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PeterDragon
Joined: 15 Feb 2007
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 Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:02 pm Post subject: American debit cards blocked at Korean foreign card ATMs? |
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I recently tried using my U.S. debit cared at a "foreign card" ATM in Itaewon. Kept getting error prompts. I called my bank back home via Skype and have been informed that South Korea is on a U.S. government-issued list of "high risk" countries. He said the list is based on countries that have high incidents of fraud or a "high terror threat". As the banker I spoke to put it, "We choose to follow the government's recommendation for the protection of our customers overseas." He further informed me that "not all card providers choose to follow this list. If you have a card through another institution, you may want to try it ans wee what happens."
WTF?
Has anyone else heard about this blockage? SK is practically a U.S. protectorate; it seems like petty fearmongering for our government to put it on a list of high risk countries. Are there other ways to pull my U.S. funds over here? |
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valkyrian2
Mod Team
Joined: 15 May 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:12 pm Post subject: Re: American debit cards blocked at Korean foreign card ATMs |
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| PeterDragon wrote: |
I recently tried using my U.S. debit cared at a "foreign card" ATM in Itaewon. Kept getting error prompts. I called my bank back home via Skype and have been informed that South Korea is on a U.S. government-issued list of "high risk" countries. He said the list is based on countries that have high incidents of fraud or a "high terror threat". As the banker I spoke to put it, "We choose to follow the government's recommendation for the protection of our customers overseas." He further informed me that "not all card providers choose to follow this list. If you have a card through another institution, you may want to try it ans wee what happens."
WTF?
Has anyone else heard about this blockage? SK is practically a U.S. protectorate; it seems like petty fearmongering for our government to put it on a list of high risk countries. Are there other ways to pull my U.S. funds over here? |
I think your banker doesn't know his backside from a hole in the ground and has:
1) North Korea (one of Bush's axis of evil countries) and
2) South Korea (long time US ally and soon to be Free Trade partner)
confused.
Lucky you (NOT).
Your option to get money over here is to send WRITTEN authority to have the money WIRED to your acoount here
OR
Give a written and notarized limited power of attorney to someone at home with specific instructions included in that power of attorney to get a money order or cashiers check drawn on your account and payable to you and have it sent here. |
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hogwonguy1979
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:15 pm Post subject: |
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this is news to me, but i've had problems with using my us atm card as a credit card here, i've called my bank in the states and they say its fine that its a korean problem.
also some of the atms that say they take foriegn cards dont, try another atm tied into another network |
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dogshed
Joined: 28 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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They mean high risk in terms of fraud.
They should allow you to work around it.
I asked my credit card company before
I left and they put a note in the computer
saying I would be in Korea. My bank
also knows I'm in Korea.
I have only made purchases with the
cards but have not tried using an ATM.
I don't want those ATM fees. |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Korea is mental when it comes to bank machines. |
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PeterDragon
Joined: 15 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:27 pm Post subject: Re: American debit cards blocked at Korean foreign card ATMs |
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dogshed said:
"I have only made purchases with the cards but have not tried using an ATM."
Wait, local merchants accept American debit cards? Which ones? That'd be preferable to making an ATM run, actually.
| valkyrian2 wrote: |
I think your banker doesn't know his backside from a hole in the ground
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Well, I kinda suspect that. The best part was when he sighed empathetically and said in a sad tone, "I can't IMAGINE what it must be like to live there!" Three months ago, I myself was a banker for Wells Fargo, and I regularly dealt with customers who were travelling in South Korea or living there, using their ATM and credit cards. So while this could be a new development in American governmental stupidity, the real problem probably is my banker.
I also have a paypal debit card. I'm thinking of just transfering some funds there and trying my luck. Is there any way to link up a Paypal account directly to a Korean checking account? |
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PeterDragon
Joined: 15 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:27 pm Post subject: |
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| yingwenlaoshi wrote: |
| Korea is mental when it comes to bank machines. |
Like how they stop working at midnight? I learned that one the hard way. |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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| PeterDragon wrote: |
| yingwenlaoshi wrote: |
| Korea is mental when it comes to bank machines. |
Like how they stop working at midnight? I learned that one the hard way. |
Midnight? Try 10 pm in some places.
Or the time CHB was changing over and I couldn't get money out for almost a week. Not that I knew that was going to happen during my holiday. |
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dogshed
Joined: 28 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:38 pm Post subject: Re: American debit cards blocked at Korean foreign card ATMs |
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| PeterDragon wrote: |
dogshed said:
"I have only made purchases with the cards but have not tried using an ATM."
Wait, local merchants accept American debit cards? Which ones?
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I'm sure I used my Visa at Emart. I can't remember where I used my
debit card but it ran through like a visa and I signed the pad.
Of course if you send money home and then use your debit or credit card
you are taking the exchange rate hit twice. |
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PeterDragon
Joined: 15 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Well, I'm a noob, and for the time being, I just want all my funds in one place. I'll worry about sending money home in the next coupla months. |
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Vicissitude
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Chef School
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:39 pm Post subject: Re: American debit cards blocked at Korean foreign card ATMs |
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| PeterDragon wrote: |
governmental stupidity, the real problem probably is my banker.
I also have a paypal debit card. I'm thinking of just transfering some funds there and trying my luck. Is there any way to link up a Paypal account directly to a Korean checking account? |
There's your answer right there! This debit card, does it have a visa/mastercard logo? If so, you can always use this to make purchases with it in Korea.
They don't use the words, "checking account" in Korea because basically no one uses checks. Everyone wires money directly to accounts. It's quite different in Korea.
I'm sure there is a way to wire your money from your account back home directly to a new account in Korea. I'd call back the bank at home and get a swan to speak with instead of the duck you talked to already. |
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Vicissitude
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Chef School
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:45 pm Post subject: Re: American debit cards blocked at Korean foreign card ATMs |
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| PeterDragon wrote: |
| valkyrian2 wrote: |
I think your banker doesn't know his backside from a hole in the ground
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Well, I kinda suspect that. The best part was when he sighed empathetically and said in a sad tone, "I can't IMAGINE what it must be like to live there!" |
 Well, I guess not. At least he's telling the truth. |
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IncognitoHFX
Joined: 06 May 2007
Location: Yeongtong, Suwon
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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Reminds me of the FedEx guy I called for pricing information.
"Whats the cost to deliver overnight to Korea?"
"We don't deliver to Korea."
"I mean South Korea."
"Oh, we don't deliver to North Korea. There is a South Korea?"
"Well yeah, theres a North so there has to be a South."
"Oh, I see. I'll look that up." |
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PeterDragon
Joined: 15 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 10:06 pm Post subject: Re: American debit cards blocked at Korean foreign card ATMs |
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[quote="Vicissitude"]
| PeterDragon wrote: |
There's your answer right there! This debit card, does it have a visa/mastercard logo? |
My Paypal card is a mastercard, my RCU card is a visa. I'm thinking of calling visa assist before I call my bank back actually, just in case everyone at my bank (a rural Wisconsin credit union) is as provincial as the guy I usually talk to. |
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igotthisguitar
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
Location: South Korea (Permanent Vacation)
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| Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 10:11 pm Post subject: |
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| China?> |
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