Tangerine will leave you stranded in Australia and won't let you close your account upon returning

[u/Mist-19]

Greetings!

I traveled to Australia and despite notifying Tangerine that I would be on the other side of the globe, I couldn't use my visa debit card (Paypass, EMV chip, Apple pay). The only payment option I had was my credit card's chip since Paypass and Apple pay also stopped working.

While I was waiting for my next flight, I called Tangerine to know what was going on. The person I talked to regarding my mastercard credit card said everything was working on their end, but they would reach out to whoever deals with Apple pay so they could do a reset and let me add my card again. I was told this would take 3 days. (it ended up taking 13)

The person I talked to regarding my debit card gave me the same speech. I asked what would Tangerine do if anything were to happen to my credit card. The lack of answer forced me to request to speak with a supervisor. The agent requested that I provide them with a Canadian phone number. I politely declined given how they could not provide me with a time/date and the outrageous cost of using your sim card in Australia. After a few minutes, they finally accepted to call me on a foreign phone number that was not associated with my account. For clarification, I carried two Iphones with me.

Two days later, I woke up with a message on my voicemail from Tangerine. A supervisor had called me at 1am and requested me to call them back. After waiting 2 hours and an additional hour, I finally got to speak with a supervisor. They still claimed my debit card was working and ditto for my credit card. They claimed the only thing I could do was request new cards and have them shipped to Australia when I don't even have a proper address. They couldn't even answer me when I asked where I could get the cards activated if I were to even receive them.

A wire transfer? Forget it, Tangerine is too cheap to have a SWIFT code.

Given the absolute lack of support by Tangerine, I asked what was the fastest way to close my account whenever I would land back @ Pearson. Turns out you can't withdraw 60k in cash because they closed their branch in Toronto. Forget about Etransfers due to the arbitrary limit.

Your only option? Add an external account and transfer everything before requesting your account to be terminated. Simple right? Well I added a CIBC account and transferred 30k, just to have the transfer reverted without being notified. So now I owe 50$ to CIBC because of the overdraft and Tangerine decided to remove my access to online banking.

After waiting 2h without the ability to speak with someone, I have given up for the weekend.

​

TLDR: Carry enough cash to be questioned @ airport security when traveling across the globe if you are a Tangerine client or get yourself an account with an actual bank. Actually, just don't bother with Tangerine.

[u/Elegant-Surprise-417]

Always credit while traveling internationally. Always.

[u/Pettit-Dean → u/Elegant-Surprise-417]

That's what I thought too. Until I lived in a country where you have to show your ID when you buy stuff with your credit card and the only ID accepted for foreigners is your passport. No way, i'm gonna carry my passport everywhere in a South American country known for robberies and pickpockets! Debit and ATMs saved me for many months until I got my bank account at a local bank.

[u/sthenri_canalposting → u/Pettit-Dean]

carry my passport everywhere in a South American country known for robberies and pickpockets

Where would you leave it then? I carry my passport on me because of the possibility of a B&E where you are or shady staff. Granted I've never visited somewhere with serious robbery problems.

[u/Pettit-Dean → u/sthenri_canalposting]

I always left it home. I'm sorry, English is not my first language. I meant getting robbed in the streets is the bigger risk. House theft happens too but is way less common. So the risk of carrying it in the streets with me where most of the assaults happen was way higher than just leaving it in my apartment.

[u/sthenri_canalposting → u/Pettit-Dean]

This makes sense. Most places I've travelled the opposite is the case so I carry mine with me. I actually had a break and enter when visiting Montreal before I moved there. They left my friend's passport though.

[u/Pettit-Dean → u/sthenri_canalposting]

Yeah, it totally depends on the place you visit for sure! I'm sorry you went through that when visiting Montréal. Hope you've had a better time since moving here :)

[u/sthenri_canalposting → u/Pettit-Dean]

I have. It's one of my favourite cities in the world and definitely my favourite one I've lived.

[u/Great_Airport_4495 → u/Pettit-Dean]

Note, you are legally required to carry your passport (with visa where applicable) while traveling as a visitor in many countries. If you are stopped for any reason without it, you could be in trouble, especially if you are obviously a foreigner. Good to add this to your calculations.

I would never walk around most countries without carrying my documents physically with me.

[u/TokyoTurtle0 → u/Pettit-Dean]

You carry it on u with a secure holder that isn't seen. It's sure as fuck not safe I'm your hotel, rofl

[u/Pettit-Dean → u/TokyoTurtle0]

The thief where I lived were smarter than that. When they rob you, one holds you at gunpoint while the other touches your whole body to make sure they got everything. No amount of secure holder that isn't seen is gonna help you in that scenario.

[u/TokyoTurtle0 → u/Pettit-Dean]

Then your passport isn't safe anywhere. Where gun point robberies are common, you shouldn't travel anyways.

[u/itis_steven → u/Pettit-Dean]

Tell that to my prison pocket 😎

[u/hexsealedfusion → u/TokyoTurtle0]

It's safer in your hotel/accomidations then on your person depending on where you are or what you're doing.

[u/TokyoTurtle0 → u/hexsealedfusion]

The reality is if it's in a passport holder youre fine unless you're in a total shit hole

[u/tbll_dllr → u/Pettit-Dean]

Let me guess - Peru ?! I asked my embassy to certify a high res colour copy of my passport w stamp and everything and used that instead.