10/365 : Exchange Of What?

This is Andy .. in a phone box .. in Bolton .. on the phone with Bank of America customer service .. after I had just been on the phone with them for over an hour!

While we were in Manchester yesterday we tried to withdraw some money at Barclays and it declined the transaction. After we got home I checked my E-Mail and there was one from B of A saying that my debit card has been blocked due to some suspicious activity. *ugh*

I E-Mailed them back and they told me that I needed to call their 800 customer service line that they can not clear anything up via E-Mail.

So I stopped at this phone box thinking I would be on and off in no time, oh how wrong I was. First I got hung up on during a transfer.. then finally I get somebody. I fully explain to her that before we left the States I made a point to phone customer services and card services to explain that we are moving to England and since Barclays is a 'sister' bank we will be using their ATM's to withdraw pounds without getting any fees attached. Notes were made, my new address was updated to the UK for future bank statements and I was told there would be no issue. She listens to me explain everything and then says "We are so sorry this has happened let me get it corrected."

Then after some typing she comes back to says that this is more than just the UK transactions that B of A has had a security breach and my card has in fact been cancelled and they will mail me a new one in around two weeks. However since Andy's card has a different number on it she says his is fine as it was not part of the numbers that were compromised so we can continue to use his. The reason Andy is on the phone is because he had to authorize the information we were putting on his debit card number so that they don't stop it once we start using it now.

So we ran over to a Barclays ATM and it worked! Woo Hoo! We will not be penniless for two weeks. : )

I took this picture while I was inside the phone booth waiting on hold. When we came to Bolton last year I saw this shop that said "All - American" and I thought it sold American food, magazines, etc.. hhhmmm... I was wrong. Read the white sign above it!

"Adult Mag Exchange Centre" What?!?!? I mean really.. not to be gross or anything but having somebodies 'used' Adult Magazine is not something I think many people would want! eeewwww