Bad timing

Yesterday I was running errands to get ready for my trip(s) and I found that stores were denying my check card, which is a VISA card directly linked to my checking account. This morning I finally went online to check my balance (the usual suspect) and found plenty of money in my account, so called my bank. They informed me that my account number was on a list they received from VISA of credit cards that were possibly compromised by a security breach at a vendor.

They said the security risk was very high or they would’t have cancelled my card without notice. They are said that VISA wouldn’t release the identity of the compromised vendor for “privacy protection.” That’s my privacy. I was also told that I could call VISA directly, but that other customers were not having any luck trying to get information out of them.

So now it’s Sunday and I am about fly to another country in about 8 hours, and I can’t get any cash or use my check card! Apparently they have already issued me a new card which won’t get here for 7-10 business days, a.k.a. two weeks. So that won’t be very helpful in Montevideo or Austin. I might get it before I go to Seattle.

Fortunately, I can get cash from my partner, and fortunately I have another credit card I can use on my trips, and fortunately my bank account was not actually compromised. But the timing of this is very very unfortunate.