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Debit cards should be used for withdrawing cash from ATMs. And, that is all. When you make purchases with your debit card, you are not afforded the protections of a credit card and can find yourself liable for fraudulent charges and other issues. One couple learned this the hard way when their debit card was hit with a charge for $29,994.33 from Uber while vacationing in Costa Rica.
@dominique.xo.xo Trying not to let this ruin the remainder of my trip, but…. Yes! @Uber charged me $29,994 for a single ride! Correct conversion should have been $54, but was charged 600% more. Contacted Uber: They replied w/ “Do not worry”, but did not provide any further assistance 😩 I cannot find a customer service number anywhere. They have ignored my messages & I have only received pre-generated messages. Yes, I contacted my financial institution @Altura Credit Union immediately. They said there is nothing they can do about it at the moment as I have to wait another 4 days for the amount to possibly convert to the correct amount. Cannot believe they allowed a payment of this amount to process. Failed security measures & negligence. So now I am on a trip out of the county with no way to access my funds 🙃 Pray for me 🙏🏽 Just trying to enjoy my vacation 🌴 #emotionaldamage#horrorstory#uberscam#uber#fyp#viral#travelhorrorstory#wtf#traveltiktok
The couple took an Uber ride while on vacation. It should have cost 29,994 Costa Rican Colón (which is around $55.16). Instead, the charge posted in US dollars without the conversion.
@Uber charged me $29,994 USD for a ride in Costa Rica. Proper conversion= $54 USD. @AlturaCU allowed this charge to process and @Uber_Support is not complying. Currently in Guatemala on my 5 yr anniversary with no access to funds @pressenterprise @RepMarkTakano @MyDesert pic.twitter.com/pSkEaxlsXC
— Douglas Ordonez (@DOJ_111) June 30, 2023
$29K UPDATE. @AlturaCU and @Uber_Support are blaming each other. @AlturaCU stated that the 29k amount bypassed security & daily charge limit because we put a travel notice. ABSOLUTELY NO REASON why this amount should have cleared. After 4 full days the 29k was finally adjusted. pic.twitter.com/lMPr76ol18
— Douglas Ordonez (@DOJ_111) July 2, 2023
This drained the couple’s bank account and left them “with no access to funds.” They contacted Uber. Uber told them to contact their bank. This went round and round until the bank finally fixed the error.
I find it hard to believe that they had a bank account with almost $30,000, but did not have a credit card. It’s not smart to travel without backup cards and especially internationally.
Anthony’s Take: The lesson here is to never use a debit card when paying for anything as this would never have happened with a credit card. Good to see this resolved and I hope the couple was able to enjoy the rest of their trip.
(H/T: View from the Wing.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
2 comments
Debit cards……. for the kettles who like to pay for travel and cant manage their cashflow.
Didn’t fully understand why this was a big deal thinking the entire time naturally this was on a credit card that would be figured out and doesn’t directly affect their immediate finances. What a rookie mistake and move to use your debit card when traveling. Hard to feel sorry for those people.