"Your money is always safe with travelers cheques" -- YEAH RIGHT!!!!
When my cheques were stolen in Thailand, I thought everything would be okay...they have this great policy, they're American Express, and everything should be fine....
Back in the seventies I had someone buy something with my details and I had never used the card before. When I refused to pay, American Express kept the £20-odd I had paid to get the card in the first place. They are swindlers.
In 1980 in Manhattan, a friend had trouble finding places that would cash AE travellers cheques.
In 1984 I was in Columbo, Sri Lanka and a man had lost his AE travellers cheques. The American Express TV ad said they would be replaced immediately anywhere in the world. He was told he would have to wait SIX WEEKS (by which time he was home again).
I prefer cash. Never any problems.
Travellers Cheques are by and large an anachronism and frankly I'm surprised that you can still purchase them.
In today's day and age they're only useful in a VERY few specific cases, like for Americans to bring money into Cuba (thus skirting the 10% surcharge on American cash.)
They're a dumb, useless choice for 99.9% of modern travellers.
Cheers,
Terry
I wouldn't take travelers checks myself - but I'm surprised you had a problem with American Express, they certainly have taken care of me when I've had problems in Asia and both times credited me back my money within 48 hours.
In the 80's, I was in San Francisco on holidays. Laying around the hotel pool when a swat team swarmed us. Shot guns, assault rifles, and I always remember looking at a Dirty Harry revolver pointing at my forehead.
All because of American Express and some bank robbery in Montreal. I got my checks in BC but the serial numbers were within a million of the hot ones. News crew was all set up to film the big take down and we ended up face down in cuffs. The cops finally figured out they had the wrong guys and let us go.
Problem was I could not exchange the checks. No bank wanted them but the A. E rep told me that the state bank would take them. Wrong again but I finally convinced an angry bank manager in Santa Barbara that the checks were good and that A.E had instructed me to go to them. Cost me to change them over to Thomas Jeffersons and never even got an apology or a refund for the bs. So for the last thirty years whenever American Express is mentioned, I give them the bad press they deserve. Still waiting for my apology, Am Ex.
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