I'm back with news on the US Credit Cards. I contacted my Chase cc company three times. The first one, I called from a landline. After dialing the toll-free cc number, Telefónica Argentina informed me that the number I dialed was not reachable at this time (!!!!). I tried again from my husband's cell phone. I managed to reach the cc company when I was abruptly disconnected 5 minutes into my conversation with an assistant about my cc issue (!!!!). I called again using my cell phone, and the same happened (!!!!). I started getting pretty stressed wondering why ain't I able to reach my cc company? So, I got hold of my laptop and called using Skype. Had no problems anymore, and talked all the time I needed. Spoke to a third attendant who investigated the matter, confirmed my ID, and even pointed the places where our cards were rejected. The lady said that there's no cause, whatsoever, why our cards should not work. She said that she could read in her system, that the expiration dates on both our cards were registered as 00/00, which of course, is totally incorrect. She also mentioned that our security codes read 000. She was puzzled as I still am too. I assume this has zilch to do with the US cc company, but is mostly a manipulation from the cc systems here in Argentina, to stop people from using US cards after an extended period of time, and force everyone to get an Argentine cc card which will mean absurd maintenance and/or very high money transfer costs. I'm sure that several foreigners living here longer than 6 months and with Argentine IDs are or will be experiencing the same soon. Mind my words! Allow me to clarify that so far, our cards are being rejected in two (2) lines of supermarkets, but not in restaurants. I also went for a haircut yesterday, and when I was done, I paid with my Chase cc, but the stylist added an additional 10%. So, I ended up paying $600 pesos for the haircut, and an additional $60 just for the hell of it, without any previous warning. Sickening!
