replacement to you; cost may or may not have to be borne by you. We've had to deal with this after a debit/ATM card was the subject of card-reader fraud (and it was contactless!).

You are having a rough time! I know sometimes when traveling, I put something in a "safe place" and then forget where I put it. Could you have possibly tucked your money away deep in a suitcase or back pack? I have panicked many times only to discover I hid something too well.

Call credit card company and have them overnight (?) replacement. Have second put in relative name and overnighted to them. Have relative photograph numbers and send to you and you add to your google wallet or I-phone thing. Use what ever you get first.

If you have an American Express card, you can go to their office (I think they have one in Avignon) and get cash from them. I did that many years ago when I lost my money belt that had my money and credit cards in it.

Credit cards have been taken care of it's just actually getting access to money. Have never dealt with Western Union And there is no consulate In the area so no U.S government support. So still appreciate ideas.

Have you contacted your US bank to request a wire transfer from your account? Do you have American Express card? Either of those should be able to get you short-term funds. Also, have you set up Apple Pay or Google Pay? Those should let you get food, at least.

And now you know why some of us preach so often about wearing a money belt and not having all you valuables in one spot. And why I still put a hundred euro note under the innersole of my shoe. You should be able to obtain a replacement credit card within two days. Replacing a debit card is more difficult. You can use your credit card for a cash advance but you will need a pin number. Have the pin sent to a trusted person in the US and call them for the number.

So sorry that you are having such a trying day. One thing in additional to getting money wired from Western Union is to see if you can get your new credit card updated in your Google or Apple Pay (if you have these set up). It may be possible for the credit card company to update Google/Apple Pay electronically with the new card as they are shipping your replacement to Avignon. This is dependent upon whether the Credit Card provider gives that automatic update.

Good grief. I am so sorry because you were so looking forward to this.

There is a Consulate in Marseille but all they can do is lend you cash, or let you know if the pouch is turned in. Have you filed a police report?

I removed your name and posted in my expat group to see if anyone is in Avignon. They can look the post up on the Forum and send a private message, if anyone is around Avignon and free to lend a hand.

It was.in the states several years ago when I had to wire money to my college aged son (long story) but Western Union was.Super easy. He had the money within fifteen minutes from.when I deposited it. Good luck.

If you have your phone, do you have a family member back home who you can obtain their credit card number over the phone and load the number into your iPhone wallet for Apple Pay? Almost all restaurants, transportation, etc. will take Apple Pay from your phone instead of a physical card.

I hope that will work and /or you can get some Western Union money quickly, Janet. At least you are staying in one place, so hopefully that will ease the process of getting replacement credit cards to you.

Hi everyone, maybe if we could keep from speculating on Janet's pouch, that would be nice. She has had a very unpleasant day. I am pretty sure that chiding or inquiries like that at this moment don't help her.

Janet, hang in there! I know this must seem overwhelming but you will work your way through it step by step. You have an entire forum of people here who are on your side. You are not alone. Keep in touch and let us know how it is going or if there is a specific way we can help.

If you have travel insurance, perhaps their helpline might be able to offer some assistance. As far as train trips go, you might be able to buy train tickets online once you get a credit card again. When I was on a solo trip to Italy, I ordered all of my tickets on my phone through the Trainline app and never had to present my credit card.

Corrections: my experience getting cash at the Embassy in 1981 is outdated. American Express hasn't had offices for travelers for 20+ years. A bank in France will not give a bank loan, cash, with only a credit card. As customers, paying fees for our accounts, we're lucky if we can even get debit cards out of them.

Can't you get a cash advance on a credit card from an ATM? Usually banks won't deal with non members directly but while it is usually a terrible idea, in a pinch you can withdraw money on a credit card as a short term loan.

One feature that people should be aware of is that with Google or Apple Pay, Credit card companies can push a new card number to you nearly instantly. You can also have a Virtual card in addition to your regular card, the Virtual card issues a new card number and CCV# with each transaction, you can have both loaded in your wallet.

I pay with my card on my phone most of the time in Europe. If you can swing that -- with apple pay or your card being authorized by the bank to your phone -- that will make life suddenly easier. Everyone is pulling for you.

The police station- so the address I had for the police station was apparently incorrect but as I was walking across the old city to get to it I happen to find someone who apparently knew where it was and so I went there because actually I knew the location as well. They opened at 7:00 so I was on my way there by 7:30. It seemed to be a substation. There was only one gal present. She called two police colleagues they didn't speak much English either but they took me in the police car to the main station where I filled out a report with two officers who did not speak English either. I explained to them that I really didn't know how the money got misplaced, lost, stolen, but that it was a loss and I needed to have a police report going forward. And I got it!

Tracing my steps; so the luggage storage facility opened at 9:00 as did the tourist bureau. Neither had found my pouch of money.

Travrl insurance: I actually have the copy of the contract with my travel insurance and it says that they assist with cash advances. But when I sent them an email the response back was that that did not seem to be part of my policy so we'll need to address that when I return since I am on an annual contract.

Western Union: tourist bureau suggested that the best place to get money wired was across the street at the Poste. So I head over there and of course they haven't handled Western Union type delivery since November of last year. They gave me a company a couple of blocks away and I had success finding that place and finding out the procedures of what needs to be done. I did go back to the tourist bureau to let the gal know that the post does not handle money transfers anymore and she gave me the name of yet another company. So I went and tracked that company down, finally found it, and by this time it's 12:30 p.m. just FYI everybody will close at 5:00 p.m. today and be closed tomorrow on Sunday.

Help with my new credit cards. It seems to me That when I got a new card They wanted me to call from The phone number that I had provided On the application or in my account. I use an international SIM card for when I travel so they don't have that number so activating the card I believe would be a problem.

Hubby; we actually live in Mexico and we are on Arizona time and he is trying to find Western Union offices in the little town that we live in. And so he is running around after being unsuccessful at the moment. The problem he is running into is that most money from Mexico gets sent to the states and so the clerk wants to know what state the money is being sent to and doesn't understand that it's Avignon city, France country.

Banks: Saturday all our closed. If you've been to a French Bank apparently everything is handled through the atms. There is no cash transaction with customer service agents inside the bank. So I don't know how much help they would be and I would need to wait until Monday to get an answer on that anyway..

More than you really probably wanted to know but throwing out the terms go to the police station and file a report, obviously not that easy if both parties don't speak the same language. Have money sent by Western Union, got to find a place on either end to make the arrangements. Then you need to make sure that the event only occurs during the week I'm not the time zones work.

Misc: I wanted to lose weight and the stress is doing it! I wanted to lose weight and conserving the very little money that I have at the moment is helping with the weight loss! Thank goodness Avignon has quite a few free museums so I've hit those. I did spend 2.40e round trip to go across the river to Villanueve les Avignon. ?

UPDATE: Hi, just thought of a new idea. If I buy you a $100 prepaid credit card gift card, could you load those numbers into your Apple Pay? I could pick up one this afternoon, and we can correspond by text. Send me a note through the PM.

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